Man complains about decline of old neighborhood, lives in Cranberry (Pittsburgh: section 8, crime)

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by stburr91

Is it racist that only the white neighborhoods have gentrified here in Pittsburgh? Are the young people that are moving into the city racist because they aren't gentrifying the black neighborhoods? East Liberty still hasn't gotten over the hump yet where white middle class families feel comfortable there, despite massive public, and private investment.

Maybe. It depends on why they aren't moving into the black neighborhoods.

Also, wouldn't the Central Northside count?

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

A lot of people that lived in any neighborhood in the 60's have long since passed into their decedencies.


The letter writer was probably just a kid, considering how long ago it was, it was his parents' place in Brightwood and they might have continued to live there for a long time. Might still be there, that's why he visited the area and know its conditions nowadays.

That wouldn't be "white flight" at all, just an adult moving out of his parents home.


Further, nothing in the letter indicates what race or ethnicity the man is.

This.

[Der Schwabe]

Originally Posted by ferraris

Maybe. It depends on why they aren't moving into the black neighborhoods.

Also, wouldn't the Central Northside count?

Central Northside is a prime example of slow and/or difficult gentrification that has arguably taken decades and still has fits and starts (See: Garden Theater) despite attempts to turn it around since the 1990s. East Liberty has had large amounts of federal money subsidize private retailers' move into the neighborhood and has still not seen the level of acceptance similar to previously white working class neighborhoods, South Side and Lawrenceville being the chief examples.

[norcider]

Anyhow "a better quality of life" is certainly subjective and it's pretty selfish to think the decisions one person makes is somehow intellectually or morally superior to somebody who decided to stay in the city. One persons quality of life is another persons prison of boredom.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by norcider

Anyhow "a better quality of life" is certainly subjective and it's pretty selfish to think the decisions one person makes is somehow intellectually or morally superior to somebody who decided to stay in the city. One persons quality of life is another persons prison of boredom.

Taking it as being intellectually or morally superior is your sensitivity talking.

Yup, that's why not everyone lives in the same place.

[norcider]

Sensitivity? I was being diplomatic. I should have said prison of mediocrity. How's that for sensitive? Keep rolling those windows up when you're in the north side there Butlerite.

[ditchdigger]

Nowhere do I see an indication that it went bad while he was still living there. Maybe he grew up, went away to school, got a job, started a family, and eventually ended up in Cranberry. Should we have a poll to see how many members here still live in the neighborhood they grew up in? I'd wager it's not many.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by norcider

Sensitivity? I was being diplomatic. I should have said prison of mediocrity. How's that for sensitive? Keep rolling those windows up when you're in the north side there Butlerite.

Again with the sensitivity. After 30+ years, perhaps you should really think about letting the hostility go.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by erieguy

you should really think about letting the hostility go.

[Der Schwabe]

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

Nowhere do I see an indication that it went bad while he was still living there. Maybe he grew up, went away to school, got a job, started a family, and eventually ended up in Cranberry. Should we have a poll to see how many members here still live in the neighborhood they grew up in? I'd wager it's not many.

Precisely, sprawl and white flight were and are quite effective in convincing scared whites they will be disadvantaged if they stay in the city. Cue the Butler county chip on the shoulder crowd in 3...2...1.

If we could get a few more posts pretending white flight has nothing to do with race but was merely an inexplicable result of free choice decoupled from and unaffected by racial bias and the sudden integration of urban schools. Thanks in advance.