Vegas Valley View welcomes readers from the Piedmont Triad

Las Vegas, NV and Greensboro, NC are 2,250 miles apart. And yet, some things are strikingly similar.

Greensboro, in an area known as the Piedmont Triad located about an hour from Raleigh, about an hour from Charlotte, is the city I just relocated from back in late July. And while the circumstances of my relocation remain personal, there are some similarities and contrasts between both places.

The unemployment situation in both cities is eerily similar. About 13% in Las Vegas, about 11% in Greensboro-High Point.

Diversification of the economy is an issue: for central North Carolina, furniture, textiles, tobacco, apparel, manufacturing--all are taking a hit. This area is now an almost service-based economy.

For Las Vegas...ditto. Gaming, hospitality, the service-sector...anything to do with entertainment, has felt a major pinch here lately.

And we haven't even begun talking about dual furniture markets...which may end up being a duel. Las Vegas versus High Point.

There's where the similarities end. The differences are simple. In my opinion, Las Vegas has an extremely active creative class. Several networking groups are available on Facebook and LinkedIn that provide networking opportunities here in the Valley. But with the truth comes reality...if Greensboro doesn't jump start its creative class, many more will leave the Gate City. That's not a thinly-veiled threat...that's cold, hard truth.

So I look forward to sharing my personal viewpoints on the comings and goings around town, and sharing my comparisons with you about life while in North Carolina, and the DC area (where I spent time previously also) and Chicago (where I grew up).

E.C. :)