Welcome to another business newsletter, business-readers. Thanks again for being here. Young professionals don’t want much, really: Work-life balance, a place to thrive and have fun and opportunities — all in a community where expenses won’t break the bank. If you think about it, those are strengths anyone of any age should prize. Forbes recently rolled out its “Best Places For Young Professionals To Live In The U.S. In 2024″ ranking. The Cincinnati metro area topped the list this year, believe it or not. And Dayton? Read on. A place for young professionals to thrive: Right here in Dayton. A recent Forbes Advisor study placed the Dayton metro area high — fourth, just above Columbus — on a list for great places for young professionals to start their journeys. What it means: The region was found to do well in four categories — employment and pay, housing affordability, cost of living and lifestyle. Why it matters: “We’ve seen record job commitments from new and existing companies in the last three years. Dayton’s affordability, amenities, and job opportunities mean young professionals can build more than a meaningful career in the Dayton region. They can enjoy world-class recreation, arts, and restaurants, and root for the home team in a variety of sports,” said Julie Sullivan, an executive with the Dayton Development Coalition. Recent Dayton investment is changing neighborhoods What happened: Dayton has seen more than half a billion dollars in mostly private investment in the last year, either invested or in the works, city officials say. The numbers: From Dayton City Manager Shelley Dickstein: More than $550 million in recent investment, including about $349 million in economic development and business expansions, roughly $201 million has been spent on new and improved housing, amenities and roads and infrastructure. “That’s pretty impressive,” she said. GEST carts hit downtown streets — and the streets don’t hit back They’re cute, and they look like little bathtubs on four wheels. They’re GEST carts. GEST carts are downtown Dayton’s newest transportation option, and for $5 you can catch a ride in the all-electric vehicles, which will travel around the core city three days a week and go as far as the University of Dayton campus. Take it easy: “The GEST cart is green, easy, safe and again it’s another form of transportation,” said Kristina Scott, vice president of strategy for the Downtown Dayton Partnership. We compared grocery prices at 5 Dayton-area stores: Here’s what we found We live in an era when, nationally, food costs have risen nearly 25% since March 2020. But the minutiae matters. Reporter Lillian Ali went to five Dayton-area grocery stores to see how prices compared. She checked prices for several popular items, including bread, milk, produce, and dairy. What she found: A lot of variation. Maybe a surprising amount. Read the story. Warren County pro tennis site serves for year-round events The people behind the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason have a vision, and that vision involves year-round events. Volley: Next year’s tourney will run from Aug. 5-18. That’s five days longer than this year’s event, which drew a record 205,068 and is estimated to have had an economic impact of more than $70 million. Ace: “The next piece is all about getting large enough and big enough to handle what we’ve become,” Tournament Director Bob Moran said. “We have to make sure they have enough places to practice. They need a bigger gym. They need a bigger dining facility. Talk to me: Thank you as always for making this newsletter possible. You can reach me at tom.gnau@coxinc.com. If you’re on social media, so am I. I can be found on X (DMs are always on) and on Facebook here and here. ‘Perseverance results in success for our community’: Chamber CEO on what WPAFB means to Dayton. Hey, that Cessna doesn’t have a pilot: Joby Aviation flies second autonomous test for the Air Force. (And, actually, it did have a “safety pilot.”) First Black-owned comedy venue on Dayton’s West side to open: Jessica Graue with the details. The Reds are painful to watch: Yet, also strangely familiar. Fall-themed events are inevitable: Here’s one planned for Lebabon. | 
