What Youngstown looks like to me (in pictures - LOTS!) (Toledo: leasing, lawyers)

[Traveler87]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

It's funny, people in some parts of Youngstown and points south have the Pittsburgh accent, i say certain words like western pa, but not to the extent of Pittsburghese. You won't hear too much of the Cleveland accent just north of the city, it's more of a neutral accent, then when you get to Canton/Akron/Geagua county you start to hear the Great Lakes thing. I laugh at both accents and it's a noticeable difference, even to me.

LOL well the Pittsburgh accent is very distinctive to me (sounds terrible). I lived in Pittsburgh for a year, and can tell the difference between Cleveland and Pittsburgh's accent. That makes a lot of sense though, northern Youngstown metro area would have less of the Pittsburgh accent while Columbiana County would have the Pittsburgh accent.

[Traveler87]

Originally Posted by Sigma CTS

I'm not sure how we're posting (or supposed to be posting) photos these days. But here are a couple of shots I've taken recently in Youngstown that I've posted to my Flickr account. If I need to post these in a different manner, please let me know!

1) The Liberty/Paramount Theater, which is one of my favorite historic structures in downtown Youngstown. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, it's located on the corner of Hazel and West Federal Street. The theater opened in 1918 and was in use until 1976 or so. It's a shame that it was left to deteriorate to it's current status.

All sizes | Liberty/Paramount Theater - Youngstown, Ohio | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/6080959369/sizes/l/in/photostream/ - broken link)

Also, here's a link to the website for The Paramount Project. Hopefully this will happen, I think it would really be an asset to the city! Paramount Project - Future Plans

2) This is just a random shot I took in the alley behind the Youngstown Business Incubator.

All sizes | Furnitureland of Youngstown | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/6081495594/sizes/l/in/photostream/ - broken link)

3) A shot of the freshly restored signage on the Federal Building, which is currently being renovated into a mixed use building with apartments.

All sizes | Federal Building | Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/6081494932/sizes/l/in/photostream/ - broken link)

Seems like this is really taking full steam ahead in Youngstown... converting the buildings into apartments and condos. True?

[Cisco GT]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

I rather you post them here as [IMG] files.

That's how I've posted them in the past... Now for some reason, all I see is links... When I'm not logged in, the images show up? Strange.

Edit: Figured it out... Settings were changed to not show [IMG] images for some reason.

[Cisco GT]

Originally Posted by Traveler87

Seems like this is really taking full steam ahead in Youngstown... converting the buildings into apartments and condos. True?

Sure is! Here's the 3 that I know of... there may be more in the works.

The Federal Building Apartment website - The Federal Building

The Realty Tower Apartments website - Realty Tower Apartments

There's also the Erie Terminal Building on Commerce Street between Hazel and Phelps, which is going to be converted into student housing apartments.

[ckhthankgod]

Nice to hear that projects are going forward in Youngstown. As a person that lives in a "Rust Belt" area, I think slowly, but surely things are starting to occur in many of these cities in regards to their Downtowns and even other neighborhoods in a good location within those cities.

[Cisco GT]

Originally Posted by Natural510

Any pics of the industrial areas? Unlike most, I find Rust Belt industrial areas to be very charming.

Originally Posted by JR_C

I don't have any pictures of the industrial areas, but I know another poster/photographer does, and they are fantastic. Look for posts by Sigma CTS.

I don't have as many shots of Youngstown's industrial areas as I thought I had, but they could be buried in sub folders somewhere. I'll do some digging and I'll post what I find. I really need to go back out and shoot a lot of these areas before they're all gone. Youngstown has been doing a good job of covering up it's days as an industrial powerhouse lately.

JR_C - We should get together one day and shoot the city! I lost the mass collection of store front shots that I took a few years ago!

Here's a few more that I have taken around the city...


Days Gone By (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/5849752976/ - broken link) by Rust Belt, USA (http://www.flickr.com/people/youngstownsniper/ - broken link), on Flickr


Abandoned Youngstown Trestle (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/5593236177/ - broken link) by Rust Belt, USA (http://www.flickr.com/people/youngstownsniper/ - broken link), on Flickr

I need to do more shooting at Mill Creek Park / Riverside Gardens, too.

Waiting (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/5940258489/ - broken link) by Rust Belt, USA (http://www.flickr.com/people/youngstownsniper/ - broken link), on Flickr

Where it all started... This is actually in Struthers, but it's part of the Mill Creek Park system.

Hopewell Furnace Historical Marker (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/5747190873/ - broken link) by Rust Belt, USA (http://www.flickr.com/people/youngstownsniper/ - broken link), on Flickr

A little more grit. This was taken at the former Youngstown Sinter site, just across the river from the site of the Jeanette Blast Furnace.

IMG_5846-1 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/6399953313/ - broken link) by Rust Belt, USA (http://www.flickr.com/people/youngstownsniper/ - broken link), on Flickr

Warehouses and Railroads... there's lots of both here.

IMG_5856 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/6399952467/ - broken link) by Rust Belt, USA (http://www.flickr.com/people/youngstownsniper/ - broken link), on Flickr


IMG_5867 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/youngstownsniper/6399951509/ - broken link) by Rust Belt, USA (http://www.flickr.com/people/youngstownsniper/ - broken link), on Flickr

[JR_C]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I was home with family for Thanksgiving break, and just saw these new replies.

Sigma CTS, didn't you have a series of photos from the Crab Creek area on the north side? I thought those were particularly interesting because nature had almost completely reclaimed the area.

The Federal Building project was particularly successful. All the apartments were rented even before the building was completed. Also, the managers of the Realty Building finally saw sense, and lowered their rates. And now, both buildings have a waiting list! Next will be the Erie Terminal, which is under renovation now.

But, these small successes aren't limited to downtown, although it has progressed the most. The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation is renovating and selling houses in the Idora Neighborhood. In the Wick Park Neighborhood, I am fixing up a house, and there are a number of other people doing the same.

[Tobias C]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Youngstown reminds me of a mini-Toledo. And I love Toledo.

Agreed.

Ive never been to Youngstown before, at least not in my adult (aware) life. It does look a lot like Toledo to me. And I love Toledo.

Does YSU have any kind of positive influence on the neighborhoods around it? I would think the campus and downtown being adjacent to each other would mutually benefit both.

[JR_C]

Originally Posted by Tobias C

Agreed.

Ive never been to Youngstown before, at least not in my adult (aware) life. It does look a lot like Toledo to me. And I love Toledo.

Does YSU have any kind of positive influence on the neighborhoods around it? I would think the campus and downtown being adjacent to each other would mutually benefit both.

The relationship between YSU and downtown is growing. Historically, the two were very separate. But efforts have been made recently to bring the two together. The new Williamson Building was located to be nearer downtown. As mentioned earlier, the Erie Terminal is being targeted toward YSU students. The Hazel Street extension--a more pedestrian friendly--connection between YSU and downtown opened almost a year ago.

On the north side of campus, the Wick Park Neighborhood has been both helped and hurt by YSU, IMO. The continued presence of students has added vitality and stability to the neighborhood. But slumlords, looking to cash in on poor college students, have let many fine homes deteriorate until they became un-rentable. Then, the slum lord would just cut and run, leaving the house to be ravaged by the scrappers, and eventual demolition.

[Tobias C]

Originally Posted by JR_C

The relationship between YSU and downtown is growing. Historically, the two were very separate. But efforts have been made recently to bring the two together. The new Williamson Building was located to be nearer downtown. As mentioned earlier, the Erie Terminal is being targeted toward YSU students. The Hazel Street extension--a more pedestrian friendly--connection between YSU and downtown opened almost a year ago.

On the north side of campus, the Wick Park Neighborhood has been both helped and hurt by YSU, IMO. The continued presence of students has added vitality and stability to the neighborhood. But slumlords, looking to cash in on poor college students, have let many fine homes deteriorate until they became un-rentable. Then, the slum lord would just cut and run, leaving the house to be ravaged by the scrappers, and eventual demolition.

It seems like Wick Parks history and architecture, plus its proximity to campus would attract academics, professors, college staff, etc to buying homes there. Maybe other professionals who appreciate such a neighborhood like lawyers, local politicians, doctors, business owners, and others of the financial means to purchase big old homes and rehab them?

The proximity of Downtown and YSU will only mean good things. Here in Toledo, we wish we could have a stronger college influence on our Downtown, but the University of Toledo is about 3 miles away from Downtown. We were successful in having UTs Art School locate itself at the Toledo Museum Of Art which is close to downtown, in our Old West End neighborhood, which seems kinda like Wick Park.

Is there much in the way of entertainment options for younger people downtown, or around campus at all? I would think there would be demand for walkable options.