The buildings are crumbling yet people live in them. The sidewalks are covered with filth but people still walk on them. The roads are filled with potholes but people still drive on them. There is a gloom that hangs thick in the air, but children are still at play. A neighborhood that once was as soon will not be, is more than the buildings, the sidewalks or the streets. The people are the fabric of the community and in some of them there is still hope. Though poverty and violence may seem to be a way of life, light still shines in the dark corners. Laughter and kindness is shared between neighbors and comes from children. So despite the grim picture that others may paint, I saw many things but most of all I saw hope in the streets.