Quote:
Originally Posted by bawdycav
I disagree. Anyone that really knows Boston, knows its poverty rates are chart topping. White folks see what they want to see downtown. But Boston is awash in poverty and income disparity.
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I think that's the key, and essentially what everyone here is saying. Boston has traditionally presented itself better than Philly--locally, regionally, and nationally--almost always showing its best face. In other words, despite its share of urban problems--poverty, income disparity, crime, racial tensions, etc.--Boston has ensured that in the public mind, it is not
defined by those problems. Instead, it's generally defined in the public's mind by its historic and quaint downtown and other neighborhoods, its long-standing traditions (e.g., Boston Marathon), its world-class educational and health-care institutions, and its cultural attractions (Boston Symphony and Boston Pops, museums, etc.). Several other cities with a similar raft of urban problems have also successfully defined themselves in recent decades by their positive amenities and attractions, and
not their urban problems, e.g., NYC, San Francisco, and even Chicago.
On the other hand, Philly has traditionally been behind the curve in this regard, allowing itself to be defined nationally by its problems, and
not its positive attributes and assets. Of course, that wasn't helped by the relatively sad and decaying state of Center City and surrounding neighborhoods--and the places seen by most visitors and tourists--throughout much of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. But even during that time period, Philly's historic and cultural assets compared quite well to those of other cities on a head-to-head basis. But, unlike those other cities, Philly was not
defined by those assets in the public's mind in the latter half of the 20th Century. Fortunately, as we all know, that
is changing rapidly. I would just like to see Philly do a better job than it has in the past of educating the public nationally about the breadth and depth of its assets and amenities compared to its competitor cities (e.g., largest collection of French impressionist and post-impressionist paintings outside of Paris, one of the largest and loveliest urban parks in the world, the virtual capital of competitive rowing in the country, largest indoor flower show in the world, literally hundreds of sidewalk cafes, one of the best foodie and restaurant scenes in the country, vibrant historic neighborhoods with the second most populous downtown in the country, a collection of world-class colleges, universities, and health-care facilities rivaled by only a few other cities in the country, etc., etc.). Of course, the urban problems Philly faces are somewhat intractable and difficult to solve--as they are in every other city--but Philly has more than enough assets and amenities that it need not be
defined by those problems in the public mind, just as NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, LA, etc. are not generally defined by
their urban problems.
OK, lecture over. And yes, this
will be on the final exam.
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