The future of West Oak Lane, Germantown, Olney and East Mt.Airy? (Philadelphia: sale, rent)

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by BR Valentine

IME, most white folks aren’t opposed to some integration provided that integration means majority white. However, they are deeply uncomfortable with the prospect of being a minority or worse yet actually being a minority. Where schools are concerned they are afraid of changing demographics because they don’t want to be the last white family at the school since they know how their fellow white folks think and they have no interest in being integration pioneers either.

When our elementary school had reached an obvious point of no return demographically is when I started to have the occasional awkward conversation with other white parents regarding our preferences. What people wanted to know was whether my wife and I are were planning on pulling our kids out of the school. Since the question was so obviously bigoted it was asked obliquely. It was asked nonetheless because white people know that panic can set in once the racial tipping point is reached.

The sad part is that white resistance to integrating is rational in a way. Take schools for example. Every parent knows that predominantly white schools are generally better funded, have more resources, more experienced teachers, etc. White folks don’t want to relinquish those advantages so schools remain segregated.

White people will inevitably be the minority demographic in this country. I suppose the panicing will just increase.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Muinteoir

May I ask, do these children go to a district school in Philadelphia, charter, private or suburban?

Both go to Upper Darby schools.

[warmclay]

Originally Posted by kyb01

White people will inevitably be the minority demographic in this country. I suppose the panicing will just increase.

If by panicking you mean continuing to find and/or create avenues for shoring up systemically supported wealth generation and resource acquisition at the expense (and often to the detriment) of historically marginalized "minority" communities, then probably.

I'm also a new Germantown resident. FWIW, one of the reasons my partner and I moved to the neighborhood includes connecting with a community of plugged-in citizens (made up of educators, social workers, farmers, business owners, activists, etc.) who seem a bit wary of the general disconnect between professed values and lived practices--as much as we try to understand (and continue to wrestle with) individual rationale and situational choices.

Also, I grew up in "University City" and witnessed a bit of that resource acquisition cycle. Although many of the same pieces are here (great transportation infrastructure, delightfully varied housing stock, plenty of trees and greenery, a bit more space to grow people and things), the players are different. Hopefully, that's enough to encourage inclusive and thoughtful change.

But make no mistake: the future will certainly involve serious change---particularly for a place that has historically housed folk who have sought to escape the "heat" of city life while still being very much connected to it.

To be fair, at least a couple of our friends also joked about us moving to the suburbs when we bought a house in Germantown. Then they visited and started thinking differently...

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by warmclay

If by panicking you mean continuing to find and/or create avenues for shoring up systemically supported wealth generation and resource acquisition at the expense (and often to the detriment) of historically marginalized "minority" communities, then probably.

I'm also a new Germantown resident. FWIW, one of the reasons my partner and I moved to the neighborhood includes connecting with a community of plugged-in citizens (made up of educators, social workers, farmers, business owners, activists, etc.) who seem a bit wary of the general disconnect between professed values and lived practices--as much as we try to understand (and continue to wrestle with) individual rationale and situational choices.

Also, I grew up in "University City" and witnessed a bit of that resource acquisition cycle. Although many of the same pieces are here (great transportation infrastructure, delightfully varied housing stock, plenty of trees and greenery, a bit more space to grow people and things), the players are different. Hopefully, that's enough to encourage inclusive and thoughtful change.

But make no mistake: the future will certainly involve serious change---particularly for a place that has historically housed folk who have sought to escape the "heat" of city life while still being very much connected to it.

To be fair, at least a couple of our friends also joked about us moving to the suburbs when we bought a house in Germantown. Then they visited and started thinking differently...

In this case, Germantown's distance from the action may work in its favor.

It's my impression that many of the players involved in efforts to revitalize the neighborhood want what Annette John-Hall called in her installment of WHYY's series "Gentrified" on East Germantown (my side of the neighborhood) "gentrifying on their own terms" - "they" in this case meaning the middle- to upper-middle-class African-Americans who have shored up a pocket of affluence in the middle of one of Germantown's poorest Census tracts (the one I live in as well). But not all the players are black. The desire for "gentrification on our terms" also meshes with what I see as a larger desire for what I term "organic revitalization" - and by this I mean redevelopment largely fueled from within the neighborhood, powered by a lot of little rehabbers (backed by Northwest Philly's largest commercial landlord and developer, Ken Weinstein, via the original Jumpstart program) and homegrown reinvestment (stop by the Germantown Espresso Bar sometime and talk to its co-owner, Miles Butler, to get a feel for what this would entail. Or you could read my piece on neighborhood redevelopment that ran in Next City last summer. I may have donned rose-colored glasses when I sat down to write it, but I still think it captures the general sentiment up this way).

However you want to phrase it, I do think that the desire is the same: Let Germantowners figure out how to revive the neighborhood. Outsiders are welcome to help, but not to take over. And let's not rush this lest we push longtime residents out who don't want to leave yet.

(I have learned recently, however, that one of the neighborhood players may be actively holding back efforts to revitalize the commercial corridor by charging high rents for the commercial space they own and not caring much about the mix of tenants (such as it may be).)

And I extend to you the same invitation I extended Muinteoir upthread.

[KansastoSouthphilly]

Trolley Car Diner is closing in East Mt. Airy. If you've ever had the misfortune of eating their you know it is no big loss. I hope it doesn't sit vacant though.

[2e1m5a]

Originally Posted by KansastoSouthphilly

Trolley Car Diner is closing in East Mt. Airy. If you've ever had the misfortune of eating their you know it is no big loss. I hope it doesn't sit vacant though.

Hah! It served it's purpose when it originally opened in 2001(?) but there are many more restaurant options now. I always enjoyed the Trolley Car Cafe in East Falls more which is closer to me and will remain open according to K Weinstein. I hope the diner at Wayne Junction is still opening because I think there are now some issues with that plan.


I just hope the land is not sold off to build a condo/housing development.

[KansastoSouthphilly]

Originally Posted by 2e1m5a

Hah! It served it's purpose when it originally opened in 2001(?) but there are many more restaurant options now. I always enjoyed the Trolley Car Cafe in East Falls more which is closer to me and will remain open according to K Weinstein. I hope the diner at Wayne Junction is still opening because I think there are now some issues with that plan.


I just hope the land is not sold off to build a condo/housing development.

Agreed. I am in favor of density near "downtown" Mt. Airy but since there is no other real retail here I don't see any benefit to building a condo/apartment complex for the neighborhood.

I almost bought a house on Roumfort a few years ago. This makes me glad I didn't.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by KansastoSouthphilly

Agreed. I am in favor of density near "downtown" Mt. Airy but since there is no other real retail here I don't see any benefit to building a condo/apartment complex for the neighborhood.

I almost bought a house on Roumfort a few years ago. This makes me glad I didn't.

The lot on which the Trolley Car Diner sits is zoned CMX-2. Not only does that mandate mixed use with a commercial component, it has height limits similar to those for the RSA zoning districts.

I doubt that a developer interested in building up this way would go to the added expense of getting a variance for strictly residential use from the ZBA when the neighborhood's not that hot yet and plenty of buildable lots or rehabbable properties remain.

However, if one were to go that route, they'd probably get it - this ZBA is quite developer-friendly. Unless, that is, the near neighbors raised a huger-than-normal stink - and that might not be enough to derail the effort based on recent events.

[KansastoSouthphilly]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

The lot on which the Trolley Car Diner sits is zoned CMX-2. Not only does that mandate mixed use with a commercial component, it has height limits similar to those for the RSA zoning districts.

I doubt that a developer interested in building up this way would go to the added expense of getting a variance for strictly residential use from the ZBA when the neighborhood's not that hot yet and plenty of buildable lots or rehabbable properties remain.

However, if one were to go that route, they'd probably get it - this ZBA is quite developer-friendly. Unless, that is, the near neighbors raised a huger-than-normal stink - and that might not be enough to derail the effort based on recent events.

I agree a tower is unlikely but I could see a development like the townhomes next to the ACME. I think that would be unfortunate. Do you know if the zoning for this area changed as part of the 2035 plan for upper NW Philadelphia?

[Muinteoir]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Both go to Upper Darby schools.

I don’t think there is one single answer to your question, but I do think people assume / subsume such individuals into the identity that they most “phenotypically resemble” or to whichever identity the more involved parent belongs. (Acknowledging there are many balanced co parenting situations out there)