not so ignorant anymore

when i was young, i never really thought about how our community, government, and life worked. everything just sorta worked out because it was supposed to; there was no question about it. someone was constantly looking out for and overseeing everything -- someone bigger and greater than i. well, i've since lost that ignorance and am well aware that the people running my life, government, community, school are as human (and fallible) as i. and this fascinates me -- likely because i was so ignorant as a kid, sheltered by parents who had no interest in politics or community.

and for someone fascinated by the workings of a community, chestnut hill is the ideal place to observe a functional but crazily operated community. it's a huge success, but behind the scenes can often be chaos -- a truth i know only because i have to report on these people. and despite their craziness, they usually pull off a pretty successful event, community, etc. ... its community association's membership is beginning to struggle now, but we'll see how that goes. i think it's chaos is beginning to backfire and they might have to redirect themselves soon.

anyway, the point of this is that in my fascination, i've learned that aspects of a community i've taken for granted and never thought about -- such as its retail mix and how that effects resident demographics, crime, etc. -- are really very vulnerable without the proper oversight. which brings me to the article i wrote about banks on germantown avenue. it was interesting to discover not only how an increase in bank branches (article on slate.com about it) could effect a commercial corridor, but what was more interesting was how the branches came about. the banks did not all happen to "find" the Hill and open branches, though the community's established history and well-off residents did attract them. but rather it was an increase in chain stores a few years ago, which seemed to have been viewed as a positive move for the Hill, and the chains' ability to pay higher rents that led to an increase in banks ... because, when the chains moved, only banks could afford to move in and pay the higher rent; independent stores can't afford those rents, and landlords still expect the profits.

read on. and part two is here...