CINCINNATI

I grew up in Norwood, Ohio.  Once, it was the largest city within a city in the United States.  With a population of about 35,000 in 1950, it was totally surrounded by Cincinnati and proud of it's independence.  It bragged about it's top rated fire and police departments, it's own water and sewer departments, it's own trash collection and a street department and a first class park/pool system.  Who needed Cincinnati.

General Motors had purchased 50 acres of land in the midst of the city where it erected an assembly plant.  In 1923, the first cars rolled off the assembly line; 600 workers could put out 200 cars per day.  At it's peak in 1970, the plant employed 9,000 workers. 

All good things must come to an end.  GM closed the inefficient plant in 1987.  Payroll taxes from the plant once totaled about 25% of the city's income.  Norwood went into the equivalent of receivership - bankruptcy, if you will.  Things had to change.

The little city that now has less than 20,000 residents boasts a shopping mecca called Rookwood Pavilion.  I think things are going quite nicely.  It was a great place to grow up. 
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