New generation perceives different Youngstown than parents

YOUNGSTOWN

Alicia Taylor remembers when her mother used to relate stories about the dangers of downtown Youngstown and cautioned her about visiting.

Nevertheless, the Canfield High School senior sees a far different city.

“I think Youngstown is a new, growing place. More and more people are seeing the potential of downtown Youngstown,” she said.

Among those who saw such promise was Taylor, who joined an estimated 130 Canfield High juniors and seniors in advanced-placement English and honors-reading classes for a field trip Tuesday to explore and learn more about the city’s past, its offerings and plans.

Inspiration for the event came from a book the students read titled “The Hard Way on Purpose: Essays and Dispatches from the Rust Belt,” by Akron author David Giffels.

The memoir offers a collection of wry essays and recollections of life and people in the Rust Belt. In it, Giffels draws numerous parallels between Akron’s struggles and those of Youngstown.

Far from being filled with poverty and crime, Youngstown “is a fun place to hang out,” said Taylor, who added that she enjoys patronizing downtown restaurants and attending Friday open-mike sessions at Greyland Gallery on West Boardman Street.

“It’s the blend of the old and new that impresses me,” senior Cooper Johnson said as he and several fellow students gathered outside of Suzie’s Dogs & Drafts, 32 N. Phelps St.

Read more of this new generations views on the city in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.