I feel sad about my locale

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I live in Erie and the core population has been shrinking for more than two decades. There used to be a lot of manufacturing jobs that made things and employed so many people here, and when they closed all of them left and the dependent businesses shut down. I feel kind of sad about how the whole region's numbers stagnated while others have passed us up for decades. Now Erie is only a low stepping-stone where professionals and businesses (such as local journalists) are only here just to move to bigger markets. To me the people in major areas and even relatively larger areas (like outside of Richmond, Virginia) seem spoiled. One thing I complain about being is our radio and TV local stations based out of here are very bland. This is one of the things why I say I wish I lived in the past. Erie used to be 3rd city in the state and is even on course to become 5th in the next decade. I wish I could have experienced listening to real people and community on the old radio stations that were here during the 70s and 80s (it completely died at the new millennium).

Am I the only one who feels this way about a locale?
I would long for manufacturing to return to the US again even for just bringing a more major stimulus than we have now. It's probably not going to happen at all, sometimes I feel a sort of despair about it (even if that might be a little strong). Erie doesn't have a future, not even much to the outer region surrounding it. Short of moving to an actual larger area one day, I don't know.

Yes, the way that my local town has changed since I moved here 30-odd years ago saddens me. The number of boarded up shops, pubs, music venues, etc. can be really depressing, and it makes me ever less inclined to venture into town. All of the local industry that it used to be famous for is long gone, and it's in the shadow of a bigger city only a few miles away that always attracts whatever investment is available to create employment and commerce. Likewise, as you say, with local media and entertainment; there aren't the places for bands to practice that there used to be, and hardly anywhere left for them to play, and since digital radio came in (which promised us more choice), there's just bland syndicated rubbish that's the same as everywhere else. Same with the shops and pubs; only stores owned by the big chains are left, and a lot of those have downsized or pulled out; even the thrift shops struggle to make ends meet. The saddest thing is that it has loads of interesting historical connections, and it close to some beautiful countryside, but the investment isn't there to make anything of it; the historic old buildings just get pulled down eventually after they decay from not being used.

What also makes me feel a little depressed is that the traditional old media (TV/radio) has been consolidating for decades and it's only going to happen more. I know your TV networks or radio stations in the UK work a little differently than in the US, but a lot of operations and programming like local news or others they produce locally are syndicated or outsourced from another station or business. The whole media industry in general is swallowed up by a few large companies. I know that digital and internet is supposed to increase the number of more better choices, but there's something about it that feels more cheapened of value. It's like Mom-and-pop doesn't even exist anymore, except for those remaining that struggle making ends meet. Especially it was possible at one point to do TV and radio with a mom-and-pop business.

A lot of people think my "longing" is irrational or wrong instead.

When it comes to broadcasting do you have any PBS stations out your way? Im at the far end of Lake Ontario and we pick up a few US PBS stations. At least they have a local feel. I grew up in the Toronto area and we used to pick up a lot of small US stations in the pre-cable tv days. I miss the local radio stations too. We have a couple of stations here. One though is talk radio and seems best for sending your blood pressure sky high. I only started listening to digital radio a few months ago and while I like the variety of music I can easily get, the talk that goes with it is so canned. In so many places in Canada industies have shut down too. I suspect there will be a turnaround someday to more mom and pop operations again, but not enough to be what it used to be like. People seem to like the global economy and easy access to goods from around the world.

I know Erie isn't the best place to live but I like it. I live by Albion but goto Erie at least once a day