Why Do Young People Look to Live Near Downtown Areas?
Despite a steeper average cost of living, downtown areas continue to draw in young new residents.
There’s been substantial movement away from huge cities like New York and San Francisco in the last few years, but downtown areas have held onto their popularity throughout COVID-19 and the societal shifts it’s brought on.
When young people are moving, they are generally settling in a city or a nearby suburb with its own downtown area. There have been numerous studies on younger generations’ preference for living downtown. So why the attachment to downtown living?
Limitless Activities
Younger generations are more transient than their older counterparts; surveys show many millennials move every two years on average. With all of that moving around, it makes sense that young people look to transfer to areas with a bustling menu of activities.
It’s difficult to connect with others without some joining factor, but the offerings found in most cities provide endless ways to gather, meet new people, and stay active. In many downtown areas, you could easily book a new activity each night of the week. Meetups, clubs, and leagues abound, and many are constantly accepting new members.
Downtown areas present a level of variety that just doesn’t work on a smaller scale. Sports lovers can enjoy beer-in-hand kickball leagues, bar games competitions, flag football and pickup soccer. There are even leagues exclusively for cornhole! Bars host weekly trivia nights, libraries organize writing workshops, and museums put on nighttime events. So, downtown, there’s not only an abundance of new people to meet and befriend; there are also hundreds of ways to do so.
Employment Opportunities
With higher density of people and businesses, downtown areas simply offer more room for professional growth than smaller spots tend to. It’s not common to find a world headquarters of any larger company very far outside city limits.
Entrepreneurs and aspiring restaurant or shop owners also access a much larger client pool and plenty of networking opportunities when they choose downtown areas. Of course, there’s a trade-off to reckon with when businesses factor in the higher cost of restaurant and retail spaces in city centers. Still, the volume of clientele and the freedom to choose unique angles is tough to come upon outside of the city.
Smooth Transportation
Downtown areas offer much more public transportation than their more rural counterparts. Buses, free downtown routes, and local trains or subways lend access to most blocks in a city center. Commuting to work is quicker, greener, and less frustrating for those who live in the same downtown area as their workplace and can commute by public transport. Anything to avoid worrying about parking or rush hour!
Plus, airports are generally built close to cities. Young people tend to travel more than older generations, both domestically and internationally. Proximity and ease of access to international airports is much more difficult to come by the further you live from a downtown hub.
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