OT: 64th Obsequious Banter Thread: Patrick and Provorov Before They Were Cool

[LegionOfDoom91]

That is both a soul-crushing but also fascinating article for someone who is not familiar to the area. I read an article recently on San Francisco's homeless population a few months ago but it sounds like paradise compared to Kensington.

It’s bad & has been for as long as I can remember. But it’s getting gentrified so a lot of white hipsters with money are starting to invade the area.

If you’re a person that buys & flips houses you’re making a killing in that area right now or keep the houses & rent them out.

 

[Appleyard]

Forgot how little I enjoyed putting weight back on vs cutting it...

dropped from like 185lbs to 156lbs over the course of 2017 (ofc with some BF% loss in there, but muscle too) as got really into cross-country and 5-15km running, and it did not matter to me as was playing local league water polo so could outplay people still who were a lot heavier. Plus really enjoyed the process... lots of cardio almost every day (5km run, 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride every weekday and a 10km run on Saturday for like 3 months straight).

Now in Denmark and trying to play at the top level of water polo there. Skill wise I'm fine, but the guys are damn big.

Up over 170lbs again, but still giving away like 20lbs at least to everyone.

Did not feel this un-enjoyable when went from ~170lbs to 192lbs from late teens to early 20s! I guess some of it is old injuries and niggles, ache so much most days. Hopefully age 27 is not when that all catches up... and it is just enjoying the countryside exercise+scenery over the gym based more with age!

Though it would be ironic considering those articles I did a few years back on age 27 being a (hockey) players absolute peak in general.

(post written feeling sorry for myself as my shoulder and left knee are killing... )

 

[Hurricane28]

. Plus really enjoyed the process... lots of cardio almost every day (5km run, 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride every weekday and a 10km run on Saturday for like 3 months straight).

My lazy ass is tired just reading that workout regimen

 

[Appleyard]

My lazy ass is tired just reading that workout regimen

I would rather do that again than the half hour in the gym a day right now. (swimming too... but nothing intense really, half an hour a day.) It feels way more taxing somehow even though on paper it should not be. Though being able to justify having a load more chicken every day makes it hurt a bit less!

Though I do think the cardio stuff, especially the running, became pretty much an addiction for a while.

 

[FLYguy3911]

Yeah once you get into a routine with running (and find good running shoes) it's somewhat enjoyable to clear your mind and listen to some tunes. Not really looking forward to the cold air burning my lungs however.

 

[BigToe]

Forgot how little I enjoyed putting weight back on vs cutting it...

dropped from like 185lbs to 156lbs over the course of 2017 (ofc with some BF% loss in there, but muscle too) as got really into cross-country and 5-15km running, and it did not matter to me as was playing local league water polo so could outplay people still who were a lot heavier. Plus really enjoyed the process... lots of cardio almost every day (5km run, 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride every weekday and a 10km run on Saturday for like 3 months straight).

Now in Denmark and trying to play at the top level of water polo there. Skill wise I'm fine, but the guys are damn big.

Up over 170lbs again, but still giving away like 20lbs at least to everyone.

Did not feel this un-enjoyable when went from ~170lbs to 192lbs from late teens to early 20s! I guess some of it is old injuries and niggles, ache so much most days. Hopefully age 27 is not when that all catches up... and it is just enjoying the countryside exercise+scenery over the gym based more with age!

Though it would be ironic considering those articles I did a few years back on age 27 being a (hockey) players absolute peak in general.

(post written feeling sorry for myself as my shoulder and left knee are killing... )

Tried water polo when I was little once. Never again.

 

[Appleyard]

Tried water polo when I was little once. Never again.

I enjoy playing still... even though can be a bit nasty at times. Good thing is though with it being in water it is pretty rare to get serious injuries. Separated shoulders, broken noses, hands and fingers are about the worst of it. Though my only ever real concussion came from a kick to the head from a guy who is now ~6'9 and ~270lbs (and a pro rugby player)... he was smaller then though. Still hurt a lot.

Most of my injury history is doing stupid stuff out of a pool actually!

 

[BigToe]

I enjoy playing still... even though can be a bit nasty at times. Good thing is though with it being in water it is pretty rare to get serious injuries. Separated shoulders, broken noses, hands and fingers are about the worst of it. Though my only ever real concussion came from a kick to the head from a guy who is now ~6'9 and ~270lbs (and a pro rugby player)... he was smaller then though. Still hurt a lot.

Most of my injury history is doing stupid stuff out of a pool actually!

How in the world did you get kicked in the head while playing water polo?

 

[Lotusflower]

Forgot how little I enjoyed putting weight back on vs cutting it...

dropped from like 185lbs to 156lbs over the course of 2017 (ofc with some BF% loss in there, but muscle too) as got really into cross-country and 5-15km running, and it did not matter to me as was playing local league water polo so could outplay people still who were a lot heavier. Plus really enjoyed the process... lots of cardio almost every day (5km run, 1.5km swim, 40km bike ride every weekday and a 10km run on Saturday for like 3 months straight).

Now in Denmark and trying to play at the top level of water polo there. Skill wise I'm fine, but the guys are damn big.

Up over 170lbs again, but still giving away like 20lbs at least to everyone.

Did not feel this un-enjoyable when went from ~170lbs to 192lbs from late teens to early 20s! I guess some of it is old injuries and niggles, ache so much most days. Hopefully age 27 is not when that all catches up... and it is just enjoying the countryside exercise+scenery over the gym based more with age!

Though it would be ironic considering those articles I did a few years back on age 27 being a (hockey) players absolute peak in general.

(post written feeling sorry for myself as my shoulder and left knee are killing... )

Coached semi-pro water polo when I lived in Oakland, CA. Toughest most physically demanding sport i've ever played.

I played college basketball and I could get up and play full court practices after drinking and partying the night before.

Water polo practice runs I had to gird myself emotionally and physically

 

[Jtown]

I'm not reading the NYTimes article, **** NYC. But from an adjacent view, Kensington is a perfect storm for this nonsense. Long neglected by city officials, it's a mix of old-resident patriarchal types, that are dying out and not being replaced, and naive new comers not yet invested in civic responsibilities that extend further than self-interest. Left to fill the void of responsible engaged residents are lesser aspects of society such as blight, hopelessness, lack or resources. Given that Philadelphia does have issues it responds to, the illicit activities in Kensington are left to their own devices until it because an issue that can no longer be ignored. There are no physical/psychological barriers enclosing Kensington, so it was only a matter of time until the problems spilled outward, either by never-do-wells seeking thrills there and returning elsewhere, or a burgeoning problem escaping it's origination point.

tl'dr; now is the time to buy property in Kensington, because the problems will get fixed, and the values will rise, if it hasn't already passed peak potential.

everything will go up the question is how long. If you took your down payment and put it in the market would the house you purchased be able to compete in return? Most likely no. If you rented out and were able to have you mortgage payment paid for....getting closer but still no ( Also who is renting in Kensington, think about the people you would have to deal with).

If you have excess investment capital find another way to invest than Kensington.

 

[Amorgus]

everything will go up the question is how long. If you took your down payment and put it in the market would the house you purchased be able to compete in return? Most likely no. If you rented out and were able to have you mortgage payment paid for....getting closer but still no ( Also who is renting in Kensington, think about the people you would have to deal with).

If you have excess investment capital find another way to invest than Kensington.

And be sure to invest extra money into mounted auto turrets all around your house. It sounds close to voluntarily moving into The Purge.

 

[Jtown]

And be sure to invest extra money into mounted auto turrets all around your house. It sounds close to voluntarily moving into The Purge.

passive defense is the way to go. And it will add a moderate value to your home. Take the safe room approach and apply to the the total square footage of the property.

 

[Ruck Over]

everything will go up the question is how long. If you took your down payment and put it in the market would the house you purchased be able to compete in return? Most likely no. If you rented out and were able to have you mortgage payment paid for....getting closer but still no ( Also who is renting in Kensington, think about the people you would have to deal with).

If you have excess investment capital find another way to invest than Kensington.

The rub is, Kensington prices are so dramatically lower than what should be reasonable, the amount of effort needed to see a return is minimal. They're talking about knocking down 3/4 story buildings on Jewelers Row to put in large apartment buildings. A complex just went in at Broad and Washington, and there's plans to build another at 13th and Washington. The city is developing, and getting something for almost free and being able to charge for it, that's a win.

 

[Jtown]

The rub is, Kensington prices are so dramatically lower than what should be reasonable, the amount of effort needed to see a return is minimal. They're talking about knocking down 3/4 story buildings on Jewelers Row to put in large apartment buildings. A complex just went in at Broad and Washington, and there's plans to build another at 13th and Washington. The city is developing, and getting something for almost free and being able to charge for it, that's a win.

Unless you are a major developer, or have shown in the past the ability to renovate living space you are going to run into eminent domain problems and the developer that wants to buy your property will give you an affordable out , that will not be such a hot buy.

If you want to buy cheap and sell high, find a historic district , a run down neglected home that you can physically work on to flip a home. Unless you are really into construction don't mess with flips. I have done 3 flips and imo it wasn't worth the time or energy. investing in the market is passive and easy.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

If you’re a contractor who buys & flips houses you’ve been doing pretty well for yourself in the Kensington, Fishtown, Port Richmond, etc. areas these past few years.

 

[Striiker]

How in the world did you get kicked in the head while playing water polo?

I would assume they were both swimming and the guy was in front and kicking his feet.

 

[Jtown]

If you’re a contractor who buys & flips houses you’ve been doing pretty well for yourself in the Kensington, Fishtown, Port Richmond, etc. areas these past few years.

yes. If you're a contractor anywhere you're doing well for yourself . Its nice to land houses with cash offers and have controlled labor costs. Who would have thought that would be a recipe for success. Average joe's can't compete.

 

[LegionOfDoom91]

yes. If you're a contractor anywhere you're doing well for yourself . Its nice to land houses with cash offers and have controlled labor costs. Who would have thought that would be a recipe for success. Average joe's can't compete.

Well yeah I wouldn’t suggest someone do it if they. A. Don’t have money or partnered with someone with money & B. Don’t have experience of running the jobs or partnered with someone who does.

My uncle does it though. He was a long time carpenter until he got into business with a rich dude he used to do sidework for.

 

[Jtown]

Well yeah I wouldn’t suggest someone do it if they. A. Don’t have money or partnered with someone with money & B. Don’t have experience of running the jobs or partnered with someone who does.

My uncle does it though. He was a long time carpenter until he got into business with a rich dude he used to do sidework for.

It use to be a good gig. But once it becomes more than a side hustle I have to abandon it.

 

[Appleyard]

How in the world did you get kicked in the head while playing water polo?

We had wrestled for position and there was a change of possession after the stopclock had timed out. Usually you try and kick off your opponent in such a situation if you have body position advantage, as that means they have to take more time to get into stroke. Usually you kick off them in the thigh to rib area, but it would be hard to injure someone as it is underwater and need to plant before the kick, so no blunt trauma.

This guy was maybe ~15 cm taller than me even then, and I anticipated the kick so pushed his shoulder as he tried to, but that meant half his body was out of the water and he was further away, and he did not stop the kick, which landed right on my temple. Could not swim to the poolside without help, kept sinking and swimming the wrong way.

 

[deadhead]

The problem with buying property in Philly is the supply of people with incomes to buy those re-gentrified properties is being maxed out, the city lacks the economic engines for further growth (basically health care and not much else). At some point you exhaust the lawyers and other professionals, and as they age, they start selling out and moving to the 'burbs when they have kids. What the city needs, but it won't get, are developers to refurbish the large existing housing stock and sell it to people with incomes below the median, which is most of the city's population. Margins are too low, so look for that stock to continue to deteriorate, and the city along with it.

It's still the poorest major city in the US (Baltimore and Detroit don't quality as major anymore), a yuppie center surrounded by working class people hanging on by their fingernails and poor people buried in bad neighborhoods that are generational traps.

 

[klutch]

Has anyone tried the new COD? Is it the same old shit or worth getting? I thought the new battle royale mode would be a cool idea but I haven’t been home to research. Fair in mind I haven’t like a cod since MW3.

 

[wankstifier]

What’s the trick to swimming with facial hair? I went for a few laps a month ago and my beard got fried. Feel like I need to coat myself with Vaseline before a dip

 

[Lord Defect]

I grew up in Kensington, work near there, and have worked exclusively in there for a few years.
While there are some good people living there, there were very few that I interacted with. The majority I would say are moderately good people to dirtbags. Junkies make up the population below those but above the good people.
The areas around Kensington are being built up at an absurd rate for insane prices.
My childhood home is a lot now, as are the next 5 “homes”. The house to the left still stands, and then there are three more lots next to that one. The street looks like a jack o lanterns grin.
I could pay 8k for the plot and hope in 5 to 10 years Kensington starts to turn and sell for profit. If that happens I’m making out well. If it doesn’t flip at least I own land right?
The problem is there are squatters living there in an RV. They put a legit fence up and everything. They would claim squatters rights long before I could get the land.
If you try to rehab a home and you make the mistake of using copper water lines, the junkies will steal the copper as soon as you leave for the night. If you make the mistake of not using copper, the junkies will break in and tear the place up or use it as a temporary drug den out of spite for not having copper to steal.
Kensington is the last place to look for flipping real estate unless your a major player.
You can start all the drug prevention programs you want, but Pandora has already been let out of the box. Just like the city, I have no idea what to do with the situation so I can’t offer any advice there for anyone that wants to discuss it.
However, safe injection sites are not going to work.

 

[Lord Defect]

@Hollywood Couturier there is a “what jerseys do you own” thread on the main boards. Go win the thread.