Great story here about Baltimore's Pigtown, until recently a very rough-and-tumble kind of place. The city tried to "revitalize" it in the 70s, but of course failed.
One of the more interesting hold-overs from that effort was an attempt to rename the neighborhood "Washington Village." Seems that the urban planners, in all their wisdom, thought Pigtown was a bit, er, rough and tumble.
But the whole "Village" thing was a load of BS and the new name didn't stick. Or did it?
Residents are currently trying to get some sort of historical designation. And there is a fight over what the area is really called. The debate pits new residents versus old, in many cases. (The area has recently become a pretty hot district, apparently overtaking Hampden as the "up and coming" neighborhood.)
This is a perfect stand-in for the constant battle facing gentrifying neighborhoods. And I think it helps to consider it in terms of an emotional debate happening somewhere else. Offers a bit of perspective.
In case you're wondering, I prefer Pigtown.
there's a neighborhood in philadelphia (one of my favorite cities) called fishtown...and it lived up to its name...even as the yuppies (it was the late 1980s), the longtime locals (really lower-income whites) helped the place retain its special flavor. rough and tumble would make fishtown sound genteel. it was a scary place, even for a white guy, and keep in mind that i have no problems riding my bike through certain rough neighborhoods around here. even today fishtown hasn't cleaned up too well...think of it as a punch in the nose version of troy hill, where generation after generation live in the same homes that never come up for sale because family members buy them when older relatives die.
Posted by: sean mcdaniel | July 28, 2006 at 06:23 AM
Gentrification is the disease that Pigtown has today. The middle class and poor, like my entire family and myself, are being displaced further to the west onward to the county. There are some who try to cling on to pigtown through dwelling in a slum with no heat owned by the very people cashing out on our culture which has long endured over a hundred years. Yes, it may be their choice but in most cases its not. Its just that they do not have the money to move. In some instances, its either have a roof over your head or food in your babies belly.
I live in Morrell Park these days. I cannot afford to live in the neighborhood I grew up in. Or would rather live in a home not owned by a slum lord. The most hurtful result of the gentrification of Pigtown and the rest of South Baltimore, is that the culture is disappearing. I remember seeing the citizens of Pigtown wash or in my case “warsh” their beautiful marble steps on the weekends, park their one car in one spot, if they had one, car that is, know their neighbors name, say at least hello to their neighbor, and my favorite, pick up after their dog.
There is one more thing I have to say. Washington Village has no relevance and meaning. Pigtown on the other hand, does. If I ever find the people who decided to change the name of my home and manage to force most of my family and myself out through gentrification, my new favorite word, I would place a bullet in their greedy little heads and hurt their families like they`ve done to mine.
I AM FROM “PIGTOWN”, washington village DOES NOT EXIST!
Posted by: Romeo Santos | August 12, 2006 at 08:04 PM