North Philadelphia

Until recently, I thought Philadelphia sort of nice and pleasant American gorodochke. But we stopped in its northern part, I realized that my views of the city were fundamentally correct. More precisely Philadelphia still nice and comfortable, but as it turned out, not everywhere. In places it is so severe that you do not want once again out of the car and even sitting inside did not feel very comfortable. Landscapes around more reminiscent of the end of the world than of a bright future, and if I had somewhere to have to go out there, each walk ending with a meeting with aggressive asshole. It was found that in Philadelphia there are areas no longer remain in New York and on the Internet that are described by words such as ghettos and slums.

via samsebeskazal





I walked on foot and traveled almost all of New York. It was in the most lush and criminal its corners, and have never seen anything like it. What he saw was a big surprise for me. We Badikova decided to go on the already laid me one route to see decommissioned US Navy ships in the Navy Yard, to look moribund pride of America - transatlantic liner United Steyts, eat on the Philly Cheese Steak and walk along an abandoned-museum of Eastern correctional prison. But we came to the prison for half an hour before closing, and it became clear that there we no longer have time. And then we decided to just ride around the city, went to the north. And then it began.

2. It is very symbolic for North Philadelphia Photo: life-affirming picture with black on the wall - a symbol of modern Philadelphia (these figures are very much) and the abandoned building of a luxury hotel - the symbol of the city, which no longer exists.



3. Well, first things first. The first thing we came across was the most beautiful building "Lorraine-Apartments" built in 1894 on the model of New York's Dakota. It was the first high-rise building in the city and one of the most luxurious at the time. In 1900 it was purchased and converted into a luxury hotel



In 1948 the building was sold to a goal Reverend Father Devine, leader of the religious movement Universal Peace Mission, which made "Divine Lorraine Hotel," the first in America to desegregate the hotel. They were happy people of all skin colors and any religion, but residents had to follow the rules adopted in reliigioznom movement. There was no smoking, drinking alcohol and foul language. Guests had to behave decently, and men and women were placed on different floors. Women living in the hotel were not allowed to wear pants - skirts only.

4. Pay attention to the interesting design of fire escapes. Never seen.



5. Even in our time after a series of sales of the building was abandoned. However, in 2002 it contributed to the National Register of Historic Places.



6. How do you know its history, I learned later. Then we just prifigeli GRT of what beauty is abandoned.



7. In 1906, Alfred Burke, president and owner of Bourke Brothers - the world's largest company, which manufactures kid (soft leather chrome-tanned, tanned hides of goats, which went on sewing clothing accessories, bags, purses and dress shoes) built for himself and his family a luxurious three-story mansion in the style of the Italian renesannsa. 27 bedrooms, seven bathrooms, stables and a garage with an apartment for the gardener. The architect was ordered not to save money and build so that the house stood for a thousand years. He is



8. The building factories suede brothers Dryuding. Built in the period of industrial prosperity and also abandoned.



9. And these houses, we can say lucky. Many of the buildings in Philadelphia, from luxury villas to factory buildings, just do not have survived.



10. Was the luxury turned out not to the point where she should be. What can we say about the house easier.



11. They are abandoned and destroyed, and in the thousands.



12. And this despite the fact that so many homes were simply demolished. As part of the fight against crime, not having any building owner compared earth. Now it resemble a grassy empty streets.



13. It is not empty plots. This will save the house. Once the street was built up entirely.



14. Somewhere sweep conducted not fully or not at all, and then next to residential buildings are derelict and empty buildings.



15. Can you imagine how to live there, and that can occur inside buildings abandoned by owners.



16. And this is not one or two quarters. There are thousands of such places.



17. Sometimes there is a feeling that in a third world country, and more recently there was a war.



To understand why this happened, you have to run a bit on the history of these places. Since the mid-19th century, and for nearly 100 years, Philadelphia is the largest industrial center of the East Coast of the United States. Along with the growth of industrial production grew and the city itself. In the northern part of Philadelphia, in an area that is further away from the center and close to the railway line built numerous industrial complexes. Districts adjacent to the mills and factories to build up endless rows of identical small houses in which lived many workers and their families. They were mostly immigrants from Ireland, Germany and Italy. That part of North Philadelphia, which is located closer to the city center, populated by middle-class, wealthy merchants, industrialists and other nouveau riche, made his fortune in the industrial boom and economic recovery. By the 20 th years of the last century, the area was filled with luxurious mansions, gourmet restaurants, luxury shopping and comfortable hotel.

The holiday lasted exactly as long as the economy grew. The first serious test was the Great Depression, which resulted in a lot of production in North Philadelphia closed. It was followed by other crises, each of which exacerbated the main problem area - huge dependence have formed their factories. As soon as the economy starts to the problem, it is immediately reflected on the welfare of the vast number of residents working-class neighborhoods. At the same time the possibility of finding another job in the majority of them are simply not there. Worked as production becomes less and less, the population density remained still high and the labor market was filled with hands-free. The only way out was a labor migration to other regions. In place of those who left the Irish and Italians began arriving Puerto Rican and black. As a result, in the mid-20th century to the inhabitants of these areas got another problem, this time to race.

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Construction of roads has led to the migration of the white population in the more comfortable to live in the suburbs, property values ​​began to fall in depreciating the house began to call those who previously could not afford it. And the more blacks moved to live in these areas, the more white they tried to leave. Black riots 60s and desegregation of public schools only accelerated this process. Here again intervened in the case and the economy the next crisis, which resulted in a huge neighborhoods filled with empty houses and populated by people who did not have work and therefore do not pay taxes. This led to a budget crisis which followed the collapse of urban infrastructure and the increase in crime.

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Between 1950 and 2000, the city lost 554,055 residents, or 26.7% of the population. They were mostly white, who left the suburbs to the big houses and the spacious lawn. And they left mostly from the northern part of the city.

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Today, North Philadelphia is experiencing is not the best years in its history, but by far not the worst. Revived some industry, began working small business. Garbage on the streets is much less, many empty houses demolished, and those that remained, fenced and walled safe. As a result, the level of crime began to slowly decline and many neighborhoods have undergone gentrification. Already things are not so bad, not so bad, and even hope. But still, it's all good about what was before. If we compare with the same Philadelphia to New York (where it was all the same), there is still a nightmare and horror.

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22. Let's take a little more of its streets.



23. The Islamic Center. In the black areas of Philadelphia, a lot of black Muslims.



24. School. It seems that it was built by the same people that are engaged in the construction of prisons. I could not understand - abandoned or not.



25. Pavement.



26. Abandoned building like a school.



27. The current composition of the residents of North Philadelphia as follows: 49.8% of the population are black leather, 30% Hispanic (and they are black and white, but always stand out as a separate group) and only 10.1% are white.



28. The main problem area is still a high level of crime. This is part of the Philadelphia crime. The majority of crimes are somehow related to drugs.



29. On the streets of North Philadelphia, the first time since I lived in America did not feel very comfortable. Approximately the same as when he was a child, walking in residential areas of native Peter - walked into the yard, ran into Gopnik and if time does not run away, then got on the bonce. There was one big "is not the court", but it also can shoot just for the fact that you do not and have not looked back. The people on the streets is very aggressive and it pretty much. For all you constantly pyalyutsya. Almost every porch sits a group of local residents and watched the every passing car. It is clear that in the black area where the right at intersections do not hesitate to push drugs, two white man will not cause any other association, except as a "Five-O."



30. If on the streets of residential areas of unrest, but at least, relatively clean, then in the industrial rubbish lying directly on the roadway.



31. Industrial buildings are empty, people on the streets there, but do not want to walk there at all.



32. Garbage lying around everywhere.



33. All cubbyhole quickly turned into a dump.



34. Somebody is not lazy and dumped to a different bulky trash.



35. That is what small, so it is abandoned and razderbanennyh machines. Whether their power taken away quickly, or local rent for scrap.



36. Neighborhood is perfect for glamor photographers. This nature! The main thing to be able to quickly fall down, if that.



37. Rare passers resemble zombies.



38. Parking.



39. The building of the National Bank of North Philadelphia, also known as Beer Building. Built in 1926. In 1985, it entered in the National Register of Historic Places.



Despite the fact that there is quite a busy shopping area and a lot of people to me twice dug by local residents. Monologue from them was something like this: You What the fuck? Yo! Cho hang out here? Cho take pictures? I'll sprsil! Let's get out of here! Yo! It was abundantly seasoned with the word "fuck!". I did that and should do in such situations - did not pay any attention to them and did not enter into a dialogue.

40. After a few seconds a dude in a white T-shirt starts bychit.



41. Invites Badikova stroll along the street, but he dissuaded me. And rightly so. A search revealed that this is one of the most criminal places in the city. According to the 2013 ranking of violent crime in the area is 49, 6 per 1000 inhabitants. What would you understand the area is considered safe in the ranking from 0 to 10 (on average somewhere 5-8) and is very dangerous in the ranking of more than 40. In Detroit, there is an area where the figure is 149.48.



42. Broad Street with tram tracks. The tram goes there since 1992



43. People with balls. Sur.



44. Philadelphia firefighters collect donations at the crossroads. I thought the money they do not have, but it turned out that he was going to fund patient care myopathy (muscular dystrophy).



45. This dude is good. He barely reached the porch and lay down to rest after taking a dose.

I understand that my story may seem one-sided, that there is not so and North Philadelphia the best place on earth. I dont know. I write only about what he saw in a couple of hours while we went for it. But in order to draw conclusions and that was enough for me. While North Philadelphia darkest and hot spot, which I attended in America. I'll have to go back there again.
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and vidos ... bonus !!!