Jess Musti's Geography

2006-05-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

Broad Street and 13th Street Field Activity:

The purpose of this field study is to compare the development that has been taking place from Temple University on Broad Street to Girard. There has been a lot of investment along this corridor over the past few years. The study will also examine the transformation of the neighborhood one block east and west of where this development is occurring. Two groups examined the development on 13th Street and two groups examined the development along Carlisle Street. The group I was in, which consisted of Chantal, Fatima, Danee, Brian, Jen, and Ayako, was assigned 13th Street to Broad Street.
There was not very much development taking place on 13th Street, with the exception found at Jefferson Street. The Yorktown Arms building, which consists of apartments for the elderly, was adding an extension. They are trying to creating more housing by building new rooms. This type of development would not benefit all of the community, just the senior citizens. The neighborhood on 13th is quiet and residential. They make sure Temple University does not use its resources to gentrify that area. Most of these homes have families that have lived there for a while. There are a few homes that are occupied by Temple students, however. On the corner of 13th Street and Girard there is a new mural to promote positive development. The rest of the development that was studied was all occurring on Broad Street. There was a large building that was being restored possibly into new lofted apartments or an office building. We have to remember that the city is attempting to develop this Girard to Cecil B. Moore corridor into what they call “Avenue of the Arts North”. This new building might be unaffordable for most people living in the general area. Another sign of development are the new sidewalks that have been installed along Broad Street starting at Girard and continuing to Master Street. This is a positive development for this section of Broad Street because there are fast food restaurants, a pharmacy and several other commercial places for the community to use. The sidewalk promotes the services of these commercial facilities. It also encourages more pedestrian interaction, resulting in greater cash flow for more development. The biggest development in this area is the new shopping center that encompasses an entire block on Oxford Street to Cecil B. Moore. This will probably provide services mainly for Temple University. The development might add some employment to the area for the other residents. This building is called the ‘Edge’ because it is on the edge of campus and is really pushing out the rest of the North Philadelphia community. This new shopping center development will create competition for the struggling commercial businesses that surround it. Progress Plaza which is next door is already suffering economically from lack of business. It will probably have to shut down as it will be unable to compete with this new huge commercial building. Not all of the development that occurs serves to promote positive effects on the entire community. The business has just shifted to where the money is, causing the surrounding community to suffer.

2006-05-05T11:48:00.000-07:00

Industry and Commerce in North Philadelphia: March 16, 2006
This field assignment was to pick out specific industry and commerce within the boundaries Diamond Street to the north, 6th Street to the east, Girard to the south, and 11th Street to the west. My group, who consisted of Brain, Theresa, Chantal, Danee, Yennaira, and Jen, chose to examine the area from 11th Street, to Master Street, to 9th Street and to Burks. We looked at the landscape especially the industrial and commercial urban landscape of the area. We each choose five buildings to examine which may have resulted in some differences with our analyses.
The first building I thought would produce commerce was a church with an attached school. This building was called St. Malachy School and Church. Often times churches as well as schools produce goods. The building looked well kept with a playground to the south side of the school for the children to play. These buildings were located on 11th Street in between Jefferson Street and Master Street. The next industrial building that was studied was called Clermont Engineering Co. This building looked like an old factory. We were unsure if this building was closed down or still in operation but then we noticed a small sign on a side entrance that said ‘Mike Maltep’s Boxing Gym.’ This building was very interesting because it even seemed like an old converted building now used as a gym such as presented in many movies. The building was located on 9th Street and Master Street. The third building I chose to study was named U.S.Uniform Sales and Rental when viewed from Master Street, and Delaware Valley Hospital Laundry Inc.
from 9th Street. This is a very unsightly building and takes up an entire city block. This building does look like it could support the community with jobs though. There was a huge walled in area for trucks to unload and cars to park on 9th Street. This area looked like the main entrance for people and laundry deliveries. The building across the street from this one appeared to be three vacant buildings, but was actually Tung Sing Produce Trading. The three buildings might be all connected and part of Tung Sing Produce. I am not exactly sure what kind of industry this building housed but I did think it looked a bit unsavory and if they are actually selling produce I might be a little hesitant to buy it there. This building was located on 9th Street near Jefferson Street. The last industrial urban landscape examined was the PGW building. This modern, vibrant building creates juxtaposition in the neighborhood of abandoned housing units and public assisted dwellings. The PGW building is its own island in the field study. This building probably does not provide very much employment for the immediately surrounding community.
Some questions about these buildings and their relations with the adjacent area might be about the history of the building, whether many of the residents are employed within these buildings or why there were such a small number of pedestrians in a section of the city with industry.

2006-05-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Health Landscapes: April 6, 2006
By definition, a healthscape is “the role of the facility and physical environment on consumer attitudes, satisfaction, quality assessments, and behaviors.” It is important for a commercial and residential area to provide services that address the health needs of the community. The requirements of the community residents must be met to have a well functioning society. Health landscapes are around us everywhere in daily life. The purpose of this field analysis is to help point out our perception of health landscapes in a commercial urban district of Philadelphia. The group memebers of that were a part of this study are Fatima and Jen.
The field analysis took place from 12th Street to 20th Street on Cecil B. Moore Avenue. Cecil B. Moore is considered a commercial zone for the residents of this community. The surrounding area is comprised of widespread poverty and blight, excepting the Temple University campus. Cecil B. Moore is a subway stop on the Broad Street line attracting even more attention to the area. Many Temple University students live near this area creating issues for redevelopment. It is noticeable that Temple is pushing out residents of this area by creating new shops and new unaffordable housing for the vicinity. The purpose of this field analysis is to identify the surviving providers for the residents, being Temple students or North Philadelphians.
The field survey begins on 12th street but the first sign of health landscape is on 13th and Cecil B. Moore where there is a police contact post mainly for the use of Temple students. On a building belonging to Temple University at this same intersection is a sign informing people that the building is handicapped accessible. The subway stop on Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore is equipped with a handicapped accessible elevator, while most stops on the Broad Street line are not similarly outfitted. On the street level of this stop there is a noise indicator for the blind so they know when they can safely cross either street. Right off of 15th street is the IBC building, which is a recreational facility for the use of Temple University students. This facility provides a place for exercise to stay in good health but it is only available to students so the other surrounding residents do not reap the benefits of this amenity. There is also a Seven Eleven store located on this corner that provides mostly junk food but also carries some healthy choices like the vegetarian sandwiches. There is a Subway restaurant located between 15th and 16th giving a better option to fast food. As we kept walking west on Cecil B. Moore we noticed most of the food shops were unhealthy mom and pop shops. There was a large building called Women’s Christian Alliance that had a playground in the side yard. APSC Charter School is located on the 18th block to provide a better education for qualified students who care about their academics. At the 19th block and onward there was a tremendous amount of blight. Most of the buildings were dilapidated. Once leaving Temple’s campus the sidewalks on the south side of the street were broken-up and not maintained, while the north side of the street had nice sidewalks making it more accessible for the handicapped.
There is a clear transition of the healthscape west of Temple’s campus. There are not as many opportunities to sustain good health upon exiting campus. Almost everything on Temple’s campus is handicapped accessible in contrast to the poor condition of the sidewalks on the south side of the street.

2006-03-13T00:13:00.000-08:00

Picture a block from my Apartment
(John Hall)

Community Description:
The neighborhood where I live is called Rittenhouse Square. My location is near the corner of 23rd Street and Walnut Street. Rittenhouse is a small Center City neighborhood. The boundaries of the neighborhood are Broad Street on the east, Market Street on the north, 24th Street on the west, and South Street on the south. The north side of Walnut Street is where my apartment is located and it is very noisy at all hours of the day. People driving to West Philadelphia or those that are getting on Interstate 76 are driving down Walnut Street night and day. The section of Walnut that I live on is zoned for both commercial and residential uses. The crime rate in my community is very low. On the rare occasions when something does happen it is normally big news and the community works together to find the criminal(s). Other residents in my apartment building keep an eye out for each other. Under normal circumstances, I would not call my community a tight knit community. Instead, I would say the people who are a part of it like to keep everything satisfactory. I can get most anything I need within a five block radius of my residence. I am a frequent customer at the grocery store, restaurants, clothing stores and taverns that are found within that area.
The Rittenhouse area mostly consists of young professionals, some young families and some college students. Some of the city’s dominant businesses, such as the stock exchange, are located in this area. Many of the people that work in the area commute from upscale suburbs. During weekday lunch hours many of these workers are in the park enjoying the environment and their lunches. This area contains some of the most expensive real estate in the city. There is no major grocery store contained in my community but there are some nearby in the surrounding neighborhoods.
There are several trendy and expensive shops on Rittenhouse Row. Many tourists come to this area for the shopping. South Street is another area in the city where shopping is popular, but Rittenhouse Row has a more extensive and upscale collection of shops. There are also internationally renowned five-star restaurants all around the area especially near the park. The park at Rittenhouse Square is surrounded by expensive hotels where celebrities often stay when they visit Philadelphia. This area is very convenient to many colleges and universities. University of the Arts, Art Institute, Drexel University, and the University of Pennsylvania are all within walking distance or located within this neighborhood. Many of the students that attend these surrounding schools use the park as their work place to do their homework. The entire park has free wireless internet access. There is a good night life in my neighborhood. Some of my favorite bars are in the Rittenhouse neighborhood. There are many cultural opportunities in this area because the theaters on the Avenue of the Arts are only one block away. Rittenhouse Square, the park, is very small but is the nicest in the city. On a nice day, the park will have the highest population density of any park in the city. Many families spend a good amount of recreation time in the park playing ball or Frisbee. In the summer one Wednesday of every month the park hosts a free live concert called Concert in the Park. There are often artists painting and in the summer there are small art shows in the park. This community has a large variety of cultural offerings in which I am proud to participate.

http://www.rittenhouserow.org/index2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rittenhouse_Square
http://wikitravel.org/en/Philadelphia#Parks

2006-03-12T23:32:00.000-08:00

Ethical Dilemma:
The ethical dilemma I consider everyday with the environment within my community is the amount of pollution created by motor vehicles. The plethora of automobiles, trucks and busses creates not only air pollution but noise pollution as well. As a result of the huge amount of suburban sprawl that happened in the past decades the ridership of urban mass transportation has gone down significantly. It is understandable how people get into the habit of driving a personal automobile everywhere because of convenience. It allows you to get exactly where you need to go in the most comfortable and quickest way. Rainy days are probably the most acceptable times to want to operate a personal vehicle. I personally hear and see many motorists on the road right outside my bedroom window. Many times they drive SUVs and have no other passengers. There are many members of the community that could easily ride environmentally-friendly bikes or walk places nearby (or even far away) but they choose to drive. Often times when there is traffic congestion riding a bike is the fastest mode of transportation. The new homes and condos being built in and around my community include off street parking which only serves to promote personal automobies as these residents’ main source of transportation. That many people should not be driving because everything in my neighborhood is so close together, there are bike lanes on the streets and mass transportation is very accessible. Often times when approaching bike riders motorists beep for no apparent reason only because they feel inconvenienced and feel the urge to speed past. I understand it may be nerve racking and dangerous to ride a bike during rush hour because many of the automobile drivers are obnoxious and do not understand that riding a bike creates less congestion and no air and noise pollution, thereby benefitting the community. If more people would ride their bikes to and from work it would become more acceptable to share the road. People have become so lazy to even walk five or ten blocks. Philadelphia ranked among 10% of the dirtiest counties in the United States for air pollution. I am not saying that the motorists are the only reason the air is so polluted; but knowing Philadelphia County has some of the worst air pollution should give all residents of the community incentive to try to fix the problem. Improved fitness is an additional benefit that will be realized with increased bicycle ridership since Philadelphia is ranked as the fourth fattest city in the United States. Riding a bike daily or even going for a walk to anywhere in the city is a great form of exercise. People are not even making an effort anymore so the problem is not being fixed. Bikes are the most reasonable mode of transportation. Mayor John Street has been working to improve street conditions for bikers by putting in bike lanes on some main streets and adding more places to park bikes. Fewer motorists on the roads mean faster and more efficient mass transportation which would also benefit the air quality. Mass transportation is still not a solution to the issue but it does help to improve it. A bike ride or a stroll can be very therapeutic for the busy mind set of city dwellers. The many different distractions and traffic problems can cause city driving to be very stressful.

http://www.bicyclecoalition.org/Bicycle_Action_Plan.htm
http://chicago.about.com/od/aboutchicago/a/010605_fat.htm
http://www.scorecard.org/community/index.tcl?zip_code=19103&set_community_zipcode_cookie_p=t&x=14&y=3
http://bikethestrike.blogspot.com/

2006-01-30T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hometown Map:
This is a map drawn of my neighborhood in Lower Windsor Township in York County PA. This area is known for its vast amounts of farm land. This map shows I am more familiar with the road my home is located on. I drew each individual house on my road but on the other roads I just drew the general area the houses were located in. The scale I used for this map is a bit off but somewhere close to every inch being 100 meters. There is a large horse farm behind my house that offers riding lessons. Two small creeks frame what I consider the boundaries of my neighborhood. I chose these boundaries because when I was a young kid this was the area I was allowed to ride my bike around. The school that is drawn on the map is not technically in my neighborhood but I remember walking up the trail to play often, so I included it. I am very intimate with this area because I have lived in the same house my entire life. When development does occur it is in a way sad to me, because I have always known my hometown as a simple rural community. All of the new houses that have been built are located to the west of my house towards the city of York. There is juxtaposition at the edge of my community. There is a large luxury home, with outbuildings, at the end of my street. Directly across the street from this home is an inexpensive mobile home, with goats, dogs and ponies in the fenced-in yard. This home is labeled "trailer" on my map. This makes the site incongruous, clearly showing the result of a lack of zoning laws.
Everything in my neighborhood is close to a mile away from my house. Most of the homes in my neighborhood were built in the 70's or 80's except for about five that are from within the past five years. Eminent domain has become a pressing issue in the area as the conflict between preserving farmland weighs against the drive for development. The area is very rural but is showing the signs of suburbanization with the construction of numerous homes.
My neighborhood once made of very few houses when my dad constructed our home, now consists of many houses spaced an acre to an acre and a half apart. The closest food store is a small country grocery store with an attached gas station located about a mile and a half from my home. There is a small pizza place, post office, fire station, barber shop, hardware store, and bank in the small village which is about a mile from my house. The nearest large shopping areas are 10-15 miles away and require a 20 minute car ride. There is an elementary school a half mile from my house.

2006-01-30T19:37:00.000-08:00

Juxtaposition:
The juxtaposition of the new Avenue of the Arts lights against the North Broad Street blight is alarming. Many people do not even notice the new lights because of the lack of completion of development in the area. I understand the reason for the new lights is to promote the development project of North Broad Street, but it seems as though the lights should not be there until development is underway. The place I first noticed the lights was on the Temple University main campus, where redevelopment is actually occurring. The lights seem to be best placed in the attractive, upscale Center City theater district. Avenue of the Arts Inc. is trying to tie Temple University to Center City, where many other art schools and cultural institutions exist. The idea that I do not completely understand is Temple University is not an art school. The art school is Tyler and that is not on Main Campus. I know they are working to move it to Main Campus, but again that is another reason why the lights should have waited. The huge difference of redevelopment along North Broad Street to Temple University is ridiculous. All along North Broad there are vacant, old abandoned houses and businesses, then once the facade of Temple University is visible, it is noticeable that vast amounts of money are being poured into redevelopment for the benefit of the students. It is very clear that the redevelopment in and around Temple is not for the community, because the community could never afford the lavish lifestyles being provided by the University. The development is taking place is four stages: Stage one JFK Boulevard to Wallace St., Stage two Wallace to Master Streets, Stage three Master St. to Susquehanna Ave. and Stage four Susquehanna Ave. to Glenwood Ave. The lights on the first stage of development seem to be in less juxtaposition because that area has been under development for some time. When I first noticed the new lights I felt it tainted some of the positive effect that existed in the original Avenue of the Arts. There is too much blight down North Broad Street to consider Temple University being a part of what Avenue of the Arts South represents. The idea is premature to tie North Broad and South Broad together. Many people would feel a lot safer walking down Avenue of the Arts South and I believe many people would not even want to walk down Avenue of the Arts North. There is so much poverty on North Broad that it is hard to see the beauty of art through all of the deterioration. Avenue of the Arts South is located in the richest area of the city giving it a huge advantage over any other area. People feel safer here and are willing to patronize the businesses. The northern part of the city has in the recent past decades experienced an economic shift with factories moving out of the city creating a lot of poverty. This has caused Broad Street to develop at two entirely different rates. The idea to join Broad Street together is good but I just do not think the time is now to place them into the same category.

http://www.avenueofthearts.org

2006-01-30T19:01:00.000-08:00

Horse-Drawn Carriage Issue:
Recently in New York City an accident occurred involving a horse-drawn carriage and a car. The horse that was pulling a carriage was spooked and ran into some lanes of traffic. The horse ended up being euthanized and the driver of the carriage was injured. The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is now making a fuss say that horse drawn carriages should be banned from the city as has been done in many other cities throughout the world. PETA believes the horses that are used for the carriage rides are often mistreated and that euthanization of an injured horse is cruel.
I believe horse-drawn carriages are an important part of New York City's culture. There is no reason that one accident that occurred recently should result in the discontinuation of the tradition. Tourists from all over come to experience rides through New York. The treatment of the horses has improved from the past. If these horses are banned from working in the city, police horses should also be banned. PETA is going overboard with saying they should be completely banned. PETA is looking at the entire issue in a one sided way. They do not realize that the horses that pull the carriages are bred to be stronger. They are working horses, not the typical, riding pasture-grazing horses from the country. There are some workers that do abuse their horses by making them work too hard or for too long but most of the carriage drivers know how much their horses can take. Horses have always been used for transportation, so their work load should feel normal to them. I do not think they should be working during the busiest traffic times or on main streets but I do think the carriages should continue to be a tradition. A carriage driver is not just a job it is also a lifestyle, a trade and to take that away is wrong. Saying there are not many people who have this job is true, but still we have to think about the families of the carriage drivers and the loss of jobs that would result from a ban. The horse-drawn carriages are a glimpse into the history of the evolution of transportation and that experience should be kept alive. The horses are also an environmentally friendly mode of transportation. The horse in New York City was spooked from too much traffic, causing it to crash into a car. The excess motorized traffic caused this accident; drivers have to be cautious also. I believe it would be a better idea to have the carriages strictly zoned to work in the the park to further protect the horses.
The people who would like to see horse-drawn carriages banned argue that the horses are not being treated with proper care. They say that 80% of the accidents that have occurred have been due to the horses being spooked by automobiles, humans and just general loud noises. New York City is the largest city in the United States. It is very congested at all times creating a greater chance of a horse being spooked for one of these reasons. Carriage horses are only employed for a few years because they are exposed to huge amounts of noxious fumes from vehicles. The last argument they have is that many other cities have already put bans on horse-drawn carriages.
All of the arguments that are brought up to justify a ban on horse-drawn carriages in the city can all be proven inadequate.

http://www.articlealley.com/article_30502_54.html
http://nyc.metblogs.com/archives/2006/01/in_defense_of_t.phtml

2006-01-14T07:14:00.000-08:00

Terms:

Community Description:

Neighborhood: A more generalized area, called Rittenhouse Square. Center City district is composed of many neighborhoods, of which Rittenhouse Square is one. The neighborhood is a commercial name for different sections of the city.

Rittenhouse Square: The neighborhood that surrounds the general area of Rittenhouse Park. Rittenhouse Park bounded by Walnut Street, Rittenhouse, Locust Street, and 18th Street. Rittenhouse Square, the neighborhood, is bounded by Market Street, Broad Street, South Street and 24th Street.

Boundary: The boundary defines the outermost limits of the community. Direct streets bound a community.

Community: The area, including people, that I interact with everyday. I can take care of my daily needs in this area. I am intimately familiar with people and places in this area.

Rittenhouse Row: The many different shops and restaurants that line Chestnut Street and Walnut Street on the west side of Broad Street.

Ethical Dilemma:

Environment: Everything around us that we experience daily. Trees, air, the natural world, human interaction.

Suburban Sprawl: The exodus of the population moving to suburban areas from urban area resulting in more traffic and air pollution.

Community: Mainly Center City Philadelphia as the direct community, but also expanding to other neighborhoods of Philadelphia that is affected by the environment.

Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square area: Broad Street on the east, Market Street on the north, 24th Street on the west, and South Street on the south.

Hometown Map:

Scale: Map scale is an estimate of a proportion that is used to determine the general distance of the area.

Boundaries: My hometown neighborhood is bounded by two creeks, which defines the area I was allowed to play in as a young child. This area is about 500 square meters.

Rural Community: Vast amounts of farm land, livestock, agriculture, every house is located on a large plot of land, low amounts of interaction with neighbors as there are great distances between.

Eminent Domain: The right of government to claim private property for other uses if it is found to be in the best interest of the community. This has occurred in the neighborhood with the government taking land to turn it into developments, new roads or public parks. Often my hometown is opposed to the seizure of private property and will fight eminent domain.

Juxtaposition:

Juxtaposition: Two or more things are placed side by side for comparison, often making an incongruous feeling.

Blight: Rundown, not maintained, unusable, looks like ruins. Asthetically not pleasing.

Development Project: The plan by Avenue of the Arts Inc. expand the Avenue of the Arts to Temple University and beyond. The three mile stretch of North Broad Street is experiencing vast amounts of investment for revitalization of the area in the same way that South Broad Street was revived into an art and theatre district.

Avenue of the Arts South: From the intersection of Broad Street and Market Street to the intersection at Broad Street and Washington Avenue. This is the original Avenue of the Arts or Center City’s Theater District.

Economic Shift: The movement of factory jobs that used to be the heartbeat of North Philadelphia out of the city and overseas. This movement created economic issues for the factory workers. The resulting poverty caused many formerly nice neighborhoods of North Philadelphia to decline.

Horse-Drawn Carriage:

Tradition: The carriage rides are a long established event that have existed through many generations in New York. People come from all over to take the rides in Central Park. Traditional weddings often end with a carriage ride.

Working Horses: Working horses are not light horses; they are draft horses which are more powerful, sturday and well trained.

Evolution of Transportation: Transportation has evolved in the 20th centuryfrom heavy reliance on horses to the automobile and jet plane. The history needs to be preserved. Taking a horse-drawn carriage ride can be a similar experience to a visit to a museum.

Environmentally Friendly: Something that does not harm the natural environment. This type of transportation does not pollute the environment. Horse-drawn carriage is a better form of transportation for the environment than automobiles. The horses only have very small emissions of methane.