South Side Stories: Weekly Update (2/18/14)

Bruce Kraus

#TheCarsonDivide

South Side Stories: Weekly Update (2/11/14)

The South Side puzzle is officially starting to come together. 

Slowly. 

That's a good thing, of course. When we listed our weaknesses at the beginning of the semester, I wrote that I normally wait until the last few days before the project is due to put in the hard work. This time around, I am actually making progress. Hopefully, this will result in a project I am proud of. 

This week, I put in my first calls to sources and laid out the groundwork for possible ledes.

I started by narrowing my focus to officials from District and Zone 3 in Pittsburgh, both of which include South Side Flats and South Side Slopes. This includes:

Cathy McNeilly- Zone 3 Commander- Cathy will give me the crime rundown. The statistics. A compelling, detailed answer to the question, 'How safe is the South Side?' Her commentary will shed light on the police presence in the area. 

Bruce Kraus- City Council President and District 3 Councilman- Councilman Kraus is the city's resident South Side expert. He has been working to keep East Carson St. safe since he was elected to office. He will be able to tell me how the neighborhood has changed over the years, and what initiatives have been put in place to preserve the culture. 

The South Side Chamber of Commerce- This will give me the historical context to write a great story. The SSCC knows everything about the South Side. They will be a great source of information moving forward, and their communications manager is very helpful. 

The Beehive- Talking to an owner of The Beehive will answer my questions about the day culture in South Side. The trendy hipsters holding their mochas. The store has also been around for awhile, so I'm sure someone will be willing to talk about how it has changed.

The Smiling Moose- This will provide a look into the bar culture. This isn't one of the more dangerous bars in the area, so it should be rather simple to take a trip there and talk to some workers. 

My goal is to conduct my first full interview this week. Let's see how that goes. I'm anticipating the normal source frustration; the pestering, the waiting, the limbo. 

It's all in good fun, though. 

South Side Stories: Weekly Update (2/4/14)

Week two was spent like this.

Notice the peace. The quiet. The calm before the storm. On any given afternoon, East Carson Street is everything you could ask for in a neighborhood; a place to shop, eat and relax.

I decided to break my text story up into three parts: The Day, The Night and The Collide. I focused on part one of our story this week.

I spent a normal afternoon in South Side. I walked up and down East Carson Street and took notes. I started on 10th street and went all the way to The Pretzel Shop. It was a decently lengthy walk, but it was a pleasure. I wasn't in danger of being struck by a car, or a homeless person. Or a drunk teenager.

I stopped in The Culture Shop and talked to the clerk. She said she has never had a problem during the day. The area is just like Shadyside, or Squirrel Hill. Relatively no danger.

I also grabbed coffee at Delanie's, which was a treat. I did part of my observation in the shop. It's worth noting what kind of people entered the shop. What kind of atmosphere they entered into.

If I can gather notes from a handful of days spent in South Side, I can write a lengthy story with no problem. I am afraid of the night, though. I will spend my first night in the area this weekend.

I also called Pittsburgh City Council President Bruce Kraus on Monday afternoon. He didn't answer his phone, so I texted him. Oh, the perks of having the council president's cell phone number. I plan on interviewing him soon.

Cheers until next week.

Pittsburgh's South Side torn between two cultures

Bars. Fights. Alcohol. Stabbings. Shootings. Police. Sirens. 

Culture?

Pittsburgh's South Side is fighting a battle against itself. During the day, the neighborhood is peaceful. Families venture through the plethora of dainty stores and eateries. Empty buses pass by, looking for folks to pick up. 

Shop owners prepare for the ensuing chaos.

The chaos comes at night, when all hell breaks loose. Drunken shouting disrupts the peace. Beer cans litter the streets, and every few blocks, vomit gathers in an abandoned storefront corner. A police blitz, initiated during the Luke Ravenstahl era, sparks high-speed chases and an aura of violence. 

But which South Side is the true South Side? Can both exist at the same time peacefully, and if so, how?

Only South Side has the answers. 

South Side Stories: Weekly Update (1/28/14)

Ah, the South Side.

I have been going there nearly every weekend since I was 9 with my father. We go to the Pretzel Shop. Not to party. I felt like I should clarify.

I feel like this needs to be clarified to everyone. We know South Side is a huge party spot. It's obvious, considering the amount of bars in such a small area.

However, is it dangerous? I have never taken a bullet there. I've never witnessed one of these carjackings. Is it because I haven't went at the right time? (or wrong time, I guess.)

That's what I am going to find out. Along with Aaron's photographic assistance, we are going to answer the question: How dangerous is South Side?

This week, I read through some of the research I had previously done with The Duke to familiarize myself with the topic again, such as the following:

http://www.duqsm.com/south-side-bar-levelz-may-be-labeled-nuisance/

http://www.duqsm.com/south-side-notices-big-drop-in-crime-911-calls/

I also took a trip down there at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday to get lunch, like I intended to. I saw a lot of families walking around. It was cold, but they were smiling. Is it too obvious to assume South Side is really safe during the day? Is this true of all areas?

I failed to get in contact with the South Side Chamber of Commerce. I tried once, then forgot to try again. I will contact them for next week, along with Bruce Kraus, if I can.

My goals for next week:

- Put in calls to Chamber of Commerce and Bruce Kraus

- Visit the area on a normal weeknight (not a weekend) and take notes

- Visit Levelz storefront and observe, take photos