"The View from New York" by Andrew Purcell writing for the Sunday Herald, "Scotland's award-winning independent newspaper."
Excerpts from a lengthy article, "Darkness on the Edge of Town," June 29, 2008, http://tinyurl.com/6kznpx <http://tinyurl.com/6kznpx> AMERICAN POLITICIANS love Bruce Springsteen. They hear the patriotism in his songs but miss the cynicism, pick up on the hope and tune out the desperation . Driving in on Route 66, Asbury Park appears to be a prosperous place. Houses are detached, in the classic clapboard style. The avenues are wide and lined with trees. It doesn't look like the 13th poorest district in New Jersey that the statistics say it is. That census was carried out eight years ago, at the beginning of a significant revival. It takes no account of the luxury apartment buildings rising by the beach, the strip of new restaurants, bars and shops on Cookman Avenue, or the refurbished bed and breakfast on the corner of 5th Avenue and Heck Street that used to be a crack house. There's no escaping the impression that Asbury Park's grand project is half-finished . The peeling Wonder Bar sign, looks out of place, the old city stubbornly coexisting with the new. The city has a history of corruption and scandal . One administration built a sewage plant next to the beach, because it was cheaper to lay shorter pipes. The current council spent $9 million dealing with the smell. Terry Reidy, the City Manager, lives in a beautiful old house on 4th Avenue . "Corrupt politicians have really hurt this little city," he says. Gradually, by surrounding himself with young, ambitious professionals, he is changing that reputation. Police chief Mark Kinmon cites last year's crime statistics, the lowest for a decade, . "A lot of people still have the perception that Asbury Park is not a safe place," Kinmon says. "A lot of people still believe it's a town that's out of control, that it's a violent place, and that's just not true. There are very few random acts of crime against unknown victims." Reading between the lines, this means . "Do I believe that the president of the United States can make a difference globally as well as right down to Asbury Park? Yes I do," says Reidy. "The leadership sends down the message," says Kinmon. "You get people to buy into it, make some changes, you're fair and honest. It's an exciting time in this country right now." The multicoloured flag that flies all over town is a symbol of the middle-class gay community that has invested time and money here. Reidy says he hopes Asbury Park will maintain its diversity. "I don't just mean racial diversity or cultural diversity. For a community to be open and vital it requires that people of different economic statuses can live together." To critics of his administration's redevelopment plan, this is precisely what is under threat. Everyone I talk to tells me that Asbury Park has improved beyond recognition, that "the whole of downtown was boarded up" as recently as the mid-1990s. But . >>>> Sunday Herald: Life: People, Lifestyles & Living Today <http://www.sundayherald.com/life/people/display.var.2369212.0.0.php>
