No surprise, fewer Americans seem to be venturing to Europe on summer vacations. The euro's advance against the anemic dollar on top of the "crisis" (our economic ills) as they call it over there keep more of us at home. But on a swing through Slovenia, Italy and France last week, many locals I bumped into were planning trips over here, taking advantage of the foreign exchange. There was talk of going to New York, Florida, and California--the familiar destinations.
Europe isn't exactly on better economic footing than the U.S. right now, but folks seem to have sunnier dispositions--they're not worrying about healthcare expenses or juggling personal budgets over whether to buy food or drugs like all too many Americans. Gasoline prices have always been high, a result of big local gas taxes, so an upswing in pump prices isn't fazing anyone over there. More town centric lifestyles mean people don't drive as much anyway. And outside of the UK, credit bubbles and home buying mania didn't get out of hand.
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Jonathan D. Miller
A marketing communication strategist who turned to real estate analysis, Jonathan D. Miller is a foremost interpreter of 21st citistate futures – cities and suburbs alike – seen through the lens of lifestyles and market realities. For more than 20 years (1992-2013), Miller authored Emerging Trends in Real Estate, the leading commercial real estate industry outlook report, published annually by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He has lectures frequently on trends in real estate, including the future of America's major 24-hour urban centers and sprawling suburbs. He also has been author of ULI’s annual forecasts on infrastructure and its What’s Next? series of forecasts. On a weekly basis, he writes the Trendczar blog for GlobeStreet.com, the real estate news website. Outside his published forecasting work, Miller is a prominent communications/institutional investor-marketing strategist and partner in Miller Ryan LLC, helping corporate clients develop and execute branding and communications programs. He led the re-branding of GMAC Commercial Mortgage to Capmark Financial Group Inc. and he was part of the management team that helped build Equitable Real Estate Investment Management, Inc. (subsequently Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, Inc.) into the leading real estate advisor to pension funds and other real institutional investors. He joined the Equitable Life Assurance Society of the U.S. in 1981, moving to Equitable Real Estate in 1984 as head of Corporate/Marketing Communications. In the 1980's he managed relations for several of the country's most prominent real estate developments including New York's Trump Tower and the Equitable Center. Earlier in his career, Miller was a reporter for Gannett Newspapers. He is a member of the Citistates Group and a board member of NYC Outward Bound Schools and the Center for Employment Opportunities.
