Another potential benefit of the Virus...?
Let's face it, the cost of living is all but prohibitive in our big cities. yet young people flock to these places, to work toward a career, for networking, to explore the chances for romance, and so on. A major expense is space for work and home life. We see these young folks, and ever those in advanced age, living in roommate situations, or at home, if parents are so situated. And there are the homeless.Lock downs of various sorts have many people working at home, a trend which had already begun over the past decades. There are many spinoffs in terms of real estate that may result from these changes. The costs for renting expensive office space are already dropping. And conversions from workspace, to living space, are already on the increase. Supply and demand rules of economics may benefit many, who could use it most, unlike the owners/corporations, who will lose, but such is business..
While some, especially families and some elderly, may opt for suburbia, where home purchase is still possible for many, for the above reasons, this option is less ideal for younger people.
So one door closes, and others open---perhaps literally. Even the disaster that was democrat ruled Detroit, is returning to a non automobile manufacturing renaissance. Abandoned homes were going for pennies on the dollar. And buyers of diverse backgrounds move in to renovate, and to become homeowners for the first time.
Sure, the important productivity and innovation Jones of the face-to-face may suffer, but ways will be found to substitute, and even to restore the same.
Sometimes brutal illnesses, and Capitalism, can provide hope.
Comments (17)
The Park Manor home, where Capone lived in the 1920s and which his family owned until the 1950s, sold less than two months after coming on the market.
The apartment prices have come down as many have lost their jobs too.
The air is cleaner, the birds can be heard singing [huge bonus for many] and the trees and plants look decidedly happier, as do the Cats and Dogs who know have their owners at home working and lots of dogs getting 2 and 3 long walks a day.
I hope it will make us less materialistic and more cerebral in terms of learning and study and also nature and wild gardens being more in vogue. Buses are only allowing so many people as are light rail and trains and this will make life a lot nicer and it will be heaven to hop on a bus to the Sea without having to stand in a 'germ bank'. Cycle shops [which were open during pandemic here ] have sold more bikes than ever, people have taken to cycling , and it's lovely to see families out cycling too.
So that is the upside. The down side is a woman thing for me. No fitting on allowed in shops. no browsing. You queue, you go in and buy and are told to preferably go online before you go to said shop [even those expensive ones like Brown Thomas and similar where we like to look at designer clothing and accessories just for the fun of it. Gone ! you have to know what you want so the joy is gone. Ditto Cafes the days of reading a book and having Tea /coffee and some cake are gone. It's a kind of eat and get out as far fewer will be let in so business people need to make a living.
Some good sides though. Many women and my Dentist have learnt to cut their own hair and colour and no longer require the hairdressers... a lot cheaper.
I particularly will miss browsing in Oxfam and other thrift and 3rd World shops where I have picked up terrific mounts and Frames for my paintings at a fraction of the cost. Also bric a brac and I bought an antique silver mirror for 1euro. That type of thing I shall miss. Also second hand book shops and second hand furniture shops where I loved buying old pieces of furniture to upcycle. A hobby really.
On a light note the good part is I go online to various sites where people are getting rid of their perfectly ok furniture and I will deliver often for practically nothing. I love to sand and undercoat and then chalk paint, or satin paint these and make them loved again and upcycled. I have sold quite a few.
Regarding Guinness, I shall have a word with his nibs Lord Iveagh. We do give your IT and pharma. companies and Apple especially tremendous tax breaks and they give us jobs. They do get a great deal though. Take care .
I got out pretty early though and went to another socialist party. These people are still around. Most people on the streets don't realise that their socialist lefties are not straight up about where there theories come from. Most of our left wing socialist parties are Trotsky , Marxist/Leninists and like you said, they never copped on and are holding on this bastion of way of leadership that has proven itself not to work and to give the people very little freedom in all areas.
Have a good day. I quietly watch.They care about the ordinary man and the 'working clas' here in whom they have fostered a sense of not having gratitude for what the Govt. does to help them and expecting free housing and they are far from 'working' class. Most work in the black market at trades, the more kids they have , the bigger the house they get from Govt. Some are Black, who have come here for a better life, some are Irish and other white people who have come from Eastern Europe. Either way a spirit of entitlement has had these left wing 'we will give anything you want ' parties are gaining momentum. Given positions of power they are fiscally inept and they won't deliver to the masses once they gain power. So those that listen to their vile and false promises are in for a big let down.