Comments on: The Real Braddock PA

By: Fence Sitter

Fence Sitter — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:14:23 +0000

It strikes me that Braddock is not that different from the abandoned cluster home developments which now dot the suburbs of the Sunbelt. Both are products of bubble economies (although the post-war economic bubble lasted so long that it is usually referred to as a “boom” not a bubble) which have gone away. As with every bubble, there is now a bunch of stuff left that no one has a use.

We should all keep in mind that It’s good to try and make communities more “livable”, attract the creative class, ect., but all such efforts pale in effect to macro economic, political and social forces. It is usually events and trends far beyond the control of a single community which ultimately determines its fate. There are numerous once-thriving cities now buried in the desert or covered by vegetation.

By: Nancy Wilkinson

Nancy Wilkinson — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 05:11:14 +0000

Thanks for posting the article. I was born across the river from Braddock, in Duquesne. I remember when the mills were in full swing, when the skies were lit up every night with the most amazing colors and it was a sign of progress and prosperity. My parents moved us out of my grandparents’ home when I was in grade school to a neighborhood of blue-collar workers less than 10 miles away, living the American dream, owning their own homes, kids getting a decent education – even college if we had the grades. The mills shut down when I was away at school and everything changed in the blink of an eye. No jobs, no healthcare, guys doing odd jobs to support their families, women in line at food banks to feed their kids. Anyone who could move out and find work left town, those who remained were on welfare or retired folks whose homes were paid for and worth nothing on the market. The area has slowly been coming back, reinventing itself as Braddock is trying to do. I wish them all the luck in the world.

By: for the birds

for the birds — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 01:14:50 +0000

Very good article . Thanks for pointing it out . Of special interest to me because much of my family is from Pittsburgh. My grandfather worked in the Braddock mill – probably from the late 1930’s thru the 1950’s.

Still much to do to bring that area back to life. No surprise that there are conflicting ideas about the best path for renewal.