Patel Motels
A couple times I delivered newsletters to the businesses along Hillsborough Avenue. At the East Gate motel there were some kids who came to the window to take the newsletter. This led me to wonder what it was like to grow up in such a place.
About every day I drive by the Alamo Motel (Hanna corner Nebraska). Off the Nebraska side of the motel is a little patio area, enclosed by chain link fence. Over the past 5 years I have watched the motel owners improve that area. They have painted the concrete floor, planted hedge bushes and put some kids toys out there. Occasionally I will see some women doing something as a group.
The Alamo is a small motel will an asphalt parking lot and essentially no greenery. Again I wonder what life is like there as a child or even as an adult. Living next to a busy urban street with no real place to play.
3 comments:
Moreso than just a "bleak" environment. These children grow up surrounded by prostitution, drugs, and occasionally violence in their midst.
we must be careful looking at this as a one deminsional pix. I grew up in this neighborhood. All of these motels were always owned by residing families. In the olden days mom stayed home and managed the hotel and took care of the kids. Dad had a primary job that provided adequate income.These mom and pop motels were primarily for snow birds wintering in Florida or the occasisonal business traveler. NOt exactly a great source of wealth. these kids growing up in these motels do just fine. Most of them went to school with my kids. the drug and prostitution thing is a late night thing And responsible parents are not going to expose their kids to this intentionally. Actually some quite successful kids (academically) come out of these families.Remeber it is not neccessarily the home but the family in it.........
Just a note: The drug dealers and prostitutes often rent the rooms and stay in the hotels. In fact, that's one of the biggest difficulties we have in getting rid of the prostitutes--convenient and cheap housing. Last year a number of Patels were arrested for renting rooms to prostitutes in a sting operation.
In my experience as a neighborhood watch hooker patrol activist, I've seen the hookers at all hours of the day at these hotels.
Current hooker working hours are between 3am and 6am in SESH and they walk North to the hotels around 6am. You see more of them in OSH between 5:30am and 6:30am as they work their way home.
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