49th and Walton Shooting

[thoth]

Man shot during robbery at 49th and Walton | West Philly Local

This is the second time in a month there has been a shooting at this intersection. I would be inclined to agree with a commenter on WPL who cited the houses at the east end of the block as a constant source of idiocy and criminal activity, and that the above story is probably related to a dispute amongst those characters.

However, my neighbor was robbed last night on his porch by a man matching the description of one of the creatures involved in the shooting and with a similar weapon and now I'm not sure. It looks like this guy is targeting our block. FTR, young, thin, black male with thin "chin-strap" style beard, using a large nickel-plated revolver. Dressed in grey shirt/sweater/hoodie, so said my neighbor, although that's easily changed. Original perps were in silver Ford, it's still possible the incidents were unrelated but watch yourself late at night on your porch if you're alone.

I'm honestly amazed that both these happened with no witnesses, there's usually people out on their porches late here.

[OffenseTaken]

Jesus. I don't know how you can stand it over there, when "my neighbor was robbed last night on his porch" makes it to paragraph 2.

[thoth]

If anything, me "standing it" here should be a testament to the overall quality of life in this neighborhood. 90% of my neighbors are excellent, hard working people. I know more of them on this block than any other I've ever lived on in Philadelphia. It's only because I have a good relationship with my neighbors that I found out about this stuff. I've lived on wretched blocks in North Philly/Kensington and worse parts of West Philly and although I am certain that this same kind of crap went on there too, but I never heard about it because people kept to themselves more.

To infer you are insulated from random robberies or shootings in G-Ho is pretty rich though.

My personal theory is that the drug connection on 49th and Walton (and manifested on 49th and Baltimore) brings bad characters into an otherwise peaceful and attractive neighborhood. Although there are 3 or 4 houses with scum on this block, I've never known them to do something as dumb as rob their neighbors.

[OffenseTaken]

You're totally right, and that seems to be the impression that many people who don't live there (including myself) have of the neighborhood: a mostly wonderful place, in spite of a few bad apples.

Still, I found it disturbingly funny when you mentioned your neighbor getting robbed only following a paragraph on other gun-related shenanigans on the same night. When a girl got robbed at gunpoint on our block, it was all we and our neighbors talked about for maybe two weeks. (This probably isn't a testament to how safe it is in G-Ho, so much as it is to what losers we are.)

[thoth]

I get your meaning. It's been a pernicious trend that in a strange way I wish was more evenly distributed throughout the neighborhood, which overall is fairly safe. But for some reason there have been serial robberies right on my block for a few months now, with this week being the worst yet. The violent nature of the first offense sadly makes my neighbor's story second page news. I just hope they catch these cretins.

You're totally right, and that seems to be the impression that many people who don't live there (including myself) have of the neighborhood: a mostly wonderful place, in spite of a few bad apples.

Still, I found it disturbingly funny when you mentioned your neighbor getting robbed only following a paragraph on other gun-related shenanigans on the same night. When a girl got robbed at gunpoint on our block, it was all we and our neighbors talked about for maybe two weeks. (This probably isn't a testament to how safe it is in G-Ho, so much as it is to what losers we are.)

[Brian616]

Thoth, is your bad house PHA scattered site housing? That's how we roll in G-Ho.

[thoth]

Thoth, is your bad house PHA scattered site housing? That's how we roll in G-Ho.

Actually, no. Most of the problem properties (I think there are three) are owned by a non-profit called Neighborhood Restorations, which offers tax credit housing. They own several properties on our block, but only the ones at the east end are seemingly problematic. It feels like an extremely large, extended family has taken over one or all of the houses in question. And they've been noisy and troublesome for years. Even before I moved here I noticed them biking down 49th street.

There is one unusually loud and obese woman who sits on her porch all day, and her house seems to be the epicenter of the BS. I've also seen an elderly woman cleaning up the exterior of the adjacent house, so maybe it's a situation where grandma got the house and then a bunch of no-good relatives moved in an took over. I'm speculating because they've never reacted positively to my attempts at communicate, except when one asked me to give them a six pack of beer i was taking back to my house.

[customb164]

Many of the problems around at this corner and on this block are closely connected to the tenants living in the houses owned by Neighborhood Restorations and managed by Prime Properties. The eight properties owned by Neighborhood Restorations are part of PHA's Housing Choice program.

I have had some success funneling my complaints of NR through PHA, since NR takes advantage of the Housing Choice assistance program. That problem clearly forbids illegal activities of the tenants.

violation of the obligations set under the voucher program -
17. No member of the assisted household, guest, or person in the unit with express or implied permission of the assisted household, may engage in drug related criminal activity, violent criminal activity, or alcohol abuse which interferes with the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents.

Communicating this to PHA and copying NR has led to two of the households being evicted. I urge you to write a formal complaint to PHA and document your experiences with the property and owners. Hopefully if pressed enough PHA will pull NR from the program. Surprisingly PHA has been good to communicate with -probably due to the intense scrutiny they are under.

If you know the names of the tenants you can see if they are convicted criminals using Muncipal Court Docket Sheet and make the case that they are in violation of the program.


James Levin and Scott Mazo are the top individuals behind Neighborhood Restorations- Well know "developers" in West Philly and surprise close connections to Blackwell.

[thoth]

Actually, my understanding is that following evictions at least several of the houses lost HCV approval and now are simply tax credit-based. Still owned by NR, managed by PP.

Many of the problems around at this corner and on this block are closely connected to the tenants living in the houses owned by Neighborhood Restorations and managed by Prime Properties. The eight properties owned by Neighborhood Restorations are part of PHA's Housing Choice program.

I have had some success funneling my complaints of NR through PHA, since NR takes advantage of the Housing Choice assistance program. That problem clearly forbids illegal activities of the tenants.

violation of the obligations set under the voucher program -
17. No member of the assisted household, guest, or person in the unit with express or implied permission of the assisted household, may engage in drug related criminal activity, violent criminal activity, or alcohol abuse which interferes with the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of the premises by other residents.

Communicating this to PHA and copying NR has led to two of the households being evicted. I urge you to write a formal complaint to PHA and document your experiences with the property and owners. Hopefully if pressed enough PHA will pull NR from the program. Surprisingly PHA has been good to communicate with -probably due to the intense scrutiny they are under.

If you know the names of the tenants you can see if they are convicted criminals using Muncipal Court Docket Sheet and make the case that they are in violation of the program.


James Levin and Scott Mazo are the top individuals behind Neighborhood Restorations- Well know "developers" in West Philly and surprise close connections to Blackwell.

[seand]

James Levin and Scott Mazo are the top individuals behind Neighborhood Restorations- Well know "developers" in West Philly and surprise close connections to Blackwell.

Page 2 $1,000 Neighborhood Restorations.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...l9-5eLBGYLpItA

Scott Mazo as an individual is also a big Fattah supporter

He's also a player in the Science Center.
UCity builders hope to break ground this Spring

[morefruit]

Lucky for me, I live on this block and have a wonderful Block Captain who has supplied the names of these individuals. James Daniels, Melissa Williams (morbidly obese woman who screams at her kids outside day and night), Antoine Daniels (was arrested last night according to a recent police docket), and Kerry Epps. If these people have effected your lives in any way, please contact ucd@university.org, or as someone said before, report their active dockets to Neighborhood Restorations. They are making my life miserable, and thankfully it's almost winter, but I am worried for the 5+ children being supervised by these folks.

[thoth]

Lucky for me, I live on this block and have a wonderful Block Captain who has supplied the names of these individuals. James Daniels, Melissa Williams (morbidly obese woman who screams at her kids outside day and night), Antoine Daniels (was arrested last night according to a recent police docket), and Kerry Epps. If these people have effected your lives in any way, please contact ucd@university.org, or as someone said before, report their active dockets to Neighborhood Restorations. They are making my life miserable, and thankfully it's almost winter, but I am worried for the 5+ children being supervised by these folks.

Pretty sure Melissa Williams lives in a house that is not owned by NR. 4910 is the biggest trouble spot, and that is owned by the Williams family. The other is 4906, IIRC, which IS owned by NR, so I guess report activity at that address. Sorry if you live close to them.

Vera is working hard to boot out the rest of the cruddy NR tenants, to some success. She got a few evicted and the replacements seem to be much more low profile. But I don't know what you can do about the Walrus (i.e. Melissa).