Following the artists to find the next gentrifying neighborhood

[Max Ball]

I've heard this theory my whole life.

Are people in real estate actually following 'artists' to find up-and-coming neighborhoods to invest/develop properties in? 

If so, how are you finding these specific types of people?

[Chris Mason]

Originally posted by @Max Ball:

I've heard this theory my whole life.

Are people in real estate actually following 'artists' to find up-and-coming neighborhoods to invest/develop properties in? 

If so, how are you finding these specific types of people?

 My wife is an artist. Artists are the only people I've heard make this claim. I have no idea how one would actually test this hypothesis.

The theory for those unaware is that artists are generally lower income relative to their education levels (this part of the theory is 100% true, based on reviewing the financials of many different people as part of my job), and thus constantly pushed out of the desirable areas. So they move to undesirable areas and, because they are artists, make those areas pretty - they don't litter, whatever car they have will be well maintained, they are more inclined to call 911 than previous residents, and other things like that that aren't necessarily characteristic of non-artist lower income persons (yes this theory is rank with implicit stereotypes). Now all of a sudden the area is more desirable. Rinse and repeat, the next generation of artists can't afford to live there, so they go farther out and make that new place pretty. Basically, the theory goes, artists are perpetually the tip of the gentrification spear. 

That's the theory, anyways. Theories are not evidence. 

For those in the Bay Area, Richmond and Vallejo is where a bunch of artists have been moving to for the last few years. Stockton, not so much.

As to your question Max, if you've heard the theory then presumably there are artists in your life, since I literally never heard that theory until I married an artist and got lots of artist in-laws, but you're saying you heard it your whole life (actually, if you grew up in LA that could explain it too... I'm guessing you had childhood friends whose parents "moved to LA to become an actor" and whatnot). I'd suggest asking them where their young artist friends just starting their careers are moving to and living.