Last Friday evening as I was scrambling around 5th St. trying to gauge how business owners really felt about closing the street during the holiday event I stumbled into a conversation I've been having more and more recently (no, not the one about the rotten economy). It goes a little something like this (not exact quotes from an actual conversation):
Me: "So you've been around here for a while...What would you say that 5th St.'s biggest strength is?
Business Owner: "I'll tell you...5th Street's biggest strength is all of the different ethnic groups that are here. That's its biggest weakness too! It's like the most diverse neighborhood in Philadelphia. I love that I can walk around the corner and get Korean food, Vietnamese food, Carribean food...it's really good eatin here on 5th Street and I think we could attract more people here just for that. People think with their stomachs. But all the groups here...we don't talk to each other. I know the people next door, but that's about it. It's not like it used to be where you felt like you got something in common with people and you can just stop in and say 'hi.'"
The idea that people of different races or ethnicities don't speak to each other at all is a little oversimplified, and, I think, not what he meant. But I've heard people talk about this before and I wonder if it's as much about a lack of continuity as it is about actual social tensions.
A few weeks ago a nonprofit leader in the neighborhood told me she calls Olney Philadelphia's "launching pad." Businesses and residents spend a little time in Olney, and if they have some success they tend to move out. But lots of folks start out in Olney.
Building community can be tough in a place with such a shifting population.
People move in and out of neighborhoods for many different reasons. If those who move out are looking for bigger houses and yards, there may not be much Olney can do about that. But if they are looking for jobs, there may be solutions. And if they are looking for community it's up to those of us who appreciate Olney's diversity to strengthen the ties between different groups.
Keeping this conversation alive is a good first step.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Truth be told...
As it turns out, enough business owners are concerned that street closure will have a negative impact on traffic that we decided to keep the traffic flowing on event day.
There were some heated discussions, but not necessarily about keeping the street open. Apparently that was a no-brainer! Discussion during the noontime meeting centered around keeping customers happy. Small businesses may not be able to keep up with the prices or selection of big box retailers like Wal Mart or Home Depot, but they can keep customers and bring in more business and by showing customers that they care. It's not just about a friendly smile and asking about people's kids (though these are good practices). Sometimes you need to spend some money on the community to make some money on the community! For example, one business owner was so excited about the youth baseball team his store sponsors that he insisted I come to the store to see the team picture! Another business owner told us about Mt. Airy's "Best of the Best" award that goes to the business each year that does the best in community service.
There's a lot the business association can do to give back to the community, and some of the business owners most engaged in the association are anxious to start.
There were some heated discussions, but not necessarily about keeping the street open. Apparently that was a no-brainer! Discussion during the noontime meeting centered around keeping customers happy. Small businesses may not be able to keep up with the prices or selection of big box retailers like Wal Mart or Home Depot, but they can keep customers and bring in more business and by showing customers that they care. It's not just about a friendly smile and asking about people's kids (though these are good practices). Sometimes you need to spend some money on the community to make some money on the community! For example, one business owner was so excited about the youth baseball team his store sponsors that he insisted I come to the store to see the team picture! Another business owner told us about Mt. Airy's "Best of the Best" award that goes to the business each year that does the best in community service.
There's a lot the business association can do to give back to the community, and some of the business owners most engaged in the association are anxious to start.
Monday, November 17, 2008
New Philadelphia Immigration Report--What it May Mean for 5th Street
Last week the Brookings Institution released a report entitled, "Recent Immigration to Philadelphia: Regional Change and Response." To those who spend time near 5th Street, the fact immigration to the area has increased during the past 15 years should come as no great surprise. What's striking are certain characteristics of the recently immigrated population including their educational attainment. As someone said during the panel discussion following the release of the report at the Central Branch of the Free Library last Thursday, these aren't exactly your huddled masses or whatever other class stereotypes you might hold of recent immigrants. In fact, a higher percentage of recent immigrants to the Philadelphia metro area have a bachelor's degree than the native born population.
What might this mean for the 5th Street project? Here are a few ideas:
1. If coffee shops, bookstores, and the like are trappings of an educated class rather than an upper middle income class, 5th Street may be better suited for these establishments than many might think. The report shows that recent immigrants are lower-earning on average than their native born counterparts, so one might not be able to judge an immigrant's educational attainment by his or her current socioeconomic class). That does not necessarily mean that they aren't interested in the coffee, baked goods, magazines or paperbacks, especially if marketing efforts made it clear that various immigrant groups are valued customers.
2. These trends could also be a positive sign for the office space market (in the long term) near the 5th Street Corridor. Many immigrants tend to prefer seeing doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc. who share their culture and speak their native language. It's no coincidence the professional offices on 5th Street include a Korean lawyer and a Vietnamese dentist. Who's to say there aren't a few Caribbean doctors or Cambodian dentists (for example) who are eager to settle in the neighborhood if only they could clear the significant licensing hurdles that deter so many immigrant professionals. This is all the more reason to support those who engage in immigrant workforce development and related advocacy work, such as The Welcoming Center.
Take these thoughts with a grain of salt. We'll base decision on how to promote 5th Street to potential funders, property owners and potential investors on local market research, surveys, and demographic statistics, not my reactions to a paper written generally about the Phila. metro area. In fact, we are working with LISC and possibly PCDC to put together excellent market research for the corridor. All I'm saying is that from time to time it is important to step back and consider the project alongside regional trends and new sources of information.
What might this mean for the 5th Street project? Here are a few ideas:
1. If coffee shops, bookstores, and the like are trappings of an educated class rather than an upper middle income class, 5th Street may be better suited for these establishments than many might think. The report shows that recent immigrants are lower-earning on average than their native born counterparts, so one might not be able to judge an immigrant's educational attainment by his or her current socioeconomic class). That does not necessarily mean that they aren't interested in the coffee, baked goods, magazines or paperbacks, especially if marketing efforts made it clear that various immigrant groups are valued customers.
2. These trends could also be a positive sign for the office space market (in the long term) near the 5th Street Corridor. Many immigrants tend to prefer seeing doctors, dentists, lawyers, etc. who share their culture and speak their native language. It's no coincidence the professional offices on 5th Street include a Korean lawyer and a Vietnamese dentist. Who's to say there aren't a few Caribbean doctors or Cambodian dentists (for example) who are eager to settle in the neighborhood if only they could clear the significant licensing hurdles that deter so many immigrant professionals. This is all the more reason to support those who engage in immigrant workforce development and related advocacy work, such as The Welcoming Center.
Take these thoughts with a grain of salt. We'll base decision on how to promote 5th Street to potential funders, property owners and potential investors on local market research, surveys, and demographic statistics, not my reactions to a paper written generally about the Phila. metro area. In fact, we are working with LISC and possibly PCDC to put together excellent market research for the corridor. All I'm saying is that from time to time it is important to step back and consider the project alongside regional trends and new sources of information.
Moment of Truth (to be dramatic)
Our upcoming monthly Olney Business Association meetings (11-17 10pm at Tommy's, 11-18 noon at Savage Insurance) should include lively debates. Barbara and I had been busily preparing for the holiday event, which we figured would take place on a two block portion of N. 5th, closed off to traffic and parking. Late last week we learned that some business owners are uncomfortable with that idea because they feel that closing the street may lead to fewer customers and traffic/parking issues. We'll forge a consensus at our meetings.
Whatever the result, I should have been more careful about finding out what business owners wanted before I went ahead with the plan. That's the interesting thing about this work--I'm here to give the project a push but not to push too hard, too soon, or in the wrong direction! Stay tuned for more information on the Buy Local Holiday Kickoff.
Thanks also to the group who met to plan the event at the Greater Olney Branch of the Free Library (and to the library for hosting our meeting!).
Whatever the result, I should have been more careful about finding out what business owners wanted before I went ahead with the plan. That's the interesting thing about this work--I'm here to give the project a push but not to push too hard, too soon, or in the wrong direction! Stay tuned for more information on the Buy Local Holiday Kickoff.
Thanks also to the group who met to plan the event at the Greater Olney Branch of the Free Library (and to the library for hosting our meeting!).
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Buy Local Holiday Kickoff
Here's our logo for the First Annual North 5th Street Buy Local Holiday Kickoff, scheduled for December 6th. We plan to have fun for the whole family including a moon bounce, face painting, and pictures with Santa Claus for the kids, caricature drawings for all ages, and a DJ spinning great music. Who knows, there might even be some live musical performances. Come out and support local businesses and sample the very best of what 5th Street has to offer! Thanks to Design for Social Impact for donating this hip artwork.
New Blog Host
To make a long story short, our old blog was a casualty of an attempt by our internet company to upgrade it's web features (ironic, right?). This will hopefully be a more stable platform.
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