Two things I'm not

A hipster or a tourist. Nope, not even in the slightest. You know what I am? An enthusiast and a traveler. And maybe a euphemist in denial, that's a third thing. So when I visit a place like the High Line in NYC, I have to make myself feel better by telling myself that I'm a huge proponent of clever, even eccentric, urban renewal--that's why I'm there. That's why I'll take a 30 minute subway ride from 116th street by myself to mix in with the throngs of, well...hipsters and tourists.

As much as I didn't want to, though, I couldn't help but gawk like a tourist or intellectualize like a hipster as I was walking the High Line, a former elevated railroad line (much like the El in Philly) that was revamped and turned into a park. Yeah...an almost boardwalk-like park stretching from the low teens up and into the 30's. Only in New York, right?

And that's why this last trip to New York, one of dozens upon dozens that I've done in the past, was so significant to me. As I walked along this former eyesore-turned-city-oasis, I couldn't help but feel inspired. I have had a vision for North Philadelphia to be revitalized ever since my last year at Temple University, where I took a class called "The Uptown Theater". It's basically Philly's version of Harlem's Apollo Theater, but the larger study surrounding my Uptown class hinted at what a vibrant, upbeat community North Philly once was.

So I have this semi-qualm. I want to bring about some kind of major change in my hometown, but the more I think about things, I feel as though New York would be the place to learn how to do it--especially with places like the Harlem Children's Zone, which literally went block by block with programs to break the cycle of poverty in uptown Manhattan. Just look at the difference...these apartments are probably something around $1500-$2500/month in rent today:

W 119th Street, Harlem, NYC

But do I want North Philly to undergo the same gentrification that Harlem is being plagued (conscious word choice) by today? Do I want health food stores and smoothie places to drive the rent up and the poor residents out into further displacement? I often wonder if there's some kind of balance that can be struck.

In the meantime, I'm still considering this move to New York. It's something I've been praying on, weighing my options, and kinda just sitting back and watching where God takes me.