re: #76 ckkatz

Did not know about the Gypsy enclave.

Very true about the Jews of the Lower Hill.

The “Lower Hill” was, at least partially, a Jewish area up until the 1950’s and early 1960s. The “Urban Redevelopment” of that area with the Civic Auditorium hastened the migration to the Squirrel Hill and Highland Park areas.

Even in the 1960’s and 1970s there were still a lot of Jewish owned businesses in what was left of the Lower Hill.

Mostly original businesses. Often founded by the previous immigrant generation. Although by that point, the businesses were rarely retailers, instead more often wholesalers who sold to the retail stores or other businesses. (Car parts, etc.)

“The beginnings of a life of skepticism.” :)

Then (early 50s) there were a lot of Jewish-owned stores on Forbes, which I guess was the bottom of the Lower Hill. The shops going up the hill to Epiphany were not just Jewish-owned, but the signage and windows were often in Hebrew. I think I remember newspapers in Hebrew as well.