Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
While it is true DC had legal segregation in the 50s, there were scads of good employment opportunities for blacks there, thanks to the Federal government. So migrating from the Jim Crow South to segregated DC at that time would have been a mixed blessing for a black person. I don't pretend to know how Black Southerners felt about it, but I would've chosen to live in segregated DC with a secure job, than sharecropping in some rural poverty pit in the South and be oppressed and worse by the locals.
Yes, but you could go a little farther, into Pennsylvania, which was quite industrial at the time with lots of jobs, and get away from the segregation.
Yes, but you could go a little farther, into Pennsylvania, which was quite industrial at the time with lots of jobs, and get away from the segregation.
Kind of a depressing thread, as most of those cities would have been something special in the 1950s. I'd say Boston, DC, and LA are in pretty good shape today, so I wouldn't include them. Cleveland (where I was born and raised) and Chicago (currently reside) must have been something else in those days. Jobs, substantial public transportation, jobs, functional public schools, jobs, thriving downtowns and ethnic neighborhoods, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. I'd love to visit either.
Kind of a depressing thread, as most of those cities would have been something special in the 1950s. I'd say Boston, DC, and LA are in pretty good shape today, so I wouldn't include them. Cleveland (where I was born and raised) and Chicago (currently reside) must have been something else in those days. Jobs, substantial public transportation, jobs, functional public schools, jobs, thriving downtowns and ethnic neighborhoods, jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs. I'd love to visit either.
If you include Chicago as if not yet a top functioning downtown? Few would say that who ever visited.
LA as Northern cities... has had to do some restoring and renewing also in its downtown that got a late start.
I think every Chicago neighborhood having its own functioning little downtown intersection. Was in every neighborhood in the 50s. Some survive to degrees today. As for jobs jobs jobs. That clearly was true and even in small city America. Clearly leaving one job was easy to find another then.
I always felt Chicago stood out in its housing stock and a city of standard full-alleys and some green frontage was a asset to this day. Also love the 50s early 60s well built homes with pink primary brick and fronts of more varieties of brick and platinum blonde woodwork. They remain today of course.
Chicago also did a better job clearing out the worst of its bight compared to some other rustbelt cities.
I'd love to see State Street in the Loop in its heyday. Though much retailing returned..... The old Marshal Fields, Carson Perrie Scott, Wiebolts, Montgomery Wards and original Sears all were crowded as was the street. The street looks great today. But clearly, homegrown shops it originally had were a trait every mall somewhere did not have. But N Michigan Ave was probably far from a premier major city shopping street in the 50s. It was all State St then.
I did think those "War of the World's" State St huge fluorescent bright arching street-lights .... were hideous. They still existed in the late 70s. Great the Chicago Theater survived with its ChiCago Marquee in lights and old Marshall Fields as a Macy's and Carson Perrie Scott building as a Target.... bit of a change there.
With nearly 2.1 million people, Philadelphia was America's third most populous city in 1950. During the decade of the 1950s, the following opportunities were open to Philadelphians:
*employment in one of the city's many home-grown industries including Stetson Hats, Philco, Baldwin Locomotive Works (world' largest), Keebler Baking, Curtis Publishing, the Naval Shipyard;
*shopping at five big department stores on Market Street (Wannamaker's, Lit Brothers, Gimbels, Strawbridge & Clothier, Snellenburgs). All now gone;
*having lunch at America's first Automat (Horn & Hardart);
*arriving or departing from America's largest and busiest passenger railroad terminal (Broad Street Station);
*watching the Philadelphia Athletics play ball at Shibe Park;
*Dropping by the Latin Casino nightclub to see in person Tony Bennett (or Lena Horne or Sinatra);
*attending opening night of a pre-Broadway musical at the Shubert Theater; or catching a show at the opulent, 5,000-seat Mastbaum Theater;
*dancing before a nationwide audience on American Bandstand televised live from WFIL studios; or
*reading the Philadelphia Bulletin--highest circulation of any evening newspaper in North America.
Over the decades, starting in the 1960s, Philly suffered an industrial and commercial exodus, and with that a loss of nearly 600,000 people. The city is finally gaining people again and is still a fun and exciting place to live. However, I would love to go back in time and experience this great city as it was in the 1950s. Few American cities could compare with the Philadelphia of that era.
Last edited by VTinPhilly; 04-24-2018 at 09:12 PM..
With nearly 2.1 million people, Philadelphia was America's third most populous city in 1950. During the decade of the 1950s, the following opportunities were open to Philadelphians:
*employment in one of the city's many home-grown industries including Stetson Hats, Philco, Baldwin Locomotive Works (world' largest), Keebler Baking, Curtis Publishing, the Naval Shipyard;
*shopping at five big department stores on Market Street (Wannamaker's, Lit Brothers, Gimbels, Strawbridge & Clothier, Snellenburgs). All now gone;
*having lunch at America's first Automat (Horn & Hardart);
*arriving or departing from America's largest and busiest passenger railroad terminal (Broad Street Station);
*watching the Philadelphia Athletics play ball at Shibe Park;
*Dropping by the Latin Casino nightclub to see in person Tony Bennett (or Lena Horne or Sinatra);
*attending opening night of a pre-Broadway musical at the Shubert Theater; or catching a show at the opulent, 5,000-seat Mastbaum Theater;
*dancing before a nationwide audience on American Bandstand televised live from WFIL studios; or
*reading the Philadelphia Bulletin--highest circulation of any evening newspaper in North America.
Over the decades, starting in the 1960s, Philly suffered an industrial and commercial exodus, and with that a loss of nearly 600,000 people. The city is finally gaining people again and is still a fun and exciting place to live. However, I would love to go back in time and experience this great city as it was in the 1950s. Few American cities could compare with the Philadelphia of that era.
I was a small child during the 50s. Although I essentially grew in the Philly 'burbs, we always came into "town" as we called it, to shop, etc. No malls then, except Cherry Hill(NJ) which opened in the late 50s. Also no one, that I can recall, called downtown Philadelphia, "Center City" back then. I thought it was magical to ride the Market St El to 13th St where Wanamaker's was. Fwiw Macy's is in the Wanamaker's Bldg today. Not the same at all although the ground floor has not changed that much physically speaking.
And speaking of Philco, which eventually became Philco-Ford, I went to my first full time job interview there in 1970.
Also, Philly always had people living in its downtown core.
Wonder how the LA core was back in the 50's, LA already has a relatively small downtown Now, It was probably even smaller in the 50's
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
