Yesterday the Wall Street Journal ran a commentary piece by Joel Kotkin, “The Rise of Family-Friendly Cities,” that examined big cities’ attempts to lure young up-and-comers to their areas. The piece suggests that flirting with the MySpace generation is only a temporary fix, and that once all these bike-riding greasebags with wizard-sleeves marry off and start raising families, it’s back to the ‘burbs for them.

Center City District president Paul Levy is quoted extensively in the story, saying essentially that marketing ploys targeting hipsters (and empty-nesters) were a nice idea — but they didn’t ultimately work: “The evidence thus suggests that the obsession with luring singles to cities is misplaced. Instead, the emphasis should be on retaining young people as they grow up, marry, start families and continue to raise them.” Basically, it seems Levy is looking to attract the characters of thirtysomething.

Reached this afternoon, Levy told the Daily Examiner that the way he was quoted in the story made it seem like he was the “or” in the either/or continuum it presented. It’s not that he wants the city to stop attracting smart, educated 25-year-olds, he said, but that he wants to keep them. Forever. “Citywide, we’re doing terribly at retaining that demographic,” he said. But he wasn’t actually suggesting that the city shift its marketing priorities to a different audience? “No, not at all,” he said before abruptly hanging up.

It’s a shame. It would’ve been fun to see the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation spend millions of dollars building up uwishuhadabigga401k.com As it is, don’t expect Patricia Heaton to start guest bartending at a new Tria opening anytime soon.

PHOTO: 32lounge.com

The Rise of Family-Friendly Cities [WSJ]

From the department of corporate PR horseshit:

Thought you might like to know that on October 1 Holiday Inn Express, the hotel brand that encourages its guests to “stay smart” (in partnership with AOL and HBO) launched the “Smart Show,”™ a Web-based series chronicling the daily adventures of its co-hosts who promise to showcase what’s “smart” about select U.S. cities over the course of a two-month, 6,500-mile road trip. Los Angeles resident and yoga instructor, Joan Lauckner, was recently chosen by online viewers nationwide to ride shotgun alongside host, actor, writer and comedian, Henry Dittman, in this documented cross-country road trip from Boston to Los Angeles. George Verschoor, one of the original writers and directors of MTV’s “The Real World,” also joins in on the action from behind the cameras. Next up on the exciting list of cities to visit is Philadelphia!

Superb. You too can tune in and watch rubber-faced Henry and the chesty yoga instructor romp through such storied locations as the Eastern State Penitentiary, The Mütter Museum, The Magic Gardens, and the Insectarium. Watch them eat cheesesteaks (mmmm …), ponder the Liberty Bell (oooh) and mawkishly pose in front of the Art Museum (Yo, Adrian!). It’s everything you could expect from a ten-minute web show sponsored by Holiday Inn. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation must be horrified. Actually, maybe not.

Pit Stop In Philly [The Smart Show]

USA Today, the paper most preferred by people on airport layovers and frequent McDonald’s diners, has an article today on the recently renovated Room 414 at the downtown Westin. The piece lauds the space’s unique makeover — from its hand-painted murals to the design of the dresser — but mentions nothing about the slyness of its well-orchestrated marketing.

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