15211.org

I know this is probably more of a self-interest and should be reserved for one of those blogs (or kept to myself), but I wanted to lament as I seal my final box here and get ready to move to Lawrenceville.

I've been a resident of Ruth Street for the past 5 years and in that time I've watched the neighborhood deteriorate before my very eyes. The old South Hills High School resides right in front of me looking like a prison with a fence around it, all boarded up. Kids used to play baseball and basketball in the outdoor area and now being boarded up, kids just break into the place and spray graffitti on its walls. I know the MWCDC has been working on the project for some time (13 years from what I've read here), but it's depressing to look at a place that once used to give kids something to do instead of break into my car 3 times in one year and slashing my tires.

So I look to Lawrenceville, which has an even worse crime rate yet is a flourishing community. And when I say community, I mean it. I recently met the owner of The Thunderbird Cafe on Butler St. and asked him what he had planned next. His answer? Open up a music store so that people won't have to drive to buy guitar strings and gear. I then met the owner of Dozen Bake Shop and asked him the same thing. His answer? Turn the abandoned parking lot across the street into a park with free outdoor music in the summertime.

To be a community, the business owners have to give back something as well (assuming they like where they are) and aside from rocking chairs in front of an abandoned Eckerd and sign posts leading the way towards the closest ATM in front of the lookout, I just don't see what Mt. Washington residents/business owners are doing to give back to the places where they live and work. At least not in a way that really benefits the community. I know business owners have to want to do this and nobody can force them to, but shouldn't they be proud of where they work? Wouldn't they want to bring even more ammenities to a place they believe in? To their customers whom they know well and hear grieve about what'd be nice to have up here?

Now granted, I'm a young buck and certainly the families and people who've lived here their whole lives do indeed care about this community and give back to it. I can look no further than here to see that. But where's the actual payoff? Lawrenceville's community gives back to its part of town at any opportunity it gets and what's happened there in 5 short years is nothing less than staggering. Even The New York Times noticed, giving it a front page article in the travel section calling it a, “Must-see destination,” a year ago (link). As far as I can tell, the community organizers (at least on this board meant for community organization) spend way too much time focusing on living in fear of petty crimes (which resides in every community) and not on actually creating a change.

I'm sorry if I may be breaking some hearts here to those that really are trying their best and making something happen, and I don't mean to just write some post simply to complain, but I just want to see some action around here that I haven't seen in the 5 years living here. I really hope to come back in a year and see that I was wrong about everything I wrote.

Much of the redevelopment you see in Lawrenceville occured because of grants from the Urban Redevelopment Authority.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_591978.html

Esus:

Thanks for your thoughts. You make some salient points.

I've said this before (and I really think the new board can make this happen)—Let the business owners know what the MWCDC is and is not. Make them aware of what it can provide and how the business owners can use CDC resources to a certain extent, but must ultimately take responsibility for the viability of their own business.

I still have to wonder if a Business Improvement District (BID) is the way to go to get things moving.

Good luck!

MG

Good Ridance (and that is serious and with the kindest intentions) and please don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. I can't wait till you get to your new neighborhood in the sticks and realize that the only difference of there and here is that you have to drive farther to get to work.

Steve-O said:

Good Ridance (and that is serious and with the kindest intentions) and please don't let the door hit your ass on the way out. I can't wait till you get to your new neighborhood in the sticks and realize that the only difference of there and here is that you have to drive farther to get to work.

I'm sure having a neighbor with a response like that really aids in your decision to leave the mount.

Steve-O is a douche bag. What has Steve-O done to aid in the betterment of the Mount? Nothing. He's always too busy making 5th grade mentality remarks to everyone on this board. And to commend his remarks is just as ridiculous.

There's a difference between “running away with your tail tucked between your legs” and just plain leaving this shit hole and it's maggot-like inhabitants.

15211Advocate said:

putting your tail between your leg and running is never the right answer. If you're leaving solely because of the perceived crime, then you probably were never going to be part of the solution. But that's just my take on it.

That is a logical comment, but what he really said was “get the f out”.

You are correct in stating that by leaving you will never be part of the solution to the crime in this area, but leaving is a solution to the crime that personally affects my family.

Everyone needs to thank Mrs. Roberta Jones and Mrs. Ginny Gates for their dedication to this project for over a decade. Also a big thanks to Greg Panza for being active and supportive.

Regards,

Melissa Rositer