Jennifer's posts about Cabrini Green reminded me to tell a quick story from my bus ride last week.
CG is an infamous housing project on Halsted St., halfway between my place and school. The picture here, which I found on Flickr, shows the status of one of the towers. Eventually, all of the 4,500+ residents will be moved to other housing.
Anyway, it was a Tuesday morning, and we stopped at the bus stop at the north end of the project. A black woman and her two young daughters got in. They sat a couple of seats in front of me. As we drove south, past the demolition, the girls looked out the window. One asked her mother, "Are they going to tear down our house too?"
I couldn't make out the mother's reply.
1 comment:
Oh man, that photo is so telling. What amazes me is the view the residents must have had of the skyline. It somehow gives me comfort that all those folks who were struggling, some in very serious ways, had one of the most beautiful views of the city possible. How amazing the evening lights must have looked from there. . .
And, with regard to that girl on the bus's comment, it must be heartbreaking to see your community torn down around you and destroyed in such a dramatic way. Good intentions and efforts to improve a very tough living situation aside, a community is a community, and it still hurts when yours goes. -- jr
btw, thks for the link.
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