Oxymoron

Scott Park

I live a block away
from this wonderful park; Weather permitting, I walk around it a few times everyday (it's a little more than a half mile around the loop) and play tennis there (when I can bribe my husband into exercising-- usually with food). You can't tell from this drawing, but it's pretty hilly and towards the South end, and turns into a forest (as you can see by the trees), which makes it a really beautiful walk. With tennis courts, a bowling green, a playground and rolling hills (not to mention bicycle and skateboard bans), it's a pretty perfect retreat.

There are beautiful houses surrounding the park-- rambling old homes with original sash and stained glass windows and terrific English gardens in the front and back. They all face directly onto the park, separated only by a small, cobblestone lane. They're not huge houses-- 4 bedrooms, 1 bathroom (English houses are not big on multiple bathrooms), a relatively small kitchen, living room, den and dining room. But they're like walking back in time and I love them. I often find myself wondering what it would have been like to live in one when they were first built. So imagine my excitement when on one of my walks earlier this week I noticed that one was for sale. They NEVER go on the market. I went straight home and onto the realtor website and was shocked to see it was listed for nearly half a million (US) dollars.

If you've read any of my blog, you'll know that I live in a TERRIBLE neighborhood-- there are about 4 streets that are the worst, and I live on one of them. Seriously-- I'm not exaggerating. It's one of the most deprived areas in the country-- both from a poverty perspective, but also anti-social behavior (England's nice way of saying petty crime, vandalism, drug dealing, public drunkenness and fighting, neglect and general grossness. And don't even get me started about the amount of trash and dog poop all over the place-- it's everywhere.). You can literally buy a house for £9,000-- granted, you can't actually live in it. They're shells without running water or electricity (because the pipes have been stolen and wiring ripped out by vandals. Not kidding). But all things considered, not too bad for a small two-bedroom house when you could probably get it up and running with an investment of about £10K. Of course to make any money you'd have to sell it (which in the current market is impossible) or rent it (but to people who are drug dealers and criminals), making it more prudent to just board it up and let it sit rather than deal with the consequences (which we're seriously considering). And this neighborhood (my street included) is literally one block away from this gorgeous park and the beautiful expensive houses.

Now, I know that you'll often find poorer areas on the outskirts of high-rent districts. But THIS much of a divide, this close together? It's insane! Also insane that no one actually uses the park. It's virtually empty most of the time-- even when the sun is shining (which admittedly, is not often). When you live in absolute squalor and there's a little haven right next door, why not take advantage of it? Instead, the people in my neighborhood pull out their furniture in front of their houses and sit and drink and let their children play in the street and complete filth in front of abandoned and boarded-up houses. I realize that I grew up in a completely different world, but I simply do not get it. Any urban studies people out there care to comment?