Temple University senior Tabitha Mangum lives on Montgomery Avenue between
Bouvier Street and 18th Street. Mangum is from Harrisburg and lives in the North Central Philadelphia neighborhood while she attends school.
Mangum has had pleasant experiences with her Philadelphia neighbors. She recalled an
incident where she lost her purse that contained credit cards, different forms of identification and other important documents. Frantic and distraught, Mangum was crying about her lost items on her front porch. Her neighbor, a permanent resident of the area, approached her to see what was wrong. The resident immediately started to spread word around the area that Mangum’s purse was stolen. By talking with people in neighborhood, the resident was able to have Mangum’s purse returned to her doorstep within a week.
Despite the negative views people have of the relationship between temporary and permanent residents, Mangum felt her experience showed unity in the neighborhood.
“I haven’t really had much interaction with the Temple students, I’ve had more interaction with the locals,” Mangum explained.
In the summertime, Mangum and her roommates sit on their porch and share fruits. She noticed that Temple students were more reluctant to join them.
“I like living with the locals, I like the integration, ” Mangum said.
Mangum explained that by living in the North Central neighborhood, she has learned a lot from her neighbors.
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