What was philadelphia like between 1970- 2000 (Milton: hotels, school, live)

[NJ2MDdude]

I remember the mom-and-up stores owned and operated by elderly Jewish men. I also recall the city having a large, white working class and the kids playing street hockey.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

I remember the mom-and-up stores owned and operated by elderly Jewish men. I also recall the city having a large, white working class and the kids playing street hockey.

Krass Brothers

[BR Valentine]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

Krass Brothers

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlvZhHlVhtM

[BajanYankee]

Originally Posted by CommonFire

Almost everybody has some type of image of NYC and Chicago where like in the late 20th century, especially though films like Taxi Driver, and Blues Brothers.

The first two Rocky movies were filmed during the 70s.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by FBJ

I will say that the city seems a lot more crowded in 2015 than it did in 1999/2000/2001

That's because the population has grown a tad in the last 10 years.

Just check the census data.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Pocopsonite

I worked at 16th and Market from mid-1983 to late 1985. So my experience and memories are just a blip in the overall timeline. And since it was 30 years ago, a lot of it is fuzzy.

I learned to love Center City on my lunch hours, when I would wander far afield. To Wanamaker's, a great retailer, through the archway on the other side of City Hall from me; to the shops on Walnut Street and Chestnut Street, an interesting mix of upscale and kinda tacky. Market East (the urban mall -- was that the name?) had a Strawbridge's and though it wasn't scary, it wasn't particularly appealing even then.

At 24th and Market was the Marketplace, a furniture and interior design showroom open only to the trade. After a while, they opened to the public one Saturday a month. It was an aMAZing place if you were still designing/furnishing your house.

Philadelphia had not yet experienced the restaurant renaissance. There were two Bookbinders; La Famiglia down near the river was a popular business meal destination. The Bourse had shops and some pretty good restaurants. (What's there now? I have no idea, since I never go to Philly.) Downey's was a favorite Friday afternoon hangout -- I think I saw that on a restaurant/bar makeover show a few years back, and it had clearly fallen on hard times. Believe it or not, the Moshulu was a special occasion place.

We used to go someplace for lunch whose name escapes me, but my favorite sandwich, very trendy at the time, was open-face brie on pumpernickel with apple and cucumber slices.

There was a big fight over allowing Liberty Place to exceed the height of Billy Penn's hat. The mayor back then was Wilson Goode, who became famous for the MOVE debacle. (If you're not familiar, look it up. It's so unbelievable, it has to be true.)

LOVE Park was a nice place to sit and have lunch in the summer. I don't remember many lunch food trucks -- but I loved my morning bagel from the truck.

SEPTA had lousy service on the Media/Elwyn line. Has that changed?

The Bourse's ground floor consists of a big food court mostly for tourists today. And Media/Elwyn is definitely better than it was complete with new rolling stock.

[Kukla65th]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

I remember the mom-and-up stores owned and operated by elderly Jewish men. I also recall the city having a large, white working class and the kids playing street hockey.

This is a common memory of people about those years; I would concur with it. It was definitely whiter; not terribly important in and of itself, but it was. Thought it is worth noting the largest decade of white flight in the city was between 1970 and 1980, and I believe the second largest was from 1990-2000.

If anyone has ever visited Montreal and seen just average white neighborhoods that have a little bit of graffiti here and there and probably more litter than one would like to see, well, that is reminiscent of some areas of Philadelphia during the years in question. Though many here seem to always remember the "old days" being a time of a cleaner city - in many areas that was true, but in others, it was not.

[NJ2MDdude]

Originally Posted by Kukla65th

This is a common memory of people about those years; I would concur with it. It was definitely whiter; not terribly important in and of itself, but it was. Thought it is worth noting the largest decade of white flight in the city was between 1970 and 1980, and I believe the second largest was from 1990-2000.

During the 1970s, my Philly relatives were big supporters of Frank Rizzo. I recall my aunt proudly showing my family an autographed photo of Mayor Frank Rizzo hanging on wall. She said she got it from the mayor's office after she called city hall to complain about "drug-using hippies" renting the house next door. Well Frank Rizzo had the police forcibly evict the hippies. Rizzo was a terribly brutish and belligerent person, but he kept my aunt's neighborhood clean and safe.

[southbound_295]

Originally Posted by NJ2MDdude

During the 1970s, my Philly relatives were big supporters of Frank Rizzo. I recall my aunt proudly showing my family an autographed photo of Mayor Frank Rizzo hanging on wall. She said she got it from the mayor's office after she called city hall to complain about "drug-using hippies" renting the house next door. Well Frank Rizzo had the police forcibly evict the hippies. Rizzo was a terribly brutish and belligerent person, but he kept my aunt's neighborhood clean and safe.

In the early 70s I remember great hope. People had great hopes that companies would come in & replace the mill jobs etc. When Rizzo killed the bicentennial the hopes were dashed.

People loved Rocky when it came out. Even though it was fiction, it worked out in the end & at that time not much was working out in real life.

[FBJ]

Originally Posted by southbound_295

In the early 70s I remember great hope. People had great hopes that companies would come in & replace the mill jobs etc. When Rizzo killed the bicentennial the hopes were dashed.

People loved Rocky when it came out. Even though it was fiction, it worked out in the end & at that time not much was working out in real life.

How did he kill the Bicentennial?