Let's brainstorm ideas to revitalize the West Side!? (Chicago, Morton: real estate, 2014)

[Master Jay]

G in MP, good morning and Happy New Year!

TRUST me when I say I am beyond LUCKY that I am able to be employed in a jail setting!!!

And there are people in the areas being discussed that have/are involved in the same lifestyle that I was.

However, we can not have ANY type of decent employment without a command of the English language, the ability to write, and interpersonal skills, conflict management, communication skills, etc.

We need that model where "it takes a village to raise a child", an African Proverb, that works in ANY community. We need to help look out for others and encourage others. We need to model for our own children and for others.

That is the only way to ensure future success in the next generation(s).

[dtcbnd03]

A great read on the history of East Garfield Park. It tries to blame the government but basically the residents destroyed their own neighborhood and did not rebuild it.

https://www.propublica.org/article/d...orhood-crumble

[Master Jay]

Just some thoughts. When a neighbor moves in, I introduce myself and welcome them to the neighborhood. If I see a piece of garbage in front of my neighbor's house I throw it in the receptacle. If I see a neighbor struggling to move a piece of furniture I offer to help.

What I'm getting at is neighborhoods can be stronger if we try to make a connection and keep it tighter.

I KNOW Chicago has their stories of tightnit neighborhoods where people stuck together. And they still exist. No reason some neighborhoods CAN'T have this.

[Chicagoisthebest]

People have been saying that east Garfield park is gentrifying.I think it will but not with in the next 3 years.The good thing is that a lot of schools have been opening there and grocery stores because it is considered a “food desert”

[G in MP]

Originally Posted by Master Jay

Just some thoughts. When a neighbor moves in, I introduce myself and welcome them to the neighborhood. If I see a piece of garbage in front of my neighbor's house I throw it in the receptacle. If I see a neighbor struggling to move a piece of furniture I offer to help.

What I'm getting at is neighborhoods can be stronger if we try to make a connection and keep it tighter.

I KNOW Chicago has their stories of tightnit neighborhoods where people stuck together. And they still exist. No reason some neighborhoods CAN'T have this.

I thought this thread was locked???

Yes I totally agree, that's what it takes to be a community. But, most residents have to be that way for it to work. Most residents have to be inclined to keep the neighborhood clean, pretty, and friendly. It can't be just a few, and the rest are a bunch of j-offs who don't care whatsoever, that's just not gonna work.

[Master Jay]

G in MP, good day.

If it was locked, I certainly hope I did not contribute to that!

In any event, I was just offering a couple of my thoughts on what it would take to keep an area safer, cleaner, and unified.

Additionally, I refer to the African proverb: It takes a village to raise a child.

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by Chicagoisthebest

People have been saying that east Garfield park is gentrifying.I think it will but not with in the next 3 years.The good thing is that a lot of schools have been opening there and grocery stores because it is considered a “food desert”

Wow. That's news to me. Can you let us know what schools and grocery stores have opened there? I'm not saying you're wrong but I've not heard of this and I'm curious. That would be amazing in this climate, and good for the west side. Thanks!

[BRU67]

Originally Posted by dtcbnd03

A great read on the history of East Garfield Park. It tries to blame the government but basically the residents destroyed their own neighborhood and did not rebuild it.

https://www.propublica.org/article/d...orhood-crumble

“It’s hard to give money away correctly,” he said.

That pretty much sums it up! This article spends much time talking about initiatives. You can throw all the money at places like EGP and North Lawndale all you want, it's not going to help unless there is a concerted large scale plan, and enough growth in our City's economy for it to make sense. Yes, that includes the Loop. A lot of things need to work together.

The article mentions "business development." This phrase is often used to invoke images of rich bankers and CEOs in suits maliciously avoiding the area because they are racists. But really, the term "business development" when it comes to most Chicago neighborhoods means small business. Those yoga studios, craft breweries, movie-themed pop up bars, hip music venues, boutique clothing stores, wine shops, doggy daycares, and coffee shops owned by progressive Chicagoans, who often put "black lives matter" signs in front of the businesses they chose to open in affluent white neighborhoods. They're not going to open anything in EGP, and who could honestly blame them? Their hypocrisy is annoying, and I often criticize it, but no one is going to invest their own capital to put a place like that on Madison Street in Garfield Park or Austin. Sorry.

The article mentions a "Marshall Plan" type of rebuild. I've long said that's what it will take for most of our depressed west and south side neighborhoods. Essentially, the government would have to buy up all the vacant land created by bad policy (and many times necessity to be fair), partner with (gulp) big developers who can actually do the job, and get out of the way and let them build the infrastructure and create the business development that the article says is needed. That would include residential along the transit lines and business spaces in the commercial corridors.

Of course, if that happens, then the next Propublica article will probably be about gentrification and how evil developers came in at the urging of the City, forced the 80-year-old protagonist of the article to move, and destroyed the tight knit community of EGP. But what are you going to do? Those areas are pretty far gone, and as the article points out, four decades of well-intentioned programs haven't worked.

[Master Jay]

BRU67, good morning.

Yes, again, I truly feel if the said-community does not internally work TOGETHER to make their community cleaner AT LEAST, but certainly safer, it is not as likely that someone is going to want to take the chance to invest.

I applaud anyone that would, but if there is a higher propensity to have someone leave litter in front of your store/restaurant/etc., or broken bottles, or put graffiti on your wall or break a window, then that owner has to take on the responsibility to clean up others.

And that gets OLD rather quick....

[Chicagoisthebest]

Pete’s fresh market opened on western and the west side has it first gifted program in Morton school of excellence.Also an aldi is in west Garfield park and a couple of years ago Westinghouse got a new building. In Far East Garfield around western there is a lot of new construction.