59.4

If you live in a major large city you will notice that over the years neighborhoods change and when they do it is always a less affluent group of people that take over the neighborhood. It doesn't happen in a year or two but over many years. I'm not from Philadelphia but I lived here for a few years doing my school age years. Since I live in the area again I can see the transformation of different neighborhoods and Phila. is an area that is defined by what neighborhood you live in. This old church (and I have no idea what king if was when built) has been here forever. It was splendid when I was a child having passed it many times even though I didn't live in that neighborhood. Then public housing went up all around this area and after awhile it became a real slum and very dangerous. So much so that they tore the public housing down and built more modern units for low income people. The neighborhood again is thriving and the areas around it have also taken a step up and some are quite expensive. I drove by here the other day and I noticed that a group had taken over the church on the ground floor. I got out of my car and walked around to find that on the bottom floor on the outside there was a huge buddha in white that was about 15 feet tall with a little garden around it and red and yellow ribbons all over. On the side door was the new title Phat Quang Buddhist. I wonder if they will do anything to the inside or fix up the steeple which at one time was so pretty. I hope so but I'm sure it takes a fortune for this restoration. To me even in a state of decay the top of this old church is lovely.