By Greg T. Spielberg

Signs of Recovery

Through discussion on our blogs and stories, BusinessWeek readers have expressed a gamut of economic opinions this summer. While there is no consensus on where America will be a year from now, six months from now or even in a few weeks, there are optimists. Here, 13 readers from around the U.S. point out successful businesses, pockets of consumer spending and rebounds in their local communities. From cupcake sales to high fashion, an uptick in paper license plates or retail-store foot traffic, these members of the business community reveal a bevy of everyday optimistic indicators. Share your evidence of economic hot spots by posting a comment on our Case for Optimism