Promise for a Better City (1944-1964) - Philadelphia: The Great Experiment

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Promise For A Better City
Part Three of documentary series
"Philadelphia: The Great Experiment" 1944-1964.
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[@JaneReRe]

18:35 My family owned an entire block of homes behind Dock Street. Most moved out during this push to rebuild a society Hill. Most moved to the newly built neighborhoods furthur north like Olney & Feltonville.

[@drakkar91]

What tremendous history is contained within this episode (along with the others I have watched). While the primary focus is Philadelphia, many of the challengers of the times applied across our nation. Well done. Very journalistic in quality.

[@JaneReRe]

I learned more about my city watching this than 12 yrs of education there. All young Philadelphians should be made to watch this, I'm sure they'd have more respect for it when they see the hard work it took to build such a city.

[@seekingthemosthigh5978]

evil history.

[@MrsCraigJrPhiladelphia]

My father and his brothers were raised on 5th and G. avenue❤

[@edwardpalumbo5237]

I worked for Airborne Express and that was my area...Erie Ave. Coca cola

[@BrianJasonTurner]

Very Good Documentary, you create history everyday, the choices you make today shape the future. Hopefully people learn from the good and the bad of the past.

[@brandadavis2958]

They mention the beginnings of the new music scene and early Rock & Roll - in South Philly and North Philly - even noting Dick Clark and American Bandstand - without mentioning West Philly and the fact that American Bandstand was broadcast within a stone's throw of West Philly High ... arguably the hippest music and dance scene in the country!

[@Mynamesalexa]

A guy I served in the Navy with Graduated there 1967

[@tkso.philly3879]

You're right.Right up Market street.

[@gortbot7748]

My Mom was a secretary at the Navy Yard, she took the subway, then the bus to work. She talks about the day Roosevelt died, everybody on the subway was crying openly.

[@bmp456]

It’s a shame that they had to trash so many beautiful 19th century buildings around center city and old city. Doing that to places like market Street honestly makes the city less bearable with all of these dreary modern buildings.

[@TheMuveTube]

bmp456 agreed

[@curtisgaither3625]

@@TheMuveTube I thoroughly agree, all for a Walgreen or a Starbucks. I miss the old landmarks

[@futuregenerationz]

I love this!

[@briansmith9439]

Great series though the name Society Hill goes back to colonial days when the Free Society of Traders made the area south of Dock Creek their headquarters; it was called Society Hill as far back as 1690.

[@joesielskisr4911]

My dad was not drafted because he welded ships😊

[@kenlynch7639]

It's amazing in these documentaries there's no mention of Frank Rizzo, who is both a cop a police chief and the mayor. Who cleaned up the city's crime like no other the way Giuliani cleaned up New York. That's why he had a statue.

[@davidmccann9811]

Do North Philly and South Philly still retain their own separate identities today?

[@AB-wf8ek]

I don't think you can really characterize Philly neighborhoods as broadly as you used to. At this point there are so many transplants (including myself) that there isn't as strong a mono culture in any particular area. In South Philly you definitely still get an Italian American vibe with businesses and older residents. The streets are generally more narrow and dense, but the character can change drastically between blocks. Up north, things are relatively more spread out. There are more empty lots and wild spaces, but there's been a lot of development in the past 10 years, so you'll see more newer buildings. At this point there are many Black, SE Asian, S American, and Caribbean neighborhoods that are mixed in with everything else. I personally think it's amazing. It can feel like traveling to another country sometimes just exploring the different parts of the city. It's one of the major reasons I've enjoyed living here for so many years.

[@gregorybiche89]

OK so at 4:11 that's Philly Joe Jones on the far left

[@ghs5216]

One of the best

[@1Rhettsgirl13]

Now the Democrats have all the absolute power in Philadelphia. They know they'll never lose here and they act accordingly. I'm a registered Dem but I know that one party having decades of absolute power is a bad thing.

[@beachbooxoxo]

It doesn't even matter anymore who is in office.

[@paulremmey398]

Bring back manufacturing,jobs Everything that comes from China ,we need to make it here

[@mistyblue526]

You are absolutely correct. ​@@beachbooxoxo

[@Thomas-f3k5o]

Whitehall park with the big concrete grandstands great softball league back then.

[@millertj27]

What happened to the years 1872-1943? Not enough going on to warrant its own segment?

[@CalvinsWorldNews]

"We're currently in production on our final three episodes to span that time period. We have not produced the series in chronological order."

[@ThomRealEstate-k1y]

Bob Horn was the original host of Bandstand not Dick Clark. Penn Center was in the works as far back as the 1920s.and the first improvements were opened by 1930. However the Depression and WW2 had put the brakes on the work until Joe Clark.

[@dchang11]

Society Hill is an eyesore, but its almost a representation of architecture in that era. Think of the former World Trade Center in New York.

[@samknight5553]

Grace Kelly, Tina Fey, Kevin Bacon, Veronica Hamel. All Philadelphia natives.

[@edwardpalumbo5237]

I use to deliver express mail to Mr. Bacon on locust Street

[@craignunnallypurcell]

Baltimore probably has a similar history which needs to be told.

[@sonnypruitt6639]

1951 Philly elects the first Democratic mayor since 1872, and there hasn't been a Republican mayor since. Now the shoe is on the other foot.

[@ztnjv]

Yes. But you won’t hear about that in this documentary.

[@sonnypruitt6639]

@Club Soda @5:29 "When a party's is in power for a long, long time, it essentially writes the rules that it lives by". As corrupt as Philly was pre WWII, under Republican leadership, it is just as much corrupt today under the Democrats.

[@GeneralAlex4]

It's funny that when the Republicans ruled any city it was successful.

[@AB-wf8ek]

Seems like a very narrow minded perspective to always bring up political parties

[@sonnypruitt6639]

@@AB-wf8ek Well what the F was the video about?! Better narrow minded than no minded! Moe Ron!

[@tommoore8726]

So we have the story of WASPS and Blacks but nothing about the ascendancy and accomplishments of Catholics in their overcoming Anti-Catholicism despite the institutional bigotry. This period was the time when Catholics really established themselves in the city. But story is totally ignored.

[@caramia4143]

And if it was included, someone else would bring up another that group was being excluded, so on and so forth. Maybe they chose to focus on the bigger stuff and not nitpick every single group of people who did something. Search bar on the top; very useful for people like you.

[@williamrogers9004]

Separation of church and state chief. What are you anti-constitution?

[@tommoore8726]

@@williamrogers9004 I do not understand. Please amplify.

[@AB-wf8ek]

Chinese have been in this country for hundreds of years, and Chinatown in Philadelphia has been a central part of the city since the mid-1800's. I never hear a single word about that either.

[@musasmall302]

22:57 look just like lil uzi and he from down that way

[@pegmanning4540]

Oh, HELL, no! Bacon ruined the lives of thousands of people.

[@alhall6700]

Margorie Margolas lecturing? Didn't she go to jail?

[@yingxiong9780]

Ed Bacon????????

[@auapplemac1976]

He was the Head of the city's Planning Commission and help design and/or redesign the city. Made the cover of Time Magazine (11/6/64) as a forward thinking official.

[@johnbarroll1120]

Making Phildelphia aristocrats richer.

[@patrickdecaumette7055]

Like it, or not. This is history, not your take on it. It is very sad to read such blatant racism. That too shall pass...with an open mind

[@mariyahisrael5508]

When ... it's 3 years later.

[@VirginiaCook-lx1qv]

Now they are burning the city!

[@Bluemax54]

Was a great city. Democrats now have run this city how long? Is this a propogada video?

[@barbaraobach]

Oh right because it wouldn't be the corrupt gop garbage who are corporate hookers- that ruined our cites and towns, bloody moron

[@agw1965]

Sam Katz is a republican. He made this series.

[@McVet3]

Anthony Williams What so if a Democrat produced the history would be different?

[@AB-wf8ek]

Comments like these are an indictment of how a lot of people who vote in this country can't see past labels

[@elviradonaghy5422]

Dont believe this!

[@ztnjv]

I wasnt expecting a documentary about race. I’m sure the people who make these documentaries think it’s simply an unbiased reflection of reality but the over-emphasis on racial issues every 2-3 minutes is simply a reflection of the preoccupation and obsession of the storyteller.

[@elainelane1119]

In one word you weren't expecting Reality!

[@AB-wf8ek]

This comment proves that we need more discussion about the experiences that minority groups have had in this country.

[@paulzappulla9770]

​@@elainelane1119use common sense, if a white kid went to school in jamaica, you think hes gonna be treated fairly.

[@dealvalayton9961]

Has to be a White person that made that original comment.....😢😢😢 They NEVER wanna talk about THE REALITY OF RACISM & THIS COUNTRIES HORRID AND HORRIBLE PAST & PRESENT WAYS OF DEALING WITH THE ISSUE.🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️ SAD‼️

[@Theapprapshow]

No wonder why we was sellin drugs n robbin people