The Census Bureau just released a study that shows over 200,000 residents left the NYC area between 2000 and 2004. [You can read the PDF here.] The NYC metro area is represented by NYC, Northern NJ and Long Island; Los Angeles lost about 110,000 people and Chicago had a drop of over 60,000. People are heading south (Florida) and west (Nevada, Arizona...Idaho?), though there are increases in Maine and NH as well. Hmm, will this lead to more US Census versus the city's City Planning office fights over the numbers, as big numbers for NYC may mean more federal dollars (not that our mayor wants all the federal money...). So, as we think about a smaller Big Apple, Gothamist likes to think about Legoland's Miniland NYC. waltermonkey on Flickr has an amazing set of Legoland photographs, with a focus on the MiniNYC, where there is a Freedom Tower, Bronx block party, and Bethesda Fountain recreated in teeny tiny blocks.
Random factoids: Kings and Queens Counties were the second and third highest counties for outmigration (Los Angeles county was number one).
Photograph of Times Square in Legoland's Miniland USA from waltermonkey on Flickr
