Give us Your Neighborhood's SWOT Analysis (Bloomfield, Lawrenceville: home, places to live, restaurant)

[alleghenyangel]

NEIGHBORHOOD: West Park, Stowe Township

LOCATION: About 3-4 miles northwest of downtown Pittsburgh, adjacent to McKees Rocks Boro and Kennedy Township.

GENERAL COMPOSITION: West Park was a streetcar suburb built up around the turn of the century, and served as both a suburb of the city and an expansion of already-congested McKees Rocks. The nature of the neighborhood seems to have always been working class. The long-term decline of McKees Rocks, a former railroad community, has affected West Park in recent years, and has caused it to be viewed in a negative light, due to stigma and negative associations with the neighboring Boro.


Strengths:

• Proximity to downtown Pittsburgh and Robinson
• Affordable housing
• Intact business district on Broadway, with many solid businesses still in operation
• Easy access to bus service
• McKees Rocks Historical Society
• Walkable
• Historic buildings and cobblestone streets
• Parades and other activities
• Walking distance to grocery stores, post office, hardware store, restaurants, shops, etc.

Weaknesses:

• Population decline
• Downtrodden reputation
• Vacant housing and store fronts
• Schools have poor reputation
• Stigma and negative crime associations with McKees Rocks
• non-vibrant feel
• litter
• lack of public park

Opportunities:

• Create public park where former (vacant) school is located, on Chartiers Avenue, which is adjacent to both McKees Rocks and West Park.
• Attract businesses (such as coffee shops, antique stores, etc.) to West Park business district, continue to improve store fronts and beautify buildings, with help from AlleghenyTogether.
• Designate the West Park business district a historic district.
• Organize litter walks.
• Change public perception of neighborhood.

Threats:

• High proportion of Section 8 and unemployed residents create lack of pride in neighborhood
• Possibility of crime
• Vacant buildings may lead to potential fires, building collapses, demolition of intact building stock in business district, etc.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Copanut

and I thought you had no sense of humour.

I don't know what you are talking about--I'm hilarious.

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

A laundromat is actually a great business idea. I can't think of an easier business to run -- just show up once a week to clean and collect quarters.

And if you have a captive audience like we do up here in my parts, you don't even need to bother repairing the machines . . .

[raubre]

Originally Posted by jay5835

a. There's a record store in Polish Hill?

Yep...

The Copacetic Comics Company

I think maybe the record store opening up could open the door for other businesses that could be useful or noty (grocers, pharmacy, laundromat, etc.)

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by jay5835

a. There's a record store in Polish Hill?
b. What do you have against records?
c. Why don't YOU open a laundromat?

a.) Yes. There's a records store on Dobson Street.
b.) Records can't wash my clothes.
c.) I'm poor.

[alleghenyangel]

I think there's a record store in Millvale, too. Does anyone know if they have 78s? I collect them.

[raubre]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I think there's a record store in Millvale, too. Does anyone know if they have 78s? I collect them.

Not sure if the have 78s or not, but the store is called The Attic.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by steindle

I wouldn't say that the number of bars is totally disproportionate to the population -- especially because the majority of the people visiting those bars are probably not from the neighborhood (Gooski's, the Rock Room, and Donny's all draw people from around the city and even suburbs). It's no South Side or Strip District...it's not even Troy Hill in this respect (there are at least 6 bars up there for a population of about 2,300).

I doubt many neighborhoods would beat Southside: 45 bars per 5726 people = 1 bar per 127 people

Millvale has Troy Hill beat and Polish Hill doesn't come close.

Troy Hill: 6 bars per 2,300 people = 1 bar per 383 people

Millvale: 12 bars per 3663 people = 1 bar per 305 people

Polish Hill: 1 bar per 1488 people LOL

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

And if you have a captive audience like we do up here in my parts, you don't even need to bother repairing the machines . . .

Based on my experience as a renter years ago, I'd say anyone who uses a laundromats is a captive audience.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

NEIGHBORHOOD: Carrick

LOCATION: South Hills, wedged between Brentwood and Mt. Oliver

GENERAL COMPOSITION: Mostly working class whites, now with a mixture of lower income blacks. When blue collar jobs dried up, so did the income of much of the community. After many section 8 housing projects closed in the late 90's, former residents made Carrick their home and the area has been in decline since.

Strengths:

• Proximity to downtown/Waterfront/South Side
• Very low cost housing
• Walkable if in close proximity to Brownsville Road
• Along the bus line

Weaknesses:

• High crime
• Atrocious high school
• Run down
• Large drug culture
• Home of the "two worst blocks in the city" according the the Pittsburgh Police
• Trashy people
• Public park is unsafe

Opportunities:

• Um.... good opportunity to score drugs I guess?

Threats:

• It's getting worse

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Hopes

Polish Hill: 1 bar per 1488 people LOL

1 bar? You apparently haven't been to Polish Hill in a very long time. There are at least four (possibly five?) bars here. In addition to Gooski's there are Rock Room, Donnie's Place, Sarney's, and I could have sworn I saw another. Assuming that 1,488 is the 2010 population of Polish Hill, then that is really 1,488/4 = 1 bar per every 372 people. If I can think of the fifth bar that comes out to 1 bar per every 297 people, which is ahead of both Troy Hill AND Millvale. I'm not shedding a tear that South Side has us beat because I've never had a reason to "hang out" in South Side since moving here anyways due to the number of drunks roaming around at night.