Center City diversity makes area inviting

Center City has seen a population surge and significant crime decrease recently -- and city officials said the the two are not coincidental. The "State of Center City Report," released by the Center City District last week, portrays downtown Philadelphia as a safe, clean and lively place characterized by its vast cultural and retail options. Center City Residents Association President George Brodie said the district's "diversity of population and ideas," in addition to its proximity to top-notch restaurants and cultural outlets, attracts residents to the area. And College junior Katie Haegele indicated that Center City is a "nicer," "cheaper" and "safer" living option than University City. Haegele, who plans to reside downtown next semester, said she likes that stores are open and "people are out and about at night." She added that the prevalence of police officers in Center City is also a factor that prompted her to think about living downtown. The CCD's report indicates that crime has decreased 14.5 percent in the area since 1993. "We still have crime in Center City, but without a doubt we don't have the problems that we had before," according to Philadelphia Police spokesperson Bill Schmid. He explained that the District's ability to make the area "more welcoming" to nighttime visitors puts more people on the streets whose presence "oppresses crime." Schmid added that there is no evidence that the District's effort to reduce crime has prompted criminals to relocate to West Philadelphia. Director of Police Operations Maureen Rush agreed that there is no proven correlation between crime rates in West Philadelphia and Center City. And while the report indicates that 4,071 of the 29,008 students enrolled at Penn and Drexel University choose to reside in Center City, Rush said it might behoove students to take another look at the benefits University City has to offer because "the grass isn't always greener on the other side." Rush added that with the prospects for a special services district in University City, "it's a very exciting time for Penn." And Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol Scheman said some reasons to live in University City include greater student interaction and easier access to libraries and other University facilities. Scheman added that she is "respectful" of students choosing to live downtown, but she is focusing on "doing whatever we can to make [living in West Philadelphia] a more obvious choice." But Schmid said "if [students] want to [live in Center City], we're open and receptive." "There's an awful lot to do here and a large part is because of student activity in the area," he added. And Haegele called "Center City an up-and-coming type of thing."

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