is city living losing its luster ? (Philadelphia, Chester: crime rate, neighborhood, university)

[MB1562]

There is one major factor that the terrified, lily suburbanites don't realize. The overwhelming majority of crime is drug related. Most of the violent crime happening in the city happens because of drug or personal disputes. If you aren't involved in drugs, or live in a drug-heavy neighborhood, your chances of falling victim to violent crime are close to nil. I try to explain this to many a suburbanite, but they think that because 6ABC sensationalized some random violent crime that the whole city is a crime-infested cesspool.

I lived 18 years in a small town with almost no crime, 4 years in Chester (one of the highest crime rates in the country), and now 2.5 years in Philadelphia. I've only been the victim of a crime once in my life, and that was in my hometown where crime is virtually nonexistent.

But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your factless bias.

[jazzy jeff]

Originally Posted by lpranger467

Well after a few nights out on the town I'm kinda (back I guess) in the mindset that we are just going to have to deal with a higher risk of crime and such and use caution because the burbs just dont compare at all to the city in my opinion. Just to clarify (again) I love Philly and brag about its walkability constantly to my friends in NYC but I was concerned about the assaults and such and wanted to see if anyone else was and if so what course of action should be taken.

Like another poster pointed out, you always have to be aware of your surroundings. If you see a gang of kids walking around there is nothing cowardly about turning in a different direction to avoid. It seems the victims that suffer the most injury are those that did not see it coming.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by kyb01

I'm in CC , or surrounding neighborhoods, every single day...early morning to late at night. "Fairly frequently"? I don't see it. At all.

Go to Sparish Harlem(still in Manhattan) and try to say it's not rough there.

I said Midtown/Lower Manhattan. I was comparing the elite neighborhoods. I have heard about several instances of violent crime in Center City within that past 6 months, that to me is fairly frequently. Again, I am talking just CC.


Of course this doesn't deter me from going to CC at all, things like that don't frighten me, I was just poking debate at that other poster.

[jazzy jeff]

Originally Posted by MB1562

There is one major factor that the terrified, lily suburbanites don't realize. The overwhelming majority of crime is drug related. Most of the violent crime happening in the city happens because of drug or personal disputes. If you aren't involved in drugs, or live in a drug-heavy neighborhood, your chances of falling victim to violent crime are close to nil. I try to explain this to many a suburbanite, but they think that because 6ABC sensationalized some random violent crime that the whole city is a crime-infested cesspool.

I lived 18 years in a small town with almost no crime, 4 years in Chester (one of the highest crime rates in the country), and now 2.5 years in Philadelphia. I've only been the victim of a crime once in my life, and that was in my hometown where crime is virtually nonexistent.

But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your factless bias.

And drugs and crime is quickly moving to the suburbs, especially apartment complexes. My daughter and her family live in a suburban house (Lower Bucks) just a block away from an apartment complex. Just a few weeks ago my son-in-law was walking the dog next to the complex as the police were conducting some kind of raid. One of the officers walked over to my son-in-law asking if he saw someone running down the street. My son-in-law did not see anything but yet because he was seen talking to a police officer now has a target on his back. Certain people from the apartments walk by the house and will make a remark like that's were that rat lives and paybacks are a *****. Now they sleep at night worrying if they will come out some morning to find their cars vandalized.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by lpranger467

Well after a few nights out on the town I'm kinda (back I guess) in the mindset that we are just going to have to deal with a higher risk of crime and such and use caution because the burbs just dont compare at all to the city in my opinion. Just to clarify (again) I love Philly and brag about its walkability constantly to my friends in NYC but I was concerned about the assaults and such and wanted to see if anyone else was and if so what course of action should be taken.

Do actually a particular city neighborhood in mind yet?

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MB1562

There is one major factor that the terrified, lily suburbanites don't realize. The overwhelming majority of crime is drug related. Most of the violent crime happening in the city happens because of drug or personal disputes. If you aren't involved in drugs, or live in a drug-heavy neighborhood, your chances of falling victim to violent crime are close to nil. I try to explain this to many a suburbanite, but they think that because 6ABC sensationalized some random violent crime that the whole city is a crime-infested cesspool.

I lived 18 years in a small town with almost no crime, 4 years in Chester (one of the highest crime rates in the country), and now 2.5 years in Philadelphia. I've only been the victim of a crime once in my life, and that was in my hometown where crime is virtually nonexistent.

But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your factless bias.

I wonder how many of those suburbanites have any idea how many of their neighbors are currently caught up in the opioid epidemic going on right now. Or how some of them come into the city to purchase street drugs.

[Gerania]

Originally Posted by MB1562

There is one major factor that the terrified, lily suburbanites don't realize. The overwhelming majority of crime is drug related. Most of the violent crime happening in the city happens because of drug or personal disputes. If you aren't involved in drugs, or live in a drug-heavy neighborhood, your chances of falling victim to violent crime are close to nil. I try to explain this to many a suburbanite, but they think that because 6ABC sensationalized some random violent crime that the whole city is a crime-infested cesspool.

I lived 18 years in a small town with almost no crime, 4 years in Chester (one of the highest crime rates in the country), and now 2.5 years in Philadelphia. I've only been the victim of a crime once in my life, and that was in my hometown where crime is virtually nonexistent.

But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your factless bias.

If you don't call me lily, I won't refer to you as hick. Not everyone who lives outside of the city is a hot house orchid.

In one lovely high rent suburb where I used to live, two people were killed (not at the same time) about 1/4 mile away. The woman up the street was cooking meth in the garage, and the guy next door got into trouble because kiddie porn was found on his computers, though I think that his wife who was divorcing him had something to do with that. She got smacked with drug charges. The 'burbs aren't always quiet.

[1ondoner]

Philly homers are going to get infuriated by this article

Commentary: Philly's suburbs are thriving - and attracting millennials

[lpranger467]

Your last statement shows that you obviously have your head in the sand and dont follow the news. The assaults and much of the crime downtown have had nothing to do with drugs.

Originally Posted by MB1562

There is one major factor that the terrified, lily suburbanites don't realize. The overwhelming majority of crime is drug related. Most of the violent crime happening in the city happens because of drug or personal disputes. If you aren't involved in drugs, or live in a drug-heavy neighborhood, your chances of falling victim to violent crime are close to nil. I try to explain this to many a suburbanite, but they think that because 6ABC sensationalized some random violent crime that the whole city is a crime-infested cesspool.

I lived 18 years in a small town with almost no crime, 4 years in Chester (one of the highest crime rates in the country), and now 2.5 years in Philadelphia. I've only been the victim of a crime once in my life, and that was in my hometown where crime is virtually nonexistent.

But hey, don't let facts get in the way of your factless bias.

[Pine to Vine]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

This is about as good a short summary of the problem as I've seen anywhere, and it's part of what's behind the arguments over gentrification and displacement in a city that's actually awash in housing that even families making the citywide median household income can afford - just not as much in the neighborhoods that are gentrifying anymore.

The thing is, I think that income diversity within neighborhoods is a way out of this trap. Several studies have shown that lower-income families who remain in neighborhoods that gentify - contrary to popular opinion, they don't all get pushed out - do better themselves as well, and I think part of the reason why is because they too can take advantage of the improved amenities and access to resources (including better schools, if the new arrivals devote themselves to improving their neighborhood school as many have in neighborhoods on the Center City fringe) that accompany the newcomers.

But we've spent decades working hard to ensure that this doesn't happen, just as we've spent decades working hard to prevent racial integration from occurring, starting with a concerted effort to segregate neighborhoods that were once more integrated back at the dawn of the 20th century.

+1

This is the theory behind having "set asides" in the large residential developments for lower income people. While I believe the theory and support the practice, it has just a small impact in the grand scheme of things, except for those fortunate few who have been chosen. I think it can have more wide spread benefit if implemented in the ring neighborhhods as they undergo gentrification.

So two questions for you if you would be so kind to answer them:

- I believe I read the first project approved by the city under this policy ended up copping out and trading the set asides for cash back to the city? And the city accepted this! (I kinda recall the project was in Old City.) That irritated me. Is my memory correct?

- Are there genuine efforts in place to help a portion of the existing residents in gentrifying neighborhoods to stay in their homes? I certainly seems like something I could see coming from the Kelly administration.

Thank you.