This week’s Forefront article, Ace in the Allegheny, tells the story of Ace Hotel’s decision to open its latest hipster outpost in Pittsburgh’s long-neglected East Liberty neighborhood. That the Portland-born boutique hotel would expand beyond its coastal base and set up shop in the Rust Belt turned some heads in the traditionally risk-adverse hospitality industry. But take a closer look, it would seem that Ace founder Alex Calderwood is onto something big.
An analysis from Brookings Institution of how the 100 largest U.S. metro regions’ employment rates and housing prices have recovered from the Great Recession shows Steel Town solidly in the middle of the pack, climbing back from recession with a vigor that many cities would envy.
Ranked 41 out of 100, Brookings found the hilly city rebounding more strongly than peer cities such as Cleveland and larger cities such as Chicago. Despite the impressive showing, Ace’s newest home did not beat the vinyl-loving company’s hometown. Portland, with its thriving tech industry, came in ninth on the recovery index, beaten out for top rankings by New Orleans, rebounding from Hurricane Katrina with the aid of billions in federal recovery grants, and Houston, home of the unstoppable oil industry. Check out our slide show of graphics illustrating how Pittsburgh stacks up.
Gallery: By the numbers: Pittsburgh on the Upswing
Ariella Cohen is Next City’s editor-in-chief.
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