[PRCo] going to the city

[Harold Geissenheimer]

Greetings to all   and especially Fred and John

My remarks about cities seem to have left the impression that
cities were not safe.  John understood that he could take young
people to Wash DC and ride the Metro.  That was what the CTA
Explorer program was also all about

I believe that certain parts of cities could be safer (or late
at night or school times) but most places are still OK. 
The NYCT subway is safe but its prudent in some
neighborhoods to ride with the conductor or wait
in designated areas.  I go to the East Village to visit
at all hours.  No problems.  My church is on 2Ave at 7 St.

Boston is OK except for the Dorcester=Mattapam area. 
Phila is OK except for parts north & west..  Center cityand south
Phila and South street are OK.  The MF subway is OK and
Broad Street subway is now OK since it was cleaned up.

Wash is generally OK.   SF except for Hunterspoint is OK.
Oakland is bad.  LA OK except for south central.  Chicago
OK except for some parts of the south & west sides.
Most of Chicago is having a big rebirth..its amazing out
on the Ravenwood line.

Toronto just had a murder outside Union Station at 9AM
but generally is OK.  Montral is OK.  Also Vancouver.

Overseas, there are now and have been bad areas or times
in London, Paris or Berlin...generally with nationality groups.

The rule should be dont go into strange areas especially late
at night.  Even downtown Pittsburgh now changes after 11PM
As the Security people say, always be watchfull

My father did not want me going down to the Ave A=D area
in  NY.  Now many of my friends live there.  The thing is
that cities change, some bad, some good.  I have not given
up on cities,  Sailors from Great Lakes still go into Chicago.
Fleet visits in NY or SF still are the rule.   One problem is
that some servicemen dont wear the uniform on pass.
I always did and believe they still should

So...I dont see a sinister failure of the city.  I see a changing
society with nationality and language changes.  But all is
not lost.  When it is lost it is because our society has failed.
We must have strong police but also social programs.

That still leaves me as a big city democrat.   There is
as much a crime problem in Texas..may be even more than NY

So on your next visit to Phila, check out brunch in Manyunk
or South Street.  And in Wash, try the Adams or Dupont
neighborhoods

Look at the changes in Pittsburgh on the South Side, the Strip
or Homestead.   Lets check out the city and ignore the big
shopping centers with their own high crime.

Here in New Jersey its interesting to read in the papers of high
crime in rural Sussex and Warren counties.  

So much for my usual lecture Fred....our civilation is still pretty good
and we muct work to preserve it.

Harold Geissenheimer