What's good about the area?
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We interviewed several residents of the neighborhood surrounding Saul. Anna works in the city and is married with three young children. She's been living in the neighborhood for over ten years, and recalls moving there because, "It's city living but not right in center city. We also love Main Street and all of the bars and restaurants. Plus, living expenses are cheaper here than in the city. For example, we could rent a bigger house more cheaply in Roxborough/Manayunk than in Center City."
Carl, a single thirty-year old new to the area, cites similar reasons for moving. "There's lots of young people here," he says. "When you get further out in the suburbs there's nothing to do at night. Here at least you can go out." All residents interviewed agreed that the area seemed safe, friendly, and hospitable, and many cited a desire to be "near the city, but not in the city," as a reason for moving to the neighborhood. |
What are some drawbacks?
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Most of the residents interviewed cited the geography of the neighborhood as a major drawback. "The worst part is the parking and hills in the winter," Anna says. Most of the residents we interviewed had street parking, and their main complaints were about parking in winter weather. Carl, who just moved to the area, cites the driveway and garage that came with his house a, "huge asset," that "probably sealed the deal."
Peter, another young man in his twenties, said he had been living in the area for about a year. When asked about drawbacks, he pointed out that there are "a lot of people hanging out at some of the corners of Ridge sometimes. Most of the time they just sit there, but sometimes they start fights or yell at you if you're walking by. The police get called sometimes." When asked if he found this a major concern, he shrugged and said it was more like an inconvenience. He still finds the neighborhood very safe overall. |
what about saul?
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Most of the neighbors we interviewed had very little idea of what W.B Saul High School was or how it impacted the community. Given his recent move, Carl had never heard of the high school. Peter knew the school as, "the farm school," and said he had mostly noticed the horses and cows in the pastures as he drove by, but didn't know anything about the students or culture of the school. Anna, who had been living in the neighborhood for the longest amount of time, knew of the school. However, when asked if she knew anyone whose children had attended Saul or had any insight into it's interaction with the community, she replied, "I don't know anyone that had kids attend Saul...and I don't know of any impact it has on the community."
Overall, this is consistent with what Nina Berryman told us. Despite the CSA forming a tentative link between Saul and the larger community, most residents remain unaware and uninvolved with Saul. |
Information and Quotations on this page: Berryman, N. (2015, July 1). Nina CSA [Personal interview].
Anna, Peter, Carl: Manayunk Residents. (2015, July 1). [Personal interviews].
Anna, Peter, Carl: Manayunk Residents. (2015, July 1). [Personal interviews].