It's funny how people who live here will tell you it's fine, but people who quote 14 year newspaper articles will tell you to run for your life. In my experience, you have nothing to worry about, times change and so do neighborhoods. If you find a nice place on a good block, don't hesitate.

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"What's up Pops!" - Lebron James to Bush 41.

Oh yea? How many black families do you know in Fishtown? How many are on PB or fishtown.us? We have 100s of Fishtown residents across both boards...

Per the 2000 census there are 18,617 white people and 790 black people. 1,000 asians and 1900 hispanics.

The article is 14 years ago, but rest assured that most Fishtowners there 14 years ago are still there today.

I wouldn't recommend Fishtown for my black friends. Just like I wouldn't recommend Strawberry Mansion to my white friends.

I live near the Girard El Stop. We have a couple Puerto Rican and Asian families/couples living on the street. Haven't had any problems at all that I'm aware of.

I never claimed that Fishtown was the most diverse place in the world. And I can personally confirm that there are some ignorant people still around. That being said, you can take a walk down East Girard and you'll see plenty of black people and no one seems to mind. Go down to Fishtown Rec and you have white kids playing ball against black kids, yet somehow a race war never breaks out. It's not racial utopia, but it's not apartheid South Africa either. Perhaps people who actually live in Fishtown might have a better idea of what's going on than those quoting 14 year old articles or 8 year old census statistics.

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"What's up Pops!" - Lebron James to Bush 41.

And you lived in Fishtown for what, 2 years? My uncle, a 49th St native has been there for 30 or so. My friend, a white Kenso native owns a retail store in Fishtown and he would agree with me... Again:

Per the 2000 census there are 18,617 white people and 790 black people.

I'm not dissing Fishtown...I'm just stating the obvious....its mostly white.

It is, no one is disputing that. But that doesn't make it unsafe for a black family. I think a problem for some people who've lived in a certain area for such a long time, is that their view of that area become stagnant, even while circumstances around them change.

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"What's up Pops!" - Lebron James to Bush 41.

Also, do note that the yups and hipsters here on PB who live in Fishtown always curse the local kids. Most of these newbies to Fishtown do not have kids over the age of 5 in the local schools...so that means most of the kids in the local schools are from the native Fishtown families.

You know what's funny..

A lot of unhappy people up in the Northeast who would rather go for racial purity and reject black middle class families...

are envious of Fishtown's reputation amongst the black population of Philadelphia, whether today it's still real or imagined.

Although if you actually live there and walk east of Girard on the El, you'll see black people and also using the El stop itself. It's not exactly like it's Allentown there any more.

However, if you are poor and black, or poor and white... forget renting in Fishtown. You can't afford it.

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WHYY pays their CEO $750,000 a year. So WHYY should I renew my membership? Seems they have no problems finding money and spending it unwisely.


And this is why you should donate to PACCA, not PETA:

In September, PETA made headlines in Vermont and across the nation for asking Ben & Jerry's ice cream to use human breast milk in their ice cream, instead of cow milk

I have to agree with Zur and Malloy. I've lived in Philly all my life, and would always see minorities on the outskirts of Fishtown (Girard, Front) during the day. But the interior after dark is a different story. Those people from 14 years ago have children who are now "proud" to be there. Of course, like everywhere else, some blocks are better than others. I think the OP would be better served hearing opinions from other minorities living in the neighborhood.

Times change, that's why all the Zur's of the world can find are 14-year old articles. Here's a more recent take from a Fishtown bar tour:
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/?i...shtown&_c=news

If that's not integration, I don't know what is

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"What's up Pops!" - Lebron James to Bush 41.