What makes Boston so much more powerful than Philadelphia? (York: roughest, houses)

[drive carephilly]

Originally Posted by rainrock

In a nutshell we have a much larger lower class socio economic group than Boston .

As Center City continues to revive and excel that may help offset its reputation as a lower socio economic hotbed.

I agree, a lot of outsiders perceive the city/region as an east coast version of Cleveland. Broke, ghetto, declining, etc

The reputation of Boston even 30 years ago wasn't anywhere near what it is today. 25 years ago they were dealing with a murder rate worse than what Philly was dealing with back during the Street years. The difference is that the textile industry declined earlier than manufacturing and Boston has had that much longer to turn things around.

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by drive carephilly

I agree, a lot of outsiders perceive the city/region as an east coast version of Cleveland. Broke, ghetto, declining, etc

The reputation of Boston even 30 years ago wasn't anywhere near what it is today. 25 years ago they were dealing with a murder rate worse than what Philly was dealing with back during the Street years. The difference is that the textile industry declined earlier than manufacturing and Boston has had that much longer to turn things around.

Yeah i heard the crime rate is very low in Boston.

[drive carephilly]

Originally Posted by dabottom

Yeah i heard the crime rate is very low in Boston.

It is now but it wasn't always . . . not that Boston and it's suburbs aren't without their bad neighborhoods.

Just saying that if you look at the history of these things in Boston, NYC, and DC, Philly isn't really different it's just starting from a different place and slightly later.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by soug

Maybe they hit rock bottom and started their upward trend earlier than Philadelphia did?

It's exactly why. Boston deindustrialized immediately after World War II. By 1959, a writer for Life magazine called Boston "a tumbledown has-been among cities." Boston's rebirth began in the 1970's, around the time that Philadelphia deindustrialized. By the 1990's, Boston was hitting its stride just as Philadelphia bottomed out. In other words, Boston has had 20 to 25 more years to renew itself after deindustrialization than Philadelphia has.

One perception advantage that Boston has is that it has a much smaller black population than Philadelphia, and, sadly, many people view cities with large black populations more unfavorably. Chicago, Atlanta and Houston struggle with this to varying degrees as well. On the other hand, Boston, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle don't have large black populations, and everybody loves them. I'm not sure that's a coincidence either. Speaking of San Francisco, Oakland has a large black population, and it's often considered the ugly duckling of the Bay Area. The only city with a large black population that escapes a negative "ghetto" stigma is Washington DC.

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

It's exactly why. Boston deindustrialized immediately after World War II. By 1959, a writer for Life magazine called Boston "a tumbledown has-been among cities." Boston's rebirth began in the 1970's, around the time that Philadelphia deindustrialized. By the 1990's, Boston was hitting its stride just as Philadelphia bottomed out. In other words, Boston has had 20 to 25 more years to renew itself after deindustrialization than Philadelphia has.

One perception advantage that Boston has is that it has a much smaller black population than Philadelphia, and, sadly, many people view cities with large black populations more unfavorably. Chicago, Atlanta and Houston struggle with this to varying degrees as well. On the other hand, Boston, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle don't have large black populations, and everybody loves them. I'm not sure that's a coincidence either. Speaking of San Francisco, Oakland has a large black population, and it's often considered the ugly duckling of the Bay Area. The only city with a large black population that escapes a negative "ghetto" stigma is Washington DC.

New York City has just as many black people as Philly and everyone loves going there

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by dabottom

New York City has just as many black people as Philly and everyone loves going there

Maybe I should have said "large black proportion" instead. A plurality of the city of Philadelphia is black, which, unfortunately, means that a lot of people will cross it off their travel lists without a second thought.

Socioeconomically speaking, I think Philadelphia has the most in common with Chicago. Even then, though, Chicago is the big cheese in its region of the country, which gives it some extra gravity. On the other hand, Philadelphia is essentially Jupiter in Mercury's orbit.

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

Maybe I should have said "large black proportion" instead. A plurality of the city of Philadelphia is black, which, unfortunately, means that a lot of people will cross it off their travel lists without a second thought.

Socioeconomically speaking, I think Philadelphia has the most in common with Chicago. Even then, though, Chicago is the big cheese in its region of the country, which gives it some extra gravity. On the other hand, Philadelphia is essentially Jupiter in Mercury's orbit.

NYC doesn't have a large black population?

[gwillyfromphilly]

Originally Posted by dabottom

NYC doesn't have a large black population?

NYC's black population represent a much smaller percentage of the total population compared to Philly. Also New York's Black population is shrinking(like many other northern cities) while Philly's Black population has remained a lot more stable.

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

NYC's black population represent a much smaller percentage of the total population compared to Philly. Also New York's Black population is shrinking(like many other northern cities) while Philly's Black population has remained a lot more stable.

Well it doesn't look like it when I am on the subway, tons and tons of white people every morning

[rainrock]

Originally Posted by dabottom

NYC doesn't have a large black population?

This is where the amazing core comes in to play(Manhattan). NYC isn't all peaches and cream but the vibrancy of Manhattan and to a lesser extent a burgeoning Brooklyn seems to give it a free pass overall.

Maybe in 25-30 years Center City will be able to do the same for North Philly,SW Philly etc.. And NJ needs to to do something with Camden. That city is an albatross around the neck of Philadelphia. If you swapped Wilmngton for Camden then Phillys reputation would increase substantially.