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Are there any lesser known or smaller cities that would have such areas? I was thinking of maybe a place like Mount Vernon NY, which is about 65% black, has plenty of black owned businesses in its Downtown(along Gramatian/South 4th Ave) and some in other business districts, has the representation, has the walkability/transit(has about 68,000 people in only 4 square miles), it has SFH neighborhoods with yards(and those that are middle class and predominantly black like Oakwood Heights and Parkside/Vernon Park).
Are there any lesser known or smaller cities that would have such areas? I was thinking of maybe a place like Mount Vernon NY, which is about 65% black, has plenty of black owned businesses in its Downtown(along Gramatian/South 4th Ave) and some in other business districts, has the representation, has the walkability/transit(has about 68,000 people in only 4 square miles), it has SFH neighborhoods with yards(and those that are middle class and predominantly black like Oakwood Heights and Parkside/Vernon Park).
I believe it is the most population dense predominantly black city in the country.
Are there any other smaller or even mid sized cities with areas that fit the criteria?
Interesting, do you know how vibrant it is. A generation ago, a city like this would have had a bustling main street like most small cities around the nation. Now, cities this small don't have that type of vibrancy usually because people have more options to shop and dine around their region.
In older larger cities like DC, Baltimore, Philly, and Boston or newer cities like Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston, you have enough people that you could generate enough foot traffic in a Black neighborhood if the concentration of business and mixed-use development was large and dense enough.
Could we create this type of vibrancy again? Not the theaters and clubs, but the restaurants and shopping are very achievable. What do you think? Obviously, these types of districts are competing with auto centric shopping centers for people that don't like to walk and prefer their cars which is common in the Black community. That's another reason why I said major cities.
Now, some might say "well U Street is even busier than it used to be and way more urban and built up" which I would agree with, but Black people don't live around U Street anymore. Black DC has shifted east of the Anacostia River which is happening in many cities. The question is, can we recreate what we had in new parts of the city? Can we bring back what we lost after gentrification? Can we build or terraform new communities that include an affluent Black population, but lack the historic retail corridors that used to thrive in Black neighborhoods?
Last edited by MDAllstar; 01-13-2022 at 09:16 PM..
Interesting, do you know how vibrant it is. A generation ago, a city like this would have had a bustling main street like most small cities around the nation. Now, cities this small don't have that type of vibrancy usually because people have more options to shop and dine around their region.
In older larger cities like DC, Baltimore, Philly, and Boston or newer cities like Atlanta, Dallas, and Houston, you have enough people that you could generate enough foot traffic in a Black neighborhood if the concentration of business and mixed-use development was large and dense enough.
Could we create this type of vibrancy again? Not the theaters and clubs, but the restaurants and shopping are very achievable. What do you think? Obviously, these types of districts are competing with auto centric shopping centers for people that don't like to walk and prefer their cars which is common in the Black community. That's another reason why I said major cities.
Now, some might say "well U Street is even busier than it used to be and way more urban and built up" which I would agree with, but Black people don't live around U Street anymore. Black DC has shifted east of the Anacostia River which is happening in many cities. The question is, can we recreate what we had in new parts of the city? Can we bring back what we lost after gentrification? Can we build or terraform new communities that include an affluent Black population, but lack the historic retail corridors that used to thrive in Black neighborhoods?
I’m not sure how vibrant it is, but this is the corridor in the city that I’m referring to: https://goo.gl/maps/PUWSUM2ZbunC9o948 (going straight takes you to S. 4th Ave and if you turn around, it takes you further north on Gramatian)
It is next to the previously mentioned NE Bronx. So, it is next to another area that would fit the criteria.
I’m not sure how vibrant it is, but this is the corridor in the city that I’m referring to: https://goo.gl/maps/PUWSUM2ZbunC9o948 (going straight takes you to S. 4th Ave and if you turn around, it takes you further north on Gramatian)
It is next to the previously mentioned NE Bronx. So, it is next to another area that would fit the criteria.
Oh ok, so it’s basically right outside NYC? Do people from NYC visit the city?
Oh ok, so it’s basically right outside NYC? Do people from NYC visit the city?
Anecdotally there is definitely a lot of interaction between the North Bronx and Lower Westchester. Same with Southeastern Queens and Nassau County (Long Island).
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