I'm working on a new post and I have a question I would like to pose to those who live and work in Springfield. What is your perception of the Eastside (Oakland) Neighborhood? Please let me know if I have your permission to use your reply in a blog post.
I know some people consider it to be a sister neighborhood like Durkeeville or Sugar Hill and some want nothing to do with it. I know FreshMinistries, a neighborhood organization, has shifted a lot of resources to improving the Eastside.
Thanks!
Joey, I'm very pleased to read your post. I pick the "sister neighborhood" option. It's a sister with issues, but hey, it's right next door. I've wished for years that Springfield's Renaissance could spill over into the Eastside, and while we're at it, into North Springfield.
I've despaired of this happening as long as Eastsiders seemed unable to reorganize after Flossie Brunson's death, but they are getting a neighborhood group up and running again. Janice Love and Beverly Toney and others. And they are getting Weed and Seed.
They've got to get the reality and perception of crime down. They don't have Springfield's larger historic homes, but what they do have are bungalows that are perfect first homes - especially at today's prices. If crime in controlled, the Eastside is marketable. If you want to be part of the good stuff happening in Springfield, but can't afford it, then the Eastside is for you. But if you don't feel safe - forget it.
It all comes down to public safety, and Eastsiders have to take ownership of this issue.
Doug Vanderlaan
I went to an Operation New Hope open house on the east side last year and thought the neighborhood had a lot of potential...diverse like Springfield and, like Doug said, more affordable housing. Since I love Springfield, I haven't looked into east side, but if I knew the crime statistics were favorable, I can see where it would be a great place to live. Like Springfield, centrally located to downtown.
Thanks for your feedback! Please invite other Springfielders to leave their comments.
Ideally, sure, revitalization would spill over in all directions of Springfield. Realistically, it's a loooog way off from being anywhere near desirable for someone who can afford to live elsewhere. Crime is the major issue, of course.
Do we have crime numbers? It would be interesting to see where it is as compared to New Springfield, Durkeeville, Arlington, etc.
you can look the stats up on the coj website...and I would think that those other locations will more than likely show higher stats....not to say that the eastside doesn't have plenty enough of its own
It's a great question Gloria. We Springfielders know that the perception of crime sometimes lags behind the reality. I'm going off hiking, but when I get back I will try to do a bit of research.
As to our neighbors taking ownership of reducing crime, I participated in an anti-crime march from Brentwood to Venus-Mars neighborhood yesterday. There were about 200 participants. It was led by several churches and JSO. Very encouaraging!
Pop quiz: Is crime really worse than ever?
Answer: No. We are in a multi-decade downward trend for nearly all kinds of crime. Violent and property crimes are down over 10% in the first six months of 2009.
Stephen, thank you for posting the link to the previous discussion. My cyber time is limited, and I haven't been keeping up with this forum as I'd like to. Until recently, it's been awhile since I've looked at it. (With all the blogs, Facebook, etc, we could be in cyber space 24/7, couldn't we? <smile>) So thanks for bringing me up to date. Excellent ideas on the former thread.
To further extend this topic, someone made the following point to me offline, so I wanted to share it here to get further thoughts:
QuoteIf you look at the stats for infant mortality, violent crime, lack of healthcare, unemployment and more, the Eastside resembles a third world country in many ways. How can Springfield and Main Street really thrive with that next door? By the same token, how can the Eastside improve if it’s socially and economically closed off from Springfield?
Check out the 6-Point Community Initiative from Fresh Ministries as it relates to the Eastside:
http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/71/87/ (http://www.freshministries.org/content/view/71/87/)
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvaaK7CIvmo&feature=player_embedded (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvaaK7CIvmo&feature=player_embedded)
How are they closed off to Springfield?
By the train tracks, and by perception. We've had discussions about it at Shadco and neighborhood events (in informal chats.) How great it would be for historic Springfield to work with the Eastside together as one community. It just hasn't happened yet.
Gotcha, and thanks for your response. I'm just not really clear on what the goal is for this...neighbors will be neighbors, but there will always be the 'boundaries' of the neighborhoods. I'm not suggesting one is better than another, but there will always be that dividing line for all neighborhoods. This doesn't mean that each cannot participate in events, etc. that take place in the other...but in reality, what's the goal? Having a sister neighborhood, etc is all well and good, but they will always remain separate entities. I guess I'm just not seeing what the point/goal is. I'm not being negative, I'm not saying I'm not willing to offer a neighborly hand of help, etc., I just don't get what it is that you want to obtain here.
I would think that if their neighborhood was successfully transformed that would only benefit Springfield.
I have long thought that area could be nice if a little work was put in. I love the park @ 1st & APR. The commercial strip close to the overpass could be a hot spot if done correctly, it may be hard to funnel traffic to it though.
Part of their problem is the same we deal with in many other parts of our city. Neglect & loitering, I believe they both feed each other as well.
We had about 6-7 rental properties for years on the Eastsid (Louise, Danese, Buckman Streets), and while it is a diverse neighborhood with some nice little neighborhood businesses like Issac's Sandwich Shop and the slightly scary but generally friendly Wild Bills Bar, I think crime is less an issue for it's redevelopment than some fundamental impediments to the neighborhood like being dissected by the expressway, the heavy industrial nature of Talleyrand, and for most of our properties the large Buckman sewage treatment center that on a bad day where if the wind was blowing in your direction made being there dern near unbearable.
The little 1940's bungalows are affordable, and some are even quite well kept, I really think that as long as the area has the concentration of railroads, shipping, trucking, and other heavy industry it will have huge obstacles to being a pleasant place to be for folks who have other options.
One bright spot for the neighborhood however is the abundance of inexpensive warehouse space that artist and bands can get for studio and practice space right now that seems to be bringing some artistic new life into the area.
I never said that boundaries should be maintained, I said they'd always be there....which is true. No matter what neighborhood one lives in, there's always that boundary that divides that from the next...doesn't have to mean it's a negative and my mentioning boundaries wasn't intended to convey that.
I'm just asking, what is it that is being asked about the eastside vs springfield? I just am not clear on what goal is wanting to be reached. I totally agree that the eastside has great potential, and would love to see it blossom, but how that is tied to springfield, is what I don't get. Same as downtown, Durkeville, new springfield...all of the areas that neighbor springfield...
Quote from: sheclown on November 14, 2009, 08:29:39 PM
Do we have crime numbers? It would be interesting to see where it is as compared to New Springfield, Durkeeville, Arlington, etc.
Regarding Thursday evening’s Eastside community meeting at the East Jacksonville Neighborhood Resource Center, Beverly Toney said today:
“Our speaker was Lt. Stephen Gallaher and his topic was crime prevention. The most intriguing item he stated all evening was for our sub-section, Bravo Sector 3, year-to-date Violent Crimes decreased by 34% and year-to-date Property Crimes decreased by 32%. Lt. Gallaher believes this is a direct result of the changing community’s ideas and attitudes. (Kudos to the community and JSO) The community members were overjoyed with this information.
Elaine Lancaster of Code Enforcement then gave statistics of the drop in violations. 2 and ½ years ago, when we first called this community to action, there were approx. 800 code violations in the core area of East Jacksonville; there are now a little over 300. What an accomplishment.â€
Hi Joey,
I was only attend a few minutes of the Eastside's meeting Thursday. It is great to see that group functioning. I encouraged them to keep connected to the Urban Core CPAC.
I am confident that they would be glad for others to attend their monthly meetings too.
Doug Vanderlaan
They ae going to be the main beneficiaries of the Weed and Seed, but the extra police protection and the punishments falling under different jurisdiction will help us all. The State Attorneys office will be involved