What was Philadelphia like in the 50s? (city hall, crime)

[HappyRider]

Talking to older people growing up there, they paint a much different picture of Philly. What were the city like back then. I was told NE was very upscale.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by HappyRider

Talking to older people growing up there, they paint a much different picture of Philly. What were the city like back then. I was told NE was very upscale.

Upscale from the perspective of working/middle class people seeking new, detached (or semi-detached) single-family homes in relatively spread out neighborhoods in place of old, crowded, ultra-dense blocks filled with rowhouses. At its "peak," the Northeast inhabitants were predominantly in the solid middle class range, with smaller, but still significant upper working (and to a lesser extent) upper middle class minorities. The Northeast was certainly once nicer and more desirable as a whole, but it was never Chestnut Hill.

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by HappyRider

Talking to older people growing up there, they paint a much different picture of Philly. What were the city like back then. I was told NE was very upscale.

absolutely.. The NE was known as the "Great Northeast" .. for good reason. It was a spotless, crime free area filled with hard working families.. Now all that has changed..

[drive carephilly]

Originally Posted by frankgn87

.. Now all that has changed..

why would that come as a surprise? All those "hard working families" moved to the suburbs 15 years ago.

[frankgn87]

Originally Posted by drive carephilly

why would that come as a surprise? All those "hard working families" moved to the suburbs 15 years ago.

yup for sure..

[rotodome]

Solid, middle/working class, for sure. But I would not characterize "The Great Northeast" even at its postwar peak as ever having been "very upscale".

[bryson662001]

I can somewhat remember Center City in the late 50's/early 60's as being pretty grim except for the area right around Rittenhouse square. Broad and Chestnut was the center of the CBD but most of CC looked the way the area north of the convention center looks today. Society hill was just starting to be cleaned up and there were large tracts of empty land where buildings had been demolihed. The skyline consisted of the PSFS building and City Hall looming over the midrise office buildings on Walnut and Chestnut while west Market looked like a skid row. There were a lot of movie theaters there. Market East was very old and shabby although the street was lined with department stores and was very crowded. I mostly remember a place that was old, dirty and run down but someplace we would come from the suburbs to eat in a fancy resturant and see a 1st run movie. I also remember North Philly was mostly white but still as shabby as it is today. West Philly was also white and a reasonably nice area. Northeast around the Gimbles on Cottman seemed very new in spite of the row houses. I was never in the far northeast, had no reason to go there.

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by frankgn87

absolutely.. The NE was known as the "Great Northeast" .. for good reason. It was a spotless, crime free area filled with hard working families.. Now all that has changed..

Frank, the Northeast is still majority middle or working class... just because some neighborhoods down around North Philadelphia went downhill doesn't mean the ENTIRE Northeast is now terrible. I have friends in Somerton and visit them often. It is EXTREMELY peaceful. As for the future of the Northeast? Who knows?... but urban areas change all the time. The Northeast needs to change something to start attracting the young Millennials.

[HappyRider]

Is the Frankford section considered Northeast? I had to be there a few years ago and some homes looked very stately but run down. Must have been nice at one time.

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by HappyRider

Is the Frankford section considered Northeast? I had to be there a few years ago and some homes looked very stately but run down. Must have been nice at one time.

Yes... it is the most southern portion of the Northeast... closest to North Philadelphia.