Why isn't Philadelphia mentioned in "Black mecca" discussions? (Reading: sales, apartment complex)

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by FindingZen

For Greater Philadelphia to be considered a Black mecca IMO , there would have to be a considerable swath of upper-middle class+ majority Black neighborhoods. The ones that come closest to that have already been mentioned and don't compare in number or depth to the Atlanta metro or PG County, MD adjacent to DC.

There is one such neighborhood that hasn't been brought up yet, and it's in the city:

East Oak Lane.

Most of its housing stock dates to the first two decades of this century, and a lot of it consists of freestanding Colonials of the kind you find all over the Main Line. Two of its Census block groups have six-figure median household incomes.

I've referred to it in the past as the city's best-kept secret. Some of the residents would like it to be a bit better known, but I think that many others are just fine with that.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

There is one such neighborhood that hasn't been brought up yet, and it's in the city:

East Oak Lane.

Most of its housing stock dates to the first two decades of this century, and a lot of it consists of freestanding Colonials of the kind you find all over the Main Line. Two of its Census block groups have six-figure median household incomes.

I've referred to it in the past as the city's best-kept secret. Some of the residents would like it to be a bit better known, but I think that many others are just fine with that.

Ahh, duly noted.

I know West Oak Lane a little but not so much East Oak Lane. Checking a map page, I can see how some streets over there are underrated.

[JacksonPanther]

Originally Posted by eliza61nyc

disclosure: I grew up in Harlem, lol I married into Philadelphia n

Now maybe it's because us NY'ers have the horrible habit of thinking nothing else exist outside their city but was Philly every thought of as a black "mecca"?

after I graduated in 1980, I know everyone was thinking of moving to Atlanta, mainly because it was seen as very youthful and upward moving black folks. I went to Pitt and it seemed like the majority of Blacks were from Philly. my roommate and all my friends seem to be from Philly and Baltimore. most were first generation college students.

lol my family is from Charleston and Tennessee and most of my relatives fled like many during Jim Crow so it took us a long time to even consider moving back to the South.

I think one issue as someone else mentioned is that my community here in Philly is fighting abject poverty. loss of manufacturing and decent paying entry level jobs has seem to hurt the city.

I also went to Pitt, in the mid 80s. Lots of DC area people there, because DC is closer to Pittsburgh than Philly is.

Coming out of the 70s, neither Philly or NY were desirable places for young college educated black people. Frankly they were both ****holes, with underfunded downtowns and infrastructure, and the beginnings of flight to the suburbs. I went to Atlanta and Boston, 2 cities that were growing and getting wealthier, not more poor.

New York certainly improved dramatically since the 70s, Philly has improved also, but cracks remain. The per capita income in Philly speaks volumes. An overall poor city will never be a mecca for anything.

[JacksonPanther]

I wonder if white people consider Boston to be their mecca?

[Lenses & Lights.]

Originally Posted by RUGGLES99

in washington, d.c., a large number of blacks work for the federal govt., giving them a solid middle to upper middle class status, and thus making them part of a black mecca. in Philly, the blacks for the most part are in the lower class, poor ghetto. not a great story, and it's always been that way, and won't change in this new world order.

One problem with Philadelphia is the cost of living isn't dirt cheap but it's lower than it's peer NE corridor cities, but also overall lower than Atlanta, and Charlotte and most cities in the South. What cities match Philadelphia in rent or even home ownership will offer more bang for the buck in Atlanta. COL & QOL may be better across the board for a single person earning just 40 - 55 thousand dollars and couples with children bringing in 66 to 80 thousand.

I'm just speaking on the average semi-skilled or skilled blue collar workers. Houses and apartments are usually bigger, newer, nicer, have pools, lawns, big green back yards, and two parking spaces on average there.

Also, most streets are cleaner and well kept and most people love the fact that they can move from a big expensive city and relocate to the ATL, and don't really have to live there but 25-50 miles away and still say they live in Atlanta.

Kennesaw, Acworth, South Marietta, Have excellent Blue Ribbon schools, parks and recreation, quality sports, and recreation programs, along with better supermarkets. The burbs and small towns surrounding Atlanta are filled black transplants from Chicago, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, etc.

I've seen 4 bedroom homes for $800.00 monthly in Lawrenceville, and the Hispanic families have gathered in Tucker and that surrounding area.

I can't really speak for their " Working Poor" but they are surely there, but one thing I know is their minimum wage jobs pay the same as Philadelphia's and quite a few small metros pay the same or more, so it's not like Philadelphians aren't working but they are so under paid and the cost of living has gone up astoundingly. Just because rents aren't on Boston or DC's level doesn't mean it's cheap and easy living.

Also compared to DC, Philly has twice the land mass and hasn't gentrified enough completely push its poor out of the city or from the state completely like D.C. has for a couple of decades now. Same as Boston, San Francisco, and pushing into Oakland now. LA blacks have headed to Phoenix and Vegas. I don't know if Philly will be considered a Mecca for any one race of people but it is highly livable at a decent wage. There are neighborhoods within city limits that are comparable to most any where if a person is earning a decent wage.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by Lenses & Lights.

One problem with Philadelphia is the cost of living isn't dirt cheap but it's lower than it's peer NE corridor cities, but also overall lower than Atlanta, and Charlotte and most cities in the South. What cities match Philadelphia in rent or even home ownership will offer more bang for the buck in Atlanta. COL & QOL may be better across the board for a single person earning just 40 - 55 thousand dollars and couples with children bringing in 66 to 80 thousand.

.

I'm gonna go out a limb and say the COL is higher in Philadelphia than Atlanta or Charlotte.
Unless I interpreted your post wrong.

[Lenses & Lights.]

Originally Posted by cpomp

I'm gonna go out a limb and say the COL is higher in Philadelphia than Atlanta or Charlotte.
Unless I interpreted your post wrong.

Nope you're not interpreting wrong. I meant higher but I think it's too late to edit it.

[Escondudo]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

I wonder if white people consider Boston to be their mecca?

New York City and Seattle

[eliza61nyc]

Originally Posted by JacksonPanther

I wonder if white people consider Boston to be their mecca?

lol, that was funny

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by RUGGLES99

like so many other upscale neighborhoods, east oak lane was predominately Jewish. 11th street used to have the best Jewish delis and bakeries, etc. -- not hasidic, but just mainstream all-american Jewish. the area was really part of the logan neighborhood, and broad street in those days -- 40s, 50s, 60s was a shopping center with three movie theaters in a three block area -- the logan, the broad and the Rockland. there was an acme, a Penn fruit and just tons of stores, and just north was lonely. back in those days these areas were 99 percent white. the broad street subway stops in logan was -- logan and wyoming. it was a great crime-free area, and i guess in the 70s white flight happened and then all hell broke loose. very sad how truly great neighborhoods were destroyed.

Manufacturing leaving, starting in 70s, didn't help either.