I don't know about the rest of you, but during the Introduction to today's reading I kept comparing Germantown Avenue to Poplar and Memphis (ironically, the path to Germantown). Very similarly to my other post, Anderson, draws imaginary lines down a main thoroughfare highlighting the differences between the communities it connects. Poplar is a great example of economic segregation in Memphis but I believe it is not the only one. The other one that came to my mind relatively quickly was Peabody Avenue. Last year, in the HOPE VI class I took, we spent a fair amount of time traversing between mid-town and South of the Forum, aka the Triangle Noir District. The easiest way to do it was to take Peabody. In midtown, Peabody Avenue is fully of the breathtakingly beautiful homes that have come to represent the elegance of Central Gardens. Large, historic, and well-kept, these homes have a feeling like that of Chesnut Hill which Anderson describes. However as one begins to travel westward, towards downtown, the size, quality, and upkeep of the homes and businesses begins to slide. The Church Health Center's main office as well as restaurants like Bon Thai are located on Peabody and are an interesting mix into the mostly residential street. Up until you hit the intersection with I-240, the neighborhood remains pretty well cared for. But after you go underneath the highway, you can literally feel the difference in street culture. Potholes, cracks, and uneven paving clearly demarcate where things have changed. As well, the street name changes to Vance Avenue after you pass the Memphis InterFaith Association (MIFA) headquarters. The stores on Vance slowly become more like those Anderson describes in Germantown and North Philadelphia and many of them have riot bars and cages. As one continues down Vance, one sees all the forms of urban decay that Anderson describes, but also some gentrification and hopeful efforts at rebirth. Several non-profits and churches like Streets Ministries and Advance Memphis have their headquarters on Vance, close to the currently under construction HOPE VI project, Cleaborn Homes at Heritage Landing (I think it's still called that?). Then, after the HOPE VI project, one passes Foote Homes, the last public housing project in Memphis before hitting the newly gentrified region of South Bluffs (where many Rhodes graduates now live).
I think the similarities between Peabody and Germantown Avenues are striking. What do you think? Have any of you traveled down this street or a similar one in Memphis or your hometown? What do you think caused this economic segregation? What, if anything should be done to correct it?
For one thing, the new Hope VI project is now called "Heritage Landing at Cleaborn Pointe" with the eventual hopes by the city that people will drop the Cleaborn part all together.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I was making these same connections as well. I believe it has much to do with our conversations last class about white flight and economic segregation. Over time, as whites continue and continue to flee the encroaching black middle class, the corridor expands with it. Close to the city is left those who could never get out and at the edge are those with the means to fortify themselves in gated enclaves. The in between is always interesting as businesses and real estate companies try to manage a mixed market. I believe that highways are sometimes intentionally built, as is mentioned at the end of Anderson's introduction, to provide barriers. Also, natural barriers like Cypress Creek heading northbound on McLean help to separate in the minds of the residents one neighborhood from an other.