Re: [UC] City Paper Article: Baltimore Avenue Merchants + L&I + U CD

[AnthonyLower]

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" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> 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 > > > > > ---- > You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the > list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see > <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. > > > ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.