<p>gervie: the tunnels aren’t exactly normal Wes living space (and that grafitti has been built up over generations – or at least it had until they painted over the tunnels, which upset a lot of people). I agree it’s not pretty, but it’s part of Wes culture, and not indicative of how the rest of the dorms are treated. </p>
<p>In general, I agree with mythmom: different environments are for different people, and I’d be the last person to claim Middletown is perfect or the right place for everyone. I was just confused by Gibby’s experience because it feels so out of the norm – Middletown definitely has its bad spots, but I’ve never felt unsafe in any area during the day. And I agree with froshdad that it is nothing like the bad areas of cities that have bad areas. And I spent a lot of time wandering around it taking pictures for my photo class (including a lot of time on the North End). </p>
<p>Also, froshdad, I didn’t know about St. Vincent DePaul Place. Cool! You learn something new everyday.</p>