What do you think of Reading PA? will it be an upcoming place in future? (Allentown: crime rate)

[Blandonboy]

I am a young Professional who works in Wyomissing PA . I live in Blandon PA . These 2 areas are closely tied to Reading PA but do not constitute Reading PA ( city itself). I am into social meetups and keep visiting West Chester and Downington ( and Philly occasionally) and when I see so much of boomtown vibe in West Chester, Exton, ( and I have heard Allentown is now on the up as well), it makes me wonder, will any of that ever spill over to the impoverished city of Reading PA
Look at the positives
- located nicely ( NJ, NYC, Philly, Exton, DC) are all within 2 hours
- The suburbs are very nice ( Sinking Spring, Wyomissing, Exeter), the outskirts are nice as well ( Fleetwood, Blandon, Muhlenberg)
- BARTA bus service is actually better than what a lot of people think!. I once did not have a car due to some technical problems and tried using BARTA to commute from Blandon to Wyomissing ( long commute via public transport but certainly doable, Bus takes u from Blandon to Downtown and then Downtown to Wyomissing all for a $4 all day pass)
- Interesting Meetup groups in Berks County.
- Rich History
- Pagoda
- Has a stable and growing population both in the city and the burbs and the outskirts.
- Nice bars in the burbs ( building 24 Wyomissing, west reading is adorned by nice restaurants and has a nice yuppie feel to it, 3rd rail in Blandon)
- VF shopping mall in West Reading
- newly made santanders arena and the beautiful hotel in downtown


Cons
- Crime, just does not seem to end ( as I write this , 1 man died in a intense gunfight outside a dollar tree in downtown Reading)
- Drugs- enough said, no description needed. The city is tarnished by drugs.
- Stigma- Reading PA has a stigma attached to it ( somewhat like Camden) about being the 'poorest' city in USA and the most crime ridden one. People don't want anything to do with the city even if the city is trying to get back on its feet.
- Poverty. Now this is a trap. Kids grow up in poverty ridden Reading around pot , coke and people who are lazy and don't work/people who live hand to mouth/paycheck to paycheck/people who don't plan things properly and professionally and the same same kids end up in the same way as their parents, cannot afford college education and they end up doing blue collared jobs ( if they don't get into trouble with the law and decide to work that is).
-Lousy downtown with absolutely nothing to do in it ( even with the newly made Santanders and Hotel). The city looks like some aliens attacked the place and never left it!!.
- Poorly managed monuments- Look at the Pagoda. The Pagoda can bring so many tourists but I don't think the politicians, people and the community care about how they can make the place a tourist hotspot.
- Poor Public transport . ( Okay I did say BARTA was better than what people thought, but when I said that, I meant to point it out as a 'potential'). the BARTA bus service does not even operate on the weekends, that is just sad. So someone not having a car in Fleetwood has no means to travel on the weekends to Downtown or Wymossing except for calling a cab .
- There is a beautiful river ( Don't know its name) which can be converted into a waterfront. Again, no interest or pride shown by the local government to do anything about it.
- No major companies thinking of opening shop here( for now)
-Lastly, the city has been in ruins for years now. Why is it that politicians promise same things during every elections and end up doing nothing? The people couldn't care much either. It has remained the same for years and years now except for some minor changes .

What do you people think? Is there a chance of any gentrification or a spillover of a boom from the Exton/WestChester/Philly/Allentown over to Reading PA?

[Clark Park]

Originally Posted by Blandonboy

Look at the positives

- Pagoda



Cons

- Poorly managed monuments- Look at the Pagoda. The Pagoda can bring so many tourists but I don't think the politicians, people and the community care about how they can make the place a tourist hotspot.

What's the big deal about the "Pagoda"???

A former Chinese restaurant in the shape of a Chinese Pagoda!

Sheesh!

You think the empty former Chinese restaurant is going to bring in tourists??? Sure, it's going to seriously compete with Philly's Independence Hall or Frank Lloyd Wright's "Fallingwater" House in southwestern PA.

When I visit Reading, the attraction for me is exploring the historic and lovely Centre Park District that is so full of elegant Victorian houses. Now that is an attraction that hasn't been recognized yet.

[JohnZ963]

I can't see the city itself turning itself around. It's a haven for broke thugs who think the worst parts of Allentown are too expensive. Most of the housing stock is ancient run down junk, much of it owned by out of town slumlords.

The suburbs will do fine so long as there are decent paying jobs in the area and the Rt. 222 and 422 commutes to places east with jobs don't deteriorate into total gridlock.

[N.Y.C.H]

I think it will improve, just like Allentown has turned itself around, I'm sure when Allentowns crime rate was continually rising no one would have thought it would turn around and go back down again. Compared to other places like harrisburg or chester i think reading has the most potential, especially with a stable-growing population. Once the city can actually get a handle on crime, i think it'll be only a matter of time before some development kicks in. I'd say within the next 10 years positives changes are likely.

[loose cannon]

Allentown has improved to a degree but it still is a swamp. The problem with these bad areas is the people themsleves. Personally I hate the weather and prefer to live down South or out West, but a new person can find beauty and tranquility. Let the Ghetto Philistines rot away and you do your thing.