[HotKat]

My father was employed in the area, lived in Petersburg for a few years in the early 70’s and back again for a few years in the mid 80’s. It’s been a pit forever.

[bus man]

It’s been a pit forever

That's not been my experience. I have relatives in Petersburg and have been visiting them going back into the mid 1970s. I remember when Petersburg was a fairly prosperous town, with a decent mall and a number of other shopping centers. But I also remember when things turned south, and every time I would visit, the place had gotten worse than the last time. There's only two of my relatives left there, and fortunately they both live in decent areas. (Yes, Petersburg does have a few.) But it's so very sad to see what that place has become.

For years now, I listened to stories about how the "coloreds" (yes, that's how they talked) ran the city into the ground. And for years, I was shocked by what I saw as blatant racism. Unfortunately, I've gotten older and a little wiser over time, and I'm sad to say that I now understand what they're getting at.