Welcome to the Neighborhood

Prior to visiting Philadelphia over the past year and then moving here two weeks ago, we generally viewed West Philly as a monolith of poverty and crime.  This attitude was based largely on hearsay and second- and third-hand accounts from people who did not know the city very well.  The truth, it turns out, is a bit more complicated.  So, we would like to give a more accurate picture of our new environs, not only to allay any concerns for our safety (no, we haven't heard any gunshots or seen any flash mobs yet), but also because, well, it's interesting stuff.

Prior to the 1950s, 'West Philadelphia' referred to the entire portion of the city proper west of the Schuylkill River.  But then, a few University of Pennsylvania grads working in real estate coined the term 'University City' to describe the area immediately surrounding UPenn, which sits at the far eastern end of western Philadelphia.  Whereas 'West Philly' may bring to mind images of drive-byes and broken down row homes, 'University City' carries an upbeat connotation, a violence-free academic utopia.  The idea, presumably, was to convince UPenn faculty and students to rent or buy housing in the area surrounding campus, thereby creating a rising real estate market.  The ploy worked.  Over the past half century, the boundary of University City (UC) has pushed steadily further west from UPenn.  Block by block, higher income families moved into newly renovated housing, forcing poorer Philadelphians to find housing elsewhere.  The current UC boundaries can be seen here. 

Our neighborhood, Squirrel Hill, sits in the far southwest corner of UC and shares its western border with West Philly.  Walk a block to our east, and large two-family Victorian style houses abound.  We've even seen two beautiful bed and breakfasts in the area.  Wander a block in the other direction, however, and the contrast is uncomfortably apparent:  tiny row houses appear in various states of disrepair.  The gentrification (or 'Penntrification, as some have called it) of UC has certainly brought more money and higher property values to this area.  But has the transformation improved the lives of the original inhabitants, or has it instead tended to displace these people further west?  This is something we are still trying to get a better feel for.

The Gables Bed and Breakfast on Chester Ave

Looking South on 49th Street:  A Sad Sight

So...do we feel safe?  Yes.  We understand that crime does take place here more frequently than we are accustomed to, but we also recognize that by simply taking basic precautions we are unlikely to become victims.

Here are a few reasons why we are loving Squirrel Hill thus far:

• The place is called Squirrel Hill.  How ridiculous is that?  I haven't been able to track down the origins of this name.  The neighborhood is definitely on a hill, so that makes sense.  But I haven't seen an abundance of squirrels around here.  Perhaps they are all vacationing in center city for the summer.  Regardless, it's just fun to say, 'I live on Squirrel Hill.'

•  We are just three blocks from Clark Park, which rocks for several reasons:  it seems to be the hipster capital of Philly (some VERY intriguing people roaming about); it has a large farmers' market; and it's just a nice place to take a quiet stroll.  Plus, a live performance of 'Lord of the Flies' is being shown there next month.  Sucks to your assmar!

•  Our street is super quiet:  very little traffic, and no loud undergrad students, but lots of families, trees, and shade.

• We can be in center city in 15 minutes, and I can bike to campus in 10 minutes.  Yay for short commutes!

 Note 1:  I start med school classes this week, so my next blog post may not take place until 2015.

Note 2:  In writing the second paragraph, I drew heavily on the Wikipedia article entitled 'University City.'  Check it out for a more in-depth history of this area.