We spoke to people living and working around GAMP. They included an old vendor who has been in the neighborhood for over 50 years, a grandmother who lives on a quite residential block to the north of GAMP, two men with small children who live to the north and south of GAMP, two men outside of a convenience store on Passyunk Ave, a middle-aged man who lives one block west of GAMP, two street vendors, and a man reading in the park. The people we interviewed varied in age, ranging from their 20s to the mid-70s. Only one of the 11 was a woman. Based on observation, they included five African Americans, five Caucasians, and one Asian American. Two the interviewees were not born in the US.
The majority of the people we interviewed said that they liked the neighborhood. A common reason was the accessibility of shopping available thanks to the proliferation of retailors, which meant that only a few things could not be purchased within a short walking distance. One interviewee living in a house to the north of GAMP, who’d recently moved there from Westchester, said that he liked the neighborhood because of its affordability and inexpensive housing. Another interviewee, also living to the north of GAMP, liked the neighborhood because it was “quite.” She contrasted the block where she lived to the blocks further north, which she described as dangerous. One interviewee explained that like any neighborhood, it had its good and bad elements, and that the bad reputation that followed it did not reflect the reality.
Speaking on the issue of the racial divide, a man living to the southwest of GAMP in a predominantly Caucasian area, described how divided the neighborhood seemed to him. He spoke of a block along Passyunk where on one side only Caucasian and Asian individuals resided, while on the other side of the street, lived African Americans. He said that in his neighborhood, the older generations tended to hold racist views, while his generation (he was in his 30s) generally did not. He also spoke of a unique South Philadelphia culture that he witness in his neighborhood, a culture that could be identified through their distinct dialect.
Outside of a convenience store with a counter made of glass, to the north of GAMP, two African American men described the neighborhood as dangerous. One spoke of having been robbed and beaten two weeks prior, while the other explained that the police around here “have attitudes.” He meant that he often feels disrespected by the police. Another interviewee described the neighborhood where he lived) to the north and east of Stephen Girard Park) as “ghetto.” He said that if he could afford it he would love to move closer to the park and further away from the drug-infested area where he now lives.
We found that not many of our interviewees knew much about GAMP, but the few who did praised the school. One interviewee, whose stepson currently attends GAMP, said he was surprised by the quality of its musical productions. Another interviewee, who lives so close to the school that he can hear the music rehearsals from his home, spoke of the good relationship that GAMP has with the community. His only complaint was that the parents of GAMP students tend to park in the middle of the street during performances and when they pick up their children after school, creating what he considers a dangerous situation. Another interviewee said that she’d heard of GAMP even before she’d moved to the neighborhood, as the school’s reputation had traveled. Although she didn’t know anyone who studied at GAMP, she’d observed how well behaved the students were. She said that there was never any fighting outside of the school, which she contrasted with another school in the neighborhood (a neighborhood school) where students fought outside often. She described GAMP as “private,” by which she meant the community-like atmosphere among GAMP students and the school that is unique to GAMP.
The majority of the people we interviewed said that they liked the neighborhood. A common reason was the accessibility of shopping available thanks to the proliferation of retailors, which meant that only a few things could not be purchased within a short walking distance. One interviewee living in a house to the north of GAMP, who’d recently moved there from Westchester, said that he liked the neighborhood because of its affordability and inexpensive housing. Another interviewee, also living to the north of GAMP, liked the neighborhood because it was “quite.” She contrasted the block where she lived to the blocks further north, which she described as dangerous. One interviewee explained that like any neighborhood, it had its good and bad elements, and that the bad reputation that followed it did not reflect the reality.
Speaking on the issue of the racial divide, a man living to the southwest of GAMP in a predominantly Caucasian area, described how divided the neighborhood seemed to him. He spoke of a block along Passyunk where on one side only Caucasian and Asian individuals resided, while on the other side of the street, lived African Americans. He said that in his neighborhood, the older generations tended to hold racist views, while his generation (he was in his 30s) generally did not. He also spoke of a unique South Philadelphia culture that he witness in his neighborhood, a culture that could be identified through their distinct dialect.
Outside of a convenience store with a counter made of glass, to the north of GAMP, two African American men described the neighborhood as dangerous. One spoke of having been robbed and beaten two weeks prior, while the other explained that the police around here “have attitudes.” He meant that he often feels disrespected by the police. Another interviewee described the neighborhood where he lived) to the north and east of Stephen Girard Park) as “ghetto.” He said that if he could afford it he would love to move closer to the park and further away from the drug-infested area where he now lives.
We found that not many of our interviewees knew much about GAMP, but the few who did praised the school. One interviewee, whose stepson currently attends GAMP, said he was surprised by the quality of its musical productions. Another interviewee, who lives so close to the school that he can hear the music rehearsals from his home, spoke of the good relationship that GAMP has with the community. His only complaint was that the parents of GAMP students tend to park in the middle of the street during performances and when they pick up their children after school, creating what he considers a dangerous situation. Another interviewee said that she’d heard of GAMP even before she’d moved to the neighborhood, as the school’s reputation had traveled. Although she didn’t know anyone who studied at GAMP, she’d observed how well behaved the students were. She said that there was never any fighting outside of the school, which she contrasted with another school in the neighborhood (a neighborhood school) where students fought outside often. She described GAMP as “private,” by which she meant the community-like atmosphere among GAMP students and the school that is unique to GAMP.