In an article from 1943, George E. Evans, a member of the City Council, reasoned that public-private redevelopment could provide significant employment to returning war veterans, while ameliorating what he saw as an area beset by deterioration and urban blight. [11] That phrase would be popularized by radio DJ Mary Dee (Mary Dudley), of WHOD Radio, Pittsburgh's only black radio station.[12]. East Liberty is a diverse neighborhood in Pittsburgh with a notable skyline—the East Liberty Presbyterian Church.The history of East Liberty began around the time of the American Revolution, when it was a free grazing area in Allegheny County a couple miles from the city of Pittsburgh.Interestingly enough, the name East Liberty came from Old English usage of a … [21][22], A project to open a new grocery store on the Hill came to fruition in late 2013. But through numerous arrests during the 2000s and gentrification the neighborhood has mostly faded away. A large city of western Pennsylvania nicknamed the Steel City and known for the prominent sports team that all fly “Black and Yellow”, a song made famous by local Hip Hop artists Wiz Khalifa, but this article will shed light on the other side of the city, the side of the Pittsburgh ghetto on the city’s East Side, West Side, South Side and North Side. A community that has had its share of indictments and media attention is the Central North Side or Mexican War Streets, a community that was once home to the Hoodtown Mafia. The census tract/neighborhoods noted in the Hill District are represented on the Pittsburgh City Council by the council member for District 6 (Downtown neighborhoods). In 2000, 18 St. Louis census tracts, mostly north of Natural Bridge Road, were African-American middle neighborhoods, with household incomes close to the citywide median; 60,000 people, or roughly one-third of the city’s Black population, lived in these neighborhoods. Outside of the housing projects, the reputation of the East Side within the Pittsburgh ghetto lied in the remaining sections of communities like Homewood, divided between Uptown and Downtown, the Hill District, Lincoln Avenue, Larimer Avenue, Wilkinsburg, and Garfield, even though gentrification and the large amount of vacant properties have lessen the East Side’s population. Where are the 10 worst neighborhoods to live in Pittsburgh? With the new construction and rebuilding, hundreds of former residents are being forced to relocate farther north into neighborhoods around Brighton Road like Marshall-Shadeland and Brighton Heights or further north along Perrysville Avenue. The only segregated city left in America. Built during the 1950s and 1960s, these two neighborhoods helped in various ways to contribute to the North Side being referred as the War Side as Northview Heights, a former mixed racial community, became so bad that the area eventually became a gated community. Overall, you have a 1 in 28 chance of becoming a victim of crime in Pittsburgh. Today the East Side of Pittsburgh is heavily changing as the city’s black population, in the neighborhoods within the city limits, are moving further east into communities outside of the city, like Penn Hills or the many urban communities of the Mon Valley district. During the next decade, he authorized the relocation of 1,500 black families to make way for the Civic Arena. Today’s Pittsburgh is totally different from previous decades, from changes in the streets with much less Pittsburgh gangs activity to changes in the community as gentrification replacing and relocating many residents in numerous Pittsburgh ghetto and urban areas throughout the city. All Black neighborhoods are commercial districts Because of the disparities in employment, hiring and the cost of regulation, every Black neighborhood has an underground economy that rivals La Cosa Nostra. Pittsburgh’s largest side, the East Side, is the heart of the Pittsburgh ghetto as the area expands from the once historic Hill District to the unofficially East Side neighborhood of Wilkinsburg, while having numerous ‘hoods and urban communities in between. The true beginning of Pittsburgh black culture and African American community resides in the city’s once historic neighborhood of the Hill District. The heart of the Garfield neighborhood, which is one of the most sought after areas on the East Side. Black-Owned Restaurants & Food Services . [21] The YMCA opened a $9 million branch in the neighborhood, complete with a rooftop garden. https://www.kulturevulturez.com/pittsburgh-hoods-to-hoods-story It consistently has one of the lowest crime rates in the city with property values that are affordable to middle-class workers ($100,000-$200,000). The map of neighborhoods presented here is based on the official designations from the City of Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, PA you have a 1 in 173 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime. While we have a few ideas, we have not visited to confirm if they should appear in this guide yet. During the peak of the Pittsburgh gangs era, Bloods, Crips, and the once infamous LAW gang (Larimer Avenue Wilkinsburg) ran the East Side, due to the likes of the old Alley Mob, Formosa Way, or the old East Liberty projects that were often referred as the Crack Stacks. You can begin to explore your way around the 'Burgh with a brief guide to the highlights of each neighborhood. The Hill developed a vibrant entertainment district that turned the area into a cultural hub for music, especially the jazz genre. [20] For 30 years the residents did not have a supermarket and also lacked a pharmacy for many years. With a population of 300,286 people and 191 constituent neighborhoods, Pittsburgh is the second largest community in Pennsylvania. Kristina Marusic . [8] The benefits of networking often showed themselves through mentor-ship opportunities, as famous musicians could provide young artists with crucial career and technical advice.