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Urban Poverty and the Ugly Animal

Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia - Photos by ML

Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia

— Photos by ML

Walking through the Strawberry Mansion section in North Philadelphia is quite an experience. You can see hints of a very different world from the past in the ornate row houses and avenues. There are so many details on these brick that call out the amazing craftsmanship from another era. Inside many still have beautiful ceilings, and here and there one can still find the original leaded stained glass panels above the entrance doors. The houses usually have hardwood floors, high ceilings, and stairs with wooden balusters and hand rails...

Stop! This sounds almost like a description of the houses in Philadelphia's Society Hill section? Maybe so, but only because I left out a few details. Society Hill and Strawberry Mansion are both romantic names hinting at a glorious past, and, in terms of geography, they're actually only 4.5 miles apart. But in terms of everything else, they might as well be on different planets.

North Philly

I've been spending a lot of time in North Philly over the last few months, and have gotten to know and understand it a little better. North Philly is many things, but boring it is not.

Many areas are devastated and desperately poor. It has been like this for decades and it's unlikely to change anytime soon. Here entire generations grow up and remain poor. This is a community that defines terms like urban grit and blight.

To the casual eye this is an urban wasteland: dangerous, dirty, and desperate. But look closer and you can also see resourcefulness, ingenuity, hope, and beauty. Just look at the murals, and you will see that this community is also generous, strong, and proud.

North Philly has a lot more to offer than meets the eye.

- another note from my phone