Nashville Bits and Pieces

[Neigeville]

Nashville in the top 5 on new economic momentum list

http://www.newgeography.com/content/004111-metro-areas-most-economic-momentum-2014

 

I'd take this with a grain of salt; it was written by Joel Kotkin, who always has an ideological axe to grind.

[captainwjm]

I'd take this with a grain of salt; it was written by Joel Kotkin, who always has an ideological axe to grind.

I'm not familiar with either the author or the publication, and did not detect an obvious bias in the article. It seemed to be like every one of these "lists" and " trends" articles, a mish-mash of selected criteria that may, or may not correlate with the article's theme. So, a grain of salt is, indeed, advised. Could you expand on your comments to enlighten me as to the ax being ground?

[Neigeville2]

I'm not familiar with either the author or the publication, and did not detect an obvious bias in the article. It seemed to be like every one of these "lists" and " trends" articles, a mish-mash of selected criteria that may, or may not correlate with the article's theme. So, a grain of salt is, indeed, advised. Could you expand on your comments to enlighten me as to the ax being ground?

 

True, all these lists and trends articles are a mix of data that may or may not be relevant, and often there are apples-to-oranges comparisons built in.  I'm just familiar enough with Kotkin that my BS antenna goes up when I see his name.  His views are basically pro-sprawl, anti-mixed used, anti-public transportation. 

 

He also has a resentment towards the urbanist community bordering on a sense of persecution, which is somewhat evident in this article. 

"Despite all the attention lavished on places like Manhattan or Chicago’s central core"

"Clearly many parts of the Sun Belt have not died off, as many Eastern pundits gleefully predicted during the recession."

"These may not all be the favored cities of the media, or the pundit class"

 

The media (in fact, the world) is full of people who disagree with Kotkin, and to him they are elitists gleefully hoping for the dying off of the American Heartland.  Or, maybe they just see the flaws in his thinking. 

 

For example, I think one of the reasons Nashville is on this list, and particularly why it has increased educational attainment so sharply, is that our re-urbanization has made an urban lifestyle possible and attracted affluent people to the downtown area, becoming more like the cities (NYC, San Francisco) that Kotkin despises.  He doesn't go into it this in the article, but Kotkin considers the rebuilding of the urban cores irrelevant and at least until recently, denied that it was even happening, arguing that the low-density exurban style of development was the future of the city and the basis for economic growth. 

 

Note also that he contrasts "the energy revolution" i.e. fracking, with the economies (implicitly San Francisco, San Jose, Boston) which are "tethered to the current social media bubble".  Now obviously the huge increase in domestic energy production has big implications for the economy.  But he is dismissing the deep talent pool (and vast financial resources) of places like Silicon Valley, and the new products/services they create, as representing a mere bubble while extracting more of the same old fossil fuels we've been using for decades is a revolution. 

 

However he dresses it up, Kotkin is in love with the mid-20th century, auto-dependent, single-family model and he twists every statistic to support this view, interpreting all disagreement (such as the view that cities should offer a variety of different housing types and neighborhoods rather than just single-family cul-de-sacs) as part of a culture war between coastal elites and the "heartland".  He can be interesting to read but one should go in aware of his extreme biases. 

 

Look at the "recent blog posts" on the right hand side of the page; just browsing the titles gives you a sense of the anti-urban emotion behind his views.

[Nashvillain]

Well said, Neigeville. I don't have anything to add, just that I like your post, I think it is very effective and well written, and ... go Nashville!

[captainwjm]

Well said, Neigeville. I don't have anything to add, just that I like your post, I think it is very effective and well written, and ... go Nashville!

Yes, thank you. Very informative and well written.

[nashvillwill]

Well, on my way to the airport yesterday I decided to grab some jersey mikes for the trip from the Elliston Place store. Turns out that they are temporarily closed for remodeling. Looks like that strip mall won't be going anywhere anytime soon. This makes the destruction of the Mayfair even more of a tragedy than it already was. It looks like they are preping that land for surface parking.

It honestly makes me sick.

[Paramount747]

Well, on my way to the airport yesterday I decided to grab some jersey mikes for the trip from the Elliston Place store. Turns out that they are temporarily closed for remodeling. Looks like that strip mall won't be going anywhere anytime soon. This makes the destruction of the Mayfair even more of a tragedy than it already was. It looks like they are preping that land for surface parking.

It honestly makes me sick.

My God! Surface parking? It is sick.

[BnaBreaker]

Well, on my way to the airport yesterday I decided to grab some jersey mikes for the trip from the Elliston Place store. Turns out that they are temporarily closed for remodeling. Looks like that strip mall won't be going anywhere anytime soon. This makes the destruction of the Mayfair even more of a tragedy than it already was. It looks like they are preping that land for surface parking.

It honestly makes me sick.

 

Absolutely disgusting.  If true, the backward clowns that made that decision should be dragged out into the public square and tarred and feathered.  These people could care less about the city itself and have only their bottom line in mind. 

Edited December 30, 2013 by BnaBreaker

[Hey_Hey]

A very little piece of news.....

The Edgehill Village shops are in the process of being sold. Initially it was planned for December or January but that has now been pushed back to February. I do not know who the buyer is. There is currently surface parking lot that would presumably be part of the sale that could be developed by someone with some money. There have been rumors of a parking structure on that spot for years, although I think it would also make an ideal location for a development with a parking structure and retail or housing.

[Guest]

Sweet! Looking forward to using that in DC when I move up next week.

Ouch! Talk about sticker shock.

http://www.wsmv.com/story/24351366/customers-complain-about-uber-expensive-fare-costs

NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV) -

After the music note drops and Auld Lang Syne plays, for many, the first feat of the new year is getting home.

"The key thing is for us to get home safe," said Nashville resident Billy Freeman.  

Freeman thought he had done the responsible thing by planning a ride with the Uber car service, until he got his bill.

"The next morning I got the email and I opened it and I was like, 'wow,'" said Freeman.

Freeman and four of his friends rode from East Nashville, to Hermitage, close to Brentwood, then back to the Gulch, a total of 46.07 miles.

The total cost?

"It was in your face: $546," said Freeman.

Freeman isn't alone. Uber's Facebook page is full of complaints.

"Today I found one with somebody who paid $731 for a ride in Texas," said Freeman.  

It turns out, Uber charges a so-called "surge" during peak times and it can be uber expensive.

The company warns people about it before they make a purchase, but doesn't say how much.

Freeman said he knew about the extra charge but never dreamed it would be so high. The trip cost him about $69, the surge multiplied that by seven adding $468.

"We could have flown to Times Square, watch the ball drop in New York, and come back round trip. I mean that was my first thing, 'Wow, we should have went to New York,'" said Freeman.  

Channel 4 called Uber. A spokesperson told us, "We worked hard to both maximize the number of cars on the system on New Year's Eve and also to make sure users knew what to expect as they planned their night."

As for Freeman, he went to his bank hoping to get his money back.

"I don't think it's a scam but I think it's, again I go back to 'buyer beware.' You have to be cognizant of what you're doing," he said.

Thursday afternoon Freeman received an email from a representative at Uber.

They apologized for the "sticker shock" and offered to refund him 25 percent.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Guest

[franktown]

People who don't know or understand surge pricing are too dumb to use Uber. You have to type the multiplier into your phone to verify that you understand how much it'll be. Further, when surging is in effect they push you to use the fare estimator. 

 

When will we get Uber in Nashville? It makes us look backwards that we don't have it. 

[Guest]

I agree that there is a sucker born everyday!

Who the hell would knowingly pay such inflated rates? These were prices were well above the market rates at the time of the service. I guess the drinking did not help the understanding.
 

Horrible PR...

http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-new-years-eve-surge-pricing-2014-1

Edited January 3, 2014 by Guest

[UTgrad09]

That is...uber expensive. Yes, buyer beware, and I do think that is ridiculously high...but if there are tools to better understand what the rates will be, then that does fall on the consumer. I can understand the consumer not expecting the bill to be THAT high, but it's always a bad idea to make a purchase of something that you don't know the final price of.

 

I don't like that sort of gouging from a company, but if that's how they want to run their business, I guess they are welcome to. But it would make me think twice about using their service, even in non-'surge' times.

[Hey_Hey]

This is why I prefer Lyft. I used Lyft on New Years Eve because UberX was running at a multiplier of 7.5 (750%) times normal rate. Lyft maxed at a 50% tip over the normal rate. I don't argue that UberX has the right to do this, but I think it is horrible PR, and it gives the taxi lobby big time ammunition to fight for a crack down on companies like Lyft and Uber.

I've used both Lyft and UberX before. Both are almost indistinguishable other than their surge pricing, which I think Lyft has a better plan.

Edited January 3, 2014 by Hey_Hey

[satalac]

People who don't know or understand surge pricing are too dumb to use Uber. You have to type the multiplier into your phone to verify that you understand how much it'll be. Further, when surging is in effect they push you to use the fare estimator.

When will we get Uber in Nashville? It makes us look backwards that we don't have it.

The whole ride took place in Nashville...

[nashvillwill]

Terrible pr for a service I use and love.

[titanhog]

Terrible pr for a service I use and love.

Yes.

 

I've never used their service, but when I read a story like that, it automatically makes me mentally write them off for future use...because it almost sounds like a scam.

 

Very bad for a reputable company to receive this kind of press.

[franktown]

The whole ride took place in Nashville...

Nashville has UberX which is the cheaper ride-sharing form of the service. I wonder when we'll get the normal Uber black car service

[samsonh]

Yes.

 

I've never used their service, but when I read a story like that, it automatically makes me mentally write them off for future use...because it almost sounds like a scam.

 

Very bad for a reputable company to receive this kind of press.

 

I will never understand this attitude. First of all, the surge charges are very well known, I have heard people talking about them both in person and in the media. Second of all, it is supply and demand. If people were not willing to pay this fee it would not exist. And lastly, you see what you are being charged when you sign up. If you do not pay attention, then that is purely your fault.

 

Uber will continue to be successful because they are providing a needed service, and they provide it well.

[UTgrad09]

I will never understand this attitude. First of all, the surge charges are very well known, I have heard people talking about them both in person and in the media. Second of all, it is supply and demand. If people were not willing to pay this fee it would not exist. And lastly, you see what you are being charged when you sign up. If you do not pay attention, then that is purely your fault.

 

Uber will continue to be successful because they are providing a needed service, and they provide it well.

 

I agree that the consumer should know what they are getting into, but nearly $550 for 46 miles of driving is beyond ridiculous, no matter how you put it.

 

Their regular service may be great, but that kind of gouging for 'surge' times is insane, and IMO, in no way justifiable. 

 

How would you like it if the grocery store you went to went around and raised their prices 7x when it was snowing outside, just because there was a big run on food? It would also make that last 6 pack in the cooler pretty unattractive at $60-70.

[samsonh]

I agree that the consumer should know what they are getting into, but nearly $550 for 46 miles of driving is beyond ridiculous, no matter how you put it.

 

Their regular service may be great, but that kind of gouging for 'surge' times is insane, and IMO, in no way justifiable. 

 

How would you like it if the grocery store you went to went around and raised their prices 7x when it was snowing outside, just because there was a big run on food? It would also make that last 6 pack in the cooler pretty unattractive at $60-70.

 

 

I probably would not like it. Then again, I could have planned ahead and not shopped when a snowstorm came. You want to use a car service on NYE? Great! That car service wants to charge a lot of money on NYE because a lot of people want to use it? Great! Should Uber be forced to charge less because you do not think it is fair? I really do not get what people want them to do. They are in business to make money, not friends. if you do not think it is fair, do not use it. Really pretty simple.

[satalac]

Nashville has UberX which is the cheaper ride-sharing form of the service. I wonder when we'll get the normal Uber black car service

Ahhhh, I thought this was the black car one. Well hell, if they're charging this for the low cost one, I don't want to see what the black car service will be. 

I probably would not like it. Then again, I could have planned ahead and not shopped when a snowstorm came. You want to use a car service on NYE? Great! That car service wants to charge a lot of money on NYE because a lot of people want to use it? Great! Should Uber be forced to charge less because you do not think it is fair? I really do not get what people want them to do. They are in business to make money, not friends. if you do not think it is fair, do not use it. Really pretty simple.

You're correct on what you're saying. I do think it's bad PR for the company though. But, like you said, if they can charge it and still get paying customers, then have at it. It's the customer's fault when they agree to terms. 

[titanhog]

I will never understand this attitude. First of all, the surge charges are very well known, I have heard people talking about them both in person and in the media. Second of all, it is supply and demand. If people were not willing to pay this fee it would not exist. And lastly, you see what you are being charged when you sign up. If you do not pay attention, then that is purely your fault.

 

Uber will continue to be successful because they are providing a needed service, and they provide it well.

I'll never understand someone charging over $10 a mile for their service.

[Neigeville]

Ahhhh, I thought this was the black car one. Well hell, if they're charging this for the low cost one, I don't want to see what the black car service will be. 

You're correct on what you're saying. I do think it's bad PR for the company though. But, like you said, if they can charge it and still get paying customers, then have at it. It's the customer's fault when they agree to terms. 

 

In the over-simplified mentality of some libertarian teenager, it is the customer's fault when they agree to the terms.  Realistically, the question is how easy it is to understand the terms.  If they're charging something no reasonable person would pay because they hope people won't figure it out until it's to late, that's not a legitimate business, it's a scam and they shouldn't be allowed to operate. 

Edited January 3, 2014 by Neigeville

[titanhog]

Btw...my comments are 100% based on the "PR" the company received because of the media.  I was commenting and agreeing that it's bad PR for Uber and that when the media shows a story like that, I may mentally "write them off" because it really sounds bad.

 

Is it the truth?  I have no idea.  But that's the reason why we're saying it's bad "PR" for the company because it comes across as a negative for a company that many in Nashville know very little, if anything, about.  It's not the kind of PR a new company in town would want.