RE: "Are you saying that Spruce Hill _is_ a struggling needy neighborhood,
on
the downswing, and lacking in stability? That we _aren't_ doing quite
well on our own?
I'll admit we aren't trendy, but the rest of that is pretty
harsh."[Brian Siano]
----------------------
I'm saying that Spruce Hill is a struggling needy neighborhood on the
UPSWING. Though you may feel it is harsh to characterise our neighborhood
as "struggling" or "needy", I do believe that it is so. That is the
price we pay for being diverse in the extreme: economically, socially,
politically, academically, ethnicly, racially, housing-wise, etc. There
are many, many projects and plans and ideas in the pipeline (including the
HD, just to keep focused on this topic) which are intended to turn us
around, keep us afloat and stabalized, so I'd say there is "cautious
optimism". If we didn't have the UCD and Penn's various housing incentives
and the tremendous amount of time and effort spent by relatively few
neighborhood volunteers and "activists", we'd be in sorry shape.
For those who are actively involved in neighborhood organizations such as
the various community associations, Townwatch, Baltimore Ave. in Bloom, the
treetenders, UCGreen volunteers, Friends of Clark Park, committees re:
zoning, schools, litter & graffiti, noise, problem houses and problem
landlords, group homes, Balt. Ave, parking, etc, etc (the list can go on
and on): the problems are vast and never-ending. Of course, all is
relative: we are better off than many other neighborhoods here or
elsewhere. (They only WISH they could have our problems!). And, it is
easy, probably, to live here without being involved or informed about ANY
of the local issues. I know that most (probably all) of my tenants and
most of the renters on my block do not pay attention at all to any of our
"controversies" since they are busy leading their own lives and don't have
the time or interest. If they read the UC Review, that's about as involved
as they get (and most don't even do that.) This is probably representative
of the vast bulk of the residents in Spruce Hill, and is typical of people
who are transitory and "passing through" or who don't have a vested
interest. I know that when I was going to school (and renting), I paid no
attention to local neighborhood controversies or politics. So, it is not
fair to "blame" renters for not being more vested. It's only fair to
"blame" them when they trash the neighborhood and show lack of
consideration for those of us who ARE vested.
UC residents who are actively participating in the grunt work have to ask
themselves if it is worth spending all or a major part of their spare time
working on neighborhood improvements and issues rather than on other
leisure activities. People I know living in other cities and towns and
suburbs don't spend their time this way. They don't organize block
clean-ups, etc. That is why I maintain that this is a needy neighborhood.
We have typical inner-city problems, in a city that is losing its middle
class and its tax base, and we have other additional problems specific to
UC. We can't depend on the government or UCD to solve our problems. Without
many people putting forth extraordinary volunteer effort on behalf of the
"overall good", this neighborhood would not be self-sustaining, or even
close to a desireable place to live. And we have many more fights and
controversies ahead of us, still. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to take a
vacation from all these issues?
Neil Lifson
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