Excellent points, Tony and Anthony. As a resident of UC since 1977, I also
can attest that the people I know , the people I have known for years, and the
many new (recent) neighbors that I have met all would like to see a greater
variety of close-by useful businesses in UC -- esp. Balt. Ave. Tony is not
pretending to be in the majority -- he reflects the majority. Other than those
few on this list that have voiced complaints about UCD and its role in
developing the commercial cooridors, I do not see these
complaints reflected in any of my interactions with friends, neighbors,
businesses, visitors, etc.
There will never be an absolutely scientific poll re: wants/desires for
Balt. Ave. or Lancaster Ave., and there won't be a vote -- unless somebody wants
to volunteer funds to do it. ( Would every issue be voted upon or surveyed?)
That's not the way things work in the real world though some co-ops operate that
way. I remember Ecology Food Coop's requirement for concensus.
That was a nightmare. (Ecology fell by the wayside.)
And where are these so-called yuppy establishments on Balt. Ave? I've
searched and searched, I've asked the UC Safety Embassadors... nobody seems able
to direct me to one of these fine establishments. Where's the beef?
Can somebody please name ONE -- just so we can get a handle on which businesses
UCD is foisting upon us? Is Green Line Cafe and the "Mennonite Mob" in
cahoots with UCD? Inquiring minds want to know.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, October 18, 2003 11:25
PM
Subject: Re: [UC] City Paper Article:
Baltimore Avenue Merchants + L&I + U CD
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
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
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