Dirty neighborhoods

[Monello]

Often when you drive around, just by looking at the homes in the neighborhood, you can tell how affluent an area is. And when you get to a lower income area, you often see places that are in need of repair. Plus the outsides are always in need of a good sprucing up.

I can drive through a nice neighborhood and tell you which homes are the rentals. Often rentals show no pride of ownership, which means the hedges are trimmed, there might be some flowers in the beds. The yard is neat with not much out of place.

When I was in the navy, I often volunteered for the community relations project at the port we were in. 2-3 dozen sailors going in and cleaning up some elderly person's yard or some similar task. You often wonder how things got that bad and why nobody in the local community stepped up to assist.

Which brings me to my question. Are people living in run down, dirty areas because they are poor or is their lack of cleanliness the reason they are poor? Are people able to break the cycle if given assistance or will they revert back to their old ways if given a fresh start?

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Often when you drive around, just by looking at the homes in the neighborhood, you can tell how affluent an area is. And when you get to a lower income area, you often see places that are in need of repair. Plus the outsides are always in need of a good sprucing up.

I can drive through a nice neighborhood and tell you which homes are the rentals. Often rentals show no pride of ownership, which means the hedges are trimmed, there might be some flowers in the beds. The yard is neat with not much out of place.

When I was in the navy, I often volunteered for the community relations project at the port we were in. 2-3 dozen sailors going in and cleaning up some elderly person's yard or some similar task. You often wonder how things got that bad and why nobody in the local community stepped up to assist.

Which brings me to my question. Are people living in run down, dirty areas because they are poor or is their lack of cleanliness the reason they are poor? Are people able to break the cycle if given assistance or will they revert back to their old ways if given a fresh start?

I've often had the same thought. In my hometown even the small older houses are kept up very well (almost no rentals) and there are no HOAs either. When I went to buy my first house I thought about an older small house, except here in Maryland that is the "hood". Honestly in southern Maryland I find most people don't take care of their houses, even the $500k ones are not kept up very well in my opinion, people just move too often to give a damn. On the street I grew up on, built in the late 70s' 10 of the 13 houses are still on the original owners.

 

[GregV814]

Recently, I spent much time in my childhood neighborhood. My buddy's Mom died and the family put the house up for sale, but it needed some work. My house is/was across the street from the friends house. Anyway, it is inside the beltway, an older town built and expanded by WWII vets, a typical blue collar neighborhood. Every Mother knew every kid, and would light you up as fast as your own Mom.
But bussing, invasion of others, parents dying, POS County Executives, helped turned a nice place to a ......, well.
Sad to see that.

 

[Kyle]

Anyway, it is inside the beltway, an older town built and expanded by WWII vets, a typical blue collar neighborhood. Every Mother knew every kid, and would light you up as fast as your own Mom.
But bussing, invasion of others, parents dying, POS County Executives, helped turned a nice place to a ......, well.
Sad to see that.

Pretty much describes where I grew up as well.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Here is an example of what I call a nice older neighborhood where people took care of their houses. Most of these are from the 50s and 60s and under 1200 sq ft.

 

[Monello]

Recently, I spent much time in my childhood neighborhood. My buddy's Mom died and the family put the house up for sale, but it needed some work. My house is/was across the street from the friends house. Anyway, it is inside the beltway, an older town built and expanded by WWII vets, a typical blue collar neighborhood. Every Mother knew every kid, and would light you up as fast as your own Mom.
But bussing, invasion of others, parents dying, POS County Executives, helped turned a nice place to a ......, well.
Sad to see that.

The stretch of homes where my mom lives has 7 homes. 3 of them are the same families from when I was growing up in the 1960s. But my mom's home is going on the market next month. I guess they call that progress. The house will probably sell to a New Yorker that wants to leave the city but still be close enough to commute into Manhattan for work. Those relocating folks caused the home prices in that area to skyrocket.

When we acted up as kids, my mom already knew what we had done because 1 of the neighborhood stay at home moms would call to let her know. They didn't need security camera, I lived in neighborhood full of Gladys Kravitzes.

 

[GregV814]

Here is an example of what I call a nice older neighborhood where people took care of their houses. Most of these are from the 50s and 60s and under 1200 sq ft.
View attachment 168924

anytown USA