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Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Slots & Lofts: The Gentrification of Bethlehem's South Side


Jeff Pooley, publisher of Old Fairgrounds and assistant professor of media and communication at Muhlenberg College, has written a provocative op-ed for The Philadelphia Inquirer about the gentrification of Bethlehem's south side. The Bethlehem Steel industrial site will soon be "a haven for yuppies with lattes, making over Bethlehem's fragile South Side neighborhood in the McMansion-and-strip-mall image of the suburbs surrounding the city." This just may "smother the city's organic, arts-driven renaissance."
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6 comments:

  1. ChrisOctober 9, 2006 at 11:25 PM

    to a point...

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  2. Bernie O'HareOctober 9, 2006 at 11:30 PM

    Jeff makes many good points. What disturbs me is that public money has been used to make the south side unaffordable to most LV residents. Gee, thanks. Guess I have to move to Reading! I think a lot of people would help me.

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  3. AnonymousOctober 10, 2006 at 9:44 AM

    A couple things...

    1) It would be a shame to see nothing but suburban sprawl eateries like TGIF's, etc infiltrate the city center...but I would hope they would be contained within the BethWorks proper if they did come.

    2) I still have yet to be convinced that taking a home currently split into 4 cheap rentals and converting it into a nice single family home is a bad thing. Or converting unused, dilapidated industrial buildings into comfortable homes/condos....same deal. This is what historic preservation is about, it's what rejuvenation of cities is all about.

    3) The influx of strangers and their money spurrs positive, entreprenurial development. Bring them on.

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  4. Bernie O'HareOctober 10, 2006 at 9:53 AM

    Orly, Thanks for your comments. It all sounds a bit gaudy to me. But you may be right.

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  5. AnonymousOctober 10, 2006 at 4:06 PM

    I never said anything about taste. Sadly, I have a feeling "reserved elegance" isn't on the menu at this particular buffet. Lots of big biz fingers in pockets.

    Anyway, when WLVT moves down there and Sesame Street is brought to me by Jeff Parks' Ego Presents Lance Burton, I may have to burn it all down out of spite.

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  6. Bernie O'HareOctober 10, 2006 at 5:03 PM

    orly? I believe your fears are more than justified.

    ReplyDelete

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