Anděl

Anděl is a smaller, but very busy, neighborhood in Praha 5, completely surrounded by Smíchov. The neighborhood's boundaries are V Botanice and Kartouzská on the north, Městský Okruh on the west, Ostrovského and Vltavská on the south, and the Vltava River on the west. Located southwest of the city center and on the left bank of the Vltava River, the area, as well as Smíchov as a whole, was previously quite rough. In the years after the fall of communism, the neighborhood has changed completely. New commercial buildings such as Zlatý Anděl and Nový Smíchov now dominate Anděl's skyline, and help contribute to the district's 24/7 nature. Even through all this change, most of the neighborhood's original residents remain, in addition to many new ones. This gives the area lots of variety, with buildings ranging from lavish Nový Smíchov to poorly maintained tenements all existing within a few blocks of each other. An interesting part of the neighborhood are the extremely wide sidewalks in front of Zlatý Anděl, which function as the heart of all of Praha 5. Beggars, street performers, information kiosks, and other essential ingredients of a bustling urban center all call this crowded piece of land home. On Fridays, a farmers market is present in the space, selling fresh fruits and vegetables, but also things such as towels and baked goods. Housing is made up of mostly older, first republic walk-up apartments, many of which have commercial spaces on the ground floors. Businesses are numerous, and include more upscale, specialized places, as well as more simple, generalized convenience stores. Nový Smíchov and the immediate vicinity has more upscale shops, such as shoe stores, department stores, and fancy restaurants. Farther from the center of the district, one finds more typical neighborhood businesses, such as bars, convenience stores, and grocery stores. The neighborhood is fairly walkable, though biking is not as prevalent. Putting bike racks in the central parts of Anděl, as well as bike lanes on side streets such as Preslova and Svornosti, would help popularize cycling in the neighborhood. As far as transit goes, Smíchov as a whole, as well as Anděl, have some of the best transit networks in the city outside Staré Město. The main hubs are Anděl Station and the Na Knížecí transit center just south of the station, and Smíchovské Nádraží a few blocks south of the Anděl-Smíchov border. Metro line B, regular, but still frequent, tram routes 7 and 14, weekday only tram routes 4 and 6, arterial tram routes 9, 10, 12, 16, and 20, Metrobus routes 137, 167, and 191, standard bus routes 120 and 131, long distance buses run by Student Agency and ČSAD, night bus routes 501 and 504, and night tram routes 54, 58, and 59 all serve Anděl and/or Na Knížecí, while Metro line B, long distance buses run by Student Agency and ČSAD, long distance trains run by Student Agency and ČD, Esko regional train lines S6, S7, and S65, regional bus lines 314, 317, 318, 320, 321, 334, 338, 361, and 390, Metrobus lines 118, 125, 196, 197, and 253, standard bus lines 105, 129, 241, 244, weekday only tram route 6, standard, but frequent, tram line 14, and arterial tram routes 12 and 20 all serve Smíchovské Nádraží.

Slovany

Slovany is a neighborhood in Southeastern Plzeň. It lies entirely within Plzeň 2, and is quite walkable and dense. The boundaries that seem to fit Slovany are the railroad tracks to the north, the Radbuza and Úhlava Rivers to the west, K Starým Valům, Nepomucká, V Polích, and Na Bořích to the south, and the Úslava River to the east. Within these boundaries, a lot of different housing types can be found, and within each a different social class or family type. Closest to the railroad tracks is the oldest part of the neighborhood, where turn of the century walk up apartment buildings with grand interior staircases dominate. All kinds of people live in this section of the city, particularly couples without children and pensioners. Businesses here consist mostly of corner stores and small shops, though I did notice an Albert supermarket on Koterovská, between Plzenecká and Sladkovského. Something interesting about most buildings throughout Slovany, though, is the lack of graffiti or peeling stucco and paint on walls. Most residences and businesses were in immaculate condition! Pedestrians are clearly treated with respect in Slovany, as even major roads, such as Slovanská or Koterovská, were narrow enough to slow cars down, and could be easily crossed. After the oldest zone nearest the railroad tracks comes the zone of paneláks. This zone is probably the most diverse, and is inhabited by people of all incomes and family sizes. These apartment blocks make up the bulk of Slovany's buildings, and are quite nice. They are not the tallest paneláks in Eastern Europe, but not the shortest either, with most being between five and ten stories tall, which makes them human scaled and visually appealing. The ugly gray concrete of the buildings is painted over here, but not all of them were just painted in vertical or horizontal stripes of color like in Praha. Some had more organic patterns of color, some had diagonal stripes across the building, and one building was even painted to look like rays of a setting sun! This not only makes the buildings more visually interesting than if they were still in the original gray color, but also gives residents a sense of place. People can now say things like, "yeah, I live in the bright green one with gray diagonal stripes," instead of, "I live at 94 Koterovská". The third and final zone in Slovany is the zone of single family houses and two to three story walk up apartments that lie on the border with Černice, a district at the edge of the city. Homes here were nice looking, though more sidewalks are definitely needed. While most Slavic cities suffer from bad bicycle connections, most of Plzeň (other than Vnitřní Město) actually has a well developed network of high quality protected bike lanes that offer direct paths to many areas of the city, including Slovany. The main improvement I would make to the bike network is adding a few smaller, less elaborate, unprotected bike lanes for short rides within the neighborhood, particularly on roads that don't go towards the city center. Transit in Slovany is really good, with České Drahy providing intercity and regional service from Plzeň Hlavní Nádraží and Plzeň-Koterov. Local transportation is provided by PMDP, which operates trams, buses, and trolleybuses within Slovany, Plzeň, and most nearby villages. Frequent tram routes 1 and 2, frequent trolleybus routes 12 and 13, and frequent bus route 30 serve Slovany, as well as infrequent trolleybus routes 10 and 14, and infrequent bus routes 22, 23, 29, 31, 35, 51 and 57.

Kobylisy

Kobylisy is a lower middle to upper middle class neighborhood in Praha 8. The area is effectively made up of two separate neighborhoods, Ďáblice and Kobylisy. Ďáblice is an area with lots of paneláks, whereas Kobylisy is an older area of duplexes and walk up apartments. So, I would propose splitting them into two areas along Čumpelíková. Kobylisy is also home to the Kobylisy Shooting Range, a place where many Czechoslovaks were murdered by Nazis during World War II. Housing consists mostly of duplexes and houses built during the First Republic, though some walk up apartments are present as well, mostly on Klapkova and near the Kobylisy Metro Station on Line C. A few paneláks line Horňátecká and Pod Sídlištěm, but otherwise aren't very numerous in Kobylisy proper. One really nice thing to see in the area is that arterial roads are much more pedestrian friendly than many other large roads in Praha. Sidewalks are wide, crosswalks frequent, and speed limits low on most of these roads, except for Horňátecká. The many types of housing in Kobylisy help create a fairly diverse area, and a lively transit hub. In addition to Line C, the 3, 10, and 17 trams stop at Kobylisy, all with frequent service. Frequent, "Metrobus" routes 102, 144, 177, 183, and 200, standard city bus routes 152, 162, and 169, and regional bus routes 370, 371, 372, 373, and 374 also serve Kobylisy Station. And that's just the daytime services! In addition to routes serving Kobylisy Station, Metrobus route 136 and standard bus route 295 also serve the neighborhood, though not the station proper. Apartments on Klapkova and near Kobylisy Station usually include ground level commercial space, which gives the neighborhood gathering places, such as little markets and restaurants. Bigger commercial spaces, such as banks and computer stores, are near Kobylisy Station. The main suggestion I have for Kobylisy would be to establish some sort of historic district or the like for some, but not all, of the duplexes and homes built during the First Republic, as their proximity to a metro station could cause them to be destroyed. Finally, I would add bike lanes on Horňátecká, which is definitely wide enough for them.

Vokovice

Vokovice is a medium density area in Praha 6, which is in the space in between Divoká Šárka and Evropská across from Veleslavín. Thanks to the recent extension of Line A of the Prague Metro from Dejvická to Nemocnice Motol, Vokovice is now in a much more central and connected position transit wise, with the 119 and 142 Metrobus (frequent bus) routes and the 20 and 26 tram routes (both frequent) serving the neighborhood. However, the main transit line serving Vokovice is Line A via the Nádraží Veleslavín station, from which one can get to the city center in a mere ten minutes! Also, the 119 goes straight to Václav Havel Airport Prague, which makes Vokovice just one ride away from the airport. Vokovice's main artery, Evropská, has fast moving traffic and some automobile oriented businesses, but is still fairly easy to cross and has ample sidewalks, as well as some pedestrian oriented buildings. The rest of Vokovice is extremely walkable, with narrow streets, ample sidewalk, and businesses and residences fronting the street. A lot of types of housing can be found in Vokovice, which allows one to "age in place", and makes the neighborhood fairly diverse. Larger houses and villas, duplexes, older townhouses, walk up apartments, newer high rise apartments, and Cold War era Paneláks can all be seen on Vokovice's streets. Businesses also vary quite a bit. On Evropská, formerly Leninová, larger businesses such as supermarkets and car dealerships can be found. In other areas of Vokovice, businesses such as convenience stores, neighborhood markets, and florists are mixed in between the residential properties. I would suggest adopting some new building requirements for new businesses on Evropská to make them more pedestrian friendly, and lowering Evropská's speed limit as a more short term solution. In addition, I would add bike lanes to Evropská, and to other roads in Vokovice, such as V Středu from Divoká Šárka (where the lanes would connect to existing bike paths) to Vokovická. The last place I would add bike lanes would be from Půlkruhová to V Středu on Na Lužci, which would then continue from V Středu to Evropská on V Nových Vokovicích.

Bronzeville

Bronzeville is a neighborhood located on Chicago's South Side, in the Douglas Community Area. From the 1920s through the 1940s, Bronzeville was home to the city's wealthier African Americans. During this period, many nice homes were constructed, and later were for the most part subdivided into apartments. Fortunately, many of these large homes survive to this day due to the loving care of their residents. Currently, Bronzeville is undergoing gentrification,  but is in a stage where both rich and poor reside in the neighborhood. Businesses vary a lot as well, from T-Mobile stores on Pershing to Pan-African restaurants on King, though the neighborhood is mostly residential in character. The neighborhood appears to have many residents who own their homes, so hopefully this will stem some of the worse effects of gentrification. Many famous African Americans have lived here, including Louis Armstrong, Ida B. Wells, and Gwendolyn Brooks. Bronzeville also seems to have a strong sense of community, with many of the residents exchanging words as they pass by. Bound by 26th Street, State Street, Pershing Road, and Lake Michigan, the neighborhood is quite walkable, and also fairly bike friendly. Many Divvy Stations exist here, and bike lanes can be found on King, 26th, 31st, Cottage Grove, and Oakwood. The Lakefront Trail runs through the neighborhood as well. Transit-wise, the CTA Red Line operates 24/7 with frequent service, and serves the neighborhood with the Sox-35th Station. The Green Line operates with frequent service as well, and serves the neighborhood through the 35th-Bronzeville-IIT and Indiana Stations. The Metra Electric Service operates infrequent, seven day a week commuter service to Bronzeville via the 27th Street Station. The Metra Rock Island District also serves Bronzeville with infrequent, seven day a week commuter service through the 35th Street/"Lou" Jones/Bronzeville Station. CTA Buses 1 Bronzeville/Union Station, 3 King Drive, 4 & N4 Cottage Grove (24/7 Service), 21 Cermak, 24 Wentworth, 29 State, 35 31st/35th, and 39 Pershing all serve the neighborhood, most with frequent service.

West Ridge, Chinatown, Downtown Skokie, & Lincoln Square

I have visited all of these neighborhoods many times already, which is why they are combined into one post and each have only short descriptions rather than extensive impressions.
As always, West Ridge was very nice. I still feel, however, that Western Avenue needs to become more pedestrian friendly, with less auto oriented businesses. The area also contains many Desis, especially along Devon Avenue, where the city's "Little India" is located. The area around the corner of  Western & Lunt contains some walk up apartments, one story commercial buildings fronting Western Avenue, and many urban houses.
Chicago's Chinatown is quite large, and both the "New Chinatown" and "Old Chinatown" areas are nice. However, the commercial portions of New Chinatown all face inner pedestrian passages instead of the street, and front the street with parking instead, which must be fixed.
Downtown Skokie has had lots of new investment recently, leading to an interesting mix of pre-WWII shops and apartments, as well as 21st century mixed use developments. Many businesses had Russian signs outside, and the area is quite diverse.
Lincoln Square is a pleasant neighborhood and community area on Chicago's North Side, centered on the eponymous square. The neighborhood hosts many old-timers, as well as newer residents. Historically German, Lincoln Square is now home to people of many cultures.

Fishtown

Fishtown is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Bound by Frankford Avenue, the Delaware River, and York Street, the area is very mixed socioeconomically, with gentrification only beginning to take hold in the neighborhood. Personally, I think neighborhoods in this stage are some the best overall, as people of all walks of life can work, live, and shop in the neighborhood. If rent control is not already practiced in the neighborhood, it should be instituted immediately to help keep the neighborhood socioeconomically diverse, so everyone is able to enjoy Fishtown! Historically, Fishtown was the center of Philadelphia's shad fishing industry, hence the name "Fishtown". The neighborhood consists primarily of working class Irish, as well as newer residents, many of which are hipsters and artists. Many murals and community gardens are spread throughout the neighborhood, as well as complex works of wrought iron. Businesses range from beer gardens and artisanal coffee shops to auto body shops, and a few factories still remain in Fishtown as well. Housing stock consists primarily of the common Philadelphia rowhouse and some walk up apartments, as well as some apartments above commercial spaces on main roads. The neighborhood is OK for biking and is quite walkable. Transit-wise, the neighborhood is served by SEPTA Rail, and SEPTA City Division. SEPTA Rail runs the Market-Frankford Line, offering fast, frequent service 24/7 via the Girard and Berks Stations. SEPTA City Division operates bus routes 5, 25, 43, and 89, as well as trolley route 15. The 5 from Front & Market to Frankford Transportation Center operates seven days a week, with good weekday and OK weekend headways. The 25 goes from Columbus Commons to Frankford Transportation Center, and operates seven days a week, with good weekday and OK weekend headways. Route 43 from 50th & Parkside to Richmond & Cumberland operates seven days a week, with OK weekday and bad weekend frequencies. The 89 goes from Arrott Transportation Center to Front & Dauphin, and has the worst headways of the routes serving Fishtown. Finally, the 15 from 63rd & Girard to Richmond & Westmoreland operates with 24/7 service, and good headways seven days a week.

Cherokee Street

Like Chicago's "Community Areas", Saint Louis has official neighborhoods that are often groups of two or more unofficial neighborhoods. Some unofficial neighborhoods get divided along official neighborhood boundaries. This is the case of Cherokee Street. Divided by Marine Villa, Gravois Park, Benton Park, and Benton Park West all the way from Grand to Broadway, it is an extremely socioeconomically and culturally diverse neighborhood. From Broadway to Jefferson, most of it is in a historic district, with very upscale old apartments, homes, duplexes, etc. and very nice, hipster antique stores. This area is richer than the rest of the street, and is pretty nice. From Jefferson to about Nebraska the area is very Latino, with many bodegas, restaurants, etc. dotting the street. Past Nebraska, the area has far less business and becomes more residential, as well as more African-American and less Latino. After it hits Grand, it sort of becomes the southernmost edge of Tower Grove South. There is an extremely diverse range of housing stock and business variety, with housing dominated by turn of the century urban houses and two-flats. Businesses range from upscale antique shops to light industry to markets to print-shops. Transit-wise, the #73 Carondelet runs right down Cherokee Street, but is not very frequent. The #10 Gravois-Lindell, #30 Soulard, and #40 Broadway serve the area, but aren't very frequent either. The #11 Chippewa and #70 Grand also serve the area, and are quite frequent. A pretty good neighborhood, with a lot of diversity!

West Ridge

West Ridge, also known as West Rogers Park, has a slightly quieter, less dense atmosphere than Rogers Park, and is a tiny bit less diverse. The neighborhood is still very urban, however, and is named West Ridge due to it being west of Ridge Avenue, where as Rogers Park is east of Ridge Avenue. The housing stock in the neighborhood is mostly small, densely packed single family homes, with a few low density mixed use apartments, 2 and three flats, and garden apartments mixed in. On main roads, single story commercial and low density mixed use dominate. Many small and large parks and play lots are present, and the neighborhood is covered with lush, tall trees. Devon Avenue, home to Chicago's Little India, is mostly within West Ridge, with the area around the intersection of Devon and Western Avenues being the heart of Chicagoland's Desi community. The area ranges from low-income to upper middle class, and is very safe. The main ethnic groups in West Ridge are Eastern Europeans, Desis, and Koreans. The neighborhood, though lacking an "L" line, still has pretty good transit, with several good, frequent bus lines in the area. A great neighborhood!

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Rogers Park

Although I have already written a review of Rogers Park before, I liked it so much, I decided to write a second review the next time I visited:
The area of Rogers Park near Sheridan Road and the lakefront is quite nice. Though pieces of it are a little sketchy still, overall the neighborhood looks amazing now! Great transit including the CTA Red Line and CTA local and express buses lies throughout the area. The neighborhood is really culturally and socioeconomically diverse, and lies very close to Lake Michigan, on which there are pleasant beaches and parks. Mixed use and purely residential apartments form the majority of housing stock in the area, many of which are garden apartments with well kept, lush gardens inside. Businesses in the area range form small-scale industrial to hipster coffeehouses to drug stores. The apartments themselves are between three and six floors for the most part. On side streets, Chicago bungalows, other houses, and small two and three flat apartments make up the majority. An amazing place!

East Boston

East Boston, especially the Maverick Square area, was pretty cool. For transit, Hubway (bikeshare), the MBTA Blue Line, many reasonably frequent bus lines, and two Key Bus Routes all serve the neighborhood. Maverick Station and its bus bays are straight in the middle of Maverick Square, and act as an important hub of the neighborhood. The area lies near Logan Airport, and streets are arranged in a loose grid. The neighborhood is predominately Latino, and is mostly working class, though some new upper class developments can be seen. The buildings include tall public buildings, single story commercial, townhouses, and lower density mixed-use. Most buildings are older, and businesses range in variety quite a lot as well, from taquerias to light industry, and everything in between. My suggestion for the neighborhood would be to designate certain mixed income "corridors" and allow the rest of the neighborhood gentrify naturally. A pretty good area.

Inman Square

Inman Square is an are of the city of Cambridge, centered on the intersection of Cambridge and Hampshire Streets. The area is a mix of university students (due to the area's proximity to Harvard University), hipsters, yuppies, and Brazilians. Buildings consist of one story commercial, mixed use, and townhouses/lower density apartments. Businesses range A LOT from Brazilian restaurants to toy stores to grocery stores. Transit Connections are pretty good, with the area being a reasonable walking distance to the Central Red Line station. Although no key bus routes serve the neighborhood, several reasonably frequent regular bus routes do serve the area quite well. All in all, a pretty good neighborhood, with a very friendly and local atmosphere.

Dorchester

Dorchester is a massive neighborhood on Boston's southern edge. Boston's largest in both area and population, its six square miles contain all kinds of people, from all races and income levels. The eastern pieces of the neighborhood are predominately middle to lower middle class East Asian and Irish populated, the northern pieces of the area are predominately Eastern European lower middle class, the western pieces of the neighborhood are mostly African, Afro-Caribbean, and African American lower middle class, and the southern pieces are mostly middle and lower middle class African Americans, Irish, yuppies, gay couples, and artists. The neighborhood also has quite a few families. The Fields Corner area of the neighborhood is one of the most diverse, though still predominately Vietnamese. Extremely good transit connections can be found throughout the area, with reasonably frequent regular bus routes, two key bus routes, the Mattapan High Speed Line, and the Red Line-Ashmont Branch all serving Dorchester. The Fields Corner area consists of tightly packed houses on side streets, and medium density mixed use, as well as one story commercial buildings on main streets. The buildings vary a great deal in age, and overall, the neighborhood was just AWESOME!!!!! A MUST SEE for any Boston trip!

Chinatown, West Ridge/West Rogers Park, and Near North

I've reviewed these neighborhoods in other posts already, which is why I'm combining the three neighborhoods into one and keeping this post SHORT. Basically, I'm just saying that these three neighborhoods are still cool, still urban, still worth visiting, but not much has changed since last time I visited, so there's not much to say.

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Rogers Park

This place is urbanist HEAVEN!!!!!!!!! Rogers Park is a medium density area with a number of housing styles. On side streets, 2, 3, 4, and 5 story apartments dominate. Wooden framed houses, as well as the idyllic Chicago bungalow are also present. On main streets, like Devon Avenue, Ridge Avenue, Sheridan Road, Howard Street, Morse Avenue, Pratt Boulevard, Clark Street, and Touhy Avenue, mixed use three story buildings are present. The neighborhood has EXTREMELY good transit connections, with three "el" lines and five frequent bus lines running through the area. One of these bus lines and one "el" line run 24/7. The area has a wide range of businesses, including hipster restaurants, Indo-Pak grocery stores, and cafes. The neighborhood is also very socioeconomically and culturally diverse, with very cheap apartments in the area. Clark Street is the Latino piece of the neighborhood, Howard Street is the heart of Jamaican Chicago. Sheridan Road houses many university students, Morse Avenue is the "downtown" of Rogers Park. Finally, Devon and Ridge Avenues make up the edge of West Ridge's Indian and Pakistani community. An amazing neighborhood, with lots to see!

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Jersey City

One of the most diverse and transit friendly cities in the country, all I can say about Jersey City is...AWESOME!!! A variety of housing styles exist in the city, from fancy art deco high rises to wooden frame houses to new glass and steel condos. A variety of ethnic groups live in the area, with Latinos, Middle Easterners/North Africans, and South Asians dominating the city's demographics. Many people do not own cars here, so transit ridership is quite high. There is also a variety of businesses, from nice restaurants, to checks cashed stores, to movie theaters, to ethnic groceries. Add in a short commute to Midtown or Lower Manhattan via PATH or NJT, and you have an amazing city.  

Tower Grove South

Though census records suggest St. Louis is in decline, Tower Grove South gives a different view of the city. Bounded by Tower Grove Park, Kingshighway, Chippewa, and Grand, the neighborhood is extremely diverse. Old homes run all along the side streets, and the bustling South Grand and Morganford business districts have low rise, mixed use apartments lining their sidewalks. Homes range from 80k-200k, and rents are just as diverse, making the area very mixed income. Many ethnic restaurants were also in the area. The housing style and alleys made the residential streets look a lot like Chicago. Having St. Louis' most frequent bus line, the #70 Grand, is also very helpful in making Tower Grove South into an amazing urban neighborhood.

West Rogers Park

West Rogers Park has changed a lot in a year. Since last year, the neighborhood has really gotten much nicer! New stores line Western Avenue, and things look less run down. The current inhabitants are still the same, which is nice. The same beautiful homes and apartments line its streets, and new bus shelters adorn the intersections. The Sari City area along Devon Avenue is slowly expanding down Western Avenue, and there is an increased Desi presence, and some new ethnic groceries are in the area. The area is medium-low density, with some apartments on side streets, but most mixed use buildings are clustered on Western Avenue and Devon Avenue. Although nothing about the neighborhood other than Devon Avenue is all that special, it is still a very charming neighborhood.

Queen Village

Queen Village was an amazing neighborhood. Good transit connections, a walkable street grid, and a plethora of businesses and apartments characterize this neighborhood. What I really liked about the neighborhood was that it was the best of both worlds. What I mean by that is, sure, it had its Starbucks, its boutiques, and its industrial lofts,  but it also had its low income apartments, pawn shops, and bodegas. DC should really try to achieve this model, allowing low and high income people to live in relative harmony, getting the best of both. This way, the rich can be shown how many of the poor are respectable citizens, and be given the joy of being able to have "normal" businesses in their neighborhood, like laundromats or ethnic groceries. The poor can get a good school district, and fancier businesses for when they save up to go to an expensive dinner or something. The neighborhood had nice, brightly colored row homes all throughout the area. Good transit connections, nice public schools, and community gardens were all in the area.