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internet_friends t1_jdvr07d wrote

Reply to comment by ADFC in Is Richmond Street the next hipster strip? by thecw

3 is a huge factor. I have lived in both Port Richmond and Fishtown. The MAGA, Trumpy vibe from Port Richmond is not incredibly pleasant to be around. That and the lack of good public transit are the major factors in me leaving PR. Businesses like the Lunar Inn are amazing, but some of the local community hates them for dumb shit like flying a pride flag outside. Other businesses have great food/drinks but the cop-bar vibe is overwhelming (I'm looking at you, Gaul & Co). This is going to be a major deterrent until the area is gentrified more. The big appeal to Fishtown is access to public transport + good bars/restaurants + ~hipster vibes~ and right now Port Richmond is 0/3 on that front. The neighborhood certainly has potential and I agree it'll be one of the next that devs go after, but it certainly isn't going to be the next Fishtown for a long time, if ever.

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sheds_and_shelters t1_jdw2otr wrote

The local Proud Boys leader lived on Almond when the FBI came to take him away, I believe. Some of the things I’ve heard said over my fence are absolutely heinous. It’s less an “undercurrent” than it is something many in the neighborhood actively cultivate.

You mentioned the pro-cop businesses, and it’s hardly limited to Gaul. Look no further than Debbie’s, where I regularly see cop cars parked in the middle of the street with perfectly good spots to be had mere feet away to pick up their donuts or whatever mid-shift. Predictably gross. The same goes for plenty of other mainstays.

That being said, it is becoming more diverse and progressive and I love that places like the ones mentioned on Richmond are facilitating that transition (even if I don’t have any hopes that it’ll ever get rid of those vibes entirely).

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Umphreeze t1_jdwt70q wrote

Yeah, I mean, go check out the Port Richmond neighborhood Facebook groups. They're filled with legit lunatics

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sheds_and_shelters t1_jdwuh10 wrote

For sure. Unfortunately, it's hearing the "Facebook-esque" comments said in real life here in the neighborhood, loudly and proudly, that tend to freak me out more.

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quieromofongo t1_jdx0kkn wrote

I’ve had things said to my face. And behind my back. Moved to the bad side and I love it here.

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ADFC t1_jdvyaf3 wrote

100% to everything you said. It’ll never be a “Fishtown” (and that’s perfectly fine too btw), it’s too much a family oriented community with “deep roots” that aren’t going anywhere, given how affordable the area is.

Another thing is the lack of potential for adaptive reuse in the neighborhood. There’s very few warehouses mixed into the neighborhoods since all the industrial areas were on the river stemming from the train viaduct. You have to follow the viaduct north of Aramingo/the black bridge for the larger developmental opportunities, but at that point you’re a little too close to K&S/K&A for any true revitalization/reuse to occur at the present moment. Interesting to see how it unfolds in a decade or so…

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internet_friends t1_jdvzlcy wrote

A great point on the adaptive reuse.

Another thing I noticed is that the K&A spillover is much more prevalent in Port Richmond than in Fishtown or even East Kensington (which, by the way, IS the next "domino to fall" not Port Richmond). I lived pretty far away from the side of Port Richmond that borders Kensington and still thought it was bad. Nothing like a couple of dudes pushing around shopping carts full of scrap metal that says, "This neighborhood is a great place to buy a house!"

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ADFC t1_jdw1w1b wrote

I’d say the domino is falling down in East Kensington as we speak!

That is 100% true, the Sunoco/Wawa on Allegheny is insane. I wonder why the spillover is worse given East Kensington and Port Richmond have the same CP (Squilla).

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Jawny_Appleseed t1_jdwwclw wrote

Scrap yards and and vacant lots just off of Richmond Street make the area more appealing to the homeless element. It’s an easy 15 minute walk to K&A for your supplies and a safer place to crash without sleeping in an abandoned house off of Kensington Ave.

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CroatianSensation79 t1_jdytxfy wrote

You hit the nail on the head. This is so true. I live a few blocks from that wawa and Sunoco and to be honest, they’ve had that homeless element for about 15-20 years. It’s gotten worse the last few years though.

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Daisy_Steiner_ t1_jdyuuqt wrote

I don’t know. This is exactly what Memphis and Hazzard felt like in 2007 when I first moved there.

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internet_friends t1_jdzsksr wrote

Memphis and Hazzard is East Kensington and is still being gentrified. It's pretty close to Lehigh so I'm not shocked you felt that way back in 2007, it still isn't that nice now. Most of what's been gentrified in East Kensington is above Frankford closer to Fishtown.

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dentduv t1_jdvu5cc wrote

Agreed, I’m sure the trump flags and republican headquarters on Lehigh/Thompson scare away some much needed young couples and families. It’s mostly been fine, just get stared at quite a bit. It is slowly getting more diverse thankfully.

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