The Economist on Rust Belt Cities


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NullspacePittsburghers know that the times are out of joint. Somehow they're expecting the prosperity to blow up in their faces.
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"In the 40 years I have lived in the city, the city (of Pittsburgh) has never looked so good" and gratuitously broadened that statement to say many " (city) neighborhoods are thriving".
on Duquesne: PG did a nice piece recently on the apparently smooth transition going on down in East Allegheny (When Duquesne met East Allegheny, winners all around ) which absorbed a large number of the former Duquesne High School Students. I actually have an inside source down at the West Mifflin School District that got most of the students... you should take this as completely unofficial, indirect and anecdotal, but I have heard nothing bad from their experiences thus far either. I think everyone would agree that those teachers deserve a whole lot just for being professional enough to keep the kids first given the political turoil that went along with all of this.
and finally... yes I'm not done. A blog you may not have seen but is actually kind of interesting: Confessions of a Community College Dean.
and just for the bloggeratti, there is another story in that New York Magazine issue on how some photo-artist translated blog-success into something bigger. Read: A Photo Blogger Lands Her Own Gallery Gig.
"....lacks the flexibility and authority it needs to compete effectively in the new global knowledge economy, and is not able to fully capitalize on the innovation that it is known for"If that is true for Boston which has a fairly wide range of power that Pittsburgh does not, what does that say about the City of Pittsburgh which gets embroiled in a political semi-paralysis over whether a parting tax can be cut by 5% points or not.
From: Men and Women of Wartime Pittsburgh. Frank C. Harper
"In Allegheny in April 2007, mortgage companies filed 395 foreclosure filings against homeowners who were behind on their mortgage. 460 notices were filed just a year earlier in April 2006. "
Help! I would appreciate any suggestions for restaurants that will convince me to move with my husband of 30 years from Manhattan to Pittsburgh. Can a person
who lives across the street from Per Se and down the street from Fairway, Citarella and Zabar's find happiness west of the Hudson? Can anyone tell me about the restaurant/ food scene in Pittsburgh?
"Everywhere in America people are suffering and leading sad, empty lives. Everywhere except in a city called Louisville, where anything is possible."
Party Total Registration
Consumer 20 0.0%
Democrat 163,485 72.4%
Reform 41 0.0%
Green 965 0.4%
Independent 1,946 0.9%
Libertatian 1,185 0.5%
Miscellaneous 11,183 5.0%
No Party 14,195 6.3%
Patriot 19 0.0%
Republican 32,667 14.5%
Socialist 28 0.0%
Constitutional 107 0.0%
Constitution 19 0.0%
Total 225,860
2007-08 High School Essay Contest
Creating a Green Neighborhood Plan
THE ESSAY ASSIGNMENT: Everyone lives in a neighborhood, whether they live in a large city, a suburb, a small town, or even a rural area. For this essay, consider your neighborhood and create a plan to make it green and environmentally friendly.
Length: Essay is no less than 1,200 words and no more than 1,500 words.
If you know a talented high school student who would like to write a planning essay to compete for a $5,000 scholarship, please visit: http://www.planning.org/institutions/hsessay.htm