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Of course there is the fact that in most cities crime has spiked since 2019 but even in cities it hasn’t (like St Louis, Boston, New York) their reputations seem to have taken a hit.
Years ago, when I was about 12, I would take the bus from the suburbs into St. Louis on my own and come back without worrying. We had a weekend business selling eggs door-to-door in an all-black neighborhood of about five blocks and never had any trouble. I was about 14 then. Fifty years later I would not let a kid do those things. I spent a week in St. Louis in April and stayed in the city near Washington U. just north of Forest Park. it was nearly idyllic for city living -- very walkable and the neighbors working in their yard would chat and ask us where we were from. It was very pleasant. We drove all over the city avoiding the freeways with the suburbanites clogging the lanes as the "safe" route in and out.
And the rural folks won't dare to venture even into the suburbs as it is far too risky. Their neighbor might be a meth cooker but going to the city is way too dangerous.
There is nothing wrong with people prioritizing their home communities over a nearby big city.
No there is nothing wrong with working from home, or eating at a local place or whatever, but a side effect if people became more ignorant of what is right outside their door. Like there were suburbanite across the country as late as the fall of ‘21 that seemed convinced Downtown (or whatever area was the core of BLM protests) was destroyed by rioters. When outside of Minneapolis and perhaps LA there wasn’t that much damage done in most cities. People didn’t know that because in many cases suburbanites just hadn’t been to the city for a year and a half.
No there is nothing wrong with working from home, or eating at a local place or whatever, but a side effect if people became more ignorant of what is right outside their door. Like there were suburbanite across the country as late as the fall of ‘21 that seemed convinced Downtown (or whatever area was the core of BLM protests) was destroyed by rioters. When outside of Minneapolis and perhaps LA there wasn’t that much damage done in most cities. People didn’t know that because in many cases suburbanites just hadn’t been to the city for a year and a half.
NYC been crowded almost everywhere when they get bored of their suburbs they heading to the city
THIS - They'll still hit up Knicks, Rangers, Yankees/Mets, or a Broadway show. Weekend ridership on the commuter lines says it all (NJ Transit, Metro-North, LIRR). They still love the City despite the crime news, even when they move to SC or FL.
Last edited by norcal2k19; 12-26-2022 at 11:37 AM..
THIS - They'll still hit up Knicks, Rangers, or a Broadway show. Weekend ridership on the commuter lines says it all (NJ Transit, Metro-North, LIRR). They still love the City despite the crime news, even when they move to SC or FL.
None of my older coworkers who think of it as a no mans land go to NYC unfortunately. The one self proclaimed Freedom Fighter calls it "russian roulette". Sad. But they out there
Even a few older republicans outside boston (a city conservatives tend to like..) feel the same way.
Baltimore, and I'm going to put myself into the category of suburbanites who are afraid of the core city. I moved to the Baltimore metro in 1994 and I used to love it here. I'd go into the city quite often, and completely apart from the fact that I've been working downtown this entire time, from then until now. But things took a downhill turn after the Freddie Gray riots of 2015 and they got a lot worse after COVID. I work from home almost exclusively now, and I dread going into the city on those very few occasions when I have to. I absolutely do not feel safe there.
Baltimore, and I'm going to put myself into the category of suburbanites who are afraid of the core city. I moved to the Baltimore metro in 1994 and I used to love it here. I'd go into the city quite often, and completely apart from the fact that I've been working downtown this entire time, from then until now. But things took a downhill turn after the Freddie Gray riots of 2015 and they got a lot worse after COVID. I work from home almost exclusively now, and I dread going into the city on those very few occasions when I have to. I absolutely do not feel safe there.
What's there to dread? People? Traffic? Noise? It comes with the territory of a big city.
How much of that mindset is based in actual fact vs. irrational fear? Baltimore had 321 homicides in 1994 (353 in '93) and homicide rate of 43.4/100k. Baltimore has 322 homicides as of Dec 26th. Nothing changed about it's violence other than social media can exploit it for more clicks, ratings & views.
Feeling unsafe picking up groceries from the corner store in Rosemont, West Baltimore or walking down a dark ally in Park Heights? Yep. Got me there.
Feeling unsafe getting Crab Cakes in Fells Point on a Saturday evening or going to a Ravens game? Can't rationalize that.
What's there to dread? People? Traffic? Noise? It comes with the territory of a big city.
How much of that mindset is based in actual fact vs. irrational fear? Baltimore had 321 homicides in 1994 (353 in '93) and homicide rate of 43.4/100k. Baltimore has 322 homicides as of Dec 26th. Nothing changed about it's violence other than social media can exploit it for more clicks, ratings & views.
Feeling unsafe picking up groceries from the corner store in Rosemont, West Baltimore or walking down a dark ally in Park Heights? Yep. Got me there.
Feeling unsafe getting Crab Cakes in Fells Point on a Saturday evening or going to a Ravens game? Can't rationalize that.
I like how you ignore other crimes besides murder. Even in 1993 coming off the end of the crack era, the vast majority of violent crime was restricted to certain hoods and gangs were more organized with a set of standards. They weren't wilding out over by the Inner Harbor. The squeegee boys/panhandling lowlives weren't as angry as today.
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