I'm writing a magazine story about how Universities are using "urban revitalization" and retail to boost their profile and their bottom line. Seems there's some disconnect between what the schools are telling me and what the neighborhood feels, so I'm asking you folks here to rant about what's good and what's not about what Penn is trying to accomplish in West Philly. My journalistic instincts are telling me there's more to the story than what the University is saying. (Well, that and the fact that a friend of mine works at Penn and has told me there is another side to the feel-good story Penn is putting out there. She sent me here. Hi Diogenes!)

In the interests of full disclosure, I'm a Penn grad, lived at 39th and Baltimore for two years in the 80s, and have no axe to grind beyond trying to get at the truth. I will not quote anyone without first obtaining their permission.

Thanks in advance for your rants, screeds, opinions, and diatribes. I am in your debt.

E.

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Don't shoot me, I'm a journalist.

I believe it's a good thing. I think it raises the value of the neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods.


P.S. Some other opinions on this thread may be found at:

http://www.mail-archive.com/univcity.../msg10498.html

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the CP has had stories on this in teh past. It seems there there is relatively little friction that is out of th enorm. people are always nervous about change, esp when it's being financed by a bigger entity. Penn chose to stay here instead of moving to VF so I appreciate what they have done. And I can;t say I blem them for wanting to improve their immediate area. I'm sure ther are naysayers. perhaps you should hit the street on balt ave and ask some merchants.

what's going on in west philly is great, except that homeownership within the penn alexander school catchment area is now out of reach to all low income individuals. the school will most likely lead to an increase in homeownership in the area as homes rented out to students will be reconverted to owner-occupied housing. however, this will push out more than students, i.e. regular working class people w/ children that attend the penn alexander school. i also believe the black community has a deep resentment of penn and its students, despite the fact that they are the biggest employer in philadelphia.

all in all, i think what penn is doing will help all people to realize that west philly can be a great place to live, which i think is a good thing that could lead to the revitalization of all of west philly (well not all of it). and keep in mind, the penn influence can only go so far west, and they aim to keep it that way.

i have mixed feelings, but i like the potential end result.

oops

Well, as an architecture student and someone who loves urban revitalization, seeing a neighborhood improve is definitely a good thing. There is no sight that makes me happier than to see people up on ladders painting and out in the front planting some new flowers. As far as the gentrification of West Philadelphia, Penn has had some part in this, but I think a lot of it also has to do with the supposed new realization that city living has many benefits.

However, there is a flip side to this whole ordeal. Currently, I am renting out a house in University City with a few friends. I love the place and the neighborhood. But as a young architect, I don't make all that much money. In fact, as it stands now, if I weren't sharing a house, there would be no way I could afford to live in Powelton, Spruce Hill, or Garden court. House prices now start at $270,000 (for a fixer upper, nonetheless!), and seem to be slowly creeping upwards. University City prides itself in its diversity, and I love it for that. Within one block of me, there are architects, professors, students, retired veterans, lower income subsidized housing, and even a half-way house for the mentally handicapped. While most people would cringe at the thought of such an odd mix of people living on the same block, it all works, and creates a neighborhood unlike any other. But slowly, as prices creep upwards, one house at a time, the neighborhood is becoming less diverse, and more of a yuppy enclave. Don't get me wrong, the people who move in are nice enough, and hold the same liberal attitudes as their predecessors, but they just don't seem to have as much vested in the area. Sure, its great to see a neighborhood become so popular and well-maintained, but its disheartening to know that I'll be left out of the picture because of my income level.

I'm optomistic that things will eventually level out though. I don't think West Philly will ever a complete yuppy enclave, but I do fear the area will somehow lose some of the character that made it so unique in the first place.

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and medium income individuals.

I've known several people who were renovating a number of houses and they are thrilled that their investment is bearing fruit.

These same folks (who have no connection with Penn) also lament (or at least worry) that they are losing all control of their own neighborhoods. It is, at least to them, a dual-edged sword - they hate complaining because they are gaining financially - but they hate the idea that control seems to be passing, in many ways, to unelected UPenn officials.

And remember, this was the same feeling that has come out about the University District folks (and I'm a great proponent of BIDS and NIDS). The community voted down the University District - the budget, at least. They didn't want it. Penn, Drexel, CHOP and others resurrected it and agreed to pay the freight. It's the only one of our special services district with no public elections and no public (meaningful) public input.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

:clapping:

Very well said. It is sad that as places get out of reach for lower income folks it loses its diversity.

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GAP27 - what a tremendous post! The guys I know over there feel the same way - and they are professional - engineers and energy consultants.

They love the divirsity of West Philadelphia. That's why they chose to live there, buy property there and to invest there. One of them is West Philadelphia's only beekeeper (that I know of) and his product is so good that it gets sold in Metropolitan Bakery.

As prices rise, we all get frozen out. I've been through it on the West Side of Manhattan, been through it in Old City, been through it in DuPont Circle in DC.

It's not enough to simply say (as Wil does) that it's too bad. There really should be some way of protecting people and small businesses.

In New York, there was rent control and rent stabilization. Rent control isn't a great answer - too many rich folks ripped off the system with 10-room apartments for a few hundred dollars a month. But stabilization seemed to work pretty well - meshing the needs of investor-owners with the needs of residents. Unfortunately, there were no controls on commercial rentals so all the good, interesting businesses (on the upper West Side) got pushed out by sushi bars, chocolate chip cookie stores and Italian shoe stores. It's pretty hard to live when the laundries are all forced out, the hardware store leaves and the only drug store you can find is a chain.

I don't know why people who claim that they love a neighborhood stand around and watch as it gets ruined. It seems that the worst thing that can happen to a good stable neighborhood is to be "discovered" and even worse to become chic.

Walt Kelly (POGO) was right: we are the enemy.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs