Cleaning Up. Keeping Some Grit. (30. June 2006, 15:08 by Derek Young) ~
One of Exit133’s regular readers sent me this article from the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. It seems to reflect a lot of conversations we’ve had lately and several of the threads that have appeared on Exit133 over the last few months… only it’s in Pittsburgh.
...A recent study by Corcom Inc. found that non-Pittsburghers were more likely to have a positive feeling about the city than locals were. Only 44 percent of residents said that the region “is moving in the right direction,” but 61 percent of outsiders felt that way. Talk about self-confidence issues.
Sound familiar? I live in Tacoma because I like Tacoma. “I’ll bet you anything that the out-of-towners like you more for your character than the fact that you have a Whole Foods.”
... a Whole Foods would be nice, though.
Link to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Commenting Is Closed
Comments are allowed for two weeks from the posted date. If you want to make a comment or reopen this discussion, please contact us with your request. Thank you for visiting.
A Whole Foods would be nice. PCC is just too ou there. The Metropolitian MArket is good but a bit pricy.
Is this off topic?
It was intersting how you pretty much could substitute “Tacoma” for “Pittsburg”
I wonder what their exit number is?
1 | Posted by Davest | Jun 30, 11:09 PM
I’d bet there’d be many similarities in Baltimore, too. We once even personally spoke about this to the Ira Glass at a BCPA reception…Glass grew up in Baltimore and seemed intrigued by the commonalities. (Of course he went on to use the conversation in his act later that evening…but we felt honored.)
Wouldn’t it be neat to somehow organize a blog or network with folks in other cities who are combatting similar issues? (or does this already exist?) Whether it be towns struggling to overcome their long and dusty hardscrabble images or “shadow cities,” those who lurk on the periphery of their bright and shiny, upper-class neighbors?
3 | Posted by team exit133 | Jul 1, 10:20 AM
To follow up on the last comment:
While I think the idea of overseas sister cities is swell- think of the possibilities for information sharing that could arise from a network (real or virtual) of US gritty sister cities! Add Cleveland to the list… any others?
4 | Posted by morgan | Jul 1, 11:44 AM
The reaction I usually get from visitors is how nice the city is compared to what they expected.
I think that is good.
5 | Posted by Erik | Jul 1, 06:37 PM
Regarding other cities: would Newark, NJ count? It’s certainly “hardscrabble” and “gritty” and absolutely lives in the shadow of shine. And I think it has a great deal to offer – far more than it’s image of crime and public housing.
6 | Posted by Priti | Jul 3, 02:16 PM
I think we’re on a roll. One would have to think that some of these cities would have had experiences, whether successes or failures, that the others could learn from…
7 | Posted by team exit133 | Jul 4, 02:22 PM
Commenting is closed for this article.
Exit133 is about Tacoma. It's about Politics, Civic Involvement, Urban Development, the Arts, and the many interests of our readers.
Do you want to see your message in this space? Become an Exit133 Advertiser!
A special THANK YOU to our Supporters like Andre Stone for making Exit133 possible. Thank you.
