Collective force/influence of young Ohioans/Michiganders on Chicago (Oak Park: transplants, home)

[Tex?Il?]

Its obviously very well known, that Chicago has attracted huge numbers of young people in their 20s and 30s from Michigan and Ohio for probably over 30years.

Even though Michigan and Ohio are the only other midwestern states that have a total population that comes close to Illinois population, the population of Michigan and Ohio are spread out enough in several smaller metros areas, none of which have the critical mass and opportunities of Chicago:

Illinois: 12.5 million
Ohio: 11.5 million
Michigan: 10 million
Indiana: 6.2 million
Wisconsin: 5.8 million
Minnesota/Missouri: about 5 million each
Iowa: 2.9 million

But heres the thing: you have people from those states that love Chicago because of what it offers, but do you think, that collectively that all the young educated people from those states are themselves, are a major force responsible for the revitalization and rejuvenation of Chicago over the past 25years?

Is it possible that without all the good high schools of the cities and suburbs of Ohio and Michigan, and all the great universities of those states (as well as the other big ten in the other states) are themselves fuel the white collared transition that Chicago experienced over the last generation.

In other words, even though Chicago is a large enough city that it does its own thing and seems independent of the region, would Chicago be what it is today, without all the skills and talents that come out of Ann Arbor, and East Lansing, and Columbus, and Madison, etc.etc?

What do you think?

[chitown85]

To be honest, the number of transplants from the rest of the Midwest is not a high number of Chicagoans. I don't have statistics on this, but at least from the majority of American transplants I have met in the suburbs, most tend to be from New York.

The transplants from the Midwest I have met tend to be concentrated downtown and the north side. A lot of them move to Chicago in their 20s and are gone by their late 20s and early 30s. Few of them remain for various reasons; job pressures, wanting to go home, marriage, etc.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by chitown85

To be honest, the number of transplants from the rest of the Midwest is not a high number of Chicagoans. I don't have statistics on this, but at least from the majority of American transplants I have met in the suburbs, most tend to be from New York.

The transplants from the Midwest I have met tend to be concentrated downtown and the north side. A lot of them move to Chicago in their 20s and are gone by their late 20s and early 30s. Few of them remain for various reasons; job pressures, wanting to go home, marriage, etc.

Really?? I guess you and I have had different experiences.

I've hardly met anyone from New York!

And all the Ohions (Clevelanders/Cinncinatians, etc.)and Michiganders (metro Detroiters/Grand Rapidsites) I've met are planning on staying. I think it might be different for Iowans, or even downstaters (I know much fewer of them) because because they come from more rural environments than people from Ohio and Michigan.

[chitown85]

I am curious to see how many plan on staying versus how many actually stay. If employment expectations occur, if they find a significant other, if they want to move to the suburbs or not. What I have seen is that many transplants in their early 30s begin to move on once their friends from Chicago get married and move to the burbs.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by chitown85

I am curious to see how many plan on staying versus how many actually stay. If employment expectations occur, if they find a significant other, if they want to move to the suburbs or not. What I have seen is that many transplants in their early 30s begin to move on once their friends from Chicago get married and move to the burbs.

OK. But they do stay in the metro area.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

...But heres the thing: you have people from those states that love Chicago because of what it offers, but do you think, that collectively that all the young educated people from those states are themselves, are a major force responsible for the revitalization and rejuvenation of Chicago over the past 25years?...

No, they are a small part of it, but the major force has been the children of suburbanites that moved into the city. Many of these kids parents were born and raised in the city. Also, more often than not, these parents wealth has been passed down to the children who then brought money into the city. These people are in the area for the long term. Most transplants are not.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

OK. But they do stay in the metro area.

Not very many that I have seen. Most people I have known over the years that were transplants moved on after a couple of years and a vast majority moved back to their home state or to another state other than Illinois.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by Avengerfire

Not very many that I have seen. Most people I have known over the years that were transplants moved on after a couple of years and a vast majority moved back to their home state or to another state other than Illinois.

That's not my experience. Here in Oak Park, maybe half or so of the adults are originally from out of state. They generally moved to Chicago after college, usually in LP, LV, or WP, paired up after a few years, and moved to OP for decent schools. Out in the far western burbs where I work, its a bit less than a half, maybe a quarter to a third, but still plenty of non-natives.

Obviously anytime you have well-educated young adults moving to Chicago and settling down, its a good thing for the metro area.

[Tex?Il?]

I guess we know different people. Most people that I know that came to Chicago from Detroit suburbs, Grand Rapids, Ohio cities, etc. specifically came here for career opportunities and don't have any real plans to move back because of the lack of good professional opportunities in theri metro areas.

On a side note: Many of those Michigan and Ohio transplants often came from well-off families. For a while Oakland County north of Detroit was one of the wealthiest counties in the country. And even with the economic problems there, it still is up there.

Those two states have the some highest ratios of good educational opportunities to actual career opportunities for after college of anywhere in the country that I can think of.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

That's not my experience. Here in Oak Park, maybe half or so of the adults are originally from out of state...

That may be true, but the OP is talking about the city itself, not the suburbs.

And the fact that many of these people you speak of moved out of the city (even if it is to Oak Park) that gives my statement some validity even from your experience.