why does everyone think north philly so terrible? (Philadelphia, East Side: live, bus)

[Marius Pontmercy]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

You know, after moving here, the first couple of times I took the bus through some of the most dilapidated parts of North Philadelphia, it's pretty amazing to see how run down it can get.

Getting over the initial awe of that, what sticks out more to me now when I go through those parts of town, is actually the houses that are clean, freshly painted, cornices in tact, porches neat, decorations in the windows. That stubbornness is something that I for sure don't have. And I have a lot of respect for that.

Besides, right around the corner from your second photo is this:

1946 North 24 Street, Philadelphia, PA - Google Maps

And sure, there are some vacant houses and most of the houses aren't perfect. And as an alley, it was originally designed for people with a lower income, compared to the larger houses on the main streets. But what mostly stands out is...nothing. Just a normal block that could really be anywhere in the city.

I felt the same way after I moved to Philly. After you get over the shock of all the blight you see the things that are intact. I have a lot of respect for the people who can hold those blocks together. I just pray that the city improves enough for them in the coming years that all their efforts won't have gone to waste.

[Legendof302]

I know this really is NOT the place to post a video....

But I honestly think that if people don't understand what the ghetto is like they should watch these 2 videos to take a look at what is going on in North Philly.

So I will respectfully ask the Mods not to delete this post.

Im not trying to turn this into a hip hop thread or anything like that.

I honestly believe these videos can be very educational to some people...

Moderator Note: While your intentions may have been noble, many of the lyrics and images displayed were too graphic for this forum.

[Boompa]

Originally Posted by The Burger

Unfortunately, my neighborhood doesn't have hookers.

Bridesburg doesn't have hookers?

[The Burger]

Originally Posted by Boompa

Bridesburg doesn't have hookers?

Not at all. They're all in Kensington, Frankford, Wissinoming, Tacony and Holmesburg.

[Legendof302]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

You know, after moving here, the first couple of times I took the bus through some of the most dilapidated parts of North Philadelphia, it's pretty amazing to see how run down it can get.

Getting over the initial awe of that, what sticks out more to me now when I go through those parts of town, is actually the houses that are clean, freshly painted, cornices in tact, porches neat, decorations in the windows. That stubbornness is something that I for sure don't have. And I have a lot of respect for that.

Besides, right around the corner from your second photo is this:

1946 North 24 Street, Philadelphia, PA - Google Maps

Yea and that street backs up to this block which is only 20 feet away...

1946 North 24 Street, Philadelphia, PA - Google Maps

Almost nothing positive can come from that...

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by Legendof302

Yea and that street backs up to this block which is only 20 feet away...

1946 North 24 Street, Philadelphia, PA - Google Maps

Almost nothing positive can come from that...

And then about another block down, you have this (right across the street, mind you, from a community that is pretty obviously some form of "affordable" housing - forgive me for not being familiar with it's actual name and form).

1946 North 24 Street, Philadelphia, PA - Google Maps

This is a game that could go on forever (or at least till we reached the border of the city). So if you want to finish it off with one last one, be my guest.

If you want to see some urban despair, checkout the 1900 block of Sansom Street, one block away from Rittenhouse Square. That's something that's an actual disgrace, considering the amount of money and attention down here in Center City. Except for the two buildings with 19th street frontages, just abandonment and parking lots.

But more to the point: Look at the neighborhoods turning around in Philadelphia, based on really nothing more than peoples desire to live in the city. People will live in Center City and surrounding neighborhoods, and commute out to KOP or wherever, simply because they WANT to live in the city.

Now, North Philadelphia is a huge area of the city, and with the exceptions of gentrification that will spill over from Northern Liberties and Fairmount, obviously will not be fixed up in a similar course. There are likely never going to be yuppies living in the bombed out houses you showed pictures of. Germantown Avenue just off of Broad and Erie is not going to be like East Passyunk just off of Broad and Snyder. There's probably never going to be that critical mass of yuppies to support that.

But it doesn't take ALL that much imagination to see how something positive will take place out of those neighborhoods. At some point, American society will probably normalize itself to the traditional human habitat: villages and cities. It'll have to do with energy and the way Americans primarily get around now (meaning, oil supported individual transportation). It'll have to do with the the infrastructure costs of sprawl catching up to itself over the years: everything from roads to schools. It'll have to do with a return to an economy in America where people actually manufacture things again and generally have to make themselves useful to their fellow citizens. It'll have to do with a lot more stuff that lots of people much smarter than me have written many a book about. But I can easily see a time where these places fix themselves up. They probably won't be wonderful neighborhoods. They'll just be normal places, where people live - because it'll be a place that makes sense to live. They might not even "want" to live there - what seems to be the main factor in turning around neighborhoods these days. It'll just be what people do. Because it's pretty much what people have always done.

[Legendof302]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

But it doesn't take ALL that much imagination to see how something positive will take place out of those neighborhoods. At some point, American society will probably normalize itself to the traditional human habitat: villages and cities. It'll have to do with energy and the way Americans primarily get around now (meaning, oil supported individual transportation). It'll have to do with the the infrastructure costs of sprawl catching up to itself over the years: everything from roads to schools. It'll have to do with a return to an economy in America where people actually manufacture things again and generally have to make themselves useful to their fellow citizens. It'll have to do with a lot more stuff that lots of people much smarter than me have written many a book about. But I can easily see a time where these places fix themselves up. They probably won't be wonderful neighborhoods. They'll just be normal places, where people live - because it'll be a place that makes sense to live. They might not even "want" to live there - what seems to be the main factor in turning around neighborhoods these days. It'll just be what people do. Because it's pretty much what people have always done.

People have been waiting a very long time to see the hope you speak of manifest. (many died in the process)

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

This is a game that could go on forever (or at least till we reached the border of the city). So if you want to finish it off with one last one, be my guest.

I gotta do it b/c in the meantime many still see this type of "Hope"...(same block)

1946 North 24 Street, Philadelphia, PA - Google Maps

I don't post this stuff to promote fear only awareness...

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by Legendof302

People have been waiting a very long time to see the hope you speak of manifest. (many died in the process)



I gotta do it b/c in the meantime many still see this type of "Hope"...(same block)

1946 North 24 Street, Philadelphia, PA - Google Maps

I don't post this stuff to promote fear only awareness...

Doesn't look any worse than Harlem or the Lower East Side did a few decades ago. Have some vision.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

Originally Posted by Legendof302

People have been waiting a very long time to see the hope you speak of manifest. (many died in the process)

Not really that long. Let's say the decline in the American city really took over after WWII, with the help of federal programs and other non-governmental policies. Just to keep things simple. It's only been 65 years. Which is nothing in the course of human history. Less than nothing. I'm not saying that I'm going to see it happen, only that I can see it happening. Heck, Philadelphia is a huge city - there are still neighborhoods that are in the beginning stages of decline, that may or may not be able to hold on.

People here are projecting the recent past into the long term future though. It's a common thing for people to do. It's a very uncommon course to actually play out.

Doesn't look any worse than Harlem or the Lower East Side did a few decades ago. Have some vision.

Or Society Hill.

[Legendof302]

Originally Posted by FamousBlueRaincoat

Not really that long. Let's say the decline in the American city really took over after WWII, with the help of federal programs and other non-governmental policies. Just to keep things simple. It's only been 65 years. Which is nothing in the course of human history.

65 years is a lifetime, and that's just to long...

If you feel the decline took place after WWII that's just another sign that we waste to much money on war....