Angelos Angelou may be a leading thinker on urban development and all, but really, what does he know about the Tri-Cities?

That was kind of the gist of an interesting chat with Ken Nelson, the economic development director for the city of Kennewick, last month. We connected too late for me to include his comment in our story on the Tri-Cities in this month's magazine, where we discussed Angelou's contention that a lack of big-city amenities - good restaurants, lots of retail, a cohesive downtown - could hurt the region as it tries to attract the young professionals it will need to grow in the future.

Three different Tri-Cities agencies - including the city of Kennewick - have hired Angelou to study their situation and make recommendations. While it was good to get the outside expert's opinion, Nelson says you've got to take Angelou's conclusions with a grain of salt. "He's fromAustin, so his perspective is a little different from ours."

Austin, you may know, just happens to be simultaneously a happening college town, a vibrant software research center - and home to one of the nation's great music scenes. Compared to that, everyone - even Seattle - will have a hard time measuring up, Nelson says. So it's no surprise that Angelou was critical of the Tri-Cities' cultural life.

There is some truth to what Angelou says about the Tri-Cities lacking one downtown, Nelson says. "We grew up as three small communities each with its own downtown."

But in recent years, Kennewick's Columbia Center area - with its large concentration of chain retailers - has developed into a defacto regional downtown, he says. In addition, Kennewick has worked hard to develop Clover Island and the rest of its Columbia river frontage, and it has poured a lot of money into its old downtown to "keep it from becoming a blighted area."

The Tri-Cities can compete for talent, Nelson says. "The last two years running, Expansion Management (magazine) has rated us the No. 1 area for scientists and engineers nationwide. We've got a big research and development community at Battelle."

"We are attracting young families," he adds. "People go away to college and stay away five years, then they come back when they want to start a family."

When they return, they find a very comfortable lifestyle that revolves around boating and outdoor activities, Nelson says. "It's not a small town like Prossor or Kahlotus, that kind of small town. But it's small enough that you know everybody. There's low crime, housing prices haven't escalated. I've got a six minute commute to work and I'm PO'd if it takes seven."

And the development of the Red Mountain wine region is bringing new cachet - and investment, as established wine companies from outside the Northwest try to cash in on its growth.

"We're right spot in the middle of the whole Washington wine country. Do you want to go to Walla Walla? Do you want to go to Prosser? Do you want to go to Red Mountain? There's something like 150 wineries within an hour's drive. There'll just be thousands of people going from winery to winery, bus tours, like that. We're just importing money."

There' a lot to be said for the small-city lifestyle, Nelson says. "If you live in New York you can go to the symphony. If you live here you can play in the symphony."

The strong growth in Tri-Cities over the past decade should tell you something, Nelson says. "We've got a very vibrant economy at a time when everyone else is in the doldrums. People who live here, and people who know what's going on with the economy, there's a reason for that."