Pottstown: Potential and Problems

Unlike nearby towns that have already been made over, Pottstown is a historic and fresh territory that begs for revitalization.

That’s how borough resident Beau Sullivan sees the place.

On Monday, Pottstown Patch asked Sullivan and others, “What’s the best and worst thing about Pottstown?”

“The infrastructure - it’s very historic so there’s a lot of things that can be done,” Sullivan said. “The upside potential of Pottstown is great.”

The downside?

“The local government . . . should be a little bit more business friendly,” Sullivan said. “There’s a lot of empty storefronts and there’s no nightlife here . . . nothing bringing anybody to Pottstown.”

Barbara Harley said she moved to Pottstown about three years ago. 

“There are some awesome people,” she said. 

But many folks are without jobs, Harley said.

“You have a lot of hardship in town,” she said. 

Christina Carroll talked of gang fights, slumlords, and prostitutes who push their baby strollers while they look for customers. 

“It’s been a depressed area for quite some time,” Carroll said. 

Frances Laws said there are many homeless people in Pottstown.

“I think people are just dropping them off at night and in the daytime you see them,” she said. 

Laws also said Montgomery County Community College is an asset in Pottstown.

Alex Song lives outside Pottstown but works in the borough.

“I like the area,” he said and added that his sister is a student at The Hill School. “The people seem nice.”

Download the movie