A look in the future: will Philadelphia go up or down? (Pittsburgh: houses, live in)
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You don't think theres rampant crime in Philla? Tell that to the cops who're gunned down in the streets, tell that to the laddy gunned down getting off the trolly. This isn't not about the people of philly, i'm one of them too, so get off your high-horse and stop lecturing. Get real bro', people like you live in your preppie-tailgate wannabe areas and think all phil is like that? Ever been to Kennsington? Try it tonite, but then maybe not unless you want to see the TRUE side of philly.
I'm not saying even its worse than other towns now all I'm sayin is that its on teh downstring. And yes, i'm even agreeing it can change, to the upswing but for that to happen we need change in city hall.
There is no "true side". The good areas are true. The bad areas are true. All are equally part of the city. Stop being so negative. You make yourself look really bad. Merry Christmas.
I really have no problem with FrankGn I respect his opinions, he might be a little doom and gloom compared to most but hey thats his opinion. ITshim tried to use ogontz and 51st and baltimore as examples of a city on the decline...those area's have been crime ridden since at LEAST the 60's. Peter Pickle...really? preppie-tailgate area's of philly? Manayunk is one thing...it has in many ways turned into a preppy tailgate area...but that doesn't mean that all the areas of Philadelphia that are on the up and up are populated by recent grads trying to live it up after college. SWCC is one of the areas that is incredibly better than a couple of years ago and will only get better. Queen Village, the Italian Market, Northern Liberties aren't perfect but they are on their way to becoming some great places to live. Its not all doom and gloom.
I'm not saying its all doom-n-gloom, but i'm saying teh direction is wrong. Theres an old saying from South Phlly, - when you're are heading in the right direction it don't not matter how fast or slow you just got to keep on moving. The problem for philly is that its going in the wrong direction.
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Originally Posted by sweendog024
I really have no problem with FrankGn I respect his opinions, he might be a little doom and gloom compared to most but hey thats his opinion. ITshim tried to use ogontz and 51st and baltimore as examples of a city on the decline...those area's have been crime ridden since at LEAST the 60's. Peter Pickle...really? preppie-tailgate area's of philly? Manayunk is one thing...it has in many ways turned into a preppy tailgate area...but that doesn't mean that all the areas of Philadelphia that are on the up and up are populated by recent grads trying to live it up after college. SWCC is one of the areas that is incredibly better than a couple of years ago and will only get better. Queen Village, the Italian Market, Northern Liberties aren't perfect but they are on their way to becoming some great places to live. Its not all doom and gloom.
I'm not saying its all doom-n-gloom, but i'm saying teh direction is wrong. Theres an old saying from South Phlly, - when you're are heading in the right direction it don't not matter how fast or slow you just got to keep on moving. The problem for philly is that its going in the wrong direction.
Then go outside and start things moving in the right direction. Dude that's all any of us can do, and you'll be surprised to find how many people are doing the right things. There's definitely places where the differences good people have made are becoming very visible. Neighborhoods go downhill, I understand, but if they can go downhill than that means they can come back again, and that's what a lot of people are trying to do. Certain areas of the city, I would say have completely turned around. Others are making a lot of progress given where they were even ten years ago. Our downtown has remained an incredibly desirable place. Just look at the skyscraper booms and all the new construction around Center City. Philadelphia has the third largest downtown population in the country. That's really saying something. Philadelphia has a lot going for it, and a lot of people who live here are working as hard as they can to realize the potential that our city has. Don't shortchange the city just yet, it could still surprise you.
The region has shifted its profile from Manufacturing to Eds/Meds/Pharma along with a good measure of Finance, Technology and Service firms.
If you see it on list of cities, it's most often on the good side. Ten years ago you could count on it being on the worst list.
This change is not just dumb luck. The City government has been providing supplemental financing for Eds and Meds for 50 years.
Center City has exploded out into surrounding neighborhoods. As it annexes on these areas, the downtown population is now considered to be about 180,000. Bigger except for NYC. Driving around the City itself, even into the less desirable neighborhoods, shows a general improvement. Big issues still remain, especially the public schools and serious crime in some areas of the City. With good government they are solvable.
Visiting other cities throughout the country, I've noticed that they appear newer and larger. Mainly because you can see forever. Entering Philadelphia, especially from the west, leaves one wondering if there's really a city here! Vanguard is headquartered and employes over 10,000 out there somewhere. Does anybody know where it is? Build something and within ten years you can't see it. The rolling countryside and intense vegetation covers everything up. Thus the perception.
I personally have properties in several of what were the "hot" ticket locations 5 years ago. People in the Philadelphia region have fared much better and the dynamics of the region are much more favorable going forward.
Also, Philly people should stop complaining about the weather. All those cities down south and out west have covered stadiums and we don't. Strangely none of the cities on the East Coast have them. Why, the weather in those other areas is unbearable 8 months of the year.
I have not lived in Philadelphia (or itssuburbs) for 15 years. I do visit however and follow much about the city closely. I cannot believe the people who say the city is getting worse. The city is much more dynamic and forward looking than it has been since Dilworth and Clark. There is a broader sense of the city and its resources; peopkle are obviously moving in, both young and old. When I was growing up in the 50s and 60s there were probably less than 5 decent restaurants. While the city got Broadway tryouts (which really no longer exist), the local theatre scene was nothing like today. Clubs were few and Center City was essentially dead at night.
The city welcomes young people (those preppy tailgaters I guess), who may one day be the ones to start sorely needed businesses. I have friends whose children have gone to Philadelphia and love it and expect to stay. There is a greater appreciation of the tremendous resource the city has in its colleges ad universities. Hopefully more smart ones will stay.
There are obviously problems and much needs to be done in education, crime and expanded business, but
AS SOME WILL RECALL FROM AN EARLIER DAY. PHILADELPHIA IS NOT NEARLY AS BAD AS SOME OF THE POSTERS ON THIS SITE LIKE TO SHOUT.
I recently moved to Philly from Milwaukee. I travel quite a bit and study urban/regional economics. Philly is definitely on the up and up. This is evident from the gentrification going on in places like east Girard, Fishtown/Port Richmond, south street, etc. Skyscrapers and condos are being built in center city, etc.
Compare this to cities that are truly on the decline (detroit, cleveland, st. louis) and Philly doesnt look very bad at all. The ghettos will continue to be dangerous places, but every major city has a poor urban area(s) that will always be poor, or at least, poorer.
Philly, like other major east coast cities, can't grow as fast as other areas (e.g., Houston, Dallas, Tampa) because it is extremely dense. Also, by only looking at growth rates, you miss an important fact--who is making the city grow. The high growth rates of metro areas like Miami, Phoenix, and San Antonio can be attributed, at least in part, to the baby-boomers who are beginning to retire and want to live someplace warm.
Virgin America just voted in favor of Philly. There is now a non stop from San Francisco to Philadelphia. That is Virgin's bet that there will be growth in Philly.
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