For this assignment I compared the two neighborhoods of South Oak Cliff and Highland Park. I chose these two based on recommendations from friends who know the areas. I rode along as a friend of mine took me through each area over the course of a few days at different times.
We drove through South Oak Cliff first. The first place we drove past was the high school. I had heard the issues it was having and thought it was a good place to get a feel for the neighborhood. The school looked old and worn. I could tell it hadn't been updated or well taken care of. The neighborhood around it also reflected this. The houses were not falling, but did not look well taken care of. The cars in the area were older and many looked to be in need of repairs. We drove around looking for shopping and grocery stores. We found small corner markets inside gas stations and a small strip mall. It was a fair drive to any major shopping or big name stores. There was a small grocery store I had never heard of before. I saw many churches in the area. These churches were small and looked like they were houses at one point or small offices. Public transportation was more present in the neighborhood than I grew up with. We found a small medical center on the outer edge of the area that looked a little dated.
I noticed as we returned there a few times that there seemed to be people out and about. These people were walking around or hanging out in front of their homes. The people themselves were mostly minorities, specifically black and hispanic. When my friend drove me through Highland Park, it reminded me of the neighborhoods north of Chicago. Compared to South Oak Cliff, the houses were larger and better maintained. The yards were cared for and there were much nicer vehicles driving around and parked at these houses. I noticed there were far fewer bus stops. We drove past the high school and the difference was noticeable. The school was cleaner on the outside ...