SitemapMy late grandparents claimed the greater Glenwood neighborhood as their home in 1975.
Like myself and my family, the most beautiful thing about the greater Glenwood neighborhood is that it belongs to those of us who call it home. And I don’t just mean that figuratively: A recent survey conducted by the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corporation found that 79% of those who live in my neighborhood are homeowners. Strengthening that feeling of ownership is the fact that many of the people who live in these neighborhoods off Glenwood Avenue have been here all of their lives.
For this reason, the neighborhood has been able to keep a sense of community, even in the roughest of times economically. Because, like many predominantly Black neighborhoods across the country, we’ve seen some rough times. Economic hardships have left a blight of abandoned buildings, leading to a rise in crime and a decline in hyper-local resources. But when I say the Glenwood corridor belongs to its residents, I’m speaking beyond the names on property deeds, to the sense of accountability and responsibility myself and my neighbors feel towards each other and our community at-large.
To see the full story from Mahoning Matters, click here.