I dunno...this sounds like the talk that led up to the great Mt Airy exodus 40 years ago. The rise in violent cime is disturbing but I don't think moving or buying guns is the answer.

My strategy is to go out on the front lawn a couple of times a month and do small animal sacrifices. I usually wear a viking helmet and a large rude codpeice while chanting in an unintelligable language. Everyone keeps their distance and my family is safe.

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"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others."
Cicero (106 BCE - 43 BCE)

Hi again,

When I graduated high school, I couldn't wait to move out from my home and I picked an apartment with a few girlfriends..This place was in West Philly.. I loved the college area (44th and spruce area) and found it easy to get to my job in center city. After a lot of crimes I still stayed in that apartment, but I was more alert.. Finally a person was killed in our apartment building and that was the final push I needed to move..At the time I was about to get married and we married (eloped) and moved to Andalusia, penna.. This was about 1 hour north of where I lived.. (Near Woodhaven mall area) We stayed in an apartment there for about 2 years and then rented a smal house near Pine road and Red lion.. After I moved from West Philly I did feel safer. The marriage didn't last more then 4 years so eventually I moved home to mom until I was back on my feet.
My story goes on forever , but this is a forum , so I will keep it short.
Home is still now N.E Philly as it was at the start...as you see I came full circle..

Good to hear from you J. Fossil! Also, that's one of the best suggestions I've seen on this blog.

Thanks for the good word Gene (I'm Joel, btw). Did I ever tell you my ideas about live target biathlon in the Winter Olympics?

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"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues but the parent of all others."
Cicero (106 BCE - 43 BCE)

So what do you get for "sticking it out"?

It's very honorable to not quit on your neighborhood but when the city and all your neighbors quit what exactly are you fighing for?

Most people move because it's not their responsibility to fight when they can just move.

May not be the "best" thing to do for the city but it's usually the best for people's families, expenses, safety, etc....

but I'm jaded...my neighborhood died and everyone just let it happen and although I loved where i grew up i see no real reason to fight for something that will never exist today.

Most of the "neighborhoods" were really a group of close knit families anf frineds...when those bonds break due to aging of families, houses, etc there's little holding people.

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Really? Where?

the more you talk badly about your hood the more people (who are able to create some + changes) wont move there.

young college educated people need a place to go and some "safe" areas of philly are too pricy, so they will have to come to your hood and it will be good.

i am trying to find a home in the NE to buy and i get so discouraged when i read some of the posts.

not everyone can afford Mt Airy or wants to live in the damn burbs!

I wouldn't want my enemies moving into my old neighborhood. Nothing will save it. It has nothing going for it. The only thing it did have going for was the tight knit community. No that's entirely gone.

Just a collection of failry beat up rowhomes, empty warehouses, closed businesses or businesses in trouble or troublesome businesses (dollar stores, chineese take out w/ the bulletproof glass)

No usable safe parks, no architecture, no assemblance of community. Massive influx of off the boat immigrants and poor people from the rest of the area.

Anything below Levick has some hard times ahead.

Other areas are coming back becuase they have either:

1. Proximity to Center City (Fishtown, Grad Hospital)
2. Interesting buildings/housing (U City, Germantown, Mt. Airy)
3. Historic Value (Old City, No Libs, Fairmount)
4. A "sponsor" like Penn, Temple, a major developer (Gray's Ferry, U City)
5. Physical Beauty (Manyunk or even Stawberry Mansion for example)
6. Jobs (South Philly isn't pretty but it's cheap and close to Center City)


The lower NE needs something 'cause right now it lacks all of these. Any posisitve is totally overwhelmed by negatives.

Look at Northwood....cool homes but no jobs and surrounded by neighborhoods in decline. Just a matter of time for Northwood.

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But at least Summerdale still has Walt's Bar on Oxford Circle Walt and Irene are good people.

I fell so very bad for institutions that get surrounded by blight through no fault of themselves.

I miss all the local stores I used to go to. I miss local stores. Target's great...but I miss walking around a crowd of old people buying lottery tickets just to get some asprin in some tiny basement pharmacy.

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