"Character is Key"- McMahon on the meaning of a "sustainable" city

The Atlantic is giving a voice to a thought provoking by Edward T. McMahon on the sustainability of cities and the importance of "character" in the success of cities. This blog is all about making city life, specifically York City life, sustainable for families. Its prime thesis is that the answer lies in achieving a standard of living that causes the good to outweigh the bad in the equation of staying or leaving. McMahon reminds us that sustainability doesn't just happen, and that there is no magic bullet.

"At its most basic, “sustainable” means enduring. A sustainable community is a place of enduring value. Doug Kelbaugh, the dean of the University of Michigan School of Architecture, put it this way, “If a building, a landscape or a city is not beautiful, it will not be loved; if it is not loved, it won’t be maintained and improved. In short, it won’t be sustained.”

Distinctiveness involves streetscapes, architecture, and historic preservation but as Cortright points out, it also involves cultural events and facilities, restaurants and food, parks and open space and many other factors. “Keep Austin Weird” is more than a slogan; it is a recipe for economic success."

 

To read more, click here.

A Sustainable Community

Heather, a native of West York with deep roots in town, hadn’t known anything but city life. Her boyfriend Matt, a country-boy since birth, found the attraction of the city irresistible. So when it came time for Matt to start paying his way at home, Matt and Heather decided to join ranks with a small but growing number of young people taking up residence in the struggling and low-rent downtown district of York City.

Their first apartment was in a building owned by Heather’s grandfather next door to Central Market where they enjoyed the close proximity to the then shack-like White Rose Bar. Matt and Heather were soon on a first name basis with the bouncer, Peewee, and camaraderie grew among other like-minded young adults living in the building and nearby. The “two-block crew,” as they called themselves, represented a new generation immune to the cynicism surrounding York City. They armed themselves, whether consciously or not, with a host of reasons why city life was the new best thing.

“Walking distance” is a key phrase for Matt and Heather, now married and parents of two. Heather runs a children’s boutique, Growing Up Green, on W. Market Street and Matt works just three blocks from their house in the York Industrial Center. These days, attitudes about the city are changing, but Matt and Heather have deflected their full share of criticism for raising a family in the city. Like most young couples, they were expected to move to a non-city school district in anticipation of kids, or at least in time for Kindergarten. So when they decide to stay put, even family thought they were crazy.

It hasn’t been easy. The day Heather learned her oldest son, Finn, wouldn’t make it on the list of York Academy’s first Kindergarten class, she sat in her car and cried. They had been supporters of the new magnet school since day one, only to miss out in the lottery system. With Edgar Fahs Smith Middle School joining the elementary students at Ferguson Elementary, a cloud of concerns hung over the school-year.

Heather and Matt began questioning themselves. Should we move? Their love for the city hadn’t wavered, but did the costs outweigh the benefits? Ultimately they stayed. The teachers at Ferguson were wonderful even while the challenges of a broadly mixed and high needs population were very real. Finn was just fine and eventually a seat did open up at York Academy.

In the end, what keeps Matt and Heather here in York City is a mix of the love they formed in those first years next to the Market and a strong belief in the sustainability of city life. Matt, an environmental Engineer focused on wetlands and marsh, says, “The American ideal of a house and an acre just isn’t sustainable.” For their family, the community found in the unique and flourishing neighborhoods of York City are another measure of sustainability. It is in these communities where the rewards of city life far outweigh the costs.

A Pastor's Perspective: Why We Love the City...

 

Why We Love the City

Rev. Aaron J. Anderson

York City is our home. Our family came to central PA in 2004 by way of Raleigh, North Carolina. I arrived here eager to serve as an assistant pastor at Providence Presbyterian Church, a suburban church in Manchester Township.

During our first two years in York we rented a ranch house in the Shiloh neighborhood in West York. Those two years afforded us the opportunity to learn more about York’s culture and history.

We were quickly drawn to York City as we considered where to purchase a home. The historic homes full of character, the multi-cultural neighborhoods, the excitement of city revitalization, and the sense of community life our friends Chuck and Nancy Snyder described were all influential in our decision to move to the City.

It was in the summer of 2006 that we moved to the historic Avenues neighborhood. My wife Gail had just given birth to our fourth child and we jumped right in to the task of renovating an old, two-story brick house that was full of character and potential.

In 2009 we helped start City Church, which has since become a family for many City dwellers. The church launched with the goal of being a church for the Gospel and the City and our family gladly threw our passion and energy into the exciting prospect of living and worshipping in the City.

Six years have passed since our move into the City. The home renovations are near complete. Our family will soon welcome its sixth child, three of whom have been born in the City.

We discovered that York City has been a great place to raise a family. Every caring parent desires to give their children exposure to opportunities to grow into healthy, balanced, contributing adult members of society and the City has been abundant with those opportunities.

Our kids are surrounded by a diverse group of friends. Their birthday parties, sports teams and classrooms give them exposure to different ethnic groups, belief systems, and economic realities. Living in a diverse City is their normal experience.  

We regularly frequent the downtown area to visit Central Market, to enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants or for a Saturday walk along the historic, tree-lined, downtown streets. Revs games, parades, block parties with new friends are icing on the cake.

Friends and neighbors are usually out grooming their yards or relaxing on their porches as we walk the Avenues. Many a day has ended with an evening cookout or late night smores with friends. Our family has tasted what it means to be a part of a community.

After six years of living in the City we can honestly say that we love living in the City.

I am a firm believer that loving a place does not mean being naïve about its problems. We would be naïve to ignore the many challenges the City faces. I would be lying to say that there have not been times when I have been concerned about my family’s safety. On several occasions I have made my share of calls to the police to report criminal activity.

Our City faces real problems. A high percentage of City residents struggle with poverty with little likelihood they will emerge from it anytime soon. Single moms are giving to birth to kids whose fathers have abandoned their parental responsibility. The normal in some City blocks is drug trade, prostitution, violence and fear.

The school district faces an annual funding challenge and the poorest children in York County are annually faced with the probability of cuts to more programs and services. Far too many properties are blighted and in need of redevelopment. Property values are sagging and property taxes continue to escalate. 

There are times that I have held out hope that the County might pull together to share resources that would improve the lives of our most destitute. At other times I have been close to abandoning the hope that City and County could partner together. Still, I am convinced that generosity is no stranger to York County.

Our family will continue to pray and work for the revitalization and prosperity of the City. A City where opportunity abounds for educated professionals only is unacceptable. Opportunity must flourish for all people regardless of class, race or any other factor. Imagine an integrated City where professionals and dwellers regularly mingle together with their County neighbors as one community.

I am absolutely convinced that York City is a place that God loves. God once rebuked the Old Testament prophet Jonah for his lack of concern for his neighboring city of Nineveh. “Should I not be concerned about that great city?” God retorted to Jonah. Should God not also be concerned about the 44,000 residents of York City?

If God loves this City how can my family not also love this City? Our love for this City is not based solely on what we consume here but more so on the opportunity to serve and love the same people that God loves.

Our decision to live in the City has been shaped by the incarnation of Jesus. The Son of God became flesh. He refused to sit back, gaze at our messy human predicament, shake his head and walk away in disgust. Instead Jesus became one of us, entered our world by way of a poor family to enjoy rich relationships with hurting and oppressed people. He offered his life to ransom us from hopelessness and despair. God loves York City with all its brokenness and potential.

We choose to live in the City because God loves it and we do too. We have no messianic delusions of becoming saviors of the City. Our limitations are all too obvious. We do cling though to the high calling of being good neighbors, solid contributors to the common good and a gentle witness of the love of God in this City we call home.

"hope for a life and future here"

Chris and Sarah, parents to one, took time to tell their story about coming to York City six years ago and finding themselves still here!

CF: When did you first move to York, and what brought you here?
C+S: We moved to York in 2006.  Craigslist, a U-haul, God, or all three brought us here. If that sounds overly simplistic, it’s because it was and is.

CF: Did you feel you had a level of calling or mission when moving to the city?
C+S: We were getting married and only had a mission to move to this region from the places we were living before. At the time, we didn’t plan to stay in York for more than 8 months or so. We decided to stay until Chris finished his master’s degree, and in 2008 we took a road trip for 9 weeks across the country looking to see if the “grass was greener” somewhere else (which it was), but we were surprised to return to York from our road trip and feel at home with hope for a life and future here.
Maybe not in a direct or external way specific to York, but we feel called to love our neighbors anywhere we are.  We've come to love this city and hope for it to thrive.

CF: What is it that a city offers your family?
C+S: This city offers cultural diversity with a great small town feel, but enough to explore and discover that it doesn’t get boring. Great farmer’s markets, restaurants, small businesses, churches, people, architecture, opportunities for community involvement and parks.

We are still discovering exciting things here 6 years after moving here. We've also seen major changes in the positive direction.  We love the close proximity of this city to the surrounding east coast cities, the mountains, the ocean, the countryside etc.. It is in a very good location to get to a range of different places easily.

CF: What questions or worries do you have as a family about city life? 
C+S: Property taxes are high, and we're concerned about what our daughter's education will look like. We would like to see the city turn it’s focus on making itself a wonderful place for children to learn and grow. Now that we do have kids, we've embraced the parks even more. It has caused some concern over the state of the city schools too, though there is a good International charter school that we are eligible for, because we do live in the city school district.

CF: Have you considered leaving the city and why?
C+S: Yes.  Job change has made a very long commute to a neighboring city an unwelcome part of our daily family life. At the same time, living in York has led to lots of opportunities for volunteerism and community involvement with downtown groups, and a church that we love.

Love and a Career

We came to the city for all sorts of reasons. Here's a story of one family of four and why they love city life...

To start off, I grew up in a rural area southern York County, a mere 5 minute drive to Maryland.  Growing up I didn't feel a real connection to the community other than grade school and athletics.
Education brought me closer to the City, but my profession brought me into the City.  I work for a community minded engineering consulting firm located downtown.  While at school, I became friends with people from Red Lion and Hellam, and through one of these friends I met my wife, who grew up in the York area and owned a home in the City.  So, my love and my career brought me to the City of York.

Through the years, my wife and I have grown from a couple into a family, we are now expecting our second child.  A lot of family members ask, "Why do you live in the City?"  Why not...  There are great amenities, great culture, and great history all around us and within walking distance!  And it's affordable!  We love heading to Central Market every week to pick up fresh produce and meats and lunch from vendors that we have developed relationships with.  We love going to a number of parks that are within walking distance from our 19th century home.  I love getting up for an early morning run on the Rail Trail, or staying up late for an excellent Cap Live concert and going out for a pint at one of the local brewpubs.  I love York City.

As our family grows, maybe we will move out of the City, but for now I'm loving every minute of City Living!

-A York City Family

What's your story? Share it with us (asahelchurch@gmail.com) and it will be posted. Feel free to redact names, but be as specific as you are comfortable!

What's your city family story?

You moved to the city because it seemed natural. You weren't afraid, but instead excited about everything that a city offers. You might have even had a mission. You are city positive. You had a hundred different reasons, or maybe it was just an accident. You got more house for your money, but taxes almost made up for the difference. You knew that cities offered community, and the highs and lows that comes along with it. You wanted to be where there were needs. You love old houses. You owned one car, two bikes, and walked to work. Then you had children...children in the city. There were parks, story time at the library, market days, and backyard gardening. Play dates and picnics at the community pool. You homeschooled, or unschooled, or private schooled, or braved the city schools. Either way, you made hard decisions and financial sacrifices. You are a city family.

If any of this describes you, or if none of it describes you, we want to hear your story. What brought you to the city in the first place? What makes being a city family worthwhile? What makes it difficult? Why have you stayed? Why have you left?

Send your family introduction to asahelchurch@gmail.com and it will be added to this Blog. Feel free to redact names or personal information, but please be as specific as you feel comfortable.