Quote:
Originally Posted by dc_denizen
Abandonment in certain neighborhoods due to white flight and crime is way different than what happened in Youngstown (20000 jobs gone in one day, when Youngstown sheet and tube collapsed)
Northeastern Ohio is the rust belt par excellence . Chicago isn’t in the same league
|
I agree, I believe that the term rust belt was just as much related to a condition as it was to a Region. Just because a region was called the Rust Belt did not mean every city within that defined area fit that description. And Chicago being more diversified was in no way subject to the degree of decay as a lot of cities that were largely dependent on a single manufacturer like steel, auto, rubber, etc. Yes Chicago lost population during that period, so did Boston, D.C.,and I believe N.Y.C for a short period of time but you would not describe them at that time as being rust belted.