Report on thought process behind African Americans' decision to stay, leave or return to the region. (Pittsburgh: low income)

[DaisyDaisy]

Just read an interesting article Why doesn't Pittsburgh appeal to young African-American professionals? A report dives in about the young, professional African American population in pittsburgh, base upon a recent study. https://issuu.com/afarapittsburgh/do...e_report_final

"This report, prepared by UCSUR, sheds a more intimate light on the Black experience living in the City, as well as the thought process behind African Americans' decision to stay, leave or return to the region. Supported by: The Heinz Endowments and POISE Foundation. An African American Neighborhoods of Choice Project."

From Next article: Lots of us in government or community development got talking about the presence of a black middle class [in Pittsburgh] versus cities like New York City, DC, Atlanta, Chicago,” he says. “What were the differences, and why were some of the elements not found here? We could look at it from a demand level and a supply level.”

“We can find out ‘What do people want?’ Then institutions can start to provide those options.”

Though its main conclusions weren’t a shock, a lot of interesting and even surprising things can be found in the data.

For instance, the number of African-Americans with Bachelor’s degrees (or higher) has increased from 2000-2014. Neighborhoods with the highest number of African-Americans with degrees includes the stable middle class enclaves of Stanton Heights and Point Breeze North, the rapidly-changing East Liberty, and a neighborhood known mostly for blight and abandonment, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar.

“I think it’s interesting that many of most diverse neighborhoods in Pittsburgh are pretty desirable: Highland Park and Stanton Heights, Lawrenceville, North Point Breeze, Swisshelm Park, East Liberty [are thought of] as being very functional, diverse neighborhoods,” says Lane. “But the problem there is that they’re getting to be unaffordable to younger people.”

[wpipkins2]

Good read. Nothing ground breaking. I do personally know some of those pictured in the article. Over the past decade many of the new black professional transplants are city residents. Penn Hills, Monroeville, Plum, and Wilkins Township lost their luster. My mother decided to purchase a home in Stanton Heights instead of the eastern suburbs in 1999. Most of her clients are black transplants and reside in the Stanton Heights and Highland Park neighborhoods. I should add that she has latino clients as well. The newer section of Stanton Heights with the newer larger homes has always been black. The Morningside side of Stanton Heights increased its black population since 2000. My mother lives on the "white" side and is no longer the only black homeowner on her block. The neighborhood is younger and gayer too. My mothers neighbor is a lesbian and all the others are 20-30 something young families mixed with older longtime white residents. Its very diverse.

[Uptown kid]

Originally Posted by DaisyDaisy

For instance, the number of African-Americans with Bachelor’s degrees (or higher) has increased from 2000-2014. Neighborhoods with the highest number of African-Americans with degrees includes the stable middle class enclaves of Stanton Heights and Point Breeze North, the rapidly-changing East Liberty, and a neighborhood known mostly for blight and abandonment, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar.

Here's the is a rule of thumb about "Lincoln", East Hills, Wilkinsburg, and Penn Hills... THEY'RE NOT ALL 100% LOST... Penn Hills is mostly fine, East Hills is more the most part quiet - although certain sections are better than others and Wilkinsburg outside the core neighborhoods is largely middle class. To a lesser extent the "Brushton" side of Homewood, "Lower Larimer" and even parts of northern East Liberty bordering Highland Park & Garfield north of Schenley/Mossfield Street during the 80's, 90's & 2000's had isolated, better off enclaves.

In Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar there are lots of divisions... For example,
"Uptop Lincoln" is in Upper Lincoln,
but
Upper Lincoln is not really "Uptop Lincoln"!!!
"Uptop Lincoln" currently is & has been plagued by plight, urban decay, gang violence, etc and has had little to no development for a very long time. Upper Lincoln to the immediate north separated by geographical barriers has always been a 'diamond in the rough' sort of haven for black and bi-racial families. When older residents move out a new middle-aged family moves in (usually with Pittsburgh roots).

[Uptown kid]

"Down Low"/"Uptop" Lincoln is not a gentrifying/revitalizing neighborhood.
Like: Homewood North (Eastside-Zone 5)
Homewood South - above of Hamilton Ave, east of Rosedale St (Eastside-Zone 5)
Central Wilkinsburg (adjacent East borough)
Larimer above Meadow Street (Eastside-Zone 5)
Phase II East Hills Apts/Maple Ridge Apts (Eastside-Zone 5)
other geographically isolated parts of City such as the following: the Upper Northside, Bedford Avenue-Middle Hill District, Southern Hilltop, outer West End/Stowe Rocks, parts of Hazelwood/Glenwood,
certain parts of the Mon Valley, Parnassus/Center City in New Kensington/Arnold, PA & Plan 12/11/11 Extension/Lin-mar & Valley Terrace Apts in Aliquippa, PA.
^Gentrifiers are NOT particularly welcomed and most urban pioneers would be sacred to live there. Part of the reason why the Black Middle Class isn't as strong in Pittsburgh is because how bad the disparities are in the places listed above. For example, I'd guess more than half the Black kids in Monroeville know/have to know what's going on between kids Northview Heights and East Hills... LET ALONE Penn Hills, where middle class Blacks go to school with kids from a lot less fortunate backgrounds or say Woodland Hills/East Allegheny where there are gang neighborhoods that feed into the schools. This is because the disparity is NOT contained unlike in 'upper class Black Atlanta' or Chicago's outermost affluent South/West increasingly Black Suburbs.

When middle class blacks moved to Swissvale, Penn Hills, parts of North Versailles, Turtle Creek, Monreoville, white flight occurred and more low income families have moved in. Even in the West suburbs since 2010 there's been a small-but noteworthy increase of working class black families moving past Coraopolis into Moon and other areas. The South Hills/North Hills/most Western Suburbs are where the completely isolated blacks live. But even Bellvue is becoming increasingly more in the bad mix of declining Ohio River towns and declining Upper Northside... Just as more working class Black families are moving to Brentwood than ever before... Much of West Mifflin is nearing the state of SW Penn Hills in the 90's, as a relocation and spill over area...

What this forum will never understand is how violent this city is. In the most recent unsolved homicide in Northview Heights there were 70 shell casing and 3 guns found. This was not long after a Homewood man was fatally shot on a front porch, with his children inside the house, in an unsolved broad daylight drive-by shooting. Most of the black neighborhoods here are more like the core of "East Atalanta" than "Buckhead"'s and dozens of other Black bourgeoisie areas... Thus, Pittsburgh isn't like Atlanta... Although, there is a Pittsburgh neighborhood in Atlanta that feels more like Homewood North from Murtland to Brushton Avenue...

[Lost_In_Translation]

Uptown kid,

Is Pittsburgh relatively more violent than other cities its size? I'm confused on your statement of "what this forum will never understand is how violent this city is"? How violent is it statistically?

[Uptown kid]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

Uptown kid,

Is Pittsburgh relatively more violent than other cities its size? I'm confused on your statement of "what this forum will never understand is how violent this city is"? How violent is it statistically?

Pittsburgh gun crimes: How close to your home are they?
In Pittsburgh, neighborhood violence lives next door to prosperity
"Informants: Suspect wanted to kill again at Wilkinsburg funerals"

How this notion relates to the article,
-Here the black middle class is held together by various (30's+ or mostly middle aged) frat/sororities, churches, professional groups and social clubs... If you're 22 or 23... 30's is a LONG time to wait... to be amongst your peers at the same socio-economic level as you in large numbers.

-The August Wilson Center (Downtown), Savoy (Strip District), the casino and Jerome's spot (North Shore) and less and less places in East Liberty are the only social outlets for exclusive young Black professionals.
Almost everything else is integrated with the HOOD or is predominantly white of varying social classes. If you're a Black man or woman who has a degree you have to be (a) well respected or (b) very street smart or (c) virtually unnoticeable in order to be in the same small room as a notorious gang member/kingpin/mistress or reckless clique of violent and jail bound 17-24 year old men/women... Some millennial professionals simply wouldn't want to go out to all the bars/clubs/social outlets/holes in the wall in Pittsburgh. Some do, and there are no problems. It kinda depends on what kind of person you are and what kind of environment you grew up in or want to hang out around. Atlanta's got rich-middle class Black people who are "hood-rich", rich-middle class Black people who grew up around the hood, rich-middle class Black people who grew up around other rich-middle class Black/minority people and rich-middle class Black people who grew up predominantly white people. Pittsburgh primarily has the second and last of the four label-groups (besides from a few scattered neighborhoods like Garden City in Monroeville, Blackridge/northeastern Wilkinsburg, parts of Penn Hills, Lower East Hills, Finland Street in Sugar Top, Schenley Heights-Upper Hill, Crawford Square-Lower Hill, East Liberty-Highland Park, Stanton Heights, North Point Breeze, Upper Lincoln, Chartiers City/Windgap, part of Observatory Hill/streets of northern Brighton Heights/most blocks of Lower Manchester/some blocks of Central Northside east of Federal south of Hemlock St) ...


Garfield/East Liberty/southern Highland Park, Lower Hill and the Lower North Side are places where some millennials can afford to live... However, the stigma/spill over issues of the 90's and 2000's might either prevent or attract a notable black millennial group to formulate in large numbers... Only time will tell. However, Beechview makes sense as a neighborhood that young black professionals are moving to. Same with Robinson Township, as the Latitude 40 and other similar types of places are abundant... But I'd say most of those people/families are transplants and did not grow up in Pittsburgh...

[MissShona]

This is sad; especially in how the Pittsburgh region lags behind other metropolitan regions. In regards to homeownership, it is really dismal. Sometimes I feel foolish for staying in Pittsburgh (I have a Master's degree....but struggle to find a salary that is suited to my experience level and education....I work, but currently collect both WIC and food stamps for my little boy). But I'm trying to tough it out. Things have to get better. I don't own a home either...but I'm communicating to groups and trying to find resources that will help me. :-)