"The city had a very bad reputation," said Esbenshade, a Realtor who mostly deals in city properties. "People thought when you crossed under the bridge on New Holland Pike you would be murdered.

Oh come on. This stinks of a realtor trying to "talk up" his market in order to get people to move into town. Unless he is going back before the mid '80's this attitude exists more today than it did at any given time in the past.

The reputation is still not the greatest. There are properties on Columbia Avenue that have been on the market for a long time.

The city has come a long way in revitalization with only a few areas that need further improvement. The city is more than just the downtown - Cabbage Hill needs attention as well as the western edge.

I grew up in the city in the 70's when you could walk downtown to the Brunswick Theatre for a movie without being hassled. You can't do that these days. REmember the "wolfing incident" when that pack of kids beat that attorney up. The nightly gunfire, drug-dealing, prostitution - the entire city needs a makeover..it is becoming just like any urban area where rents are cheap, it pulls in the undesireables. Have no fear...Obama is here....just hang on a little while longer lancaster.

Have a great day!!!

I went to McCaskey and I can tell you that the amount of raw fear about the city is just astounding. People would always ask me questions like: "Aren't you afraid to walk down the halls there?" or "Do they ever have shootings?". Even as a (minority) white student, I always felt completely comfortable there. And growing up in Lancaster, I would walk everywhere.

I do agree with you that a lot of the fear about the city has been cultivated by realtors trying to sell higher-price homes in suburban neighborhoods. I do think this is a shame, as white-flight did really damage the economic base of the city. I remember when Woolworth's and Watt & Shand closed, and the downtown was beginning to look like a ghost town...but now it's really been revitalized, and it's a really exciting and vibrant place again!