Many wouldn’t think to visit West Philadelphia to see beauty, but hidden in the Parkside area are houses that are hold onto their history.It seems wonderful that even amidst a community that is constantly threatened by violence, beauty still reigns in the area. Just this past Monday night, two men were shot and one died in the Parkside neighborhood at 50th and Kershaw Streets. The one who died was a young 19-year-old male, while the other 22-year-old male is still in the hospital.
With this recent tragedy in mind, looking at these houses offers a glimmer of hope of the peaceful past that once existed in this area of the city. The architecture of the houses - now separated into smaller homes - lingers on the outside with a taste of elegance and class in the neighborhood.
I think it’s a good story idea to possibly look at how much the larger houses in this area cost. I’d especially like to find out how much the surrounding community of repeated shootings and the overall “bad” reputation of the area has decreased the cost of these homes. Furthermore, I wonder if any of them are protected from by the Philadelphia Historical Society from being torn down such as the Hotel Lorraine is protected in North Philadelphia. I bet some of these houses carry secrets on the inside, such as historical artifacts, paintings or even skeleton keys to an entire house.
This community is a great walk-through on a sunny day if you just look up at all the beautiful old architecture that surrounds you. Some of it looks like it needs to be restored. Surely the city of Philadelphia won’t let these historic and elegantly constructed buildings be torn down or go to waste. 
Works Cited:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/38851697.html
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