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unenlightenedgoblin OP t1_j4njv5u wrote

Reply to comment by defusted in What happened to Chester, PA? What are its future prospects? by unenlightenedgoblin

The thing that stands out about Chester compared with comparable small declining cities in the state is the fact that most of the factories in and around Chester are still operating. It doesn’t seem that Chester desperately lacks employment opportunities, but rather that those jobs aren’t going to Chester residents nor meaningfully lifting the tax base.

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mdpaoli t1_j4nlj7i wrote

Yes there are still some factories operating in Chester, but they are a fraction of what once was there. The shipyard once employed 35,000+ people. The shipyard and many other large employers left following the Industrial Revolution. When those employers left, a lot of Chester’s population left too.

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unenlightenedgoblin OP t1_j4nohsh wrote

Whoa, I had no idea. 35,000 is A LOT of people. Did they tear everything down or are there at least cool industrial ruins to check out?

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