The hot topic on the University City list serve has been the situation about the recent spate of L&I inspections at Baltimore Avenue, and its connection to the overall neighborhood's development efforts, as spearheaded in part by University City District.


The heated debate began with this City Paper story on October 9:
http://citypaper.net/articles/2003-10-09/cb.shtml

Here is a sample of the most recent conversation under that thread:

>>>>Tony is saying what he thinks. To make such a strong
judgement of what his
opinion of his view on racism based on what he's shared here seems
baseless and
wrong. One could turn the same comment back on you and say you
seem like a
knee-jerk liberal that sees racism everywhere no matter what and I'm
sure you
>>>>wouldn't think that was fair...

Sali Response: on race

What I said is that he sounds like the people who think that way,
I am not accusing Tony of any racist beliefs or behavior. You can say
what you will about me..seeing “racism everywhere” and I don’t mind,
and it is no what most people will say about me. I seldom mention
race in my post to this list. However, I will let you in on a fact, I
encounter racism in my community, personally, and in my business
life. There are people who are prejudiced against other people
because of the color
of their skin. It is real, and that is my point.


>>>The fact is, many people, including myself, do want different
businesses
in UC than are here now. As a 40 year old life long West Philly boy, I
can't
be described as a product of gentrification, but I would love to see a
Starbucks,
a Staples and a many other businesses within walking distance of my
house and I wouldn't have one problem with them replacing the
endlessly redundant braid shops,
nail salons and mom and pop foods stores with no selection. Its not
that I'm against
mom and pop stores, but hardly anyone seems to be interested in
opening a m/p establishment for the things I'm interested in -at least
in UC.
>>>If the UCD can make this happen, I'm all for it.

Sali response: Do people have freedom to open a business?

I am a 43 year old “west Philly” lover. I grew up here as you did, and
moved
back 13 years ago. I have been working in the community through
community agencies and organizations for the entire time. You are
prejudiced against the mom and pop shops who are doing business
there. You don’t understand them, you don’t like it, and you want
them replaced. You said it all. However, people have a right to open a
business. If no one supports their service, they will go out of
business.
Philadelphia Commercial Development Corporation (PCDC) works
with business corridors all over the city. You don't hear this problem
or
charge about PCDC because they work with the existing business
organization, community, and shop keeper.

The UCD corridor program should be very careful about their activities.
If they are working with real estate agents, it resembles steering, the
illegal practice of eliminating certain areas from consideration
because
they won’t “fit-in” or based on race or ethnic background. Again, the
real estate industry created laws to govern this practice because there
are people who think this way. The UCD has no official ownership of
Baltimore Avenue or any corridor. Do most of us know what their
powers and authorities are?

>>>>I'm also for the historic district.

Sali response: So am I ..but…
I don’t agree with the process that establishes HD’s.

see: www.shnalliance.org


>>>My point is, that while you seem to think that Tony's pretending to
be in the majority my experience with my neighbors both new and
long-time are than he is not pretending. You obviously feel that
status quo that exists is fine and like things the way they are... and
that's okay. But don't pretend some tiny minority of insideous,
outsiders are trying to take over UC and change it. Its
>>>just that some people want different things.

Sali response: What???
I never support status quo.


>>>>The real problem comes from (my perception only) when people
in our community
want to try to stop others from changing something because they
themselves
1) weren't consulted, 2) aren't in control or 3) don't want things to
change. With those constraints business opportunities will pass us by
and my bald head will have to walk around UC and keep looking at all
>>>>of the braiding shops!

Sali response: I’m pretty bald myself!
Again, you say it all for me.

>>>Basically this message is for my monthly unlurk and to add m
>>>voice to Tony's as a supporter of his views.

Sali response: Thanks for the “un-lurk”.

I am all about opening up dialogue between residents, all about
getting folks to “un-lurk”. I received a bunch of private mail, I
always
do, from those who don’t want to share their views with the list. So
be it. One e-mail came from a member of a local community group
who said that “they” needed to be very careful about what they
published publicly because of their position in the community group.
If belonging to a community group as a member or officer
silences your community voice, I suggest you re-think your
participation in that group. Being active in a community group should
involve voicing your opinions and advocacy for those who can’t. I am
not silenced by my involvement.

We need more voices and less silence.

Sharrieff






On Sat, 18 Oct 2003 23:25:59 EDT, AnthonyLower@aol.com wrote :

>
>
> Tony is saying what he thinks. To make such a strong judgement of
what his
> opinion of his view on racisim based on what he's shared here
seems baseless and
> wrong. One could turn the same comment back on you and say you
seem like a
> knee-jerk liberal that sees racism everywhere no matter what and
I'm sure you
> wouldn't think that was fair...
>
> The fact is, many people, including myself, do want different
businesses in
> UC than are here now. As a 40 year old life long West Philly boy, I
can't be
> described as a product of gentrification, but I would love to see a
Starbucks,
> a Staples and a many other businesses within walking distance of
my house and
> I wouldn't have one problem with them replacing the endlessly
redundant braid
> shops, nail salons and mom and pop foods stores with no selection.
Its not
> that I'm against mom and pop stores, but hardly anyone seems to
be interested in
> opening a m/p establishment for the things I'm interested in -at
least in UC.
> If the UCD can make this happen, I'm all for it.
>
> I'm also for the historic district.
>
> My point is, that while you seem to think that Tony's pretending to
be in the
> majority my experience with my neighbors both new and long-time
are than he
> is not pretending. You obviously feel that status quo that exists is
fine and
> like things the way they are... and that's okay. But don't pretend
some tiny
> minority of insideous, outsiders are trying to take over UC and
change it. Its
> just that some people want different things.
>
> The real problem comes from (my perception only) when people in
our community
> want to try to stop others from changing something because they
themselves
> 1) weren't consulted, 2) aren't in control or 3) don't want things to
change.
> With those constraints business opportunities will pass us by and my
bald head
> will have to walk around UC and keep looking at all of the braiding
shops!
>
> Basically this message is for my monthly unlurk and to add m voice
to Tony's
> as a supporter of his views.
>
> PEACE, Ant
>
>
>
> ============previous message======
> Tony …you sound like one of those people that
> say “racism is in their minds, it doesn’t really
> exist�, they just have low self esteem.
>
> Yeah…right.
>
> The fact of the matter is there are plenty of people
> and meetings that take place in this community to
> consolidate power and undermine the interest of
> residents who..for what ever reason, don’t “fit� the
> desired profile. I have attended some of these
> meetings and refused to participate in the “schemes�.
>
> Look at the whole Historic District issue, we are all being
> told that “everyone� is for it and only a handful of
> mixed nuts are making noise against it.
>
> Again, Yeah right.
>
> Wake up! …Tony and everybody else who keeps saying that
> this is some “misunderstanding� or an unfounded conspiracy
> theory. There are so many of you going out of your way to
> say it isn’t true no matter how many residents and business
> people say it is true for them. Why was it published in City Paper?
> I suspect they were able to see two sides of a story.
>
> This L&I “bit� is old. Nothing new here at all.
>
> You never responded to my e-mails regarding
> the organizational structure of the UCD. If what is being
> said about the changes on the corridor isn’t true,
> than why hasn’t UCD done anything to bridge the issue?
> A community meeting or advocating with L&I for the
> business owners who have complained?
>
> Come on people, don’t pee on us and tell us it is raining.
>
> S.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 21:31:56 -0400, "Anthony West"
> <anthony_west@dca.net> wrote :
>
> > Jamie Graham writes to a newspaper:
> > > As a resident of West Philadelphia who has been frequenting
> > > the Baltimore Avenue area since 1995, I can personally
> > > attest to the L&I crackdown that the University City
> > > District is using to drive the mostly minority-owned and/or
> > > patronized businesses out to make room for yuppie
> > > businesses.
> >
> > But the fact is that there ARE NO yuppie businesses on Baltimore
> Avenue west
> > of 43rd St.! Zero, zilch, nada. So Jamie Graham is personally
> attesting to
> > something that has happened only in his imagination. His
> statement is
> > visibly false.
> >
> > If yuppie businesses want to open up on a commercial strip, they
> don't need
> > to "drive out" existing businesses. Did you, the readers of this
list,
> need
> > to "drive out" the previous inhabitants of your homes when you
> moved into
> > University City yourselves? Of course not. All you have to do is
rent a
> > store, or buy the building if you have more cash. It's not a
> mysterious
> > process.
> >
> > In fact, it's *harder* to gentrify a commercial strip with a bunch
of
> > boarded-up storefronts that have been "driven out of business"
by
> anything.
> > I've never seen it done anywhere. Yuppie businesses are like any
> other
> > businesses: they like to see life on the street. South Street,
> Manayunk,
> > Northern Liberties, Fairmount -- none of these areas started
> jumping because
> > they were full of boarded-up former nail salons. Quite the
contrary:
> upscale
> > merchants phased in alongside viable cormer businesses.
> >
> > There may or may not be an L&I crackdown. If one is going on, I
> don't see
> > the need for it. But the goals of Massar on Baltimore Ave. should
be
> taken
> > at face value. Do you or do you not think the street has problems
> with
> > shabbiness, or with businesses that bother their neighbors? That's
> all UCD
> > is saying -- that some people do. And that's quite enough to
> explain what
> > you think you are seeing. If you think yuppies are the only
> Philadelphians
> > who freely complain about their neighbors, well, you must be new
to
> > Philadelphia, palzo.
> >
> > Sometimes simple, functional explanations explain everyday-life
> problems
> > better than sweaty-browed conspiracy theories. Here's my
> hypothesis: if you
> > pay somebody to move up and down a commercial street for a
> couple of years,
> > asking people if they've got any problems or complaints -- after a
> while,
> > the total number of complaint reports on that street will start to
rise.
> > Yuppies, minorities, Martians, makes no difference.
> >
> > -- Tony West
> >

So what is the biggest issue in University City these days?

Lately Hack

They are filming parts of the show here. I don't mind but I can see why in a difficult neighborhood to find parking people get so upset. I saw the city tow about 20 cars last night from my block to make room for the production people and equipment this morning.

Is this an ongoing issue?

I would say it simmers.
This is an old article, but I think it gives good background

http://philadelphia.bizjournals.com/...15/story3.html

__________________
Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian. - Robert Orben

Yeah it does but some of the actual complaints that fed the paranoia have worked themselves at least partially. Dahlak is apparantly "this close" to getting a license to reopen the patio - a real boon to us UC drinkers. Solomon (the owner) was so happy he hugged two times telling me the good news (my wife often ran in to him in line at L&I so we have built up a little bitching comraderie). I think the church bake sale worked out some sort of arangement (which was a totally ridiculous citation but not one triggered in any way by UCD - I asked Eli Masser and he looked me in the eye when he answered so I believe him). Neither Third World Lounge nor Abby's went out of business despite dire predictions. Third World Lounge is the "plywood covered bar" in the article above. An interesting side note, I recently found out that the reason 49th and Baltimore is flooded with African American ladies on Thursday nights is because Third World Lounge hosts a male stripper night on that evening once a week.

Eli does somehow manage to consistantly find a way to ruffle certain people's feathers but I have heard a lot less grumbling about how he is the "Great Satan" lately. Maybe because of the election people have more important reasons to preach doom and gloom over.