Polytechnic Heights - Big Changes? (Fort Worth: credit, how much, new house)

[naterator]

I went to school in the 1980s in Poly as part of the "forced busing" program.

Had to get up every morning at the crack of dawn to catch a bus while it was still dark, for an hour-plus ride to school. Ironically, I had to walk the two blocks to the school that I would have gone to had there not been a forced-busing program in place.

At any rate, I got to know Poly pretty well. To a kid from west Fort Worth 25 years ago, it seemed like going into a former war zone every day. There was a stench that hung over the area like a blanket, both literally and metaphorically. A cloud of depression and hopelessness hung over the area.

I credit my years in Poly for character development. Getting beat up for no reason other than being a small white kid a few times helps immensely with learning situational awareness and how to avoid being a victim. Skills that have definitely come in useful later in life.

I digress. Flash forward 25 years to this morning. I was driving to work, and 287 was a mess. I get off on Miller Avenue and head north and drive around a little, eventually catching Oakland.

I was completely struck by how much the area seems to have changed from what I remember.

Not only the new shops and development going on by TWU, but in other areas as well, there were numerous new shops, churches, and what seemed like a general sense of optimism in the area, if the guy I talked to at the gas station counts for anything.

It also seems like a significant Hispanic infiltration has happened.

Has anyone else noticed this? Poly has been under a lot of duress, for a long time. It's been 40-50 years since "white flight" happened, and it would be great to see the area finally seeing some development beyond the "Renaissance Square" development along 287.

[ChristieP]

The Miller Avenue location of my company has a 24 hour security guard after a break-in last year.

It's still not a good neighborhood....

[naterator]

I'm not arguing it's suddenly, magically transformed into a great neighborhood. But it's nice to see little seedlings of change happening after 40+ years of neglect and decay.

[Exult.Q36]

Originally Posted by naterator

I'm not arguing it's suddenly, magically transformed into a great neighborhood. But it's nice to see little seedlings of change happening after 40+ years of neglect and decay.

The Wal-mart village off 287 has done wonders for southeast Fort Worth. Hopefully the revitalization of the area continues.

[ebuch]

I work that area and for the most part it is much more Hispanic now. The violence has dropped down considerably but it is still not a great area. Most of the black families that grew up there during your time have moved further south in Fort Worth now.

[naterator]

What I find particularly fascinating is the "white flight" phenomenon. Large, well-built homes were sold off at fire-sale prices, just so they wouldn't have to live next to a black person. What a waste of economic output. It would be interesting to see, in terms of GDP, what this phenomenon costs the economy in historical and current terms. CandleRidge in SW Fort Worth, for example, is in the last throes of this.

[ebuch]

Originally Posted by naterator

What I find particularly fascinating is the "white flight" phenomenon. Large, well-built homes were sold off at fire-sale prices, just so they wouldn't have to live next to a black person. What a waste of economic output. It would be interesting to see, in terms of GDP, what this phenomenon costs the economy in historical and current terms. CandleRidge in SW Fort Worth, for example, is in the last throes of this.

That pretty much happened in every city in the country. Who knows what could have been. Maybe these areas would never have turned into "ghettos".

[naterator]

I may be premature in this, but I think we're finally getting to a point, as a society, where you won't see phenomena on such a scale any longer.

[ebuch]

Originally Posted by naterator

I may be premature in this, but I think we're finally getting to a point, as a society, where you won't see phenomena on such a scale any longer.

Can you go into further detail please?

[HockDad]

Originally Posted by naterator

What I find particularly fascinating is the "white flight" phenomenon. Large, well-built homes were sold off at fire-sale prices, just so they wouldn't have to live next to a black person. What a waste of economic output. It would be interesting to see, in terms of GDP, what this phenomenon costs the economy in historical and current terms. CandleRidge in SW Fort Worth, for example, is in the last throes of this.

Presumably for every house that was sold at a firehouse sale, a new house was built in the burbs. I would think that it would be a wash overall, but certainly a bad result for Fort Worth proper.