Why people on this site trying to make it seem that most Philadelphia neighborhoods are good neighborhoods? (Lancaster: middle-class, crime)

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by 2002 Subaru

I think some of them are trying to protect their property values or are hoping to help them increase. I agree with you, btw, and I have no idea why some of them get so freaked out (angry) when I post crime stories. Seems they have no conscience when it come to sugar coating (lying) what life is really like in some neighborhoods.

I'm not trying to protect property values at all; I'm a renter. And were I to become a homeowner, the house I could afford (using the old 3x annual income formula that some buyers ignore) would run about what the larger houses around where I live sell for: $125k.

(I know I could find smaller homes in that price range up the road in ZIP code 19150, the neighborhood I wrote about recently on Next City, and I'd find much less crime.)

But I'm probably one of those people you might say are "sugarcoating" life in Germantown.

I don't think I am. I'm trying to make a different point, which is that you can actually go about your business in a "bad neighborhood" without much happening to you. The secondary point is that by settling in one, you may find you have the ability to upgrade it, one piece at a time. Another is that I think we let fear govern our lives way too much.

Let me be honest about this: I live here because I can afford to live here. (My salary, like that of most journalists BTW, is modest.) But there are parts of this neighborhood where I would want to live, and not just because I can afford to do so. I believe I've noted before that Germantown is probably the most socioeconomically diverse neighborhood in the city: the Tulpehocken Historic District at its northwest corner is as affluent as my corner of East Germantown is poor. I consider this an asset. Many Americans don't.

And, in my beloved Riverwards (Fishtown, Port Richmond, Bridesburg), prices may be rising, which makes me happy (Why Bridesburg gets left off these 'next hot neighborhoods' lists, I don't know, but it's coming. Never became a white sh*thole, perhaps? It's a car neighborhood?), but the neighborhoods were safer thirty years ago.

The reason Bridesburg gets left off these lists is because the Wave hasn't hit it yet. It still needs to make its way through all of Port Richmond first.

It is also relatively isolated from the rest of the River Wards and the rest of the Northeast (technically, it's in that part of the city, for it lies above Frankford Creek). There are really only two ways into and out of the neighborhood, and unlike many of the others, it's not on the way to or from anywhere. That means that most people who don't live there either have no reason to go there or stumble across it by accident. That chemical plant that separates it from the neighborhoods to its west probably doesn't help either.

[2002 Subaru]

Originally Posted by mphilly

Philadelphia has crime problems, no one has ever said otherwise but the city is not even close to being the most dangerous in the country. Also, on average the city is among the safest it's been in the last 40 years. These aren't opinions, these are facts based on the data. No one is trying to say people should move to Fairhill, but to say the majority of the city is a crime-ridden cesspool, or that other cities don't have this problem, or that the crime problem was better in the '90s is simply not true.

It's more than just crime that drives good people out of neighborhoods, Mayfair for example), it's usually the little things (noise, litter, inconsideration, ghetto-attitude, just general wildness) that bad neighbors bring with them.

[2002 Subaru]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

I'm not trying to protect property values at all; I'm a renter. And were I to become a homeowner, the house I could afford (using the old 3x annual income formula that some buyers ignore) would run about what the larger houses around where I live sell for: $125k.

(I know I could find smaller homes in that price range up the road in ZIP code 19150, the neighborhood I wrote about recently on Next City, and I'd find much less crime.)

But I'm probably one of those people you might say are "sugarcoating" life in Germantown.

I don't think I am. I'm trying to make a different point, which is that you can actually go about your business in a "bad neighborhood" without much happening to you. The secondary point is that by settling in one, you may find you have the ability to upgrade it, one piece at a time. Another is that I think we let fear govern our lives way too much.

Let me be honest about this: I live here because I can afford to live here. (My salary, like that of most journalists BTW, is modest.) But there are parts of this neighborhood where I would want to live, and not just because I can afford to do so. I believe I've noted before that Germantown is probably the most socioeconomically diverse neighborhood in the city: the Tulpehocken Historic District at its northwest corner is as affluent as my corner of East Germantown is poor. I consider this an asset. Many Americans don't.




The reason Bridesburg gets left off these lists is because the Wave hasn't hit it yet. It still needs to make its way through all of Port Richmond first.

It is also relatively isolated from the rest of the River Wards and the rest of the Northeast (technically, it's in that part of the city, for it lies above Frankford Creek). There are really only two ways into and out of the neighborhood, and unlike many of the others, it's not on the way to or from anywhere. That means that most people who don't live there either have no reason to go there or stumble across it by accident. That chemical plant that separates it from the neighborhoods to its west probably doesn't help either.

Oh, I disagree - that chemical plant helps keep Frankford off of us. Without it and I-95, this neighborhood would have 'went' twenty years ago.


And there are three ways in and three way out, not two.


The wave doesn't necessarily have to go through
Port Richmond first. There have been quite a few houses selling for 200K plus (with more coming), which is a big leap from just a few short years ago. No, they're not Fishtown or Fairmount numbers (and never will be), but there's a rowhome on Richmond, sans parking, pending for 234K. That's nothing to sneeze at for a neighborhood like this. People are taking notice ...


Bridesburg may 'technically' be geographically located in the NE, but it's never been considered part of the NE. More like a suburb of the Riverwards, but the Riverwards nonetheless.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by 2002 Subaru

The wave doesn't necessarily have to go through
Port Richmond first. There have been quite a few houses selling for 200K plus (with more coming), which is a big leap from just a few short years ago. No, they're not Fishtown or Fairmount numbers (and never will be), but there's a rowhome on Richmond, sans parking, pending for 234K. That's nothing to sneeze at for a neighborhood like this. People are taking notice ...

Thanks for the data point. A local brokerage has asked me for my predictions for "2020's Hottest Neighborhoods," and I told them I'd have some unorthodox ones.

Bridesburg may 'technically' be geographically located in the NE, but it's never been considered part of the NE. More like a suburb of the Riverwards, but the Riverwards nonetheless.

Understood, which is why I used the word "technically" to begin with, because that's the only sense in which Bridesburg is in the Northeast.

What's the third way? There's Richmond Street from the south, Bridge (or whatever the name of the street is that passes Bridesburg Regional Rail station) from the northwest, and...?

[2002 Subaru]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Thanks for the data point. A local brokerage has asked me for my predictions for "2020's Hottest Neighborhoods," and I told them I'd have some unorthodox ones.




Understood, which is why I used the word "technically" to begin with, because that's the only sense in which Bridesburg is in the Northeast.

What's the third way? There's Richmond Street from the south, Bridge (or whatever the name of the street is that passes Bridesburg Regional Rail station) from the northwest, and...?

Orthodox entering, Lefevre departing.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Phillyfinest

Lol you funny but no, you did not get my point. My point is that everytime people ask for advice on an area or neighborhood, i notice people would say "it is not that bad" or "it is gentrifying" or someone would ask if it safe to move to philly, they would be like "Philly is like any major city most of it safe". No it is not true. Philly isnt like most major cities. We have a huge problem with safety. I wish people would be more truthful but they are so worried about making philly look good. Of course Philly is a great city with a great potential. I just wish some areas were better

Get a grip. Chicago is, currently, loosing thousands people a year. (Some of that is due to murders and violent crime even if it mostly occurs in bad areas there.) Phila. is not. And, no one who answers inquiries about where to move to pushes bad neighborhoods. Plus the majority of requests and answers steer people toward the suburbs.

The gentrification talk? It's accurate.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by 2002 Subaru

Orthodox entering, Lefevre departing.

S**t. I could get to Bridesburg with a 7-minute walk and 25-30 minute bus ride on Route J. (I don't know why its eastern terminus - "Richmond-Orthodox" - didn't register with me. On the trip back, i could replicate the "Street Football" play Cosby mentioned in his routine: "You go down to 3d Street. Catch the J bus. Have 'em open the doors at 18th Street. I'll fake it to you.")

Better raise the drawbridge.

Edited to add: The J also runs right past a bar in Port Richmond (or is it lower Frankford?) that's co-owned by a gay man I've known for some time; he runs a gay club on its second floor.

[Phillyfinest]

Originally Posted by moneymkt

Parts of West Philly I would consider safe in 2017

The area between 40th and 45th from Lancaster to Market

The area between 46th and 50th on Walnut street

The drexel area between 37th to 32nd from baring to lancaster

We basically saying the same thing. You basically repeating what i said in the original post. I mentioned University city and the surrounding areas.

[Phillyfinest]

Originally Posted by Gerania

Philly isn't like most major cities? What does that mean? How is it different? Every major city has areas where you don't want to be walking around, especially at night, unless you're Bruce Lee.

Lol some of you cant read between the lines. I meant most cities are not like Philly. Philly bad areas are spreaded all over the city where as other cities it is only one or two areas you have to avoid. I'm basically saying there is more bad neighborhoods in philly than the other major cities

[Phillyfinest]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

I've been reading this thread for a long time (former Philadelphian) and I don't recall anyone advising people to move to Southwest or being unrealistically rosy about the city's neighborhoods. If anything, I've seen people like yourself acting like it's got the worst crime rate of anywhere. Believe me, when I moved to FL and listened to the news, it made Philly look like Mayberry.

Like i said it is not only about crime. You out of touch with reality. You getting your info from the news but i'm experiencing this in real life. There is more than just crime,murder,robbery... philly is def one of the worst. Anybody from outta town who move or visit here, the first thing they would tell you is "wow the city is kind of rough"