The Decimation of an Urban Community – South Oakland

By Carlino Giampolo

September 4, 2018

It is not hyperbole to say that no urban community in America has been as severely impacted by a university's presence as South Oakland has.

The policies of the University of Pittsburgh administrators have affected the residential and business districts of South Oakland in a profound and devastating way. Since 1968, the longtime residential population has declined by approximately 80%. On one residential street, the decline is far greater. South Bouquet Street has declined 98%, from over 200 longtime residents to presently only two, while the student population has increased from about a dozen to nearly 800.

As we will see below, the business district has been similarly decimated.

SOUTH OAKLAND – 1968

(Forbes Avenue & Fifth Avenue from Halket Street to Craig Street;
South Bouquet Street; Oakland Avenue; Atwood Street; Meyran Avenue;
Semple Street; Bates Street)

In 1968, the above eight streets in South Oakland were home to:

16 Family Restaurants (Employing waiters and/or waitresses. Hotels excluded.)
12 Barber Shops
11 Gas Stations & Auto Repair Shops
11 Dry Cleaners and Alteration Shops
9 Beauty Salons
9 Men & Women's Clothing Stores
7 Shoe Stores & Shoe Repair Shops
7 Grocery Stores
3 Flower Shops
3 Bread & Bakery Shops
2 Supermarkets
2 Movie Theaters
2 Hardware Stores
1 Bowling Alley

In addition:
Syria Mosque – Demolished by UPMC in 1991 and property sold to Pitt in 2016.
Forbes Field – Demolished by the University of Pittsburgh in 1971.

16 Family Restaurants – Black Angus Restaurant, Canter's Restaurant, Scotty's Diner, Cicero's Restaurant Lounge, The Clock Restaurant, Gustine's Restaurant, Lasek's, Burnett's Restaurant, Hungarian Village, Bamboo Garden Restaurant, House of Chiang, B & G Restaurant, Lincoln Pancake Kitchen, Home Plate, Joey Diven's Oakland Cafe, Henry Henry Restaurant.
12 Barber Shops – M & J Barber Shop, Chuck's Barber Shop, Guy Cozza Barber Shop, Schenley Barber Shop, Jerry's Barber Shop, Edwards Barber Shop, Jack's Barber Shop, Al's Barber Shop, Tech Barber Shop, Enrico's Barber Shop, Abe Rosenthal Barber, Joe Bellisario's Barber Shop.
11 Gas Stations & Auto Repair Shops – Spohn Amoco Station, Oakland Gulf Service, Stuckert Esso Service, Tamburi's Sunoco Service, Weston's Atlantic Service, Oakland Auto Service, Forbes Field Garage, W & S Auto Repair, Ernie's Auto Body Repair, Peetz Auto Repair, Heglas Auto Body Shop.
11 Dry Cleaners and Alteration Shops – One-Hour Martinizing Cleaners, One Hour Dura Cleaning, Daniel's Cleaners, Crandall McKenzie Dry Cleaners, Art Cleaning and Tailoring, Charley The Tailor, Sam Ross Tuxedo Rental, Cherubin Cleaning Pressing & Alterations, Simeone Tailor Shop, New Oakland Tailor Clothes Cleaning, Mannarino's Alterations.
9 Beauty Salons – Studio de Creste, Starlite Beauty Haven, Claffey's Beauty Shop, Victor's Fifth Avenue Coiffures, House of Heaton Beauty Shop, Violet Touch Beauty Salon, Marcel Beauty Salon, Meyran Avenue Beauty Shop, Rose Marino's Beauty Salon.
9 Men & Women's Clothing Stores – Leonard's Men's Shop, Price's of Oakland, Tweed Shop, Maxine's Womens Clothing, Dorothy's Millinery, Fashion Hosiery Shop, The Men's Sports Wear Pro Shop, Klothes Kloset Used Clothing, Oakland Haberdashery Shop.
7 Shoe Stores & Shoe Repair Shops  –Wally's Shoes, Oakland Star Shoe Store, Atwood Shoe Service Repair, Russo & Son Shoe Repair, Mike's Shoe Service Repair, Oakland Shoe Repairing, Medical Arts Shoe Service.
7 Butcher Shop & Grocery Stores – Dan Snider Butcher Shop, Atwood Grocery, Bellanca's Market, Atwood Oriental Food Store, Modern Food Market, Howard's Market Grocery, Leff's Market.
3 Flower Shops – Georgetson's Flower Shop, Thompson Flower Shop, Gidas Flowers.
3 Bread & Bakery Shops – Cibrone Breads Bakery, Kunst First Class Bakery, Oakland Bakery.
2 Supermarkets – A & P, Giant Eagle.
2 Movie Theaters – Strand Theatre, King's Court Theatre.
2 Five- & Ten-Cent Stores – Autenreith Five & Ten, Forbes 5-10-25 Cent Store.
2 Hardware Stores – DeBroff's Hardware, Oakland Hardware & Toy Company.
1 Bowling Alley – Cicero Strand Lanes.
Syria Mosque – Demolished by UPMC in 1991 and property sold to Pitt in 2016.
Forbes Field – Demolished by the University of Pittsburgh in 1971.

In addition to the above, there was a vast array of establishments that supported an eclectic multi-ethnic residential community, such as children's toys and clothes, fine jewelry, gifts, novelties, electrical appliances, wallpaper, and paint.

Business Establishments in 2018

In 2018, the number of businesses that supported a longtime residential community has declined tremendously. Today, there are no supermarkets, movie theatres, bowling alleys, hardware stores, shoe stores and shoe repair shops, dry cleaners and alteration shops, bread and bakery shops, children's toys and clothes stores, novelties and gift stores, electrical appliances, wallpaper, and paint stores.

The two main streets in South Oakland's business district (Forbes Avenue & Fifth Avenue) now have only seven business establishments, other than restaurants in the categories shown above, that support a longtime residential community: One gas station (Stuckert's Exxon), three barber shops (Supercuts, Sport Clips, Enrico's Hair Cutting for Men), two clothing shops for men and women (Rue 21, Whimsy on Fifth), and one flower shop (Gidas Flowers).

The administrators of the University of Pittsburgh have made conscious choices leading to the decimation of the residential and business districts of South Oakland. What is equally tragic is that Pitt's 5,000 faculty members are silent enablers.

Neither the chancellor and his administrators, nor the university's faculty, can answer this question in a positive manner: When the streets in the heart of our business district are predominantly dormitories, student housing, and university-owned buildings, how can we grow an eclectic, multi-ethnic, longtime residential community?