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February 15, 2009

Betting Richard Florida on the Future of New York

As I said when I linked to Richard Florida's piece on how the crash will reshape America, Florida brings out wildly different responses in people -- even among those who like some of what he has to say. Today's example: Arnold Kling wants Florida to take him up on a bearish bet about the future of New York

Florida and I both share the premise that Wall Street will not come back. Florida's economic case is that the New York economy may actually be less dependent on financial services than Columbus Ohio or Hartford, Connecticut. It mostly rests on his view that cities attract "the creative class," the creative class produces innovation, and innovation produces wealth. So he is optimistic about New York.

Having grown up in a suburb of St. Louis, I have an attitude about that. I hate the Mets. I find the heavy-handed sensory overload of New York tiring and ultimately unpleasant, in the same way that I find Las Vegas or Disney World unpleasant. Although I can actually enjoy New York in short stretches, and I cannot say the same for Vegas or Disney.

Fun stuff.

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