There goes the Neighborhood
There is nothing better than a billboard sign to keep people out of a neighborhood. This billboard in Frogtown sends a clear message to anyone passing through: meth addicts live here. Extreme you may think, but it really does send a message that this is a place you don't want to be. To make things even better, the burnt out auto repair place makes a nice backdrop to the billboard.
Moderate and low income communities are usually the ones that get this sort of treatment. Why couldn't this billboard have been done more tastefully, or better yet, why not act as an entrance and inviting sign into the area(Welcome to Rice Street or Frogtown). While I have dealt with clear channel in the past (in NYC) around advertising on buses and billboards, it is really time to ask yourself: would you put up with this?
Here is the Street view from Google. This could be a very inviting corner that could provide seating and a smaller recreational area. Some urban design principles could really make it into a community asset. Also, it is only a few doors down from the famous international market.
my hood
This is right by my house. That stretch of Rice Street is really bleak, and less than 10 blocks from the State Capitol. It's not all bad, though. There's a huge, vibrant Hmong marketplace across the street from that site, and the large Holiday Station right there is the most active, diverse place for a mile around (as well as the only thing in the North End that's open all night).
where I work
Bill, I work just over the tracks. Why I posted is because the neighborhood is not all that bad, but the billboard and autoshop would indicate otherwise to people less familiar with the area. As you stated, I would expect more for something that is a stone throw from our state capital.
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