Welcome to Hell

[chasingtides]

Welcome to Hell: Philadelphia Has a Serious Case of Post-Traumatic Stress DisorderNorris Square is both lovely and out of place-a park interrupting trash-strewn streets and dirty concrete with a sudden surprising burst of green. Elegant decaying townhomes surround the square and convey the neighborhood’s history-its prosperous origins and decades

Comments

[babysinclair]

This is literally down the street from my house. Honestly it's worse 10 blocks north.

[brother_dour]

I think it is probably difficult to really understand what things are like in the really poverty-stricken inner-city neighborhoods if you haven't not just visited there, but spent a lot of time there. I've seen some really poor areas, but I cannot honestly say I have ever been in the worst of them in the U.S.

Referring back to Reynosa: as poor as those areas are, they were a lot safer than a bad inner-city area in the U.S. for a couple of reasons. One, most people were literally too poor to have anything worth stealing or even to afford drugs themselves (although there was some drug use). Two, there was little gang activity in the colonias we worked in, and those few gangs there were didn't mess with the mission works. We even met some of the local branches of the Gulf Cartel who knew the pastor: they were actually very respectful toward and grateful for mission work.

But yeah. I admit I haven't ever seen the really bad areas like the article mentions, and that probably affects how perfect my understanding of them is.

[babysinclair]

I lived in Point Breeze in South Philly, a homeless shelter in North Philly, and this park is across the street from my house and it's not as pearl clutchy as this article is making it out to be.

I've heard less gunshots up here in 9 months than the 2 years I lived in Point Breeze.

But you won't catch me walking around that side of Front Street as a precaution because I don't know what to expect some nights but at the same time you couldn't pay me enough to live at Kensington and Allegheny area or Frankford by Margret-Orthodox Station.

Philly is a hot mess but it comes down to the failing of the government not the people who live there. Because no matter how shitty or scary a neighborhood is, it comes down to what your block is like. My block captain scared away all the hookers and corner boys and has a camera installed in his window to look down the block.

[brother_dour]

Why Philly is a hot mess is an entirely different urban planning discussion!

[babysinclair]

Actually it's not.

Urban Planning = schools + businesses + housing prices + median income + police/drug presence

I cannot begin to go into details on what kinds of stores and schools you could find in neighborhoods that are correlated to the crime/drug/housing prices

The "better" the neighborhood gets, the more stores that pop up that are not bodegas or Chinese take out

[brother_dour]

Ah, I still say it is. You left out governmental policy- not only local and state, but Federal. Tell me- can you explain how the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 contributed to today's urban blight and poverty issues? :)

[babysinclair]

If you ever been on 676, 76, 95, Rt 1 in Philly you'd know :)

More than just traffic congestion

[brother_dour]

I'll just leave this here

http://brother-dour.livejournal.com/80131.html

Re: More than just traffic congestion

[babysinclair]

Yeah doesn't work 100% in Philly cause the city flipped the ghettos after the race riots of the 60s

Re: More than just traffic congestion

[chasingtides]

This.

Re: More than just traffic congestion

[chasingtides]

If you just want to show off how much more brilliant you are by being a dick in the conversation to people who are actually dealing with these issues, I guess this is a good way to do it.

Re: More than just traffic congestion

[babysinclair]

I swear people get their pearls clutched and don't listen to those of us who live here and know what we're talking about. I deal with it with my family who lives in Jersey :/

Re: More than just traffic congestion

[brother_dour]

I'm sorry, but my education and experience only apply to a broad, national sense. I have very limited experience with Philadelphia (or any one city specifically, for that matter).

Don't you think that calling the people who are trying like Hell to understand and to help fix the problems- the problems that by their very nature may be unfixable- is just a bit ungrateful?

Re: More than just traffic congestion

[babysinclair]

It's one thing to ask and another to say that we, the residents, are wrong when we know the city pretty much inside and out

Re: More than just traffic congestion

[brother_dour]

I never said that. Where the Hell did I say that?! I can only go on what I know from a very broad perspective.

That doesn't specifically apply to Philly? Ok, I accept that. But c'mon- no need to get so angry about an honest mistake.

Re: More than just traffic congestion

[babysinclair]

You implied that I was incorrect when I live in these neighborhoods.