[nekomobile]

I grew up in PB, but have not been there since 2000 and no longer have any friends/family/ties there. I've been having feelings of nostalgia and am entertaining a new found desire to visit my hometown. My brother went back for a reunion several years ago, and he said things had gotten very run down and it felt extremely dangerous. He felt it would be too rude to ask his friends there how truly dangerous it was or if it was just in his head.

According to my brother, he did not feel comfortable walking around with a camera taking pictures of old haunts (thought he might get mugged), nor did he feel safe walking around at night. He went to places like the main public library and the Pines Mall. He found the experience very depressing. Is it really that bad now?

I would be bringing my very sheltered New England born and bred DH along for the ride. Taking this into consideration, I was thinking a 4 day weekend trip would be sufficient to re-explore PB and LR. We would stay in LR.

I wanted to comb through all of the places I remembered about PB, including the Convention Center, Main St, all of my schools, hitting the area where the old Food King used to be (or is it still there?). Since it will most likely be the weekend, are there any places I should really try and stay away from? I know how wimpy it sounds, but I already intend on not sticking around when the sun goes down.

[OurGreatEscape]

Like your brother, I find it very depressing too. It has been a couple of years since I've made myself visit PB. Most of my relatives have either died or moved on.

The last time I was at the Pines Mall, it was like a ghost town. Same with Main St. and the downtown area. Now, that little Sunbeam girl was swinging though

Here's my advice: I'm sure you are aware of the places and parts of town that made you feel weird or unsafe when you were growing up in PB. Avoid those areas. Stay on the beaten track. Stick to the main familiar streets--Olive, 28th, etc.

Don't be surprised to find your schools either no longer exist or that they've been turned into something else.

I'm starting to get nostalgic here...Boy, growing up in PB was great--baseball season was the best!

[nekomobile]

Did some hunting, turns out my elementary school has closed and Rosswood Country Club as well. Paper trial wise, there's very little on the internet to find out what's been going on with PB.

Perhaps I should leave my good memories of PB intact and stay put.

[OurGreatEscape]

Yup, Rosswood closed a couple of years ago. New owner came in and cut all the trees for harvest.

Someone has posted some photos of the "good ol days" Is it here on City Data or maybe FB-"Friends of Pine Bluff"

Nostalgia is a good thing--cruisin' Cherry St; Rich's burgers; Arthur's BBQ. Goodness here I go again!

[Luvvarkansas]

Google maps street view is pretty up to date. The picture of my house, judging from the size of the juniper bush, is only about 3-4 years old.

[fido_153rd]

I lived in Pine Bluff for a couple years and recently took a wrong turn and wound up on the east side of town...I literally had people pull up beside my 4wd and throw gang signs at me. It seriously looked like they were filming rap videos on the streets. Obviously every town has their bad side but PB is pretty rough. Now out towards the Sulpher Springs area is still nice as far as I know. Like was mentioned...stay close to the main roads...avoid back streets! hope this helps!

[theblast]

I grew up in Pine Bluff in the 50s and 60s. I remember it being a safe place during those years. It was unravaged by drugs and murders and gangs did not exist. The town was segregated to the bone from the schools, restrooms, water fountains, hospital areas, bus station, Boys Clubs, restaurants, and yes even the cemeteries. Everything was divided by race with the infamous signs of colored or white prominent everywhere.

Downtown on main street just south of 6th Street was the offices of the local white citizens council which met to insure no black people got out of line. The town was so racist that I believed that a black man would have been put in jail if he owned a white dog. The key and visible part of the black community was the campus of Arkansas AM&N College which is now named University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. During the Little Rock 9 crisis in the 50s the white citizens of Pine Bluff were so fearful of complying with the Brown v Board mandates that they built a 4th black high school on the Southeast part of the city to block school integration. That school was named Southeast High. The other 3 all black high schools at the time in the area was Merrill High, Townsend Park High, and Coleman High School. The white high schools were Pine Bluff High, Dollarway, and Watson Chapel.

Visited the city in 2010 and I was amazed how it has deteriorated. Downtown looks like a ghost town. It was thriving and active when I grew up there. It looks like the a deserted desert with the exception of the Civic Center Area. All the white folks have moved out to the south and Watson Chapel areas. Many communities look like drugs have taken command. Its sad to say the least.

This is a town where I saw Dr Martin Luther King stand on the stage at the Old Hazzard Gymnasium at now UAPB and deliver the graduation speech to the Class of 1958. This is a town that was producing black scholars and educators who have gone on to prominence in their careers. Many of them became PHDs, lawyers, business successes, engineers. I personally know several who became millionaires coming from the most impoverished of circumstances of Pine Bluff. I just don't know what the hell happened but Pine Bluff has become a casualty of the sign of the times. Dr King would cry if he saw the city today.

[bangorme]

Originally Posted by theblast

... I just don't know what the hell happened but Pine Bluff has become a casualty of the sign of the times. Dr King would cry if he saw the city today.

What happened was the culture of entitlement, and the resulting destruction of African American family values. With near 80% illegitimacy rates and extremely high unemployment, the African American culture has completely disintegrated. What has been left in its wake is a population of males with no values and no opportunities. You are right about Dr. King. This is NOT what he wanted. He wanted African American INTEGRATION into the mainstream. Not dependance and decadence.

I was born in Pine Bluff almost 60 years ago, and it is really sad.

[Sam I Am]

Please hold the thread to the original post, safety in Pine Bluff - thanks.

[MrTaz]

Originally Posted by bangorme

What happened was the culture of entitlement, and the resulting destruction of African American family values. With near 80% illegitimacy rates and extremely high unemployment, the African American culture has completely disintegrated. What has been left in its wake is a population of males with no values and no opportunities. You are right about Dr. King. This is NOT what he wanted. He wanted African American INTEGRATION into the mainstream. Not dependance and decadence.

I was born in Pine Bluff almost 60 years ago, and it is really sad.

Well said!!!