Why is 22nd and Chestnut to Penn's Landing so......dark at night??? (theater, university)

[Cnote11]

In my opinion, some people have awfully strange views of "shady" on this forum.

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by Shikes

I was walking to a hotel on 3rd and dumped enough money on the hotel so wanted to save cab money. I am from Pittsburgh and had no idea about anything in the area. I arrived unscathed, but it was truly a long walk and it got kinda shady after 9th or so, especially given that it was well after dusk.

Shady? Lol... what street were you walking on? 9th and Susquehanna?

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by Cnote11

In my opinion, some people have awfully strange views of "shady" on this forum.

Agreed...

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by Shikes

I was walking to a hotel on 3rd and dumped enough money on the hotel so wanted to save cab money. I am from Pittsburgh and had no idea about anything in the area. I arrived unscathed, but it was truly a long walk and it got kinda shady after 9th or so, especially given that it was well after dusk.

You could have taken the train from 30th and Market to 2nd and Market and avoided it. Shady is a word thrown around a lot and doesn't really seem to mean anything - to me those blocks are just depressing. Philadelphia is an interesting city where they will light up one street in the most absurd, decadent, and cartoonish way imaginable (South Broad Street) and ignore another one right around the corner.

But the problems of Chestnut Street are pretty apparent, in my opinion. The 1100 block has a couple of large, vacant, and rotting buildings. The 1000 block has a couple of mostly vacant buildings, and one of the worst buildings you could plop down in the middle of the city in Jefferson's Gibbon Building - with its blank walls, "no entry" entryways, and posters of creepy people smiling all the way along Chestnut Street. The entire south side of the 900 block consists of a a large parking garage sitting in the middle of a surface parking lot - also one of the few blocks which is extremely well lit. The 700 and 800 blocks are both not-that-bad, with some popular restaurants, but there are still a couple of surface lots and a large parking garage which really zap the life out of the street.

When I used to live in Center City and would get out of work late at night, I'd always make it a point to walk down Walnut Street, which is significantly more pleasant and livelier than Chestnut or Market.

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by Shikes

I was walking to a hotel on 3rd and dumped enough money on the hotel so wanted to save cab money. I am from Pittsburgh and had no idea about anything in the area. I arrived unscathed, but it was truly a long walk and it got kinda shady after 9th or so, especially given that it was well after dusk.

OK now I understand. Your just used to those crowds of people who walk around Pittsburgh's business district at night. I guess when you walked past Independence Hall it must have been particularly scary.

[rotodome]

I can definitely see someone not familiar with the city thinking that some blocks of Chestnut east just of broad could look kind of shady. No need for sarcasm.
Those blocks used to be legitimately kind of shady, and honestly they're still some of the dumpiest in Center City.

[FBJ]

Here are the shady looking blocks from 22nd to 4th and Chestnut

1.16th to 15th and chestnut

2. 11th to 9th and chestnut

[2e1m5a]

Originally Posted by rotodome

I can definitely see someone not familiar with the city thinking that some blocks of Chestnut east just of broad could look kind of shady. No need for sarcasm.
Those blocks used to be legitimately kind of shady, and honestly they're still some of the dumpiest in Center City.

Agreed. The methodone clinic patrons in the area certainly don't help.

[Cnote11]

Originally Posted by WestPhillyDude75

Here are the shady looking blocks from 22nd to 4th and Chestnut

1.16th to 15th and chestnut

2. 11th to 9th and chestnut

This has got to be a joke...

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by Cnote11

This has got to be a joke...

Nope, very dark and unattractive at night time.