Rich White People Self-Segregate More in Philly ’Burbs Than Most Anywhere Else (Philadelphia: crime, neighborhood)

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

I'd include Havertown in the transition zone because demographically speaking, it's very similar to Springfield (and income-wise, more affluent than Aston and Broomall). And is there a clean geographical split? In my experience (which admittedly is not as extensive as yours), the mentality varies from household to household, and quite a few are a mix of both elements.

There is no line on the ground... but the further you move away from the southeastern portion of the county, the less prevelent that term/mentalility is, especially in the newly developed townships.

[dab13]

Originally Posted by cpomp

There is no line on the ground... but the further you move away from the southeastern portion of the county, the less prevelent that term/mentalility is, especially in the newly developed townships.

there's definitely different mentalities as you move through Delaware County, but it's a useless exercise trying to carve things up... I just call all of Delaware County "Delco", and if you want to get picky you can split it up as Upper Delco v. Lower Delco...

[TimmyTightWad]

Originally Posted by cpomp

I just do not like generalizations from people who live in Darby or Eddystone or Havertown in this case stating that Delaware County is all the same or reminicient of South Philly.

My apologies. I didn't realize towns like Radnor and Chadds Ford were technically in Del. County.
Regardless, the vast majority of towns in the county fit that description. There are what.. 5-6 municipalities that don't? (Media, Radnor, Chadds Ford, Newtown, Swarthmore). Personally I'd describe places like Broomall and Springfield as mostly working class. (Nothing intrinsically wrong with that btw....it's just that those type of communities tend to behave a certain way)

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by TimmyTightWad

My apologies. I didn't realize towns like Radnor and Chadds Ford were technically in Del. County.
Regardless, the vast majority of towns in the county fit that description. There are what.. 5-6 municipalities that don't? (Media, Radnor, Chadds Ford, Newtown, Swarthmore). Personally I'd describe places like Broomall and Springfield as mostly working class. (Nothing intrinsically wrong with that btw....it's just that those type of communities tend to behave a certain way)

More like 10-12, add Glen Mills, Garnet Valley, Edgemont, Thornbury, Middletown and Upper Providence to that list. Not exactly a "vast majority" of the county.

More municipalities fit the description, yes, but their land area makes up only about half the county.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by TimmyTightWad

My apologies. I didn't realize towns like Radnor and Chadds Ford were technically in Del. County.
Regardless, the vast majority of towns in the county fit that description. There are what.. 5-6 municipalities that don't? (Media, Radnor, Chadds Ford, Newtown, Swarthmore). Personally I'd describe places like Broomall and Springfield as mostly working class. (Nothing intrinsically wrong with that btw....it's just that those type of communities tend to behave a certain way)

Marple and Springfield have median family incomes of $91,898 and $105,586. For a family of four, that's conventionally middle class at minimum (though both Townships certainly have working class sections).

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by TimmyTightWad

I'm an AA currently living in Havertown for the past 8 yrs. There are more and more AA moving around here. I go to the Haverford YMCA and it's at least 30% AA membership I'd guessimate. That being said I'm still looking to move to into the city. Maybe West Mount Airy or University City. Not sure how to say it...but it's just a different caliber of people out in those areas. More diverse, more liberal, and probably more educated. Havertown (most of Del County really) reminds me of the ethnic white neighborhoods I grew up in (SPhilly). .

Good description.

I grew up in Haverford Twp(I was born in the city).I'm a Haverford High grade and went through all 12 grades,exclusively, in the township as did my mother before me and various other relatives. Oddly Havertown was less insular and provincially-minded 50 years ago(when I was in high school) than it is now. It had more in common with the Main Line back then.

I suspect white flight, into the twp., from working class Philly neighborhoods changed some of the culture.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by ElijahAstin

IMO, Havertown, Springfield, and Broomall are a transition zone (more socioculturally than socioeconomically).

Havertown especially.

[SIJ95]

How is this news? Rich people regardless of race segregate themselves from the unwashed masses since the start of time, did the Duke live in the village with the peasants or in his manor estate?

The USA is a majority white country (2/3) and PA is 4/5 white. Since white people are the majority it stands to reason that most rich people would be white, because most people are white. It's not racism its numbers. Also blacks and Spanish folks are much newer to Philadelphia and all northern cities whereas whites have been in Philly since it was founded. The city was founded by the Brits and at different periods in history has been the center of German America, Irish America, Italian America etc. this is going back centuries. Non white people had a small prescense (free blacks in the pre civil war era) in Philly up until the great migration. Time breeds influence. Philly was also majority white through the 70s and 80s and if you count every white person born in Philadelphia who now lives in Havertown, or Washington Twp. or Cherry Hill or Boca Raton FL the city would still be majority white.

[the_curious_urbanist]

Who cares about the burbs, Philly's city limits are the best 135 square miles of America. If the conservative rich white folks want their cliques, let them have it. The city's better without them. I used to live in Broomall and Havertown and those places are worse than prison.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by the_curious_urbanist

Who cares about the burbs, Philly's city limits are the best 135 square miles of America. If the conservative rich white folks want their cliques, let them have it. The city's better without them. I used to live in Broomall and Havertown and those places are worse than prison.

Tell us more about prison, tyrannosaurus roll-heim.