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March 26, 2008

We Build These Cities

Richard Florida’s 2002 best seller, The Rise of the Creative Class, boldly charged that to be successful, cities must embrace, among other things, the LGBT population. Florida’s insights turned heads, and so will his latest read, Who’s Your City? -- which delivers another message: Where you live is the most significant decision you will ever make. Before you pack your bags for New York, take note -- Florida’s research shows the best cities to live in are not always the most obvious. To help you find the perfect place, Who’s Your City? features a nifty place-finder tool in its appendix.

It’s interesting that your last name is the name of a state.
Yeah, I’m in Miami right now, and it’s really hilarious.

What cities surprised you in terms of being up-and-coming gay meccas?
Stamford, Conn. It was the best place for singles, straight or gay. Worcester, Mass., was another one. I always like to see Manchester, N.H., on the list -- land of GOP conservatism. I don’t think anybody would have thought Toledo, Ohio, would be a hot spot for gay young professionals -- and Fayetteville, Ark., which shows that maybe a lot of gay people work for Wal-Mart.

Say you’re gay, 23, and a college grad. Where do you go?
My advice would be to balance your need for an accepting place and whether the place is good for your career. I wouldn’t worry so much about whether it is affordable. Too many young people say, “I want to have an affordable place; maybe I want a house.” That’s not smart. That decision can come later. You are really making an investment in starting your career and finding that right mate. But if you really pushed me, I’d have to say Washington, D.C., if I were gay.

Best bets for finding the right city?
You really have to do that place finder. You can’t just depend on my list. And do your research. Would you go to Match.com, pick a person, and say, ‘This is who I’m going to marry,’ without ever going out on a date? It’s really important to go to these places, spend a lot of time there, and see if you fit, because if you don’t, you’re going to be miserable.