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Homelessness has permeated just about every community in North America. I attend undergraduate school here in Wilkes-Barre, PA, a city of just 40,000 in the forgotten about northeastern corner of the state. Nevertheless the homeless population is rather high here. There are two major college campuses that anchor each end of the city's downtown district, and the homeless tend to congregate not far from either campus, bringing both populations into contact with one another.
The homeless shouldn't be thought of as "untouchables" that should be stepped over and jeered at. They should be viewed as human beings with thoughts, feelings, emotions, and in some cases mental illness that has gone untreated for far too long. My former commuter parking lot in a very sketchy neighborhood of Wilkes-Barre forced me to walk through a block where the homeless tended to congregate en route to my campus. I came into social contact with these folks on a regular basis, and I tried showing them compassion whenever possible. Some might call me extremely naive, and I suppose in some cases I am. I know quite well that when I whipped out my wallet to give some folks a few dollars every now and then one of them could have assaulted me and run away with the entire wallet (and my identity). I had a man ask me once to borrow my cell phone as I walked by, so I stopped and let him make a call while I chatted with some of the other homeless folks nearby. They were all talking about how lucky I was to be young and getting to nail all of the hot college chicks on my campus (little did they know I secretly wanted the jocks), but I found their banter to be harmless. We chatted about the female anatomy and its effects upon their anatomy for about five minutes, and I played along with it until the other man was finished with my phone and returned it to me. Another asked me for a lighter, but I told him I didn't smoke.
All in all I've only ever had two negative experiences with the homeless. On one morning I was walking alone to school and saw a man lying on the sidewalk on his side staring at me. Feeling badly for him, I stopped a moment to say "Good morning" to him, thinking that he could use a bit of company. Instead he started screaming obscenities at me in a drunken stupor and began to come at me with his fists, apparently thinking I was "challenging" him. I just put my arms up and tried calming him down, and he eventually gave up and went back to lie down when he realized I wasn't a threat. Given the violent crime sprees in this city I suppose I'm fortunate that he didn't have a gun or a knife. The other time was when a man and woman harassed me for "looking gay" as I passed them (I didn't know we had a "look" to us, but then again many people in PA aren't the most tolerant or intelligent people in the nation). I just ignored them and continued towards my commuter lot.
My point is that for every one homeless person that means you ill-will, a dozen others would welcome some casual conversation, a few dollars, or a friendly smile. Why they've become such "peons" in our society is beyond my realm of comprehension. Since when did chivalry and altruism go out the window?
My former boyfriend (ouch) lives in NYC, I'm sure most of the regular posters remember me talking about him and my trips to NYC to see him (although I've been going to NYC several times a year for ages).
Anyway, he's about as city-boy as you can get. His job has taken him all over the country to launch new stores with his company. He loves NYC. He thought it was the best idea ever to be relocated there. He was ready, willing, and eager....
It's a struggle. In the end, he does love the city, but he would never stay there. It's very hard living. For how much energy is in the city every single day of the year, it can be a very cold and isolating place. He has an EXCELLENT job and still can't afford to even live in Manhattan.
It's hard.. he's ready to come home very much.
I wouldn't say it chewed him up and spit him out, but it definitely bit a few chunks off.
That high stress life would not work for me AT ALL. But I can understand the appeal to a young person just starting out. I doubt very much my son would look to settle there after finishing school, so if he did go there it would be for a limited time frame. I'd actually hate to see him try to start a career there is such a dog eat dog environment. A city like Pittsburgh I could see him settling in
Calm down there young grasshopper. I was referring to lovesMountains son who she specifically said isn't much of a city-goer.
He was born in Charlotte and has lived here his whole life. Being the creative type, very into all kinds of music especially, the idea of all the many venues he could visit in NYC is really tugging at him. He WANTS the big city experience, but I'm just concerned he isn't street savvy enough to be completely safe in NYC. People just seem to treat each other differently in the big cities in the northeast. They don't make small talk, they don't make eye contact in public places, they just don't "engage" they way we seem to down here in the south. On the one hand, going to where things would be so different would be a real learning experience - on the other, I don't want to send him to a place where he will be targeted too easily by criminal types because his southern ways give him away.
He was born in Charlotte and has lived here his whole life. Being the creative type, very into all kinds of music especially, the idea of all the many venues he could visit in NYC is really tugging at him. He WANTS the big city experience, but I'm just concerned he isn't street savvy enough to be completely safe in NYC. People just seem to treat each other differently in the big cities in the northeast. They don't make small talk, they don't make eye contact in public places, they just don't "engage" they way we seem to down here in the south. On the one hand, going to where things would be so different would be a real learning experience - on the other, I don't want to send him to a place where he will be targeted too easily by criminal types because his southern ways give him away.
He could go to Los Angeles, which in my mind isn't as bad as New York, but the people may be more superficial. Of course, it's way on the other side of the country. My son graduated from AI Pittsburgh three years ago, and worked there for awhile. He came back home because he missed his family and for a wider range of opportunities. LA is considered the entertainment capital of the world.
Homelessness has permeated just about every community in North America. I attend undergraduate school here in Wilkes-Barre, PA, a city of just 40,000 in the forgotten about northeastern corner of the state. Nevertheless the homeless population is rather high here. There are two major college campuses that anchor each end of the city's downtown district, and the homeless tend to congregate not far from either campus, bringing both populations into contact with one another.
The homeless shouldn't be thought of as "untouchables" that should be stepped over and jeered at. They should be viewed as human beings with thoughts, feelings, emotions, and in some cases mental illness that has gone untreated for far too long. My former commuter parking lot in a very sketchy neighborhood of Wilkes-Barre forced me to walk through a block where the homeless tended to congregate en route to my campus. I came into social contact with these folks on a regular basis, and I tried showing them compassion whenever possible. Some might call me extremely naive, and I suppose in some cases I am. I know quite well that when I whipped out my wallet to give some folks a few dollars every now and then one of them could have assaulted me and run away with the entire wallet (and my identity). I had a man ask me once to borrow my cell phone as I walked by, so I stopped and let him make a call while I chatted with some of the other homeless folks nearby. They were all talking about how lucky I was to be young and getting to nail all of the hot college chicks on my campus (little did they know I secretly wanted the jocks), but I found their banter to be harmless. We chatted about the female anatomy and its effects upon their anatomy for about five minutes, and I played along with it until the other man was finished with my phone and returned it to me. Another asked me for a lighter, but I told him I didn't smoke.
All in all I've only ever had two negative experiences with the homeless. On one morning I was walking alone to school and saw a man lying on the sidewalk on his side staring at me. Feeling badly for him, I stopped a moment to say "Good morning" to him, thinking that he could use a bit of company. Instead he started screaming obscenities at me in a drunken stupor and began to come at me with his fists, apparently thinking I was "challenging" him. I just put my arms up and tried calming him down, and he eventually gave up and went back to lie down when he realized I wasn't a threat. Given the violent crime sprees in this city I suppose I'm fortunate that he didn't have a gun or a knife. The other time was when a man and woman harassed me for "looking gay" as I passed them (I didn't know we had a "look" to us, but then again many people in PA aren't the most tolerant or intelligent people in the nation). I just ignored them and continued towards my commuter lot.
My point is that for every one homeless person that means you ill-will, a dozen others would welcome some casual conversation, a few dollars, or a friendly smile. Why they've become such "peons" in our society is beyond my realm of comprehension. Since when did chivalry and altruism go out the window?
My opinion on this? It's because when you're one paycheck to "being"them, it really scares the heck out of you. Scared people over react.
So many out on the streets are drug and alcohol addicted, and usually that is some sort of self medication, so you can expect higher incidences of mental illness. Don't forget, I live in California where St Ronnie of Reagan came up with wonderful solution to the mental illness institutions costs and overcrowding -- close them down and let them out...
My opinion on this? It's because when you're one paycheck to "being"them, it really scares the heck out of you. Scared people over react.
So many out on the streets are drug and alcohol addicted, and usually that is some sort of self medication, so you can expect higher incidences of mental illness. Don't forget, I live in California where St Ronnie of Reagan came up with wonderful solution to the mental illness institutions costs and overcrowding -- close them down and let them out...
Unfortunately, that was the prevailing opinion in the mental health community in the early 70s: de-institutionalization, communtiy menatl health services, etc. No one figured that some of these folks really had nowhere to go and wouldn't access community mental health centers. The "advocates" are as much to blame as Reagan. They sort of all got into bed together.
He could go to Los Angeles, which in my mind isn't as bad as New York, but the people may be more superficial. Of course, it's way on the other side of the country. My son graduated from AI Pittsburgh three years ago, and worked there for awhile. He came back home because he missed his family and for a wider range of opportunities. LA is considered the entertainment capital of the world.
I know people love LA , but frankly I'd be more worried about him going there than to New York! Seriously, it has to be his choice and he wants a colder climate - he's not the fun in the sun type, weird I know
Can I ask where your son lived when he attended AI in Pittsburgh? Did he enjoy his time there? I know the opportunities for employment are not necessarily there for graduates, but for the time he IS there do you think he would enjoy the city, based on your sons experiences?
I know people love LA , but frankly I'd be more worried about him going there than to New York! Seriously, it has to be his choice and he wants a colder climate - he's not the fun in the sun type, weird I know
Can I ask where your son lived when he attended AI in Pittsburgh? Did he enjoy his time there? I know the opportunities for employment are not necessarily there for graduates, but for the time he IS there do you think he would enjoy the city, based on your sons experiences?
He first lived on the North Shore in Allegheny Center apartments when he started there in the fall of 2001. They didn't have housing in the downtown area at that time. He felt fairly safe living there, but one thing he didn't like was that some of students were pranksters and would throw things out of the upper windows in the building and they would sometimes hit the cars below. He asked for a covered parking spot for this reason.
Overall, he did enjoy the city. He made friends and we already had relatives there, so he was already somewhat familiar with it, even though we live in LA. After 6 years there, his main gripes were with the limited job opportunities, and the winters were starting to get to him. He sure doesn't miss scraping ice off his car at 7 AM to get to work. I think your son will like it, as it's certainly nothing like NY, but different from Charlotte. It's worth going to a different environment for awhile. You will only be about an hour plane ride away from him.
Do you think that your son was impressed by what he saw there? If not, there are a few other AI schools in the south, but the one in Pittsburgh is the most established, and this mattered to my son.
He first lived on the North Shore in Allegheny Center apartments when he started there in the fall of 2001. They didn't have housing in the downtown area at that time. He felt fairly safe living there, but one thing he didn't like was that some of students were pranksters and would throw things out of the upper windows in the building and they would sometimes hit the cars below. He asked for a covered parking spot for this reason.
Overall, he did enjoy the city. He made friends and we already had relatives there, so he was already somewhat familiar with it, even though we live in LA. After 6 years there, his main gripes were with the limited job opportunities, and the winters were starting to get to him. He sure doesn't miss scraping ice off his car at 7 AM to get to work. I think your son will like it, as it's certainly nothing like NY, but different from Charlotte. It's worth going to a different environment for awhile. You will only be about an hour plane ride away from him.
Do you think that your son was impressed by what he saw there? If not, there are a few other AI schools in the south, but the one in Pittsburgh is the most established, and this mattered to my son.
Thanks for refreshing my memory about your sons experience
From what I understand the Allegheny Center is being fazed out by the new housing called "Miller Hall"right around the corner from the AI. Sure wish we had a relative or two in the area, that would make me feel better about being 8 hours away from him. He did like what he saw of the city and the school itself. He has the same feeling about going to Pittsburgh over any other location as your son did
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The other time was when a man and woman harassed me for "looking gay" as I passed them (I didn't know we had a "look" to us, but then again many people in PA aren't the most tolerant or intelligent people in the nation). 
I just ignored them and continued towards my commuter lot. 
