More on how gay cachet can revitalize deteriorating
neighborhoods -- and possibly cities,
via the Boston Globe (but about Detroit and its
'burbs):
Since the riots of 1967, Detroit has tried several strategies to revitalize its downtown, including riverfront development and a new mass transit system. City leaders continue to hope that General Motors' move downtown in 1996 will bolster the city's comeback.
Now, some leaders are hoping that an influx of gay residents will help revitalize Detroit. Though the idea is buttressed by a growing body of research, the notion comes as a surprise, given the city's often prickly relationship with the gay community.
Don't tell the anti-gentrifiers!
--Stephen H. Miller