
McDonald's: you can sneer, but it's glue that holds communities together (2016) - Tomte
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jun/08/mcdonalds-community-centers-us-physical-social-networks
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coupdetaco
I was just at the one in EPA by Facebook and I thought the same damn thing.
Dudes with facial scars and a limp come through to get a meal for
$10/2000calories, students as well grabbing a snack on their way home from one
of the nine schools nearby. Its like a YMCA for homeless people, along with
the library.

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anotheryou
I read this back than and went back and forth believing and not believing that
this is an advert.

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SllX
I only have anecdotal evidence but anecdotal evidence I do have.

1\. There is a McDonalds that was near my Elementary school, actually used to
be my favorite place as a kid and it was the place where I would socialize
with kids from the Boys and Girls club about a block or so away. Even though
there is a large municipal park across the street and numerous bars and clubs
and restaurants around that area, you could still see people actually meeting,
or just hanging out there. I have no idea what this particular McDonalds* is
like nowadays, but I've heard through the grapevine it's become the epicenter
for numerous drug problems in the neighborhood, which are only complaints you
started hearing about once Whole Foods opened up across the street. I suspect
that it is neither the epicenter of the drug problems in the 'hood given
exactly what that particular neighborhood is famous for, and it is famous, nor
do I think it has actually changed at all in the last 20 years.

Most likely the only thing that changed is there are a lot more affluent
people in the area which are taking issue with having a symbol of poverty in
their presence, across the street from a supermarket that just so happens to
symbolize their wealth.

2\. There's another McDonalds I would walk past every day on my way too and
from school. Often it was faster than waiting for the trolley bus as the
trolley part of the bus would often fall and slow everyone down back in the
day and my route to Middle school and later High school was an L-shaped route.
Eventually the local MTA replaced the trolley buses with an updated model and
the problems were at least reduced, but not eliminated.

Passing this same McDonalds you could make a few observations. First, the
people there were of two particular demographics, and the housing nearby was
Section 8. Second, just pass the McDonalds there would be a park, nothing
fancy, just a bit of grass and some benches in the middle of the block where
quite a few locals would socialize. Third, just past this park was a rundown
boarded up church with empowering messages targeted towards a particular
demographic. Directly across the street from this rundown church was a police
station loaded up with surveillance cameras, even more than I observed around
other police stations at that time. Going back towards the McDonalds but
across the street now, there was if I recall correctly, a salon or a
barbershop (both? been a while), a liquor store, a pizza place (these might
have been one and the same) and apartment buildings. Not too far away in
either direction were two community centers.

What's my point? Humans are social beasts, we gather together over hot
beverages and food, whether our incomes are large or small. More affluent
people have more options for this, but much of the time people like to go out
and gather with those around them, particularly when they have fewer options.

Advert or not, the thesis of this article is not _wrong_. Go to low income
neighborhoods and find a McDonalds, get yourself a coffee or burger or
whatever and just sit down and watch people. Go to areas where McDonald's
exists but where the surrounding area is being gentrified and watch the looks
of disgust on peoples' faces as they pass through and by poverty. Coming from
a different sphere of life, it's pretty hard to read an article like this and
not think this is just a paid advert, and I understand the reaction, but I
would not doubt that for many communities, this article is basically the
truth.

* Given just who many of the people on Hacker News are and the metro areas they tend to reside in, in numbers anyway, there is a better than even chance you can figure out exactly which area and which McDonalds specifically I'm talking about.

