Straight Out Of Tampa

The search for more sunshine might be a rite of passage for people born in Pittsburgh. Florida was (and is) a popular destination for Burghers looking for greener grass. The migration of the Snowbirds is taking an interesting turn in places such as Tampa Bay:

As long as there are other places to go– places with higher wages, better education, cultural opportunities, a more congenial political environment, a less stultifying built environment– the Tampa Bay area’s creativity drain will probably continue.

Americans seem to be getting increasingly place fickle. Tampa's boom is now going bust. The people who love the region are worried. Welcome to the Rust Belt malaise.

Trying to read the demographic tea leaves, the Rust Belt is on the upswing. Most of the pessimism comes from yesterday's exodus. Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh are cities heading in two different directions.