Cape Cod Focus: Are you a Young Professional on Cape Cod who wants to stay here?
Ryan Schenk
· 1 year ago
While I like the Cape because I enjoy kiteboarding and surfing, the Cape has absolutely nothing to offer my wife. No good jobs, no local galleries that will show her art (hint: it is not watercolors of sailboats), three other people in their 20's to hang out with, through the roof housing prices, and in the winter everything is closed by 8pm. It is highly unlikely that we will stay on Cape much longer.
Gary Sheehan
· 1 year ago
Appreciate the concerns Ryan, hear that a lot...perhaps we, The Cape Cod Young Professionals, could display some of your wife's work at an event? We are planning more arts related events in the future and would love to showcase a young artist from the Cape - drop me a note if you/she is interested and I'll see what I can do...and thanks for visiting the site, your feedback on several fronts is well received and appreciated.
Nantucket Art
· 1 year ago
Maybe we could help with the art - please pop along to our site and let us know some more details.... http://nantucket-art.com
Ryan Schenk
· 1 year ago
I love how, front and center on this site, is a watercolor of a sailboat...
genevate
· 1 year ago
Where? I don't see a sailboat.
MelissaMason
· 1 year ago
Whoops, I should have replied to this comment instead of starting a new one below. Please take a look at it, Ryan.
genevate
· 1 year ago
I grew up here on the Cape and while I did like it currently I have to agree with Ryan. The housing has skyrocketed and is unaffordable compared to the amount of money you can make here. Most places around the US even the most expensive places to live have proportional salaries so you can live. They also have better things to do and are open past 8pm. There are very little opportunities for the younger generation.
If the Cape wants to cater to the younger generation businesses will need to step it up. Stay open later, allow businesses that want to have live music and events to do so, and just be friendlier. Tax breaks for businesses here to hire younger workers and have more things to do for them. I could go on forever.
Tanya
· 1 year ago
I'd have to agree....the best opportunities are not here on the Cape. While they may not be here though, there are still many reasons why I stay here. I don't necessarily think there is nothing to offer as Ryan stated, but there definitely could be more.
Part of me feels like I should go over the bridge just to get paid what I deserve for all the work I do in the IT field. Unfortunately being employed by a local town government doesn't always afford this type of pay. Even when I was employed by a on Cape private corporation, they couldn't even keep up with the standard salaries, paying about $20K less than if I were to travel just 30 miles away.
The ocean's got me hooked...at least for now
genevate
· 1 year ago
My point exactly the amount of pay versus the cost of living is way outta whack over here and makes no sense. We are having a much needed correction in housing, but there is still more to do.
capecoder
· 1 year ago
Certainly, it's important for a community to attract and retain educated, sophisticated young people like the ones who have commented here. That's how cultural organizations and businesses that cater to people of refinement and taste are sustained - we "old folk" can't do it all ourselves.
I am very concerned, though, that the contributions of older people to the creation of our lively community are being overlooked.
In all of the discussions at the Economic Summit II, it seemed that young==good and not young==bad. I came away from the discussions thinking I and every other Cape Codder over 45 should take hemlock and ask our heirs and assigns to scatter our ashes to the wind so that the powers that be will no longer be offended by our very presence.
Maybe that's not the impression intended, but it certainly came across loud and clear.
I think every generation has something to offer.
Gary Sheehan
· 1 year ago
capecoder - This was most definitely not the intent of the conversation at the Economic Summit, and I am sorry it was perceived that way. The simple reality is there is something of a crisis with our inability to attract and retain younger residents and much of the conversation focused on that specific issue. There is also a more general challenge of retaining a balanced socio-economic population due to rising costs, which touches on all age segments. We, the Cape Cod Young Professionals, have always said that the older generations offer us tremendous lessons in success and will be a key part of the solution as we look to improve our community and we still have a lot to learn. Also, on the "powers that be" comment; I would argue that the majority of the folks in critical positions of power are in-fact over 45, typically well over, and I think what many were advocating for at the Summit was some younger representation (Larry Cole's comments on the issue come to mind) amongst community leadership. None of us are arguing anyone should get out of the way, rather that more young people should be involved in the solutions, and there should be a better inter-generational dialogue. I look forward to meeting you and hope we can work together on these critical issues facing our community. Very best, Gary Sheehan
capecoder
· 1 year ago
Gary - I appreciate that you and your group are addressing an important concern, and accept your statement that a generational war is not your intent.
In my field (technology), there is not a single "community leader" who is over the age of 45, and I suspect most are much younger. So, I will admit to a point of view on "powers that be" that is biased based on the people I see in the newspapers and blogosphere plus those I have interacted with.
It's interesting that we seem to regurgitate the same problems over and over, and one reason may be because the same people get invited to the problem-solving table, over and over.
I've had a technology-based business here for seven years and have run a professional user group on a volunteer basis for over four of those years, in addition to donating time and/or funds to promote technology education on the Cape. You are the first person to be gracious enough to invite me to the problem-solving table, and I welcome and thank you for that. Please let me know when you'd like to meet.
Regards, Marcia
Gary Sheehan
· 1 year ago
Let's take it off the blog - gsheehan@capemedical.net is my email...drop me a note and we'll coordinate. Thanks for your enthusiasm and passion, welcome and necessary! Gary
David Churbuck
· 1 year ago
Once I was a young professional (being 50 this year that no longer applies) on Cape Cod, moving here from Boston in 1991 at the age of 33 to raise my kids in a special place far from the angry suburbs. Two things stuck with me. 1. The retired mega-exec who questioned my professional integrity by living in a sleepy seaside village and telecommuting by saying, "How can you be a fireman if you don't work near the fire?" That stung, but over time I realized it was a generational thing. Real breadwinners went to an office. 2. The realization that if you want to work a white collar job on Cape Cod you have to either bring the job with you, or find a job that will pay you to come to it. I basically have had to live a good percentage of my life away from my family and in a hotel room in NYC, Zurich, Raleigh, or Beijing to bring home the bacon. There's simply no large scale tech employers on the Cape.
Which begs the question: should there be? What would lure a non-manufacturing, high intellectual capital based employer to Cape Cod? There really not a lot of higher ed here to act as a magnet the way Duke and UNC and NCSU make the Research Triangle a desirable incubator of talent. Cost of living sucks here. Technical infrastructure (who wants to bet FIOS never comes to the Cape?) is lacking. Other than Wood Hole and the science community and the satellite opportunities that spun off from that marine science focus -- there's not much going on here.
So the question should be how to attract and support telecommuters -- to get white collar professionals working on the Cape, supported by a good commuter rail system to get them into the city when they need to make a face to face meeting (with wifi on the train) -- with a decent airport feeding the major hubs in Providence and Boston. With decent broadband (sorry, DSL and cable won't cut it for heavy professional use).
The rest is self-evident -- this is a very attractive place to work, raise a family, and thrive. Invest in the schools, the arts and the technical infrastructure and the demographic you want will come here to raise their families.
capecoder
· 1 year ago
David - I agree wholeheartedly with your comments about telecommuting and rail service.
You are also correct that the scientific community in Woods Hole has spun off a number of interesting companies. There are others, though, like Backoffice Associates, Convention Data Services, Cape Cod Healthcare and Onset Computer to name a few who employ in the aggregate hundreds of people in highly skilled professions unrelated to marine sciences. In other words, there definitely is "something going on here", even if it's on a smaller scale than we might like.
I believe that for many of these organizations, the CEOs and founders chose to start businesses here for many of the same reasons you and I enjoy the Cape. We do have high utility costs (the second highest in the US), but our property taxes are pretty reasonable, so on par, I'd be surprised if it's more expensive to run a business here than, say, in Wellesley or Needham. Thus, if a Cape company's sales are national or international in scope, then that company should be able to pay wages on a national scale.
I've long suspected that the reason we haven't attracted and retained companies with high-paying jobs is twofold. First, I don't think our Chambers of Commerce have shown an interest. If you look at their Boards, for example, you'll see that the tourism industry is overweighted. Our Chambers have not been aggressive about presenting the Cape as a good place to start a business: rather, their "message" is just that the Cape is a good place to go on vacation.
The second reason is more controversial and I'd be happy to correspond with you about it off-line.
MelissaMason
· 1 year ago
Hi Ryan, Bellezza, the salon and medspa I run on Main Street in Falmouth Village has run a commission-free gallery as a community service to support our local artists for the past 6 years. We prefer to feature work that isn't overtly "Cape Coddy" and I think you clearly know what I mean. We would welcome the opportunity to review your wife's work and see if it is a fit for our space. At the very least you could both meet several people in their twenties who work at Bellezza. Have her get in touch with me if she's interested in exploring this further - melissa@spabellezza.com
All Comments
http://nantucket-art.com
If the Cape wants to cater to the younger generation businesses will need to step it up. Stay open later, allow businesses that want to have live music and events to do so, and just be friendlier. Tax breaks for businesses here to hire younger workers and have more things to do for them. I could go on forever.
Part of me feels like I should go over the bridge just to get paid what I deserve for all the work I do in the IT field. Unfortunately being employed by a local town government doesn't always afford this type of pay. Even when I was employed by a on Cape private corporation, they couldn't even keep up with the standard salaries, paying about $20K less than if I were to travel just 30 miles away.
The ocean's got me hooked...at least for now
I am very concerned, though, that the contributions of older people to the creation of our lively community are being overlooked.
In all of the discussions at the Economic Summit II, it seemed that young==good and not young==bad. I came away from the discussions thinking I and every other Cape Codder over 45 should take hemlock and ask our heirs and assigns to scatter our ashes to the wind so that the powers that be will no longer be offended by our very presence.
Maybe that's not the impression intended, but it certainly came across loud and clear.
I think every generation has something to offer.
This was most definitely not the intent of the conversation at the Economic Summit, and I am sorry it was perceived that way. The simple reality is there is something of a crisis with our inability to attract and retain younger residents and much of the conversation focused on that specific issue. There is also a more general challenge of retaining a balanced socio-economic population due to rising costs, which touches on all age segments.
We, the Cape Cod Young Professionals, have always said that the older generations offer us tremendous lessons in success and will be a key part of the solution as we look to improve our community and we still have a lot to learn. Also, on the "powers that be" comment; I would argue that the majority of the folks in critical positions of power are in-fact over 45, typically well over, and I think what many were advocating for at the Summit was some younger representation (Larry Cole's comments on the issue come to mind) amongst community leadership. None of us are arguing anyone should get out of the way, rather that more young people should be involved in the solutions, and there should be a better inter-generational dialogue.
I look forward to meeting you and hope we can work together on these critical issues facing our community.
Very best, Gary Sheehan
In my field (technology), there is not a single "community leader" who is over the age of 45, and I suspect most are much younger. So, I will admit to a point of view on "powers that be" that is biased based on the people I see in the newspapers and blogosphere plus those I have interacted with.
It's interesting that we seem to regurgitate the same problems over and over, and one reason may be because the same people get invited to the problem-solving table, over and over.
I've had a technology-based business here for seven years and have run a professional user group on a volunteer basis for over four of those years, in addition to donating time and/or funds to promote technology education on the Cape. You are the first person to be gracious enough to invite me to the problem-solving table, and I welcome and thank you for that. Please let me know when you'd like to meet.
Regards,
Marcia
Thanks for your enthusiasm and passion, welcome and necessary!
Gary
1. The retired mega-exec who questioned my professional integrity by living in a sleepy seaside village and telecommuting by saying, "How can you be a fireman if you don't work near the fire?" That stung, but over time I realized it was a generational thing. Real breadwinners went to an office.
2. The realization that if you want to work a white collar job on Cape Cod you have to either bring the job with you, or find a job that will pay you to come to it. I basically have had to live a good percentage of my life away from my family and in a hotel room in NYC, Zurich, Raleigh, or Beijing to bring home the bacon. There's simply no large scale tech employers on the Cape.
Which begs the question: should there be? What would lure a non-manufacturing, high intellectual capital based employer to Cape Cod? There really not a lot of higher ed here to act as a magnet the way Duke and UNC and NCSU make the Research Triangle a desirable incubator of talent. Cost of living sucks here. Technical infrastructure (who wants to bet FIOS never comes to the Cape?) is lacking. Other than Wood Hole and the science community and the satellite opportunities that spun off from that marine science focus -- there's not much going on here.
So the question should be how to attract and support telecommuters -- to get white collar professionals working on the Cape, supported by a good commuter rail system to get them into the city when they need to make a face to face meeting (with wifi on the train) -- with a decent airport feeding the major hubs in Providence and Boston. With decent broadband (sorry, DSL and cable won't cut it for heavy professional use).
The rest is self-evident -- this is a very attractive place to work, raise a family, and thrive. Invest in the schools, the arts and the technical infrastructure and the demographic you want will come here to raise their families.
You are also correct that the scientific community in Woods Hole has spun off a number of interesting companies. There are others, though, like Backoffice Associates, Convention Data Services, Cape Cod Healthcare and Onset Computer to name a few who employ in the aggregate hundreds of people in highly skilled professions unrelated to marine sciences. In other words, there definitely is "something going on here", even if it's on a smaller scale than we might like.
I believe that for many of these organizations, the CEOs and founders chose to start businesses here for many of the same reasons you and I enjoy the Cape. We do have high utility costs (the second highest in the US), but our property taxes are pretty reasonable, so on par, I'd be surprised if it's more expensive to run a business here than, say, in Wellesley or Needham. Thus, if a Cape company's sales are national or international in scope, then that company should be able to pay wages on a national scale.
I've long suspected that the reason we haven't attracted and retained companies with high-paying jobs is twofold. First, I don't think our Chambers of Commerce have shown an interest. If you look at their Boards, for example, you'll see that the tourism industry is overweighted. Our Chambers have not been aggressive about presenting the Cape as a good place to start a business: rather, their "message" is just that the Cape is a good place to go on vacation.
The second reason is more controversial and I'd be happy to correspond with you about it off-line.