Inside North Carolina's Tragic Rot Belt. Can These Places Be Saved??
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- Опубликовано: 1 июн 2024
- Wow! A loss of agriculture jobs have decimated many communities in North Carolina.
Dr. Paul Cleveland's website is here: www.boundarystone.org
If you drive around the state of North Carolina these days, you might be a little baffled. Sure, there’s a lot of talk about how fast the Raleigh area is growing, and how much money is flowing into Charlotte. The coast might be the best coast in the country. But as you drive around many of the rural areas of this state, you’ll see some communities falling apart. Entire counties in some parts of the state have gone from prosperous to poverty in a manner of decades. It’s estimated that 6% of the entire state of North Carolina lives in a distressed community just like this.
The midwest and parts of the northeast have the rust belt - you know - places like Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo that have fallen on hard times since the auto industry left. In this video, we’re going to drive through what has been called the Rot Belt. They are places in the south that were former agriculture hubs, but have been decimated now that farming isn’t as profitable and as a result, so many of these small communities are, well, rotting away.
Aww the Rot Belt. You could draw up a rough approximation as to where the economic decline of North Carolina is the worst and people could argue about where the exact boundaries are. But for the sake of perspective, the area we’ll be focusing on is here - an area in the north central part of the state along the Virginia state line and here in the southwestern part of the state along the south carolina border. The area I’ll drive through is the latter - and I’ll specifically focus on Robeson County. But we’ll see footage of other rot belt hubs in this state. All of the areas we’re driving through are still surrounded by farmland just like this.
Robeson County has some of the poorest and forsaken communities in North Carolina. Right now, we’re in the community of Parkton, population 435. There are abandoned homes all over the place and other streets that look like they’ll be all but wiped away at some point. It’s a patchwork of homes, empty and overgrown lots, abandoned streets and empty storefronts.
About 1 in 4 people here in Parkton lives at or below the poverty line, and that number’s going up as time goes on. A whopping 75% of kids live in poverty here. There’s a bunch of houses that have sold here for well under $25,000.
Parkton is decaying right before our eyes. Like many other towns in eastern North Carolina, it’s a shadow of its former bustling self. The biggest reasons for the decay are a loss of textile mill jobs and a dramatic downtown in tobacco farming.
Then all these big corporations have moved in and THEY handle all the farming needs now. Of course, they don’t have a connection to the land or the community -they just want to make a profit.
The decline of the economic fortunes in places like Parkton have also impacted the region’s health outcomes. The average life expectancy for people here is about 73 years, while 100 miles away in Wake County, where Raleigh is, folks live to be about 81 years. A real big difference.
Young people here in Robeson County experience a death rate that’s 60% higher than the state average, and the homicide rate here is more than triple the state average.
Leaders who manage these communities always try the same things to turn things around here - you know - asking the state for more money for the struggling schools, more money to attract new businesses, and more money to boost agriculture production. Sometimes they get the money, sometimes they don’t. But it doesn’t seem to matter WHAT money comes in. The Rot Belt further rots. Sure, there are non profits and government programs in place to help the remaining small time farmers with grants and marketing their goods. But the fact is so many people in this area have just turned their backs on farming. Many forever.
And they’re not transitioning to white collar jobs either. Only 12% of the population in this part of the state has a college degree. It’s just generational here.
Some communities like this have to resort to volunteer firefighters and some will go months without a police officer until one can be lured in take the badge.
Two other distressed communities I visited in north Carolina’s rot belt were Lumberton and Kinston.
#northcarolina #moving
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There were once many of these little “Mill towns” in the Piedmont, and they once thrived. If you worked at one, you’d never get rich, but they paid the bills and paid enough to raise a family. When textile production moved to China and Southeast Asia, they died out. A rotten shame.
What companies forget is that if the popular does not earn enough they will be forced to stop buying your product. And again, what does make these companies look good on the stock market is a disaster for the local economy. The economic health of a region or country is inverse to the health of the stock market. Time for a new yardstick to determine economic health
Japan once made cheap rubbish.. Now it concentrates on high value high tech.. Should Japan have put up tariffs against the likes of China and continued to make cheap tack? I understand people thinking its own rich national market is to be protected but Argentina made that mistake at the turn of the ce tory. . Tarriffs against imports led Argentina from being a first world country in 1900 to becoming a third world one.
@@pyellard3013 now japan makes much of their rubbish in china.
I grew up just outside Thomasville and went to high school in Lexington, so I've seen it. Thankfully, I got out, joined the Navy, and learned a trade that supported me quite well.
My grandparents worked at Thomasville furniture. 30+ years and they screwed her. Now my grandma runs the sporting good secetion at her NOT SO close Walmart
I'm from Columbus County, NC but i've lived in Robeson County for the last 6 years in Fairmont. I can tell you right now, getting people to move here is not going to help. It is absolutely generational and these people are so used to poverty that they will never do anything to change their situation. I genuinely think there is no hope for this place. I only moved here because i met and married a man from here but now that we're separated, i'm working on getting the hell out.
I visit NC every week (I'm South Carolinian) and its so so rare to see someone talk about the Carolinas in this way. This is how my family lives, this is how pain thrives, and it hurts my heart but I feel so seen. Thanks for covering this side of the country
I live in this area and it is accurate. The loss of the textile Mills has completely devastated the area
Just imagine one design house making textiles, the difference it could make in the economy. Just one or two, not all of them. We could be making amazing, beautiful, pollution free sustainable textiles.
That’s such a shame ,I worked in a textile mill for years,I live in the uk ,they was loads of mills employing over 300 people each ,they’ve all gone now .
Thank NAFTA for that. Why not cut labor costs by relocating to Mexico and shipping the product cheaply back to America? That's how the corporations think. That's why a lot of the low jobs are provided by Walmart and dollar stores.
I don't live there but did snd worked at a few mills. I kinda suspect they and other businesses have produced a lot of pollution so maybe it's not all bad news.
@@njl51 Oh they definitely were polluters. If they reopen it's got to be in state of the art non-polluting factories. Like I say, we don't need all the manufacturing, just a fraction of what's being done in China and India and other places. You're right though, it's definitely helped the environment in the US that all the dirty work is done in China. They have decimated their environment in the last few decades, probably beyond repair.
The loss of farming, textile, and furniture jobs has been hard on a large part of NC.
The whole country.
Absolutely. I grew up in the mountains there.
Deregulation really killed that area of the country...
Oh well. When Regan and both bushes have tax breaks to companies taking jobs overseas... You vote Republican you get rot.
@@gaymalewitch Don't forget to throw ole Bill in that mix too. He is the one that pushed Nafta through
The Bypasses hurt the small towns as well. Convenience of saving 5 minutes to skirt around smaller towns has greatly hurt rural towns.
Exactly. Now Rocky Mount mayor wants to do the same with a bypass. That won't help them at all.
Shady characters walking around the twilight hours makes you want to bypass the town.
Just look at what happened to the towns along Route 66 when I-40 bypassed them. So sad.
@@ericsmith1801 the characters wouldnt be shady if the economy where they lived wasnt tanked because of the bypass
@@rarecandy3445 I think Eastern North Carolina has been behind the 8th ball for a long time. No bypass might help attract more customers into the stores, but the number one job for the region is minimum wage. That's the problem.
I would love to buy into one of these declining areas, but the real estate industry makes up these ridiculous prices. 20,000 for a shack in a GHOST TOWN?! That is insane.
This looks a lot like the entire Mississippi delta. Apparently what I thought was a local rot is actually nationwide.
Oh yeah. 8ve been in Mississippi a lot and live in SC. It's not just a problem in the Delta.
I'll be in the delta in June
Awesome Nick, make sure you see Clarksdale and Greenville. Indianola if you’ve got time. There’s plenty of footage good and bad, I’ll see it from afar when you post it though as I have moved away lol.
From NC and lived in MS for 2 years recently. It looks very very similar as long as you're not near the Appalachian trail.
a lot of the midwest looks like this too. manufacturing was decimated in the late 90s because of NAFTA and the rise of hedge funds.
People don't realize the Eastern part of NC got hit by major hurricanes and floods and many of those areas never came back. Actually NC gets worse floods and damage from big hurricanes then here in Florida. Other factors for sure but many forget the weather events.
Major demopublican govcrims, like Biden, gave their jobs to the CCP, etc back in the '90's! L G B !
Yeah, that's something I noticed while living in both states. Even though Florida is surrounded by the ocean much of the state doesn't get flooded. I was amazed how the city of Jacksonville can withstand hurricane despite being near the ocean while towns in NC 2 hrs west of the ocean gets hit pretty hard.
True
@@mariowalker9048 Yeah, flooding can be a huge issue in NC. Our coasts aren't as insanely developed as Florida's, and the coasts on the sounds are oftentimes just outright rural. There's no real boundary between the land and the sea except for the Outer Banks, and that natural protection is quickly and literally being washed away.
Nah, Florida gets hammered all the time
I'm curious about why you chose a professor from a small private college in Alabama to explain the economic history of NC? I would think that you could have found any number of economics professors right here in NC who could have given a more complete view of our very complex NC economic situation and history than, "It was all going great until the federal government ruined it in the 1940's." That left out so, SO much.
Yeah how did the good professor leave out mention of the Nixon Administration’s Earl Butz? That’s an egregious omission in the story which I’d be surprised if it wasn’t an ideological one.
Alabama has mill towns just like NC. It’s been 30 years since they left and most have literally collapsed nothing left.
Charlotte and Raleigh have people moving in that are making them just like where they come from. They’ll be crap holes eventually.
NC didn't have many FOOD farms, just non-edible tobacco & cotton... The taking out of production was mainly for food crops, so the govt regulations didn't affect them directly. The professor is missing the nub of the problem...
@@kaythegardener Also, NC never had the highly fertile soil that it's neighbors VA and SC had. That's why it was always considered to be the poor state stuck between two rich ones. Poor agricultural practices like over-planting of cotton exacerbated the problems. There were many other problems that were and are mostly unique to NC. The professor used in this video has an obviously right-wing slant that ignores all of the other major forces at play that have hamstrung NC's economy since long before the twentieth century.
Sue Bridle
Thank you Sue.
This professor sounds more like a spokesman for Milton Friedman. It is all FDRs fault?
America's leadership (R & D) for the past 40 years has done everything in its power to protect the corporate class and ship every American job to China.
They are still sending every job and dollar they can find to China while at the same time complaining that China has to much power.
We have a deficit of leadership is the real problem.
If I was a multimillionaire I would start buying up places like this and fixing up the town and creating a job opportunity for everyone in it. Restoring all the storefronts and preserving their originality and fixing up all the homes so people can live in them and any place where there is a mobile home I would give them a actual house to live in that would be built right on site for them. And bring the luster back into these communities and the healthy food choices it would be mostly a diners A few five and dime stores may be an antique store and furniture place and a hardware. Just like the olden days and old time full service gas stations because if I was a multimillionaire I could afford to put money into these towns
The warmth and sense of community back home in Robeson County is undefeated. I sure do love my Lumbee people and want to see Rob Co come up.
Amen brother. All the bad remarks on here about Robeson, seems they leave out the sense of community. I also wondered why the video changed when he turned down the streets where the homes were well cared for. Kinda a let down for me. I tell people all the time that Robeson is no different from most areas, they just dont hide what they do. I love my home. I left for many years and come back. I was glad I did.
Locklears and Chavis's and Oxendines oh my
@@PimpDaddyDisco Yep, Don't forget about the Brayboys and Hunts 👍🏾
@@rockroc1 Dont forget the Bullards lol, i went to UNCP and i love the community. I really want to see that area WIN
But would non- Lumbee folks feel welcome in Robeson Co? I had a friend that went to Pembroke, and felt there was a sense of being an outsider if one wasn't a part of the tribe. Btw, my Bell family ancestors were indigenous folks that came out of Robeson Co, and ended up in Hancock County, TN, which is another rural county with a large indigenous, and multi-racial population, only they called our folks "Melungeons"...the Bells fit in nicely. Most of the people on Newman's Ridge are Mullins, Collins, Gibson, and Goins
I grew up in Lumberton and the area where I lived was middle class. It was clean, safe and the schools were decent. It was a good place to grow up. The community was filled with upstanding citizens. I rode through the area recently and it looks the same in some areas, others not so much. Definitely missing the manufacturers that used to line I-95.
I live here in NC and it make me very sad to see abandoned houses and towns. Near my home Ralph Lauren purchased some land for their building and surrounding land near their facility. Now when I go down the highway all I see is eight empty houses rotting and weeds taking over from neglect. Thanks Ralph Lauren
Left the big city for a small city in 2017, then moved into a rural small mountain town in 2018. Your comments about the lands history and people in your business is spot on and the only downside besides lack of opportunities. We own a small business and don’t rely on local business. In truth, we like the simple life and I would never move back into a city. My wife’s grandfather was right “all cites are the same”.
All cities are Not the same!
Your kids will dump you into a retirement home once you lose your car independence. There are perks of being able to walk or bike to a local store and pharmacy. Sorry but your kids aren't your baby sitters.
I would say that “all American* cities are the same”.
Meh, depends on the size. Boston is not New York. Concord, New Hampshire, is not Boston. Yet all three are relatively close to each other.
I’m from rural Ireland and it’s so through about the nosey neighbours. I had to move a couple of years ago (pandemic and family reasons) and honestly being from here I know how to handle nosey people. Be friendly but private and have a good come back ready when nosey Bridget makes some comment. You get use to it
Still offensive to ladies with either name.
At least Bridget sound better than Karen
@@BeigeEyesCroissantDragon
Not if your name's Bridget, lol.
@@bl1429 Karen is more suburban mom type, Bridget is her nosey rural cousin. More passive aggressive & smiley. Fun fact Karen is just Catherine in Danish, the Karen thing was starting before I moved. It was interesting
Not the farming jobs that left. The textile industry is what heeled NC flourish and when the political class decided to ship all the jobs overseas poverty began to creep in
Nothin' personal it was just a business decision.
@@scottstempmail9045 that's more accurate than you realize. Erskine Bowled ran for the Senate in the early 2000's. Part of his platform was protecting American jobs. As it turned out his wife's family was in the process of building a textile plant in China. Fortunately he didn't win but that didn't really matter because the whole system is corrupt.
Well NAFTA and regulations for brown lung,helped kill the textile industry faster than anything,. As for farm jobs cut my farming crews from 15 during tobacco after the buyout
I went to three employees growing corn and beans.I rent the farm out now and guys renting uses migrant help no residents of the state
@@scottstempmail9045 There is a name for people who completely destroy the lives of their fellow countrymen to make a bit more money.
The loss of tobacco and cotton has killed the Carolina’s
Yep! I live in rural NC. It doesn’t look this bad though. It’s very pretty.
The loss of textiles and furniture was really bad. We can get small tech factories here but you usually need at least a high school diploma and and clean drug test..
@Big Dick Black so has knives, cars, people, maybe we should ban those too.
Gangbangers are murdering people on a daily basis, shouldn’t we ban them too?
Textiles, Furniture mfg,.!!!!
@Big Dick Black living has killed billions!
I've been living in NC for four years now and when the pandemic started, I hatched a plan to visit all 100 of the state's county seats. I'm up to 77, including some of the counties you traveled in this video, and plan to hit the remaining 23 possibly by year's end. I have two important (to me) points to make. I cannot overemphasize how many economists would have a wildly different viewpoint from your guest. To blame the decline of rural communities entirely on federal policy starting with the New Deal is... well, I want to say mind-boggling, but I'll be polite and say it's one opinion out of thousands of others. These towns didn't start falling apart in the 1940s; they fell apart when working-class jobs moved overseas, and that's a much, much more recent development. Which is all to say, I was enjoying your video and hearing your own reporting until you devoted most of it to a non-NC-based professor with a very particular bone to pick with the federal government. If you're going to turn to experts, I'd really encourage you to hear from a variety of opinions, particularly those with which you yourself might personally disagree! You know, there are probably several policy experts who grew up in these very communities who'd love to share their insights with you! I know it's more work, but you're making videos about a really difficult topic, entrenched poverty in this state and in this country, and it's a topic that deserves being cracked open both gingerly and thoroughly.
Secondly, I'm really, really surprised you don't mention race at all in this video. I can unequivocally say that, having visited 77% of this state, those communities that have been the most "forgotten" are Black communities. There are of course, especially in the South, historical reasons why this is the case and why Black farmers never had an opportunity to thrive in the state's agricultural region (and in this case, sure, I'd be happy to blame the federal government!). There are of course so many white families struggling with poverty in this state, but it has been so glaringly obvious to me which communities the state has just turned its back on. Those are majority-Black communities without fail. Might I suggest you speak with an expert who could address the inescapable factor of race in this topic?
I think my suggestions would make Mappy happy! And thanks for remaining curious about this beautiful state and making your videos!
and it was run and done by democrats ...failed then, failure now. and gonna get much worae
Yes, that professor was just spouting the typical liberatarian party line of blaming the government for everything and pushing free market capitalism as our salvation. Although in this case, the Federal government is responsible because they negiotiated one sided international trade agreements. No rules, free market capitalism is nothing more survival of fittest through finding and exploiting the cheapest labor. It's very difficult for American "entrepreneurship" to overcome the advantage of cheap labor in the 3rd world.
Yes. Pretty much the main hit was taken during the 80s. much of Chicago was thriving until Reagan and bush senior pushed operations over seas. Ever since, these are largely the ghettos of Chicago now.
@@JustinVillarreal About a year or two ago I read an article in Harper's Magazine that described the Soy Bean industry in the mid-west. Farmers there, mostly conservative, are still angry at Ronald Reagan for his farm policies.
The guy clearly did not understand our government has a policy of cheap food with stable prices, which is what all the subsidies etc. are about.
Having been here more than 30 years, you're largely correct - the low skill jobs got sent overseas or down south.
In my experience, the low skill manufacturing jobs were their own trap. In one town where I lived the tradition was you could drop out of public education at the end of 10th grade, get your job at the towel factory, inside a couple of years you have your own 2 acres and a trailer. 10 more years and you've built a house on that land.
That's a great plan till the factory leaves and the only jobs are at Walmart.
It’s the same story wherever you go. In rural towns it’s because the jobs left, so you have extreme poverty. The only reason these people aren’t homeless is due to the cheap housing because no one wants to live there. In the big towns you have extreme income disparities, which have made rent/housing unaffordable for the unskilled labor force, and that results in homelessness.
@@standunitedorfall1863
No it is poverty.
When you have no hope people turn to drugs.
NC isn't unique. I see this in Ohio. The old foundries and glass industry in the small rural towns are gone. So you relocate to where the jobs are.
thanks for this interesting analysis. This seems to make sense
@@mikeoveli1028 they can turn to spirituality and other resources. There is ALWAYS a choice. How do some escape poverty and some do not? Well it is a choices coupled with determination, education (from people,internet etc) and willingness. Now mental illness is another issue and there needs to be more support for that and to help those with mental illness programs and education
"People have become less entrepreneurial." That's deep.
I would say that many of the government regulations are necessary to fight corruption and greed. Left unchecked, we'd still have children working in factories and 6-day work weeks and no limits on what a full work day constitutes.
Its all about balance when it comes to gov't regulation.Too much regulation stifles progress and entrepreneurs. He is specifically speaking of farming. Small boutique farms can not make a living in towns like these due to bureaucracy and rules to comply with as a small business that really should only apply to large farms selling a certain $ amount. Very stifling, so these communities will stay poor. Small boutique farmers are looking for places just like this and it would boos the local economy. Need parameters for big corps as they get greedy, but leave the small guy alone big government!
I was shocked to see Parkton as it is today. I lived there in the early 90's and it was friendly and safe. Yes, it wasn't affluent, but we knew everyone and there was a real sense of community. We had some stores, a post office, a bank, three churches. I belonged to the Garden Club and we did community projects. We had a wonderful 4th of July parade every year. My husband and I bought a home and completely remodeled it. It was wonderful. I taught at Lumberton High School and Flora McDonald Academy. My husband was in the Green Berets.
I love small communities. I'm living in one now. Actually bought my first home at age 56 in cash. Been renting all my life, because I love to move around. I settle down near my parents, so I now can take care of them. I'm about 30 minutes away from my parents home. I found my home in the outskirts in a town with only 3 churches and that's it. Not many homes here, maybe 30 homes. Quiet and secluded, the way I like it.
These counties could start their own businesses and factories to replace what has left. At some point a community has to realize that the private sector isn't coming back and counties need to start their own.
But you need start up money....
I know. What ever happened to boot straps and the American Can Do Attitude? Are we supposedly exceptional?
What business do you start when no one in the community has money to spend? What factory do you run if there’s nothing to make and no one to buy your product? These were small farmers who sold to big businesses and the business went overseas because the government made it cheaper to use labor in Mexico and China, and outlawed the product they farmed here in the US. How do you overcome that? The government ruined these people, made them poor, and keeps them poor.
@@zuzuspetals9281 Point of order, The Government didn't do this. Most of America's decline can be laid at the feet of the Wall Street Crowd, along with their whores in Congress. If your Congressman is taking "campaign contributions" from banks or billionaires; they need to be kicked out of office.
That is true. But in alot of cases there are to many government regulations that keeps new businesses from starting
Clarification: I am from the Rust Belt. The term describes NE and Midwest citties that not just produced automobiles, but all sorts of manufacturing. "Rust" describes the idle, abandoned crumbling factories, and other industrial infrastructure that used to dominate the economies of those cities. It was about more than just the auto industry.
Clinton & Obama's legacy...
Try Reagan, dude
@@eedgerton769 Right. How's that trickle down economics working for ya in NC?
@@DyreStraits Yeah, trickle down ha ha. When things go to hell, where are all the proponents of trickle down?
@@eedgerton769 Try ever single one of em :(
The name rust belt comes from the decline of the steel industry. It used to be called the steel belt.
It actually applied to the loss of heavy industry across the board. I lived in Dayton Ohio just as the economy of that started to collapse and worked for the local power company. Number one on their agenda was getting of as many employees as they could so that the rich shareholders could get even richer no matter what it did to the local economy. So many jobs in other companies moved first to Mexico and then China and Ohio was left to rot. The professor might need to be reminded that much of the research and innovation that goes on in this country takes place in government funded universities.
The one thing that MIGHT be positive about the pandemic, remote work, automation..housing bubble etc,etc is that it MIGHT breathe new life into some of these smaller towns that are down on their luck,.....as there are no affordable places left to go. Of course,..drugs, crime,....and despair will scare most people (myself included) away.
I've looked everywhere, and there are really very few affordable places left to go. I lucked out and got a subsidized apartment (disabled) but I don't know what normal people are going to do!
@@daveyrogers7336 very very few
@@brendamcondliffe476 I was at the point where that was becoming an option. If I were 55 instead of 65 and did not have a terminal illness, I probably would be living out of a Subaru.
@@hezmydaddyo2722 It's scary.
@@andrewseaman97 Crime. The chance to own acreage and be somewhat self-sufficient. There are old downtowns just waiting to be revitalized. All they need is people spending money. If you build it they will come as they say. In my hometown of Houston they have created areas like "The New Heights" out of neighborhoods I wouldn't have even driven through in broad daylight. If people will do that in a city (Houston no less) why not do it in rural areas?
I grew up in robeson county for 20 years. If anyone has any questions feel free to ask. Very high crime and very poor, I'm a nerd who avoid dangerous areas and people but i STILL have been in very close proximity to horrible crimes. My neighbor was murdered and i was a hundred feet away from a woman who was shot in the neck in an alleyway while working. Terrible place and I'm glad i moved away.
Holy canoli !!!! I thought nyc was bad ! Sooo nobody grows hemp/ weed or food ? 🤔 I also heard there was gold in NC
Tell us more Samus!
Yes Samus Do tell us more.. 🇺🇸
I worked with some Lumbee Indians back in the 90s in Raleigh and they said the area was bad.
Robeson co.had like 70 murders last year
N.C. gained about a million new adult residents in last decade. I'm in very small town of Pilot Mt. Housing is hard to come by. Not much for sale here. Winston Salem is rehabbing old r j reynolds buildings into studio Apts and more. I think this generation of young people see the value in these unique locations. I have faith they will invest, and fix some of these great old places.
Many rural areas would be attractive to retirees if decent healthcare was available.
Not at all. Eventually they lose their car independence and have to sell their house & move into a retirement home that only exists to suck their life's work out of their bank account. The ideal location for an aging couple is a urban community where a couple can walk to pick up their Meds from the local pharmacy and their staples. Not only that but you don't want an ambulance to take 20 minutes to get the house when your parents get injured.
Up goes the taxes where ever this happens as the same happened to my area where before there was hardly no one around then over the past two decades it got populated only for the taxes go way up. Plus such can sometimes bring some real fear in the form of property developers who buy everything up to turn it all into ticky tacky and drive everyone who's been there for decades out.
Scotland Neck doesn't have a doctor.
Maybe there could be a student loan payoff for newer doctors who spent x amount of years in these communities?
There are some places that build self contained communities. A small post office, a strip mall with medical, dental, optical and auditory offices. A clinic or Urgent Care. A small grocery store, coffee shop, barber shop, nail place and hairdresser. Donut shop and some small eateries. Pet stores and vets. It can be done. They can have bungalows type homes for the independent and more of a multi-level condo style building for people that may need a little assistance. They also offer shuttle vans for the community. My former in-laws lived in a planned community. It was multi aged but plenty of seniors. They also had pools and activities. They even did outings at a minimal cost to everyone that went.
I moved from England to GA 6 months ago and I have been around a bunch of these places and I notice a few things 1, a lot of the homes that are falling down have really nice cars parked outside 2, a lot of them have a scrap yard worth of cars parked in the yard 3, nobody looks after the places they live even if you are broke you can clean up your living space … however the jobs situation is crazy having no jobs leads to all kinds of poverty
So, what are you doing their? Living on your savings money. What color of people their? Are you welcomed their? As some people commented here, local people didn't like them or welcome them. What is the reason?
@@merrifieldgalos6248 everyone I have met was actually pretty welcoming to be honest as you probably well know English people are some of the rudest on this planet so I’m not about to say people are horrible because nobody gave me a welcoming parade lol …I don’t think the people are bad in those places and most of the places I have been are actually pretty mixed in terms of race too … and I’m here because my wife is originally from here and we decided to move closer to her family
They have a hopeless and hick mentality to an extent that explains a fair bit of that.
@@F3arle55wr3tch "English people are the rudest".... Are u really English? The English may not be the most polite but they are far from the rudest... Complete nonsense..
@@pyellard3013 north of England people are really nice … London way ? Not so much and yes I’m as English as they come
In your opinion it’s complete nonsense however in mine I think English people are pretty rude probably not the worst in the world but we have our moments
100% agree with the "people look to the government as a provider and that has caused people to be less entrepreneurial" comment. Its a problem across America, not just rural NC
Ryan
That was a little over simplified.
Welfare is not the reason people are poor.
There is no work.
People in small towns go to college and never come back.
The entrepreneurs have gone off to college.
Welfare helps old people and sick people.
The part of government that is bad is not the part that hands out welfare checks.
The part of the government that is bad is the part that spends 772 billion dollars for the military. The part that helps businesses move off shore.
Our government has some serious problems but it is not Social Services.
Kinda wrong. While there are plenty here in north carolina who abuse the welfare system, and work just enough to stay on unemployment, there are even more who are on welfare simply because the mean and median wages are so low. A lack of cashflow makes transportation difficult as well, which further shrinks opportunities. There really are people here who work 2+jobs and still qualify for assistance. Its not a mythical what if, its just shit. And the same businesses pay like 3-4$ an hour more....if you can afford to quit your second job and commute an hour or more twice a day.
Day in and day out, as regular as the tides and the seasons, nobody leans on the awful, horrible, parasitic government more than business and our heroic entrepreneurs. Nobody.
Small towns are great places ON PAPER; however those places are ruled by one or two personality types: the town founder and or the two bully. I found that out when I left Chicago for a year and moved in what I thought was the ideal community. I told Nick the entire story on a separate video. Fellow posters I wish you all the very best of success in whatever you all decide. GOD bless.
You make an excellent point. Although, I feel the same thing about some big cities. They vote for one political party (Usually Democrats) that have a inner hierarchy of people to step up to the next position as the older leaders retire. Nothing ever changes. These people elected have no backbone to do the right thing. They just follow the leader and do whatever the "Will of the Party" tells them to do.
I live in Richmond, Va. Which is improving very rapidly when it comes to population increases and skyrocketing housing prices. Some of that is attributed to people living here and working in Northern Virginia and D.C. In the local government, the Democrat candidate wins every time. In fact, I can hardly recall any incumbent losing (even in a Dem primary) in many years. Once a politician gets a position, and follows the script, they can count on being in that job forever. However, Richmond still has horrible schools and high crime in certain neighborhoods (which none of these politicians has the courage to stand up against the mob to change). All the new residential construction for the newcomers are built like castles in Mid evil times. They have security gates, private security officers, cameras, etc
Can you explain these 2 personalities you found a bit more? Town founder and bully in context of what you found?
@@JDHendrickChiliDogTags you are so right!
True! When I lived in the Rocky Mount area of NC, I was absolutely horrified & outraged when the pastor of a predominantly black Baptist church directed his congregation, from the pulpit, to vote Democratic because “they give our people stuff”! Good grief!! What empowerment and hope is there in that mentality?😡
Vote for the immaculate Democrats.
Yeah I've seen Rocky Mount, Halifax, Enfield & Roanoke rapids just nearly fade away.
Rocky Mount has a lot of poverty.I live in Raleigh and worked on a solar panel farm in Whitakers,I made good money 2015.
The government created the trade agreements that sucked all those good paying jobs away. Now nobody trusts the government.
I call BS on this comment. The Democrats do not give out "free stuff" any more than the Republicans do! Do research for God's sake!!!
16:00
The “moving back in bc it’s cheap” theory is likely not going to happen bc of a critical mass problem. Where do the workers come from to build the mansion on the cheap 50 acres? Is there a Home Depot nearby? There isn’t enough underlying support to promote this behavior. Everyone knows you don’t want to be the nicest house in the worst neighborhood.
Exactly. Is there even a supermarket or a gas station within 50 miles? Let alone the shops and restaurants etc., that someone with that kind of spending power would want.
At one time, I lived in Bladen County and worked in Lumberton. 600 people worked in the factory I worked in; the jobs went south to Mexico. We were very highly paid, we averaged $15 an hour in the early eighties. Those jobs were never replaced. The house I once lived in was destroyed by a hurricane.
My uncle had a farm in Bladenboro and yes $15/hr in the 80's was decent money.
Nick i like your honesty in your videos. I lived near Clinton and Warsaw NC in Sampson County off of NC 24. I worked at the hospital 2005 till 2008. Houses were cheap compared to Indiana where I grew up. Taxes and auto inspections were the worst thing's. Most of the people were really nice even though I was a outsider. A lot different than small town Indiana that's was clicky where I grew up. I miss my time there and often thought about moving back. I've been back in Indiana since 2008 and I still keep in touch with a lot of people from there even now.
Very good video, the farmers need to be able to sell as they see fit to whomever wants to buy from them, perhaps customers can sign forms releasing farmers from liabilities, we need more Organic Small farms and Co Ops
My mothers family is based out of Laurel Hill, NC. My Fathers family is out of Lumberton, NC.
A lot of my family still lives around those areas, but my mothers side is very prevalent in NC, and has been for many generations.(1800s and before.) My Uncle on my mother side, said the only place to find work in Laurel Hill is Cambell's. If you want to work anywhere else, you're 100 miles from Charlotte, a 100 miles from Raleigh, 100 miles from Wilmington, and 100 miles from Columbia.
And yet, I still have the little nudge to move closer to my family.
Everything goes in a circle. The coming food shortages may breathe new life into these devastated communities
Doubtful, not many people interested in farming anymore. Given how little money it makes and the input required to do it.
Possibly. But it wouldn't be in the spirit of entrepreneurship. It would be a bigger entity that would come in, hire the locals to farm their land pay them sub par, and market their products back to their workers' community at inflated prices that they KNOW their community cannot afford. America is more greedy and corrupt than ever.
@@BeigeEyesCroissantDragonmany think this work is beneath them. When they have no food some may reconsider
Food shortages huh
@@MrKongatthegates try being awake not woke
Living in rural areas and working online sounds great, but until someone busts up these pathetic internet companies that have a stranglehold on services. Some of these companies charging 70 to 100 a month and they're lucky to get 1.5 mbps speeds. 3rd world countries have faster internet than rural America
If India had a more reliable source trust me they would have it all..meaning a lot of these internet jobs people do here.
LOL I returned to Vietnam in 2019 and had faster internet in a small town that I had in my rural area at home.
Born and raised in nc and I can say that this is factual information. The loss of career opportunities and lack of resources has decimated the economy in the state 🤦🏿♂️
I grew up in rural NE North Carolina. Lack of opportunity caused the younger generation to move to Raleigh or Charlotte. Then when the Boomer parents die the kids don't return home. Their parents house sit empty and eventually becomes dilapidated. That happened a lot where I'm from.
My ancestors have been in the upper NC area since the 1700's. I grew up in Stokes county. My grandparents were tobacco farmers. Family members worked for Reynolds tobacco company. There is so much poverty and drug addiction.
I live in Henderson, right in the middle of your northern section. I’ve been here for about 2.5 years. I’ve found my way into the local community by driving tow truck. I think there is good potential here if our local government steps up.
I agree with your interviewee Nick. Government often does more harm than help.
Thanks~~for watching!!!
ᴡʜᴀᴛꜱᴀᴘ➕❾❷❾❸❼❻❷❽❸❻👍👍
Often? Pretty much ALWAYS
@@nathanielovaughn2145 I stand corrected. I was being too diplomatic.
Especially to indigenous people.
You can't blame the government for tobacco, furniture, and textiles leaving.
How about the hedge funds buying companies reselling of the China and then scrapping the plant.
That has happened all over America.
Basically corporations have gutted America and left the carcass to rot.
It is true that the government didn't stop it and often helped.
I don't think that is what you were talking about.
Nick as someone who moved to Western North Carolina 18 months ago I really enjoy your content. I know you talk about Raleigh and Charlotte as places people are flocking to but there are many others like myself that take the great employment offers given in Cherokee at the casino. It might be a tough ask but it was incredibly difficult to find information about the towns local like Sylva, Bryson City, Maggie Valley. You have spoken of Clyde in your videos. Many of us that come here are coming from at least 500 miles away. One of these days when you’re looking for content can you make something informational about Cherokee and the surrounding area. You’d be providing a great service to some of the newest neighbors.
If you move into a small town, USA, you are the "outsider", own it my friend, I moved from South Dakota to Tennessee, married local girl, raised a family, 50 years later I'm still not the in-sider, my son is, he grew up and works in the area, but me, i'm still no a "in" and I may never be but I good with that
I'm retired and disabled living on Social Security and some of those small towns with cheap housing would be perfect for me except for it just seems like the drug epidemic and crime just explodes in those kind of places.
Compared to before January I, 1994 I have to ask how were these rural communities in NC, IL, GA and other states. That is, before NAFTA and American industries closing down in the US and moved overseas how many jobs were here. Are there ripple affects of NAFTA that is under reported as if it would be reported.
These are the forgotten communities and it doesn’t seem to be a mistake. After 2020 no one is advancing the idea of reopening industries in these areas that seem to be forgotten.
Thanks to Schmoe Biteme!
F J B ! and his sycophants
Nobody ever talks about NAFTA these days. Remember when Ross Perot talked about that giant sucking sound of jobs going to Mexico? This is the reality we now live in. Those good paying factory jobs were replaced by minimum wage retail jobs.
@@wsjustice yeah I remember that time, the media mocked him for saying that yet it was an obvious observation. Bush and Clinton kept to their globalist script and now we see Perot was right. Trump was the first president to address this and we know how that hat turned out.
@@wsjustice But now jobs are not going out side. Most American jobs taken by Indian Hindu. You walk in to Verizon Ashburn Virginia, 95% people are Indian Hindu. In early 2001 90% was white. One way or other Americans are loosing their ground. America targeted Muslims and Indian Hindu filled the gap.
NAFTA kill North Carolina.
Discovered your channel a few months ago.
For me one of the best on YT.
Great videos,very nice recorded,and most important for me,very informative.
And last but not least,your humor!
Keep up the good work.
This channel is great! I like to read all the comments with the locals in these areas and what they have to say about where they live along with Nick's informative vid.
Another issue is small town councils not allowing the town to grow. You see that in other counties like Johnston with Clayton being the exception. Stagnant towns/Cities have the highest crime rates. They eventually lose the businesses they have and end up like these towns. Controlled growth is good. Needed even.
My cousin lives in Clayton but he had to move because of the rising home prices, now he's moving to spring lake near Fayetteville.
@@mariowalker9048 Sorry to hear about that. As a home owner in the Clayton area the rising home prices are good. Not that I plan on selling anytime soon. A town must have controled growth or the crime shoots up (no pun intended) and the town goes to crap.
Eh? I don't understand you? The Vid is abt declining towns including where blocks of housing has been pulled down. Are u saying any prosperous towns in the area are not allowing growth? If that is happening (ie no growth allowed in prosperous towns) then wouldn't that help adjacent declining towns as the growth overspills?
@@pyellard3013 Zoning boards tend to turn down people who want to try and make money with their property. Or tax them out of existence for trying to do so.
@@BeigeEyesCroissantDragon "Zonning" is a problem but I am not sure it equates with discouraging/refusing all applications for development? Even so, as I said, any banning of growth will encourage growth elsewhere.. In the UK, strict greenbelt policies (ie zero growth allowed) around London has helped declining cities elsewhere in the UK via overspill from London.
I think there is hope for smaller broken struggling communities that aren't far from major metro areas along major highways. For example, Youngsville is right outside of Raleigh and the outgrowth has transformed that place. Now it's moving to Franklinton. That downtown has multiple modern restaurants, a brewery and a bakery now. Even Henderson is starting to see some improvements. The reason is US 1 runs through all three and that leads into Raleigh so people looking for less crowded places and who are being priced out of Raleigh are moving to these places. This trend will continue and will explode because Triangle housing prices and rent prices are Exploding. Oxford is another place seeing improvement but for there it's more because of HWY 85 and Durham.
Kinston, though.... yikes! I used to go there a lot as a kid because I had relatives there and that place is just sad now.
BTW, volunteer fire departments are very common in small communities and always have been. Too far from the biggest city with a public one but not big enough to afford or justify a taxpayer funded one
Ehh, there's a limit to how long people will tolerate as a "Short" drive. One hour on the road is already a long time to waste each way back and home from work each day. Most people will get tired of that unless they're making bank. The people who are in these homes price point aren't making bank. Ultimately there's a line as far as distance per dollar an hour everyone will tolerate and it's shrinking more and more each year for people who cant work from home, and have no interest or ability to acquire the skills to do so.
@@BeigeEyesCroissantDragon I agree there is a limit, which means the areas Nick in particular laid out are in trouble. That said, for what houses are going for now, especially in the Triangle, people may not have no choice but to commute because they are being priced out of the market. You're talking about rent nearly doubling and housing prices up over 40% in just a year's time. Places like Franklinton, Oxford and even Henderson, which are now seeing a boom because of this impact, are close enough so that the commute is well worth the decreased housing and rent prices. Roxboro is starting to see a bit of it too. Now the further you get out the harder it will be because of the factors you mentioned. Warrenton is growing and improving, but is too far out for most commuters. The only way I see this resolved in the long term would be that areas people are now moving to so they can flee the Triangle prices (and growth if they're looking for a smaller town feel) becoming big enough that there's enough opportunity there that growth "spillage" begins to come about from those places. Basically, a ripple effect that spreads more and more. There was a time Wake Forest was where people were fleeting to, for example, and now that's basically indistinguishable from Raleigh
Exactly.
They may be building more and new buildings, but they aren't building any more land.
Growth is just that...growth.
The more people coming to an area, the more land it will take. That also applies to businesses. They will also require land to set up shop. I have noticed the spread from 10 years ago to today in my area.
I bought 55 acres. I couldn't buy that land in Wake county, but I could in Waren county.
Thanks for educating me. As a life-long resident of NC, I hadn't heard of this.
Sadly there are places like this all over the US. So many once-vibrant rural areas are decaying...
This hits rural areas the hardest it's pretty awful and what about in the next ten years is this area still going to be like this
Nobody knows the future. Only Allah knows. Few things Allah control. Even economist from Harvard university couldn't predict what happening to housing market now. But in Quran probably said, popular city will be abandoned and other city will grow when Allah wants ( probably something like that meaning, you have to do a bit research).
This has been happening to every state in the USA for the last 5 years or so finny thing is every state thinks they are alone but its in every state. California Florida new york texas Pennsylvania alabama Mississippi west Virginia Georgia every state its sad and too many are in denial for the problem to even beging to get fixed.
Goth Guy
It has been happening since Reagan got in office 42 years ago.
Ever since America's jobs have been going to China and Mexico we have been in a decline.
All of the money is concentrated in the cities.
There was a time when the city of Orange in California was in really bad shape, crime was up the old downtown section was vacant along with the old surrounding neighborhoods. I think what helped was rezoning some of the old vacant homes near the downtown circle (Chapman/Glassell) which allowed a small business to buy the property to fix them up and use them as a professional office. In moved dental, real estate, chiropractic, doctor's offices to these properties. The businesses restored these homes (now offices) to like new condition which had a domino effect on the community and downtown area.
Wow, You got me Addicted, to this channel, well at least to this video. Lots of info.... A Huge Thank You..
Small towns might work for some people, and if they revive, they could help relieve the population pressure on expensive cities and suburbs, but they come with plenty of downsides, some of which are noted in this video. I would have a few major problems if I tried to relocate to a small town. I'm a rather private person, and I don't like other people in my business. I would likely not fit in with the traditional culture of many small towns. The lack of urban amenities, such as high-end restaurants, bars, and performing arts would be a major downside. Many amenities cannot be supported by a small population. Some small towns that are in reasonably close proximity to large urban areas don't have so many of these problems, but they tend to be expensive due to the desirable location. I've been to towns that have better amenities than one would expect for their size, but these towns tend to have a combination of tourist traffic and affluent residents, often retirees from nearby cities. Since these towns attract city people, the infamous small town nosiness isn't as much in evidence. These towns are not cheap. Some of the towns in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains are like this, as are some of the towns along the water and on the islands and peninsulas west of Seattle.
Places are inexpensive for a reason. They may be run down, too remote, have few amenities, have a lot of drug addicts, or have a culture not welcoming to outsiders. Make these places desirable, and they won't be inexpensive any longer. These places in North Carolina currently have very little going for them. Some people likely see opportunities in this situation, and I wish them success. Hopefully some of these places can be brought back. I won't be moving there, however. Although it costs me a fortune, I'll stay in the expensive urban area where there is a lot to do and the local culture, though not perfect, is generally compatible with me. The only small towns that look appealing to me are no less expensive than where I am now.
Very valid points. If you order online goods, small town porch pirates can be an issue. Some towns have a few restaurants and locals don't have money to buy their own online goods.
The boom is coming! Its the only cheap place left on the east coast. Florida is to expensive and we know the northeast is expensive, so NC is in the middle.
@ Heather Harrison you super precious little princess.
@@acefrm1593 the people from NY have beaten you to it.
I agree. I hope more and more people agree with you and they all move to the bigger cities. So much more to do there. So yes please everyone move to the cities. And stay there.
It takes some setup work, especially building a large enough indoor grow facility, but hemp & its many products might save the area. My sister lives in the state, so I've been following news of that trend. 🤘😁🤘
I live in New Bern N.C. born in 1963 lived here most of my life. Ive witness the decline of many towns. In 1900 97 percent of people worked in agriculture. Now only 3 percent. Those jobs where not replaced with other opportunity. Jobs went over seas. In eight's you could make a little money fishing, crabbing, and shrimping. regulation took those profits away. People retiring and moving to eastern N.C. spiked jobs from 1975 to 2010ish but now that building boom is coming to an end. Prices are forcing them to build elsewhere. We have to bring factories back home or build our own factories.
This was a great video. I've explored some of the areas you spoke about today. Bring on the Internet!
When you talk textiles in particular (and furniture a bit less), Walmart all on it's own was a major driver in that exodus. I mean first the mills int he NE closed as the those in SE offered lower cost, then Walmart as major buyer demanded lower cost per unit leading to a sudden boom in textiles from the Caribbean, lower prices were sought and those mills were shuttered and the equipment moved to China, Vietnam etc all to meet Walmart's demands. Heck even South Korea took a huge hit when the shoe industry that had landed there after the US plants closed could not meet the price point the entire industry relocated.
I've been interested in this subject since I moved to NC back in 2015. Thank you for covering this, Nick!
It’s the individuals in those higher up roles over the city and county who are corrupt and not put in the funds here there need to be but in their own pocket. I’m from Lumberton and it’s ridiculous, it’s a real struggle.
Well! A most illuminating discussion! Lots of hitherto unexplored ideas and food for thought; considering how bad things have become in areas that only a short time ago were considered upscale neighborhoods.
Put as you put it though, in cases like this, you're truly on your own!
Great idea though, worth checking out.
Those dead communities exist because they either were conceived as pre-industrial farming communities or were boom towns that had massive growth for a 19th century factory that closed down generations ago.
It's like arguing that ghost silver mine town could be brought back from the dead. Yeah, you could but what's the point?
Normally people who live in those trailers are illegal in this country, look around these cities and you can see trailer neighborhoods that doesn't mean they're poor. they come and manipulate different government agencies while having their own business and at the same time sending money to their country and buying land etc. they are available to do this because the Cooper governments do not control these people. a citizen can not do anything the government is aware of every penny generated.
@@neishmatorres6268 People who have jobs and live in RVs are victims of central planning.
If we had bright leadership they would be building rail viaducts like what NYC has for light rail. That way you can be part of a healthy job economy while not being forced to live in a RV.
I applaud your effort here, Nick. There are many sides to economic arguments, and this professor sounds like a Reagan ideologue. He does make some good points, but it would be useful to have an economics professor on your show from a different school of thought.
Great videos bro I love watching them, I've lived in Holly springs since 2011 moved here from Miami FL, love your videos
I'm actually doing this right now, three weeks in, from Portland to now in small town busted Pennsylvania, so far it's awesome.
What up Nick? NC has such a rich history. It is a beautiful state with very nice people. Sad to see the regression.
I think Nick is basically examining the "bad areas" of the state---and every state has those. Overall--he's not trashing the state of NC....after all, he himself chose to move there...from California. His opinion of NC in it's totality is good. This is what he does---points out the imperfect areas of every state. As you said--NC is a beautiful state. I have been there many times when we used to live in the mountains of S.W. Virginia. I would gladly live in that area again. Not the triangle area---rather the western mountain area. Very beautiful.
NC does have a lot of good areas but many of the rural areas are in bad shape.
North Carolina is beautiful. Its got the most variety of topography in the southern states, each with cultural differences.
Thank you for your videos
Ok.
Found you from a guy in my class at university. Keep making the cool stuff man!
Large corporations owning everything seems to be a problem in most places of the US. We should not allow corporations to be so big and bring back more economic competition.
The rust belt has been decimated by the loss of manufacturing jobs in general, not just the loss of automotive manufacturing jobs.
It is true, the automotive industry was just one of many manufacturing industries, tools, lighters, garden furniture, pans, forks and knives... thousands of small factories that directly provided jobs for hundreds of thousands of people who in turn provided jobs to millions of people... they sent everything to China and thanks to that China went from being an underdeveloped country to a superpower.
All manufacturing is interconnected and dependant in some way.
You should visit rich square it’s where my dad grew up it’s in Northampton county NC it’s an interesting place it once was a nice little town full of life but it’s sad to see what it’s become now it would be really cool to see you check it out in one of your vids
Ok!
You know Iam so glad you're talking about my child hood reminds me of spending summers with my grandma, uncle's, cousins and aunt
Iam going back to rebuild hopefully
Love the dial phone, Nick. Takes me back to preschool about 100 years ago.
I live in NC. Would love too move to a small town. Unfortunately subwoofers, high crime and unattended barking dogs make these towns unlivable. Small town peace has been replaced with big city problems.😢
Depends where you choose. I could say I would like to live in the city, but ghettos and endless noise of droning highway traffic, trains, and airports makes cities "unlivable".
Where ever you go, it just takes one bad neighbor and it's started to go down the toilet. "There goes the neighborhood" is entirely true. The only thing to defend you is high price...and then they'll just live 3 families to a house, cars parked in the yard blasting rap or ranchero music.
@@paulblichmann2791 Here in the Winston Salem NC area the cities and counties are quietly giving free money to business owners that have dilapidated buildings with businesses in them. The public has no clue. Even though the news reports on it.
Great video!! Sad situation but I think these small towns will come back to life. Houses on the coast and in large cities and suburbs too expensive for young people. I donor agree with everything the college professor said-too Libertarian. But I like the comments of the host!
I grew up in Tarboro and I've seen this first hand. However, I will say the transformation of downtown over the last 10 years has been impressive, and I'm hearing more and more about people moving into town from out of state. The poverty is still there for sure, but it looks like people are starting to move into these small towns (at least Tarboro) with remote work being much more available than just 10 years ago.
I lived in Carolina and worked with a lot of men from there in the 90's. They were some of the best drywallers, finishers I ever seen.
I live in the rotbelt town of Albemarle. If you want to do a video on that town I would be happy to give an interview.
Ok!
I think that's near Charlotte
@@NickJohnson Montgomery County it's right beside Albemarle and way worst then Albemarle trust me
I just went through albemarle for the 1st. It was surprisingly cool. Downtown was unique
You should have mentioned the failed Global Trans Park where millions of tax money built a huge airport that failed and when you drive down the huge highway to the GTP, it’s a ghost town
Sounds like the GTP is a viable concern, not failing as you say.
I've lived in North Carolina and Wisconsin. One thing I've noticed is in Wisconsin, when buildings become desolate they are quickly removed. Not the case in NC. I feel as though buildings are rarely removed but simply left to rot as you said.
Majority of the southeast is trying to "historic" preserve so many of these 100 year old buildings
GREAT JOB NICK!!!!!!!!
This is what the current welfare system perpetuates. Payments should be tied to relocation to with assistance to cities and towns where labor is needed. It should also be for a limited period. Towns are established for a reason. It’s usually economic viability. Once that viability disappears the town loses its viability. Look at the mining towns out west that no longer exist. While sad it’s part of the natural process. New towns with better economic viability benefit from the loss of the economically non-viable towns.
People on welfare have no labor to offer.
Also, I must wonder if these places will get better as farming land and food becomes harder to come buy. People may move back here and farm.
Farming is very hard to do. One must know how to do it.
@@DouglasUrantia Yeah no duh.
@@DouglasUrantia Small plot farming often requires more manual labor than large automated farming, when you're energetic and can market your products locally you could make an ongoing income, but finding seasonal help can be difficult.
This has happened to small towns, and bigger cities all over America. Especially ones that relied on one business or industry and the inevitably shut down to move overseas.
I live in "small town" Sharpsburg NC, Nash County side right off of 301. I love It's History and the people of this small community
Imagine that? Homelessness and whole towns without people living in them growing, at the same time.
I've visited some small towns in the Carolinas and in Western VA where I'd just get into a conversation with some old person on the street... and they'd tell you their life story and why they were in Staunton (say) in the first place, then start telling you that you should move there! And presently you find out about the local burger place or whatever, that's been just like that for fifty years, or the doughnut shop or whatever.... I would think about it! Nick, this could be a monster topic!
Yep Leonard!
Watching this video I got such a sense of hopelessness and pointlessness. It was awful. And I noticed something that I think amplifies that feeling. There are no trees around the homes, or bushes, hedges, flowers or grass. These make a place much more homey, even if the home itself is run down. These homes looked like scorched earth, and I wondered why, over the years, no one planted trees. NC has some really wonderful soil, and all over the state trees grow really well. I used to live in NC when I was a teenager. It's a beautiful state, with lakes, hilly/mountain topography, and part of the state is on the open water. There are parts of NC that are very expensive, though, due to colleges and universities there. And yes, for those who complain they can't afford a house, here's your chance.
I live in a small rural mtn town in Colorado and if it wasn’t for skiing and Mtn biking we would be just like these towns in the Carolina’s….it used to be a ghost town here in the summer and it was hard to survive until winter and the tourist ski industry kicked in again…small towns just need a niche to attract tourism..build it and they get will come so they say and it’s true…my town started building more trails for biking and hiking and people amstarted showing up during summers and then more restaurants starting opening and then bakeries and them more tshirt shops and tourist places…it’s probably not as easy as it sounds when you’re talking about the Carolina’s because there’s no mountains amd the scenery isn’t as great as Colorado but all it takes is a spark from someone to get the ball going and a good idea to attract tourism
You fix these places by reversing expectations. You're expecting output in an area requiring input. Legalize weed so the land can be used and let the franchises set up to feed the people. That will get them working, building, fixing roads, feeding themselves. This is what happens when you don't maintain what you have. We also didn't really match the rate of inflation.
The attitude towards drugs here is still incredibly negative, mostly thanks to the poverty and stigma. They still don't want to legalize it.
@@whtwolf100 the problem isn't drugs, it's the actions that drive another person to feel their only support and comfort is to get high and forget about it, or figure it out. Poverty is a problem of care and distribution not drugs. It's police being mean to people they know are struggling and fighting to survive. knowing that ticket is going to cost them so much more because of money they don't have. Money is power, and that's an abusive of power by the one's that govern. your officers, judges, senators, presidents, people who would not be willing to go into that situation themselves and have found a way to get out of it. The world hasn't evolved as much as people think and it's still very much ruled by the ancient and archaic. It is blatant oppression using the system against those to weak to fight it.
@@zlan32 i didn't say the problem is drugs. I said that the attitude towards drugs and poverty is the issue.
Thank You my friend Nick
You have the best channel ever! I love watching your videos!
I know the area in the southern part of NC that you speak about. It occurs from Wadesboro in central NC down to about Whiteville east in Columbus County all of which are town that US Hwy 74 runs through. Hwy 74 goes from the mountains to the coast. The western counties from Union west contain some pretty good places like Charlotte, Monroe, Gastonia, Shelby, etc. all in the Piedmont region of the state. The counties that are in your video are mostly in the coastal plains area of the state and yes farming and textile were big in these counties, both of which are pretty gone. There is still allot of farming in these counties however the biggest things that are hurting it is automation and cheap immigrant labor. It is not unusual to see migrant workers in these fields on morning drives in the area. Most likely the farmers that hire them are not paying them what they should. This area I hate to say also had less natural resources than the western counties and they geographically do not have mountains or beaches that can attract people into the area for tourism. Another aspect that hindered growth was a lack of good transportation to parts of these areas. A sad thing about these counties is their politics as well. These counties also suffered from often corrupt politics that held out other good paying industries because many of the leaders in the communities of these counties were also the business owners and they did not want an outside industry coming in a paying higher wages for fear that they themselves would have to do to keep local labor. Ask anyone living in these counties and they most likely will tell you this. There use to be a saying in these parts as bad as it sounds said "the county could grow if we had just a few more funerals". Meaning that as the older controlling generation died off, in some instances investments from outside were successful at opening new industries there other than textile. So politics, geography, avaliable resources all played a part in these areas ability to grow.
The 74 corridor east of Monroe can be rough. I'm from Richmond County and while it has grown, it still has a ton of poverty.