What are the most significant changes to Philly over the past 30 years? (Philadelphia: job market, neighborhood)

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by Hermit12

I'm guessing you never lived in Philly ... So why do you get so defensive?

You'd have guessed wrong. I have lived in the Philly during my childhood, and much longer in the metropolitan area. Not that my "credentials" are relevant.

My schtick is fact-checking and keeping biases in line. If calling people out on spreading their ignorant BS comes off as defensive, I literally couldn't care less. Maybe they should read a book and stop consuming one-sided social media.

Originally Posted by Hermit12

It's probably political. Some people bash the Democrat-controlled cities (I mean, it's so easy and it IS embarrassing that we elected Kenney and Krasner twice), while others defend cities like Philadelphia simply BECAUSE they're Democrat-controlled.
Then you have the people here who talk the city up because they have rental properties.

Yes, the good ol' blaming the Dems/"urban liberal hellscape" trope. They really need to get some new material.

Originally Posted by Hermit12

I just drove through a suburb in South Jersey, there was nothing nasty about it. The a-holes aren't in your face like in Philadelphia.

I'm happy for you. But South Jersey has some pretty disgusting parts. I'm not a Jersey basher; I generally like the state. But the number of poorly-planned highways and aging post-war sprawl in that state is nothing short of nasty.

[selhars]

Originally Posted by Duderino

.....
I'm happy for you. But South Jersey has some pretty disgusting parts. I'm not a Jersey basher; I generally like the state. But the number of poorly-planned highways and aging post-war sprawl in that state is nothing short of nasty.

I'll drive on nasty streets and highway all day long if it means I won't get carjacked by someone who should have been in prison five times over.

[NewtownBucks]

Originally Posted by selhars

I'll drive on nasty streets and highway all day long if it means I won't get carjacked by someone who should have been in prison five times over.

Good luck with that.

https://www.nj.com/gloucester-county...it-sought.html
https://6abc.com/carjackings-pennsau...lice/11505727/
https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey...w-legislation/
https://patch.com/new-jersey/cinnami...ion-police-say
https://www.southjerseyobserver.com/...oucester-city/
https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/bu...driver-police/
https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/at...ecutor/842137/
https://www.trentonian.com/2022/10/0...nd-carjacking/
https://www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio/...l-south-jersey
https://abc7ny.com/carjacking-kidnap...arny/11586659/
https://www.courierpostonline.com/st...te/1187833002/
https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news...052e530ef.html
https://nj1015.com/young-teens-try-t...ll-nj-walmart/
https://wpgtalkradio.com/prosecutor-...er-carjacking/

[Hermit12]

Originally Posted by NewtownBucks

Good luck with that.

https://www.nj.com/gloucester-county...it-sought.html
https://6abc.com/carjackings-pennsau...lice/11505727/
https://whyy.org/articles/new-jersey...w-legislation/
https://patch.com/new-jersey/cinnami...ion-police-say
https://www.southjerseyobserver.com/...oucester-city/
https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/bu...driver-police/
https://dailyvoice.com/new-jersey/at...ecutor/842137/
https://www.trentonian.com/2022/10/0...nd-carjacking/
https://www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio/...l-south-jersey
https://abc7ny.com/carjacking-kidnap...arny/11586659/
https://www.courierpostonline.com/st...te/1187833002/
https://pressofatlanticcity.com/news...052e530ef.html
https://nj1015.com/young-teens-try-t...ll-nj-walmart/
https://wpgtalkradio.com/prosecutor-...er-carjacking/

Wow ... You spent a lot of time on that. Now, compare that to Philly.

[Hermit12]

Originally Posted by Duderino

My schtick is fact-checking and keeping biases in line. If calling people out on spreading their ignorant BS comes off as defensive, I literally couldn't care less. Maybe they should read a book and stop consuming one-sided social media.



Yes, the good ol' blaming the Dems/"urban liberal hellscape" trope. They really need to get some new material.

... and you defend Philly because it's Democrat-controlled. You're no different.

[thedirtypirate]

Philadelphia’s poverty rate is improving, but it remains the poorest big city in America

Philadelphia’s poverty rate has been in decline since 2011, when it was 28.4%, and continued to drop at a steady pace, even through the pandemic. According to the estimates, the 21.7% rate in 2022 is down a percentage point from 2021.

30 years poverty was spreading like a plague through Philadelphia. It was seeping into the lower NE and eroding the few pockets of Kensington that were still holding on. North Central was on it's back already with poverty and crack just ripping through blocks.


Would you really rather be at that point again? Or would you rather be coming out of the other side of the tunnel like we are now?

[Pennsport]

Well look, the fact of the matter is that the city of Philadelphia has new construction in the 600k - 1.5M range going up ALL OVER the place. Literally thousands and thousands of units, and they're selling. We can all say whatever we want about this and that: yes, crime is a big problem, poverty is still way too rampant, QOL annoyances exist, and we have plenty of additional issues. However, there is a lot of wealth moving into the city and entire neighborhoods that were previously wasteland and abandoned industrial complexes are being reborn.

We can argue all we want, but the above facts aren't changing. Whether you embrace change or despise change, hope for the city to thrive, or actively pray for the city to collapse, the people have spoken with their feet (moving into the city) and their money (purchasing high-end homes). So ultimately the never-ending back and forth about whether the city is an urban oasis or a trash-strewn apocalyptic disaster, doesn't truly matter.

For some strange reason the thousands of wealthy Americans pouring into these new construction builds each year don't seem to be reading out comments when they're making their housing decisions and purchases. LOL

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by Pennsport

Well look, the fact of the matter is that the city of Philadelphia has new construction in the 600k - 1.5M range going up ALL OVER the place. Literally thousands and thousands of units, and they're selling. We can all say whatever we want about this and that: yes, crime is a big problem, poverty is still way too rampant, QOL annoyances exist, and we have plenty of additional issues. However, there is a lot of wealth moving into the city and entire neighborhoods that were previously wasteland and abandoned industrial complexes are being reborn.

We can argue all we want, but the above facts aren't changing. Whether you embrace change or despise change, hope for the city to thrive, or actively pray for the city to collapse, the people have spoken with their feet (moving into the city) and their money (purchasing high-end homes). So ultimately the never-ending back and forth about whether the city is an urban oasis or a trash-strewn apocalyptic disaster, doesn't truly matter.

For some strange reason the thousands of wealthy Americans pouring into these new construction builds each year don't seem to be reading out comments when they're making their housing decisions and purchases. LOL

Can't argue. Money talks and it's telling us that Philly is the balls. I get so tired in injecting the "yes, in every big city" remark when people crap on Philly as if it's the only town in the country that has homeless, addicts and crime.

[PhilliesPhan2013]

I'm not even 30 years old yet, but the city has changed dramatically from what it used to be when I was growing up in West Philly in the mid to late 2000s. Back then, the city felt like a place to get away from eventually. I remember Center City being less vibrant, a higher level of abandonment across the city, and a more pervasively negative sentiment about the city coming from suburban residents. Nowadays, entire neighborhoods have been rebuilt, market-rate new construction has arrived in areas that wouldn't have been considered viable even five years ago (ex. I just spotted new construction in Fairhill while on a walk), Center City is as dynamic as ever, the populous is growing younger and more educated, and despite its flaws, the city feels like it's on a positive trajectory.

There are a few things that I miss from the time I was growing up--namely, SEPTA ran better service than it runs today. With that said, I will take the city how it is today over the city I grew up in several times over. My wife and I bought a home here because of what we've been seeing and the experiences we've had. If the city can continue to attract people like us (late 20s and college-educated with a HH income over $100K), then Philly is poised for a great future.

[pman]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

Philadelphia’s poverty rate is improving, but it remains the poorest big city in America




30 years poverty was spreading like a plague through Philadelphia. It was seeping into the lower NE and eroding the few pockets of Kensington that were still holding on. North Central was on it's back already with poverty and crack just ripping through blocks.


Would you really rather be at that point again? Or would you rather be coming out of the other side of the tunnel like we are now?

hard to believe Nutter never ran for a higher office after resetting the city onto a more positive trajectory. if the city hadn't experienced a crime wave after he, williams, and Ramsey left things would be more unquestionably positive. as it is, there is a weird direction where expensive new construction gets built, the city does get wealthier, but the population is dropping and the employment picture is still weak. the only real explanation seems to be that the city is continuing to bleed families which are more ppl per household. that being said, the suburbs have really jumped in price since 2019 which makes the city relatively more affordable. if the city became more permissive to businesses as it did with construction it would see a similar bump.