I live just off South Plymouth Ave, between Corn Hill and Brooks Landing. For those of you that don't know, it's a run down stretch, with a bunch of boarded up houses. This year at the Corn Hill end a new development of suburban-style houses have been built as a 'redevelopment' project. Twice in the last month while driving by these new spangly houses, I've watched as one particular family, in a new house, throw beer bottles at the boarded up house behind it.
It drives me crazy. I pick up garbage around my block. I try to make the place livable, despite the boarded up houses, trouble makers, and general garbage. I consider living here, and trying to make it a little nicer my patriotism, my small work towards a better America. It makes me crazy to watch a family in one of these (relatively) nice new units throwing garbage around. Are they Stupid? Are they unthinking? Are they just jerks? It's one family, but it still drives me crazy.
No matter what, it's clear that "build new houses and the neighborhood gets better" looks good in powerpoint, but it's not that simple in real life. To fix a place you need to change attitudes, and habits, and tie people into the neighborhood. And that isn't nearly as easy or simple, as just tearing down a few blocks, and building something new.
Comments (1)
I certainly share your frustration. Just wondering how people are chosen to occupy these new homes. I've noticed that one of the newly seeded lawns is already overgrown. A certain segment will destroy neighborhoods and no amount of rebuilding seems to make a difference. Plymouth Avenue has some beautiful old houses. It has such potential for rebirth. Too bad we can't round up all the low class bums, thugs and trash mongers, move them all to one area enclosed by a very tall fence and let them wallow in their own mess.
Posted by lynn | July 27, 2006 12:34 PM
Posted on July 27, 2006 12:34