Originally Posted by seand

Greg- the truth of the matter is that there are lots of areas in Greater West Philadelphia where the occupancy rates for homes is down around 40%. For now, I think there is plenty of room for everybody who wants to live here for the indefinite future. My experience is that folks who own houses in the more beat-up parts of West Philly more often than not tolerate almost anybody who partakes helping keep up the neighborhood, even all those punk-rock squatter kids who are so attracted to the fringes of our neighborhood.

There are some people both white and black who just don't like living next to people who are not like them, its true. Prejudice is a funny multi-dimensional thing. I've heard as many anecdotes about long-time African American residents voicing resentment at African, West Indian, and South East Asian immigrants moving into their neighborhood as at white people. Most people, IMO, judge their nighbors by how they act rather than how they look but you are welcome to argue otherwise.