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So E. Passyunk and Graduate H. have such limited civic engagement that no one cares enough to start civic associations which will at least clean up rogue trash?!
Spring Garden has had that kind of activity for years: a street crew that cleans up trash, leaves( in season) and shovels snow on some public sidewalks.
So obviously this is a neighborhood by neighborhood issue which is pretty typical for Philadelphia.
Yeah, perceptions. Since when is LA's skid row and SF's Tenderloin affecting perceptions about either one?
Passyunk's civic association has really improved things. There are still so many pigs throwing trash on the ground, it's hard to keep up with. Storm drains are appalling.
Agreed it's a neighborhood thing, but many neighborhoods act like one another. And if we're talking about the city, city-wide, we're talking about a lot of trashed neighborhoods. Even Fishtown and Port Richmond have a lot of trash. South Broad, one of the city's main streets is loaded with trash, just outside of Center City.
SF is a dump, but a dump with an incredible number of amenities; something Philly can't contend with in reality. Economy, location, scenery, shopping, tourism, etc. Its perception is far from post-industrial with high poverty.
LA is lesser to NYC IMO, but a very different national perception than Philly. Skid Row is not outshining Beverly Hills or many of the other glamorous neighborhoods; it's one location in the city. Philly's trash problem is much more widespread (like SF's). LA is another city that has no label of post-industrial with high poverty.
Passyunk's civic association has really improved things. There are still so many pigs throwing trash on the ground, it's hard to keep up with. Storm drains are appalling.
Agreed it's a neighborhood thing, but many neighborhoods act like one another. And if we're talking about the city, city-wide, we're talking about a lot of trashed neighborhoods. Even Fishtown and Port Richmond have a lot of trash. South Broad, one of the city's main streets is loaded with trash, just outside of Center City.
SF is a dump, but a dump with an incredible number of amenities; something Philly can't contend with in reality. Economy, location, scenery, shopping, tourism, etc. Its perception is far from post-industrial with high poverty.
LA is lesser to NYC IMO, but a very different national perception than Philly. Skid Row is not outshining Beverly Hills or many of the other glamorous neighborhoods; it's one location in the city. Philly's trash problem is much more widespread (like SF's). LA is another city that has no label of post-industrial with high poverty.
The last time I was in SF was two years ago. The homeless situation pretty much has ended any idea I had of moving there which I did as a young gay-ling. Not gonna happen now.
Didn't people/merchants in S. Philly, principally along S. Broad, reject starting a special services district which would have helped the trash problem?
The last time I was in SF was two years ago. The homeless situation pretty much has ended any idea I had of moving there which I did as a young gay-ling. Not gonna happen now.
I'm with you. 15 years ago, SF was such an intoxicating place. Now, not so much to me. The COL coupled with the trash and homelessness is very uninviting. But there are many people that would disagree with me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyb01
Didn't people/merchants in S. Philly, principally along S. Broad, reject starting a special services district which would have helped the trash problem?
Yes, that is true. It's also true that people opposed ending the parking in the median. There's this idea that if we change S. Philly, it's no longer the S. Philly we love. What these people fail to understand is that everything is in a constant state of change, and that there is such thing as good change. The right kind of change is needed to make it better. Improved street cleaning, removal of parked cars in the median, better bike and bus networks, more trees, reduced traffic, beautification, etc. can all be things that will boost the QOL in SP. I just don't see it happening any time soon unfortunately.
Yes, that is true. It's also true that people opposed ending the parking in the median. There's this idea that if we change S. Philly, it's no longer the S. Philly we love. What these people fail to understand is that everything is in a constant state of change, and that there is such thing as good change. The right kind of change is needed to make it better. Improved street cleaning, removal of parked cars in the median, better bike and bus networks, more trees, reduced traffic, beautification, etc. can all be things that will boost the QOL in SP. I just don't see it happening any time soon unfortunately.
Makes you wonder why parts of S. Philly morphed into being "hip" over the last 10 years or so while Fairmount/Spring Garden/lower Francisville ain't hip but has oodles of trees, manageable traffic, no nutty onstreet parking, lovely playgrounds, tons of babies/young people/dogs and old heads living in the Philadelphian condo. The only bike lane I know is on Spring Garden St. Clean sidewalks too.
Makes you wonder why parts of S. Philly morphed into being "hip" over the last 10 years or so while Fairmount/Spring Garden/lower Francisville ain't hip but has oodles of trees, manageable traffic, no nutty onstreet parking, lovely playgrounds, tons of babies/young people/dogs and old heads living in the Philadelphian condo. The only bike lane I know is on Spring Garden St. Clean sidewalks too.
Well hip in real estate language is just another term for "recently discovered", or rather "re-discovered." Fairmount's hip time was the 90s. Old City was first to get hip decades ago, NL's top hip time early 2000s, Fishtown was at hip ground zero just a couple years ago. Now we're onto the realtor-dubbed LoMo and deep Port Richmond sections...
I think the Delaware River neighborhoods all along Columbus Blvd. are probably next, although they might never get to be hip due to what I expect will be a high cost of entry to live there.
Makes you wonder why parts of S. Philly morphed into being "hip" over the last 10 years or so while Fairmount/Spring Garden/lower Francisville ain't hip but has oodles of trees, manageable traffic, no nutty onstreet parking, lovely playgrounds, tons of babies/young people/dogs and old heads living in the Philadelphian condo. The only bike lane I know is on Spring Garden St. Clean sidewalks too.
I think it's because of the institutions that exist. The restaurants, bakeries, pocket parks, Italian Market, bocce leagues, art clubs, etc. You could move in and have a complete neighborhood immediately. And it is so incredibly walkable because amenities are spread out all over with tiny sub-blocks. More than the average Philly neighborhood.
Fairmount feels a bit like suburbs in the city in a way because the BFP serves as a canyon between Center City and it. And that part of the city always seemed to be a long way behind some of South Philly's offerings. It's also pretty expensive btw. I do actually like that Fairmount isn't labeled as "hip" btw.
I'm with you. 15 years ago, SF was such an intoxicating place. Now, not so much to me. The COL coupled with the trash and homelessness is very uninviting. But there are many people that would disagree with me.
Yes, that is true. It's also true that people opposed ending the parking in the median. There's this idea that if we change S. Philly, it's no longer the S. Philly we love. What these people fail to understand is that everything is in a constant state of change, and that there is such thing as good change. The right kind of change is needed to make it better. Improved street cleaning, removal of parked cars in the median, better bike and bus networks, more trees, reduced traffic, beautification, etc. can all be things that will boost the QOL in SP. I just don't see it happening any time soon unfortunately.
Don't you know change is bad. I have read so many development forums in Philadelphia and my hometown of Media and people complaining about how different things are compared to 1970... well no S***. That logic is so irritating.
Anyways, people do not like the NYC comparison, but Broad St could easily be modeled after Park Ave. Obviously scaled down, but a landscaped median, more trash cans, even prettier traffic lights would do a lot to average eye.
Even Market St could afford to have East/West lanes returned from City Hall going West, and remove the center lane and replace it with a landscaped median. Could you imagine how much prettier the city would look with landscaped medians on Broad and Market for the entire stretch??
Yet the city installs silver tooth pick lights on a concrete median on North Broad......
Don't you know change is bad. I have read so many development forums in Philadelphia and my hometown of Media and people complaining about how different things are compared to 1970... well no S***. That logic is so irritating.
Anyways, people do not like the NYC comparison, but Broad St could easily be modeled after Park Ave. Obviously scaled down, but a landscaped median, more trash cans, even prettier traffic lights would do a lot to average eye.
Even Market St could afford to have East/West lanes returned from City Hall going West, and remove the center lane and replace it with a landscaped median. Could you imagine how much prettier the city would look with landscaped medians on Broad and Market for the entire stretch??
Yet the city installs silver tooth pick lights on a concrete median on North Broad......
A neighborhood is the sum of its residents. When most of the residents think and talk alike, you get what you have in these neighborhoods.
I'm with you 250% on the landscaped medians. Our mayor was the one that backed not removing the cars from the median on S Broad, so there's that.
I think it's because of the institutions that exist. The restaurants, bakeries, pocket parks, Italian Market, bocce leagues, art clubs, etc. You could move in and have a complete neighborhood immediately. And it is so incredibly walkable because amenities are spread out all over with tiny sub-blocks. More than the average Philly neighborhood.
Fairmount feels a bit like suburbs in the city in a way because the BFP serves as a canyon between Center City and it. And that part of the city always seemed to be a long way behind some of South Philly's offerings. It's also pretty expensive btw. I do actually like that Fairmount isn't labeled as "hip" btw.
I love the "suburb in the city" bit. Lol.
Fairmount, the western end of Fairmount Ave., was part of the original restaurant renaissance in the early 70s into the 80s. Two of those places are still there, London( now London Grill) and Jack's Firehouse. Later on the Rose Tattoo at 20th and Callowhill.
Just pointing, again, that the restaurant scene started, in fits and starts, a long time ago. Almost 50 years now. It's all directly connected to the East P restaurants, Old City, Fishtown, CC, University City, Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, etc.
I agree, S. Philly has many features that make it special.
Don't you know change is bad. I have read so many development forums in Philadelphia and my hometown of Media and people complaining about how different things are compared to 1970... well no S***. That logic is so irritating.
Anyways, people do not like the NYC comparison, but Broad St could easily be modeled after Park Ave. Obviously scaled down, but a landscaped median, more trash cans, even prettier traffic lights would do a lot to average eye.
Even Market St could afford to have East/West lanes returned from City Hall going West, and remove the center lane and replace it with a landscaped median. Could you imagine how much prettier the city would look with landscaped medians on Broad and Market for the entire stretch??
Yet the city installs silver tooth pick lights on a concrete median on North Broad......
Park Ave is the way it is(upper east side/Hunter College neighborhood )i.e. its wideness from having trains utilising Grand Central running underneath it.
Everything takes money. There's a ridiculous article in our continuing grease fire local paper, aka the Phila Inquirer, about taxes on certain things being too high, like on tobacco and soda...well, I only read two sentences. My God we do have idiots in this city. People who smoke need to pay for their dumbass habit and soda is " poison". Some revenue from either could be used for just what you are talking about.
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