Note: We pulled an all-nighter working on this one until 7:00 a.m. to get it out on time, and we messed up the spelling of Pittsburgh. Apologies for that. We're happy with the video though and think you'll like it too. This is the first of six videos coming to you from PA. I had no idea how interesting and beautiful this state is. ► 🎥 More Behind the Scenes Videos: petersantenello.com/ ► 📝 My Free Weekly Newsletter: www.bit.ly/3HC36EH ► 👕 Merch: innercircle.petersantenello.com/collections/all
“Travel the world before it blows up”. Perfect quote. Glen is a genuine dude. He sounds like a cool guy to hang out with and listen to his thoughts and stories.
yeah, going to be a LOT of foreign ex-pats bailing if Trump gets elected again. Project 2025 is very isolationist. Probably a lot of new US citizens getting out too. As someone almost old enough to retire.. I figure I am screwed and will be working unto death. I turn 57 next month... almost made it.
I’m an American Studies scholar from Italy and have been following your channel for more than 2 years now. I can assure you that your work has a great historical and anthropological value. It's like visual snapshots of US reality & history from the most overlooked places, it makes you understand the past and the present (and maybe the future) more than some academic papers. Keep it going!
That’s a damn good question. I teach and research in literature, but I guess that doesn’t help because, what in the world are you going to do with literature, right? It’s a vicious circle I can’t resist, I suppose.
@@enricomariani3735 sounds like a waste of money. Go to school for international finance or something and learn about American culture as a hobby but good luck
Southwest PA is FULL of the descendants of Italian immigrants, we call them Dagos or Whops. Denunzio, Perschetti Digiacommo, DeLuca, Gianelli, Valozzi, Nobile, DeGenarro, Rizzo the list goes on and on. You should do some research on Italian immigration to the area, including West Virginia which is right by Pittsburgh you'll be shocked at the number of Italians who live in the Appalachian mountains and Laurel Ridge. We call them "Mountain Dagos".
To that couple building their own restaurant, I build an oyster bar here in Baltimore from scratch, just me and a friend over 9 years ago. It took us 18 months to build it out and we opened 8 years ago come October. We are still open, survived the pandemic, paid back our investors and bought out all our partners. My wife and I now own 100% and have a healthy thriving business. We are a part of the community, and I am incredibly grateful to be able to say that. Keep the dream ALIVE! Grind on, never quit and keep WORKING, it does pay off. ❤
Happy for you! I’m from Baltimore County. Tell me the name of your oyster bar so my family & I can enjoy your menu items especially those oysters. Go Orioles!! ⚾️
I lived in Coraopolis for 8 years and in the last couple of years there had been a huge influx of people from Latin America moving in and starting business. There’s this Honduran restaurant called “5 Star Honduran Restaurant” that I highly recommend.
I'm from Sweden and I'd say the view we have on America is strongly based on California/New York/Texas thanks to movies, news and so on. It can really frustrate me as the prejudice people have here about Americans is that they either are hillbillys, rich californians or stressed out new yorkers. I've always had an interest in American culture and mostly the midwest, due to many of my old relatives moving there during the 1800s and early 1900s as emigrants. What you are doing here Peter, is showing a piece of America that is never in the limelight. I believe this is what should be shown in schools when learning about the US. It's filled with rich history, culture, diversity and industrial importance to the world. The history of industrial towns and their collapse, the people behind it all, the hard working average joes that never get's represented by Hollywood or media. This is what I'd assume gives Americans pride of their nation, and maybe also grief/sadness due to the state of these places today. But the hard labor behind it, the strong men and women who keep these areas floating after being abandoned by corporations. You are doing something great for these people living in the areas you are showing off, as well as the people all over the world watching this. Your content is inspiring and really makes me wants to explore more of the US myself and also gives me a better understanding of american culture, while also breaking down prejudice and barriers that have been built up through news outlets and movies. Wish you and all other fellow americans out there the best. Bless you all.
Lady, all the crime and violence you mention about saving these people from who do you think is creating it? Talking about pumping them in private schools for free these people are the ones that turned the neighborhoods and schools into what they are and do you have any idea how much money has been thrown at them in this process? Free EVERYTHING is given to them when is the last time someone was sent to private school for free that terms like "inner city and people of color" wasn't attached to it? Try never, because nobody gets paid to do that or gets special points for helping dirt poor white people that no one gives a shyt about. Every black movie star and athlete donates to charities as long as the word black is attached and the white ones do the same so they can feel so special about themselves. I'm just so sick of hearing how the problem is so mistreated and get no opportunity's if someone would just dump some more money on them and give them an opportunity it will get better this time.
@@isaackelly1294 The Midwest, specifically places like this(better or worse), is the heart of the US. The US isn't all sunshine and rainbows. There are clean, thriving cities and towns, and there are struggling cities and towns. There is a mix of all of it all over the country. This 100% a good representation of the country, because rarely is it shown and it definitely exists. And through all of this, you still have amazing people. The people are always going to be the most important part of showing what the country is.
I've traveled the world and drive a semi in the United States. Swedes and other Scandinavians make up a huge majority of the population of our northern states. Along with many Germans and Czechs. The Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and almost all of Wisconsin were settled by your ancestors. In many of those places you would feel right at home. America isn't the garbage Hollywood portrays. It's like being in 50 different countries, that are all a little different from each other in very noticeable ways. Besides the language, the main thing you'll find as a guy from Sweden traveling around the states is that people will be very warm towards you. Americans tend to be welcoming and typically very kind, especially in places you wouldn't expect like New York and New Jersey, which in my opinion, are some of the best people in our country. I live in Texas and we're completely a different breed than New Yorkers, but they're easy people to really respect. California, Oregon and Washington is a mix of really awesome or really shitty people. Same with Chicago. Everywhere else people are consistently really pretty cool. If you're thinking about coming, realize that all of us are living in a country that's going through rough times together. Certain groups have made an effort to sew an unnatural divide in our people, but if push comes to shove, we tend to band together and remember we're a family. It will be a shock for you coming from Sweden, but I think you'd met some interesting people and really would enjoy your time here.
We ain’t about that rowdy obnoxious energy out here.. we trying to survive while the west coast buys teslas with their 3rd refinance on the mortgage 💸 😢
i live in the Mon Valley, and I just want to say thanks for not just focusing on the crime in the area - a lot of people when they come to do these types of things just focus on the bad stuff. Not the hard work people are putting in to keep this place alive. Thank you.
@EternallyGod it's a forgotten part of the country, but people still live here. People are trying to start businesses and do what we can to make it better. Respectfully, unless you live here, you honestly have no clue from a 45 min video.
@@Idontgiveaduck Prices of the homes show exactly the current situation. Money goes to where it can make more of itself. You are poor and living in the bottom of the bottom of the US....move and your options are the best in the world...but you choose to be poor....
One of the greatest gifts of this channel is a no filter raw view of people and the world. People are so resilient. From the young man living in an unsafe street still managing to say "have a good day" to Glenn welcoming unexpected visitors and traveling the worlds before it blows up. Just incredible
BS...Peter as usual likes to filter things to give a slant toward his increasingly "conservative" positions...notice the cut away when the guy from new Zealand was making a comment on the insane level of gun violence/access in the area....he has decent content when he wants, but he has an agenda and that is increasingly to monetize the algorithm for the MAGA audience...its a shame since his pre-2021 stuff was actually fair and balanced and without a political agenda...
@@davesmith4110peak perpetually online comment. Your life would be much better if you’d stop looking for conflict or a political angle in everything. Log off and go touch some grass.
@@davesmith4110 You have blinders on to the real world. UA-cam never promotes the conservative agenda. Just open the News link and what channels are always top of the list, MSNBC, CNN, CBS, ABC and so on, you won't see a Fox link until you're 20 videos down the list. Not to worry though, once Trump is back in office he will be appointed "King of the World" and set things right!
That guy who lived in the church was such a character. I swear you meet the most unique ppl during these videos. Someone could have lived in that town their entire life and never known a guy from New Zealand lived next door to them.
@@OGJeff685who is the arbitrator of what is and is not "normal"? The DSM-5 which was created by power hungry psychiatrists? Alfred Kinsey who was a pedophile? Normal is a setting on the washing machine. What do you know about people who have experienced trauma? Calling people "crazy" is purposely denigrating his lived experience.
Peter Santenello has a profound magnetism for attracting the most compelling characters wherever he goes, giving voice to those who’s stories must be heard and preserved ❤️ Thank you, Peter 🙏
I’m from Michigan. I know for a fact that people in the rust belt are some of the hardest working, honest people around. Much love from your northwest neighbors❤️
He should go to battle creek. A year ago I drove through on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon and was kind of uneasy because I was the ONLY car on the road in the whole city, there were a couple people walking around Kellogg's, but I barely saw anyone. It was super eerie.
As an European who's been to the tourist spots in the states 3 times now, any advice for visiting non tourist places like this? I would love to experience places like this
@mylesdeep1736 posted a similar comment. See the responses there. These locals attest otherwise. I pray that these hard workers work to improve their cities. It’s by no means an easy road but it Can be done! 🙏
@@herkiee1 I've wandered around Michigan, everywhere is pretty much safe except for the cities. If you avoid the cities you can hike, visit the nature and wetland preserves. You can drive in rural Michigan for hours and see nothing but farms and cornfields. If you do go into the city, just be aware of your surroundings.
can you explain what you mean im a strange person my enjoyment from these comes form how trite i find them im attracted to them because i find them particularly unattractive sort of like how some folks like "bad"movies" part of this motivation is driven by wanting to understand different points of view which is why i find your comment so interesting could you go into more detail please
There are those of us out who think Pete is a mini-sociologist-traveller of sorts and documents people's lives without bias or judgement or preconceived ideas. Juat sayin. WE, get the impression that Pete, who lets people talk about their "neck of the woods" and their lives within it, does so to get a BIG PICTURE of life there.
I especially like the way Pete asks questions with no visible or audible signs of "biases or judging or pre-conceived" notions. That's what makes him very well liked. AND he asks relevant, intelligent, down to earth questions. WOW !! He is quite the experienced traveler and we thank him enormously for his "video postcards" that he sends out to the rest of the world , so we can see how other people live, work, play and interact in their daily lives. I think of him more sometimes like a sociologist , a people person, than a You Tube traveling guy.
Can we just acknowledge how this channel is consistent with top tier content , there is a reason 1m views is a standard here. Peter is always so non judgementmal and always asks the pertinent questions. I ran here from the Native american vlog with Hawk. I love it here.
That Black Lady said something powerful when she said that "the people in the valley, everybody lives in the past, nobody lets go, everyone just holds, that's why it's so dark, if you ever pay attention to the sky, is always dark over the valley. Then when you hit Monongahela and them it's very bright." That is something. Another great video Peter!
It's true...how the thoughts of people affect the weather sometimes. And I just read a book called the Wanderer in the Spirit Land...and there the state of people's spirits, or souls, determines the weather, the environment, how they look...everything. They still think they are on earth...and cannot understand why is it so dark and dingy...but even some places on the earth can be like that...sounds like that valley may be one of em.
@@deannehuizenga4845 That hit me real hard too...I have seen the same slippery slope happen to my former coal mining village...these places were amazing...such genuine warmth...and really tough too...then, consigned by corrupt politicians and crooked bankers and brokers to life on the dole...onve mines were closed and the villages fell apart...the world is brutal at times...
@@deannehuizenga4845 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. Proverbs 1;24-26 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24;12 May 21, 2011 was the beginning of judgement day on the world - you were WARNED And it shall come to pass in that day, a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. Zechariah 14;13 " Tumult" = disbelief & confusion ON PURPOSE, by design And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become of our Lord, and his Christ, and he shall reign to ever and ever. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Revelation 11;15 19;15 Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing, and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgement. Ecclesiastes 8;5 spoiler alert: 'last day' = 2033 ( 17th day of 1st month ?!? ) READ THE BOOK ! ...or rather should have, too late now Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee O inhabitant of the earth. Isaiah 24;17 NO ESCAPE
that guy who lived in the church was so friendly! warms my heart when people let you in to their lives like that. props to that guys! great video peter.
What I think is pretty incredible is Peter is documenting how federal policy effects our country. Whether you realize it or not, you are doing an incredible public service.
Quite the opposite. Every town in the Mon Valley has fallen victim to the local politics. Look at what qualifies for being involved in city council, mayor, and school board of all these towns. How much federal money has been literarily dumped into the area and where did it all go?
My maternal grandparents were Slovak immigrants who settled in Charleroi around 1900. Dad's parents came over from Finland about the same time and settled between Belle Vernon and Fayette City. My parents met while making Pyrex at the Corning Glass works in Charleroi. It was a wonderful place to grow up back then, and used to be the shopping hub of the Mon Valley. The business owners are trying hard to bring it back. Thank you, Peter. I love all of your videos and your style is so positive, open, and friendly ❤
@@nialloneill5097 no the STATE needs to back out of MOST of the stuff they create That’s the problem. I can’t think of ANYTHING gov does that makes the lives of AmericanCITIZENS better. “They” are the enemy
This is top tier Peter video. This is why you watch. Stumbled upon a guy who lives in a church, a gloves over guns gym, and working class life. Brilliant video Peter.
My step-father worked for the state and used to drive to Charleroi for work everyday. Now it's a dump that looks like something out of the Omega Man, a rundown wasteland of abandoned homes and closed businesses.
@@Bongodudeguy Hey at least it's just one city. The rust belt in the states is HUGE, and stretches from Buffalo, Western new York State, down through Pittsburgh and West Virginia down to Cincinnati, OH, then all the way up to Gary, Indiana, then back East through Detroit, Michigan, Cleveland, Oh, and then back to Buffalo. Everything in between is a wasteland of crumbling infrastructure, decaying and dilapidated houses, closed businesses, and dead little downtowns; a dystopian nightmare reality.
@@PMMagropretty much. The rustbelt is a lot of what were essentially company towns. If you don’t know about company towns, look into them and the strikes and worker suppression. it’s a crazy part of American history. Companies literally massacred workers. Lots of company towns essentially ran on slavery with workers not even being paid money but company “scrip” which was worthless outside of the company town.
Warmest regards from Serbia in Southeast Europe. I have no connection to the United States whatsoever but these videos give me a fascinating insight into what is going on in America. Keep up with the good work, Peter! 💪
My husband and I converted a small church in western New York and it has been the best home to raise a family in. Every one thought we were crazy but it has worked out so incredibly well for us
Peter is the ONLY person I trust to give accurate and thorough glimpses into the reality and state of America. Zero mainstream journalism is trustworthy and has a one sided agenda. We love you Peter!
This is basically Saturday morning therapy/escape with Peter, feels Like Im going on these journeys as well, thanks for showing us the real real in America Peter! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
They come here because the DR won't give them any money for a restaurant like the government will here, as long as they put it back in as they are then more power to them!!! Good luck to them 💯
I absolutely adore that beautiful couple bringing a restaurant to the town. I hope their restaurant flourishes. That’s so inspiring to watch people working hard towards their dreams.❤
It's a restaurant in the middle of a largely abandoned neighborhood. Not only do restaurants fail at a rate of more than 80% even before a pandemic, I guarantee they are getting government money from grants or something to do that work. It's very suspect. Just like the guys who buy the houses and pay property taxes on them for years without trying to rent or sell them. The same thing happens in Manhattan where rent is insane. Commercial properties will sit abandoned for decades. It's a tax break and a money wash.
It looks like a disaster right out the gate. It's in a terrible spot, they don't know what they're going to serve and don't have an end date set. They are ambitious but it looks like they got scammed. That restaurant will not be profitable for full.
Our rust belt small town has several restaurants opened by immigrants in the last decade that have flourished. We do wish we could have Greek, Italian or German themes come in as well. They are Mexican and Chinese restaurants which are good, but the food gets old offering little variety.
The place may need it on one hand, but can the folk around there afford to pay to go? A compromise will have to be made...but every neighbourhood should have a community centre of some kind, where people can do a no of things... to satisfy their basic needs...and others too
I loved seeing the couple renovating the building to open a restaurant. Their passion for their business is inspiring. This is the immigrant spirit that will help the forgotten parts of America come alive and prosper again. I wish them well and hope their restaurant is a huge hit!!
& the government bent over backwards to help them .... Unlike it's own citizens. We see the same in my rust belt area, where immigrants get tax breaks& all kinds of support but not the actual residents.
I visited parts of Ohio's Rust Belt (I'm British) and found some lovely places. Downtrodden yes, but amazing civic pride, friendly locals, lots of history and so forth. It was a very pleasant trip and a great surprise.
As a lifelong Pittsbugher I’m so glad you made it out to my neck of the woods. The region has never failed to amaze me how you can go over one hill or across a river and how much things can change from one town to the next. I feel like the Pittsburgh area is more of a collection of towns rather than a large metro area and this video proved it, all these little towns have their own identity and feel even the rougher ones.
The teacher was very insightful talking about the idea that children that had everything and were not challenged were unfortunately, the same as children with little opportunity. The opportunity to fail is essential to growth. Her entire discussion was brilliant actually. Both folks were interesting and you did a great job Peter. I am from N.E. Ohio and am very familiar with the steel and coal histories in that area. Salt of the earth. Guts and grit.
I grew up in Ohio 1 hour from Pittsburgh. All my friends worked either in the wheeling Pittsburgh steel plants or coal mines. If you have a friend there you have a friend for life. The best loving people on the planet.
My Dad was a supervisor at Wheeling Pitt. One time they didn't have enough money to make payroll. They made all their supervisors take 15 shares of their stock. If they were married, their spouse had to also take 15 shares. The cost of the stock was deducted from their pay. It was totally illegal, but what were they going to do? My Dad was pissed. Dad gave me and my brother the shares for a lesson. Anyway...I still have 15 shares of completely worthless stock.
A lot of my family are retired steel workers from Weirton Steel in Weirton WV. I got to work in the mill for 8 months after I graduated college. The most amazing job I've ever had-and the job I am most proud of. Nothing beats actually making something. It's sad that NAFTA helped destroy one of the greatest industries in American history. Thanks for this video, Peter. It's awesome!
I grew up in Pittsburgh and currently live in Weirton, and what people don’t understand about the Rust Belt is that everything left and NOTHING was left for the “normal people.” I actually worked in the blue building you drove past at the Waterfront (at the beginning of the video). It was called Marcegaglia for a while, then a company called Bristol Metals bought it. I worked as a crane operator. They made stainless pipe. Bristol then became “Ascent Tubular” and about a year after the name change they laid of 100+ people and then idled the plant (which means it’ll basically never fire back up). It’s the last remaining building of the Homestead works. Then about 4 months ago, they shut down Cleveland-Cliffs in Weirton due to the government refusing to put tariffs on metal imports from foreign countries. I work in PA still, traveling around repairing forklifts but many of my neighbors lost their jobs since the mill was the only thing happening in town. Tech is great and so is medical, but those industries aren’t looking for blue collar workers. You can’t just “learn to code” when you made steel for the last 40 years.
You sir , have offered the most detailed explanation of what's been happening in the towns and neighborhoods surrounding Pgh and parts of the inner city neighborhoods too. When Steel was King in Pgh, a lot of families had cottages and summer homes "up North" of PGH where they hunted, fished and boated and enjoyed "The Lake. Many had backyard gardens within the city limits. The neighborhood "working man's bar" was where they all gathered after work to shoot the breeze and relax a little bit. They had BIG picnics sponsored by "the bar" and Little League teams were named after "the bar" . So there's my detailed explanation of what I think about Pittsburgh.
@@televisionsuxAfter the war, the mills actually had baseball teams. My father played on the Homestead Works team. He worked at Homestead from 1940 until it closed. He was a bricklayer. I started in May of 1978, qualified for the Instrument Repairman apprenticeship, and made a career of the trade when I was laid off in October 1981.
>You can’t just “learn to code” when you made steel for the last 40 years When I was in college one of my classmates was a 45 year old man that lost everything due to meth. You can always go back to school.
40 years ago "learning to code" wasn't a thing yet. We were told that jobs in healthcare and education were the future. So, we became healthcare system workers as UPMC replaced the manufacturing sector. Then along came USAir. Remember them? Allegheny County built an entirely new airport, on the taxpayers' dime, to satisfy the desires of the airline. Those of us who hadn't moved away became aviation mechanics and baggage handlers. We watched the "weekday warriors" fly out of Pittsburgh to their jobs in Atlanta and Charlotte... until they got smart and moved there. Useless Air abandoned Pittsburgh for Charlotte, then went bankrupt after the bosses stole the worker's pension money.
This is soooo amazing. I almost cried when he gave you the bobble head. If given something by a stranger after a tour, that item becomes a permanent. I also cried when the guy started saying he wants the place to get better
I agree. They need a way to make money. People need jobs. Can you imagine if a big corporation came to the area and how the communities could turn around.
Almost makes me wonder if some thought should be given instead of pumping money for new housing, instead to pump money for renovation at the same time pumping money for law enforcement. The density of the housing would make it worth it and you can tear down and rebuilt other properties or encourage certain types of commercial properties.
I work at Cleveland Cliffs in Middletown Ohio. Cleveland Cliffs use to be AK Steel. We are still going strong. Number 1 in the country for rolled steel. A lot of our steel is used in vehicles, appliances, pipes. Pretty cool to see a fellow steel brother.
I've never come acrossed a fellow Middletownian on UA-cam. I was born & raised in Middletown, my grandfather worked for Armco Steel back in the day! Peter's video's are the best!
I live in the Mon Valley and when I saw this pop up on my TV, I thought oh great, he is doing a video on the rust belt, but never thought it would be on the Mon Valley. Thanks for covering this. There are some incredible people who are working to do some great things in the valley. While yes, crime exists, it is in most communities today. Seeing the folks working to build the restaurant is just one example of the cool people you can meet if you just get out and about. Thank you again for focusing on the Mon Valley.
I love Glen and that you met him. And he's a Kiwi!! (My dad is a Kiwi 😊) The exchange about having lack of heat in the winter and Glen is just like, yeah, I freeze, cracked me up. Very Kiwi thing to say.
I'm a Texan through and through but I lived a couple of years in Pittsburgh (South Hills). Next to Texas, it was my favorite place to live. Hands down. Good people, blue collar roots, great neighbors. I loved living in that area. I've lived across the country and Pittsburgh is easily my go to after Texas.
I have learned more about my country on this channel than any other source. Look forward to the journey every week. Such an amazing, diverse and complicated nation.
Peter, your videos traveling through the US are incredible documentaries. They are snapshots in time that tell fascinating and insightful stories. These will be a treasure trove for future historians, sociologists and cultural archaeologists who will be thrilled to get a glimpse into the many walks of life that you are recording and presenting. Good on you! I hope you keep on keepin' on and always stay awesome!
Once on a road trip home I chose to avoid NJ and NY on the way home. Decided to go for back roads and lost highways and found myself traveling back in time through America. It was a surreal experience, driving alone, and then slowly watching major civilization dwindle but instead of open farmland there were rustic towns. Civilization without people, it was like driving through a museum exhibit.
Thats how it feels...all just museum exhibits. They did the same to my home lands...coal mining and steel...now all turned to dust...apart from a few museums...but like you said...the place is a museum...and apart from a few lively folk...the folk look in a ghoulish and haunted state...
I've been thinking about taking an extended road trip. I can count on one hand the times I've been east of the Rockies. I would really like to visit the rust belt. I grew up in a blue-collar mill town on the west coast. There were all kinds of industries, US Steel, American Bridge, Crown Zellerback, Fiberboard, Dow, Dupont, Glass Containers, Continental Can, and Canneries along the river. Most closed down back in the 70s and 80s. So I kinda know what it's like to lose so many jobs and what it does to a town.
Kudos to the Cave Boxing Club for trying to make a difference. It's true...some of the best friends I have in life were developed out of a disagreement where we fought...had a beer afterward...and became close...out of mutual respect. When a gun is pulled over pettiness...there will never be a chance to get that kind of bond. 2 lives will be over...shooter's and victim's. Great work as always Peter. 💪😎
God bless, yeah! I'm a 2nd Dan in Shotokan Karate, a 6th Dan in Shinobi Ninjitsu! I am 54, and I have used my skills in self defence 3 times in my life....! That's it!! Two walked away, but the last one wasn't my fault! Total props to the Cave Boxing Club!! It's not easy, it takes courage & it takes LOVE!!! What the feck are you fightening for, and does it really matter?
Thank you again Peter Santenello! The couple from PA was so beautiful. They showed you all around. Big ups on them! The Venezuelan and Dominican Republic Family are so motivated. I put my hands together and hoped them the best and was so proud of them! Good job guys.
I'm from Ethiopia and I have to say what Peter is doing is setting a precedent for raw, honest and good quality content creation. Besides the quality Peter is giving voice for multitudes that may not get the limelight otherwise. Thanks Peter again!
Being a European who used to live in Boston and Philadelphia, I grew increasingly disgusted by people in the Northeast and California talking trash about the Rust Belt. I had the chance (some would say the audacity) to visit a few places in that region, and I had a much better time and met better people than I ever did anywhere else in the USA. This video was a blast. Great job!
Same and agreed! Also as a European, the people I met in the Midwest were far more socially minded, nicer people than in and around East Coast cities. It really is different out there, more social and friendly.
@@kathykeene2092 can’t speak of the other parts of rust belt but Pittsburgh is disgusting ….. lived there - no one leaves their back yard .. has some great universities and medical facilities but the other parts are just nasty
42:44 Fittingly enough the original Charleroi in Belgium used to be an Industrial power house back in the day, and now still suffers from its decline many decades later.
I am born, raised, and still live in Pittsburgh for 43 years now. I love our little hard working, take no BS, fun loving, full of great down to earth people, part of the world. It will always be the Steel City! 💪🇺🇲
I had the privilege of living and working in Pittsburgh in July 1987 I and friends worked on the Gateway Clipper Fleet and stayed in Carnegie Mellon University The people were so generous, so friendly and so genuine I still regard Pittsburgh as home, even almost 40 years later I’m glad that hasn’t changed Best Wishes from Scotland
I was born across the border in Younstown,most of my family is still there & they all did well. All have the American dream as well as the ones like myself who did move. Gotta be a hustler & think positive..
If you have to say it, it usually isn't true. I have a completely different reality coming from Pennsylvania. That place is like a brain warp. No one believes me outside of PA but they definitely don't want to go broke to find out. Good luck up there, warm thoughts and prayers.
I love your videos. I've been in Western Pa most of my adult life. I recently moved from McKeesport to New Eagle. And it is awesome seeing you make videos about the area and the struggles we face.
I'm from Pittsburgh. It is sad to see this and also reminds me of why I left at 21yrs old. Literally half of my childhood friends died from drugs. Some more in prison. I made it out. It is such a depressing place full of the nicest people in the country.
I am from Johnstown, PA and left in 1976. The young adults who graduated high school in the 70s knew it was best to leave and find a career other than the mills or mines. Miss the hills and the forests.
I'm from Youngstown,left in 68 at age 11. Drugs are what brought this Country to its knees. I beat it after 35 yrs, its my wish everyone can see the light.
Depressing? Not really in general but yes in places. Not everywhere is like this in the video. LIke anywhere else you go there are some places doing better than others. If you haven't been back in a long time you should visit.
@TK-421_66 I still own property in Somerset County. That's as close as I go to Pittsburgh unless it's to see family. Yes depressing. The sky is grey 300 days a year. I live in Scottsdale and it's the exact opposite. 320 days of sunshine a year and wealth beyond your comprehension. Way more opportunity in Arizona.
Watching this video, gave me hope for the future of these towns. The people you met and interacted with were truly inspiring. Sincerest Best wishes to you all from another New Zealander ♥️
I am from Sweden. Thank you for making these videos of places and people that tells a different story from what we get in the news. Keep up the good work!
Checked comments because wanted to say same thing. How Ironic that Charleroi, the city most known for industrial decline in Belgium, once thriving with coal mines and steel industry, shares the same fate as Charleroi (US). For context, in Charleroi (Belgium) you can actually take an 'ugly' urban safari tour, visiting the most ugly abandoned industry buildings in the city, including a ghost subway line they never finished.
I just watched this video and think you and the tour guides did a great job. I personally visited most of those mills as a steel mill consultant. There is still a lot of steel production in Western PA, checkout ATI Brackenridge/Natrona and Cleveland Cliffs Butler. I come from a town that once had 4,000 workers in plate glass manufacturing and another 1,000 in the porcelain fixtures (toilets) manufacturing. The town population is now around 2,000....not seeing the gun violence, thankfully.
I was in the United Steelworkers of America. I made great money. Worked hard. Fast forward to now, 40 years later, the company I worked for is gone, the buildings have been destroyed. It’s actually sad when a large part of your life just disappears.
@@unitedstatesdale Biden made his bones advocating for rust belt workers who were seeing their jobs getting shipped away decades ago in the 80's. You can thank Trump for his bombastic rhetoric about fighting for the worker while he lined his own pockets and committed felonies. Democrats at least tried back then. Trump and his father were busy being slumlords and shady real estate developers in Manhattan.
Homestead Works alumni here. Most of the places I worked at since 1975 are long gone... Union Switch and Signal. Westinghouse East Pittsburgh. U.S. Steel Homestead Works. Elrama Power Station. Cheswick Power Station. All gone.
Western Pennsylvanian here, thanks for shining a light on our neck of the woods. We're the America that gets forgotten outside of Election season but for us that's just life.
I lived in small village/town ( Australia) for 30 years/ It used to be a mining town with a population of around 3,000 people. The mine shut down in the early 60s, just locked the gates, didn't even give its employees notice. The company said it was no longer profitable. By the time we moved there, in the late 80's, there were maybe 400 folks living there. It was a desolate place, depressed, but beautiful surroundings up in the mountains. Like you, we only saw politicians and local government councillors when they came to sell their wares at election time. The rest of the time, we were not important. Best wishes to all of you. You are survivors. 👏🙏.
As a brit viewer I really appreciate how people just know who you are and come to speak to you.. you are so well known and thought of.. hence why your docs are so good.. the people and their rapport with you is great to watch.. thank you england 🏴 🇬🇧
Love the spontaneous interaction with the people on the street. Great hosts today too. Being from the Midwest, when we always drive east Pennsylvania is so beautiful. Great info today Peter.
Welcome to Pennsylvania Peter! Born, raised, worked my entire blue collar career in a machine shop, and now retired in the mostly rural area of west/central part of PA, 100 miles north of Pittsburgh. My two children and their families live just east of Pittsburgh in law enforcement and it’s sad how the crime, drugs, and violence has grown around that area. I’m staying here, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. It’s a beautiful state, especially up here. Love your videos, you are doing a great service to people with what you do. Hopefully you get up my way.
This is the best content on UA-cam hands down. I cannot get enough of watching these videos and so engrossed. Peter is an amazing storyteller and has an amazing way of showing areas and finding interesting people and stories.
Born in McKeesport. Raised in West Newton, PA. When I was young in the late sixties and early seventies, we went to Charleroi every Saturday to shop and eat lunch. Many stores and restaurants. Great memories. My dad and sister both worked in the Mon Valley. I am saddened by the crime and abandoned homes and businesses today. Still live here in PA in the Laurel Mountains. I will never leave PA!!
I love how you guys meet up with some strangers and then meet other strangers and then the first pair of strangers are talking with other strangers in the background. Really bringing people together. Real nice.
Note: We pulled an all-nighter working on this one until 7:00 a.m. to get it out on time, and we messed up the spelling of Pittsburgh. Apologies for that. We're happy with the video though and think you'll like it too. This is the first of six videos coming to you from PA. I had no idea how interesting and beautiful this state is.
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You are a modern day storyteller, Mr. Santenello. Well done.
Please go to Middletown Ohio this is where JD Vance was raised,we had Armco steel aka AK Steel but people make good $$ working for them.
Alot of Southwest Southwest Ohio are people that came from Kentucky to get jobs because there were no jobs in Kentucky at the time.
You should visit NE Ohio & NW PA.
Hi Peter great to see you back man
I love your videos as it gives me a chance to see REAL AMERICA
“Travel the world before it blows up”. Perfect quote. Glen is a genuine dude. He sounds like a cool guy to hang out with and listen to his thoughts and stories.
yeah, going to be a LOT of foreign ex-pats bailing if Trump gets elected again. Project 2025 is very isolationist. Probably a lot of new US citizens getting out too.
As someone almost old enough to retire.. I figure I am screwed and will be working unto death. I turn 57 next month... almost made it.
well... You have his address 😅
@@redwolfexr You clearly do not research that.
@@redwolfexr 57 and very misinformed.. yikes
@@redwolfexruh…
I was gonna do an actual reply, but… decided it wasn’t worth the time.
Trump WILL be re-elected by the way. Makes me happy. 😃
I’m an American Studies scholar from Italy and have been following your channel for more than 2 years now. I can assure you that your work has a great historical and anthropological value. It's like visual snapshots of US reality & history from the most overlooked places, it makes you understand the past and the present (and maybe the future) more than some academic papers. Keep it going!
I didn't even know that was a concentration. you can come stay with me if you want to see the northern states easier
What in the world are you going to do with a education in 'American studies' education....
That’s a damn good question. I teach and research in literature, but I guess that doesn’t help because, what in the world are you going to do with literature, right? It’s a vicious circle I can’t resist, I suppose.
@@enricomariani3735 sounds like a waste of money. Go to school for international finance or something and learn about American culture as a hobby but good luck
Southwest PA is FULL of the descendants of Italian immigrants, we call them Dagos or Whops. Denunzio, Perschetti Digiacommo, DeLuca, Gianelli, Valozzi, Nobile, DeGenarro, Rizzo the list goes on and on. You should do some research on Italian immigration to the area, including West Virginia which is right by Pittsburgh you'll be shocked at the number of Italians who live in the Appalachian mountains and Laurel Ridge. We call them "Mountain Dagos".
The forgotten parts of America are far more interesting then Hollywood or Disney
THiS 💯
Probably less corrupt too lol
Hollywood has also been forgotten.
Also kind of sad too seeing how our country has gone down hill.
it's not a competition, people are just living
To that couple building their own restaurant, I build an oyster bar here in Baltimore from scratch, just me and a friend over 9 years ago. It took us 18 months to build it out and we opened 8 years ago come October. We are still open, survived the pandemic, paid back our investors and bought out all our partners. My wife and I now own 100% and have a healthy thriving business. We are a part of the community, and I am incredibly grateful to be able to say that. Keep the dream ALIVE! Grind on, never quit and keep WORKING, it does pay off. ❤
Happy for you! I’m from Baltimore County. Tell me the name of your oyster bar so my family & I can enjoy your menu items especially those oysters. Go Orioles!! ⚾️
@@schwarjm100 judging from his name, I’d say he owns Dylan’s Oyster Cellar in Hampden.
@@PORTERHAUS_ huh..I never heard of that place and I’m in Baltimore nearly every day
@@MarylandGuy-ey3st
I have driven through Baltimore twice in the past. It’s a big place…
Keep on keeping on
The couple renovating the restaurant are super excited to make their dream come true! I really wish them all the best.
looks like ALOTTTTTT of work and money
It won't survive ..
@@BounceBackBlaze The odds are not in their favor, that's for sure... dead ass town.
@@BounceBackBlaze sadly yes, there is no way. Look who lives next door, people tweaking.
I lived in Coraopolis for 8 years and in the last couple of years there had been a huge influx of people from Latin America moving in and starting business. There’s this Honduran restaurant called “5 Star Honduran Restaurant” that I highly recommend.
I'm from Sweden and I'd say the view we have on America is strongly based on California/New York/Texas thanks to movies, news and so on. It can really frustrate me as the prejudice people have here about Americans is that they either are hillbillys, rich californians or stressed out new yorkers.
I've always had an interest in American culture and mostly the midwest, due to many of my old relatives moving there during the 1800s and early 1900s as emigrants. What you are doing here Peter, is showing a piece of America that is never in the limelight. I believe this is what should be shown in schools when learning about the US. It's filled with rich history, culture, diversity and industrial importance to the world.
The history of industrial towns and their collapse, the people behind it all, the hard working average joes that never get's represented by Hollywood or media. This is what I'd assume gives Americans pride of their nation, and maybe also grief/sadness due to the state of these places today. But the hard labor behind it, the strong men and women who keep these areas floating after being abandoned by corporations.
You are doing something great for these people living in the areas you are showing off, as well as the people all over the world watching this. Your content is inspiring and really makes me wants to explore more of the US myself and also gives me a better understanding of american culture, while also breaking down prejudice and barriers that have been built up through news outlets and movies.
Wish you and all other fellow americans out there the best. Bless you all.
It would be a great America if it was all hillbillies.
You think old decrepit towns should be shown as what is America? Lmfao Most places aren’t like this and so it would be very inaccurate
Lady, all the crime and violence you mention about saving these people from who do you think is creating it? Talking about pumping them in private schools for free these people are the ones that turned the neighborhoods and schools into what they are and do you have any idea how much money has been thrown at them in this process? Free EVERYTHING is given to them when is the last time someone was sent to private school for free that terms like "inner city and people of color" wasn't attached to it? Try never, because nobody gets paid to do that or gets special points for helping dirt poor white people that no one gives a shyt about. Every black movie star and athlete donates to charities as long as the word black is attached and the white ones do the same so they can feel so special about themselves. I'm just so sick of hearing how the problem is so mistreated and get no opportunity's if someone would just dump some more money on them and give them an opportunity it will get better this time.
@@isaackelly1294
The Midwest, specifically places like this(better or worse), is the heart of the US.
The US isn't all sunshine and rainbows. There are clean, thriving cities and towns, and there are struggling cities and towns. There is a mix of all of it all over the country.
This 100% a good representation of the country, because rarely is it shown and it definitely exists.
And through all of this, you still have amazing people. The people are always going to be the most important part of showing what the country is.
I've traveled the world and drive a semi in the United States.
Swedes and other Scandinavians make up a huge majority of the population of our northern states. Along with many Germans and Czechs. The Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and almost all of Wisconsin were settled by your ancestors.
In many of those places you would feel right at home.
America isn't the garbage Hollywood portrays. It's like being in 50 different countries, that are all a little different from each other in very noticeable ways.
Besides the language, the main thing you'll find as a guy from Sweden traveling around the states is that people will be very warm towards you. Americans tend to be welcoming and typically very kind, especially in places you wouldn't expect like New York and New Jersey, which in my opinion, are some of the best people in our country.
I live in Texas and we're completely a different breed than New Yorkers, but they're easy people to really respect.
California, Oregon and Washington is a mix of really awesome or really shitty people. Same with Chicago.
Everywhere else people are consistently really pretty cool.
If you're thinking about coming, realize that all of us are living in a country that's going through rough times together. Certain groups have made an effort to sew an unnatural divide in our people, but if push comes to shove, we tend to band together and remember we're a family.
It will be a shock for you coming from Sweden, but I think you'd met some interesting people and really would enjoy your time here.
I love the restaurant owner guy. The fact he gave you a small gift on your departure is really kind and respectful
The overall calmness of the guide couple is absolutely incredible.
yea we have good weed up here
Dude won’t put his sunglasses down, though.
We ain’t about that rowdy obnoxious energy out here.. we trying to survive while the west coast buys teslas with their 3rd refinance on the mortgage 💸 😢
The Midwest is chill, brah 🤙 (don't tell anyone!)
He is like chilly willy, but there's not 8 days in a week. It's just a Beatles song
i live in the Mon Valley, and I just want to say thanks for not just focusing on the crime in the area - a lot of people when they come to do these types of things just focus on the bad stuff. Not the hard work people are putting in to keep this place alive. Thank you.
Peter is always focused on the people and their experience wherever he goes. He's such a warm and respectful journalist. Just love him! ❤
It isnt alive, like he has shown it is dead.
@EternallyGod it's a forgotten part of the country, but people still live here. People are trying to start businesses and do what we can to make it better. Respectfully, unless you live here, you honestly have no clue from a 45 min video.
YES, I saw amazing people in this video.
@@Idontgiveaduck Prices of the homes show exactly the current situation. Money goes to where it can make more of itself. You are poor and living in the bottom of the bottom of the US....move and your options are the best in the world...but you choose to be poor....
One of the greatest gifts of this channel is a no filter raw view of people and the world. People are so resilient. From the young man living in an unsafe street still managing to say "have a good day" to Glenn welcoming unexpected visitors and traveling the worlds before it blows up. Just incredible
BS...Peter as usual likes to filter things to give a slant toward his increasingly "conservative" positions...notice the cut away when the guy from new Zealand was making a comment on the insane level of gun violence/access in the area....he has decent content when he wants, but he has an agenda and that is increasingly to monetize the algorithm for the MAGA audience...its a shame since his pre-2021 stuff was actually fair and balanced and without a political agenda...
@@davesmith4110peak perpetually online comment. Your life would be much better if you’d stop looking for conflict or a political angle in everything. Log off and go touch some grass.
@@davesmith4110 If this is all you got from Peter's video, then you definitely need to seek professional help.
@@davesmith4110 You have blinders on to the real world. UA-cam never promotes the conservative agenda. Just open the News link and what channels are always top of the list, MSNBC, CNN, CBS, ABC and so on, you won't see a Fox link until you're 20 videos down the list.
Not to worry though, once Trump is back in office he will be appointed "King of the World" and set things right!
@@davesmith4110 Take ur meds bro
That guy who lived in the church was such a character. I swear you meet the most unique ppl during these videos. Someone could have lived in that town their entire life and never known a guy from New Zealand lived next door to them.
Did he strike you as a little crazy ? I'm getting that vibe a bit from him lol.
@@OGJeff685 I think you've got to be a little crazy to be living in a church in a decaying town surrounded by crime.
Yh to willingly live in a church in a city that is going extinct is odd
@@OGJeff685who is the arbitrator of what is and is not "normal"? The DSM-5 which was created by power hungry psychiatrists? Alfred Kinsey who was a pedophile?
Normal is a setting on the washing machine. What do you know about people who have experienced trauma? Calling people "crazy" is purposely denigrating his lived experience.
@@OGJeff685 Nah, he was leaving to get back home to New Zealand, Just wanted to travel a bit, and figured out USA was a dump...
Peter Santenello has a profound magnetism for attracting the most compelling characters wherever he goes, giving voice to those who’s stories must be heard and preserved ❤️
Thank you, Peter 🙏
I’m from Michigan. I know for a fact that people in the rust belt are some of the hardest working, honest people around. Much love from your northwest neighbors❤️
He should go to battle creek. A year ago I drove through on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon and was kind of uneasy because I was the ONLY car on the road in the whole city, there were a couple people walking around Kellogg's, but I barely saw anyone. It was super eerie.
As an European who's been to the tourist spots in the states 3 times now, any advice for visiting non tourist places like this? I would love to experience places like this
@@herkiee1 Rent a car and drive the back roads, that is where you will find the real USA.
@mylesdeep1736 posted a similar comment. See the responses there.
These locals attest otherwise. I pray that these hard workers work to improve their cities. It’s by no means an easy road but it Can be done! 🙏
@@herkiee1 I've wandered around Michigan, everywhere is pretty much safe except for the cities. If you avoid the cities you can hike, visit the nature and wetland preserves. You can drive in rural Michigan for hours and see nothing but farms and cornfields. If you do go into the city, just be aware of your surroundings.
I think Peter Santenello is changing the face of vlog Journalism in such a phenomenal way!
can you explain what you mean im a strange person my enjoyment from these comes form how trite i find them im attracted to them because i find them particularly unattractive sort of like how some folks like "bad"movies" part of this motivation is driven by wanting to understand different points of view which is why i find your comment so interesting could you go into more detail please
No because the idiots can't get it ...and there is more of them than the normal sane people
@@Zach-qs2bw I appreciate how you worded that. I am feeling a little uneasy by some of these videos myself. I feel a bit propagandized, at times. 🤔
There are those of us out who think Pete is a mini-sociologist-traveller of sorts and documents people's lives without bias or judgement or preconceived ideas. Juat sayin. WE, get the impression that Pete, who lets people talk about their "neck of the woods" and their lives within it, does so to get a BIG PICTURE of life there.
There’s a Spaniard doing the same but more on an international level. He just had the Wagner group chase him in Congo I believe for showing too much.
Thanks for sharing America. Real people living life. Thanks for the journalism. No one else does it like you.
I especially like the way Pete asks questions with no visible or audible signs of "biases or judging or pre-conceived" notions. That's what makes him very well liked. AND he asks relevant, intelligent, down to earth questions. WOW !! He is quite the experienced traveler and we thank him enormously for his "video postcards" that he sends out to the rest of the world , so we can see how other people live, work, play and interact in their daily lives. I think of him more sometimes like a sociologist , a people person, than a You Tube traveling guy.
Can we just acknowledge how this channel is consistent with top tier content , there is a reason 1m views is a standard here. Peter is always so non judgementmal and always asks the pertinent questions. I ran here from the Native american vlog with Hawk. I love it here.
That Black Lady said something powerful when she said that "the people in the valley, everybody lives in the past, nobody lets go, everyone just holds, that's why it's so dark, if you ever pay attention to the sky, is always dark over the valley. Then when you hit Monongahela and them it's very bright." That is something. Another great video Peter!
It's true...how the thoughts of people affect the weather sometimes. And I just read a book called the Wanderer in the Spirit Land...and there the state of people's spirits, or souls, determines the weather, the environment, how they look...everything. They still think they are on earth...and cannot understand why is it so dark and dingy...but even some places on the earth can be like that...sounds like that valley may be one of em.
@kennethwilliams7687 She also said “there is no love here” I felt that.
@@deannehuizenga4845 That hit me real hard too...I have seen the same slippery slope happen to my former coal mining village...these places were amazing...such genuine warmth...and really tough too...then, consigned by corrupt politicians and crooked bankers and brokers to life on the dole...onve mines were closed and the villages fell apart...the world is brutal at times...
@@deannehuizenga4845 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, I will mock when your fear cometh. Proverbs 1;24-26
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. Matthew 24;12
May 21, 2011 was the beginning of judgement day on the world - you were WARNED
And it shall come to pass in that day, a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor. Zechariah 14;13
" Tumult" = disbelief & confusion ON PURPOSE, by design
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become of our Lord, and his Christ, and he shall reign to ever and ever. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. Revelation 11;15 19;15
Whoso keepeth the commandment shall feel no evil thing, and a wise man's heart discerneth both time and judgement. Ecclesiastes 8;5
spoiler alert: 'last day' = 2033 ( 17th day of 1st month ?!? )
READ THE BOOK ! ...or rather should have, too late now
Fear, and the pit, and the snare are upon thee O inhabitant of the earth. Isaiah 24;17 NO ESCAPE
I grew up in Monessen and I can truly attest to how accurate this statement is.
that guy who lived in the church was so friendly! warms my heart when people let you in to their lives like that. props to that guys! great video peter.
Such a Kiwi
Come visit New Zealand. He is just a normal Kiwi.
@@kiwifarmer8828churrr to that bro
@@kiwifarmer8828 too far
What I think is pretty incredible is Peter is documenting how federal policy effects our country. Whether you realize it or not, you are doing an incredible public service.
This is why it's so important to vote for Republicans. Grassroot people as opposed to Democrat who care more about the rest of the World.
Very true.
Democrat policy. Let's be real here.
Quite the opposite. Every town in the Mon Valley has fallen victim to the local politics. Look at what qualifies for being involved in city council, mayor, and school board of all these towns. How much federal money has been literarily dumped into the area and where did it all go?
@@Hellyea4Trump Incorrect. It's both parties and decades of policy failures.
My maternal grandparents were Slovak immigrants who settled in Charleroi around 1900. Dad's parents came over from Finland about the same time and settled between Belle Vernon and Fayette City. My parents met while making Pyrex at the Corning Glass works in Charleroi. It was a wonderful place to grow up back then, and used to be the shopping hub of the Mon Valley. The business owners are trying hard to bring it back. Thank you, Peter. I love all of your videos and your style is so positive, open, and friendly ❤
“Parents have to be the example for the kids.”
Well said, Peter!
AMEN x100
Both parents...
The State needs to step up too though...create systems that people can thrive in without selling their souls to the devil...
Wonder what the demographics look like
@@nialloneill5097 no the STATE needs to back out of MOST of the stuff they create That’s the problem. I can’t think of ANYTHING gov does that makes the lives of AmericanCITIZENS better. “They” are the enemy
This is top tier Peter video. This is why you watch. Stumbled upon a guy who lives in a church, a gloves over guns gym, and working class life. Brilliant video Peter.
I'm from Charleroi, Belgium. It's really interesting how these two regions have a similar history. Some parts of the Mon Valley looks like home 🇧🇪🇺🇲
Yeah, i i had the same feelings
I even smile when he talked about the smell
My step-father worked for the state and used to drive to Charleroi for work everyday. Now it's a dump that looks like something out of the Omega Man, a rundown wasteland of abandoned homes and closed businesses.
@@The_OneManCrowd sounds like Charleroi Belgium. The city is a national joke.
@@Bongodudeguy Hey at least it's just one city. The rust belt in the states is HUGE, and stretches from Buffalo, Western new York State, down through Pittsburgh and West Virginia down to Cincinnati, OH, then all the way up to Gary, Indiana, then back East through Detroit, Michigan, Cleveland, Oh, and then back to Buffalo. Everything in between is a wasteland of crumbling infrastructure, decaying and dilapidated houses, closed businesses, and dead little downtowns; a dystopian nightmare reality.
My great great grandfather was one of the original settlers from Charleroi Belgium!! I'm from Charleroi, pa!!
Loving these small town America videos, some of the best ones you’ve created
Back when all those plants were erected, it was the middle of nowhere. They weren’t built in the middle of a city. Cities were built around the mills.
Mill close town close, it is like a mining town?
@@PMMagropretty much. The rustbelt is a lot of what were essentially company towns. If you don’t know about company towns, look into them and the strikes and worker suppression. it’s a crazy part of American history. Companies literally massacred workers. Lots of company towns essentially ran on slavery with workers not even being paid money but company “scrip” which was worthless outside of the company town.
@@PMMagro no shit. same w/ tech cities in the future when AI reduces the tech jobs needed.
@@PMMagrowhen the Bills closed, the Coke ovens and the mines went too. PA lost a lot when they shut down and went overseas to Korea
@@glessdawish848The jobs went to Japan, not Korea.
Warmest regards from Serbia in Southeast Europe. I have no connection to the United States whatsoever but these videos give me a fascinating insight into what is going on in America. Keep up with the good work, Peter! 💪
i used to live in Ridgewood /Glendale queens NY my area had a Hugh Serbian population growing up in the 1990s u should come visit one day
I'm from the states and I still had no idea places like this existed. Only because of Peter I know now.
Yeah, this is reality. Not what you see on TV… thousands of towns like this slowly decaying…
Hello there. I was married to a Serbian. His dad came to the U.S. when he was 15 yrs old. Came with his mother. He passes away. Kesic is the name.
Visa versa I keep watching videos on Yugoslavia and the fall of Yugoslavia the history is complicated
My husband and I converted a small church in western New York and it has been the best home to raise a family in. Every one thought we were crazy but it has worked out so incredibly well for us
Heartbreaking. Very honest. Thanks to the couple for allowing me into your drive along. Great conversations happen in cars.
Peter is the ONLY person I trust to give accurate and thorough glimpses into the reality and state of America. Zero mainstream journalism is trustworthy and has a one sided agenda. We love you Peter!
Touche!
This is about 20% reality. I know for 100% fact - Down to several names of the people showcased in this sham.
This is basically Saturday morning therapy/escape with Peter, feels Like Im going on these journeys as well, thanks for showing us the real real in America Peter! 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
You said it, " real America " 👍❤
I'll second that, and therapy with coffee
@@CL-kn1rq ☕ cheers!!!
Love it guys. I’m a UPS driver in the Mon valley and I’m in these towns every single day. Very interesting.
Dominican born, but raised in PA… this video made me feel so much pride ♥️ - good luck to Junior and his wife with their restaurant !!!
They come here because the DR won't give them any money for a restaurant like the government will here, as long as they put it back in as they are then more power to them!!! Good luck to them 💯
I absolutely adore that beautiful couple bringing a restaurant to the town. I hope their restaurant flourishes. That’s so inspiring to watch people working hard towards their dreams.❤
It's a restaurant in the middle of a largely abandoned neighborhood. Not only do restaurants fail at a rate of more than 80% even before a pandemic, I guarantee they are getting government money from grants or something to do that work. It's very suspect. Just like the guys who buy the houses and pay property taxes on them for years without trying to rent or sell them. The same thing happens in Manhattan where rent is insane. Commercial properties will sit abandoned for decades. It's a tax break and a money wash.
It looks like a disaster right out the gate. It's in a terrible spot, they don't know what they're going to serve and don't have an end date set. They are ambitious but it looks like they got scammed. That restaurant will not be profitable for full.
Our rust belt small town has several restaurants opened by immigrants in the last decade that have flourished. We do wish we could have Greek, Italian or German themes come in as well. They are Mexican and Chinese restaurants which are good, but the food gets old offering little variety.
The place may need it on one hand, but can the folk around there afford to pay to go? A compromise will have to be made...but every neighbourhood should have a community centre of some kind, where people can do a no of things... to satisfy their basic needs...and others too
I hope he'll share their instagram page!
I loved seeing the couple renovating the building to open a restaurant. Their passion for their business is inspiring. This is the immigrant spirit that will help the forgotten parts of America come alive and prosper again. I wish them well and hope their restaurant is a huge hit!!
AI ......... nice try /AI feds
That was great ,I wanted to give them a hug!
& the government bent over backwards to help them .... Unlike it's own citizens. We see the same in my rust belt area, where immigrants get tax breaks& all kinds of support but not the actual residents.
I visited parts of Ohio's Rust Belt (I'm British) and found some lovely places. Downtrodden yes, but amazing civic pride, friendly locals, lots of history and so forth. It was a very pleasant trip and a great surprise.
As a lifelong Pittsbugher I’m so glad you made it out to my neck of the woods. The region has never failed to amaze me how you can go over one hill or across a river and how much things can change from one town to the next. I feel like the Pittsburgh area is more of a collection of towns rather than a large metro area and this video proved it, all these little towns have their own identity and feel even the rougher ones.
The teacher was very insightful talking about the idea that children that had everything and were not challenged were unfortunately, the same as children with little opportunity. The opportunity to fail is essential to growth. Her entire discussion was brilliant actually. Both folks were interesting and you did a great job Peter. I am from N.E. Ohio and am very familiar with the steel and coal histories in that area. Salt of the earth. Guts and grit.
I grew up in Ohio 1 hour from Pittsburgh. All my friends worked either in the wheeling Pittsburgh steel plants or coal mines. If you have a friend there you have a friend for life. The best loving people on the planet.
My Dad was a supervisor at Wheeling Pitt. One time they didn't have enough money to make payroll. They made all their supervisors take 15 shares of their stock. If they were married, their spouse had to also take 15 shares. The cost of the stock was deducted from their pay. It was totally illegal, but what were they going to do? My Dad was pissed. Dad gave me and my brother the shares for a lesson. Anyway...I still have 15 shares of completely worthless stock.
A lot of my family are retired steel workers from Weirton Steel in Weirton WV. I got to work in the mill for 8 months after I graduated college. The most amazing job I've ever had-and the job I am most proud of. Nothing beats actually making something. It's sad that NAFTA helped destroy one of the greatest industries in American history. Thanks for this video, Peter. It's awesome!
Unions and fat paycheck CEO's killed the steel industry. It's their own fault.
Wow. I could watch another 5 hrs of this place! The people! The old world architecture! That was just incredible
24:45 "travel the world before it blows up" is going to be my new motto.
I grew up in Pittsburgh and currently live in Weirton, and what people don’t understand about the Rust Belt is that everything left and NOTHING was left for the “normal people.” I actually worked in the blue building you drove past at the Waterfront (at the beginning of the video). It was called Marcegaglia for a while, then a company called Bristol Metals bought it. I worked as a crane operator. They made stainless pipe. Bristol then became “Ascent Tubular” and about a year after the name change they laid of 100+ people and then idled the plant (which means it’ll basically never fire back up). It’s the last remaining building of the Homestead works. Then about 4 months ago, they shut down Cleveland-Cliffs in Weirton due to the government refusing to put tariffs on metal imports from foreign countries. I work in PA still, traveling around repairing forklifts but many of my neighbors lost their jobs since the mill was the only thing happening in town. Tech is great and so is medical, but those industries aren’t looking for blue collar workers. You can’t just “learn to code” when you made steel for the last 40 years.
You sir , have offered the most detailed explanation of what's been happening in the towns and neighborhoods surrounding Pgh and parts of the inner city neighborhoods too. When Steel was King in Pgh, a lot of families had cottages and summer homes "up North" of PGH where they hunted, fished and boated and enjoyed "The Lake. Many had backyard gardens within the city limits. The neighborhood "working man's bar" was where they all gathered after work to shoot the breeze and relax a little bit. They had BIG picnics sponsored by "the bar" and Little League teams were named after "the bar" . So there's my detailed explanation of what I think about Pittsburgh.
Did you see the news, that Cleveland Cliffs is going to be building electrical transformers in Weirton?
@@televisionsuxAfter the war, the mills actually had baseball teams. My father played on the Homestead Works team. He worked at Homestead from 1940 until it closed. He was a bricklayer. I started in May of 1978, qualified for the Instrument Repairman apprenticeship, and made a career of the trade when I was laid off in October 1981.
>You can’t just “learn to code” when you made steel for the last 40 years
When I was in college one of my classmates was a 45 year old man that lost everything due to meth. You can always go back to school.
40 years ago "learning to code" wasn't a thing yet. We were told that jobs in healthcare and education were the future. So, we became healthcare system workers as UPMC replaced the manufacturing sector.
Then along came USAir. Remember them?
Allegheny County built an entirely new airport, on the taxpayers' dime, to satisfy the desires of the airline. Those of us who hadn't moved away became aviation mechanics and baggage handlers. We watched the "weekday warriors" fly out of Pittsburgh to their jobs in Atlanta and Charlotte... until they got smart and moved there. Useless Air abandoned Pittsburgh for Charlotte, then went bankrupt after the bosses stole the worker's pension money.
This is soooo amazing. I almost cried when he gave you the bobble head. If given something by a stranger after a tour, that item becomes a permanent. I also cried when the guy started saying he wants the place to get better
Dutch guy here, never thought about visiting the US but this series changed my mind what a beautiful country and amazing down to earth people
Come visit!
dit is inderdaad de kanaal die me heeft overtuigd om een keer amerika te bezoeken!
I am addicted to these videos!
Peter is a natural - he is so respectful and kind, and asks great questions !
Some of the architecture in these cities is so pretty. If refurbished these places could be awesome places to live and tourist destinations.
I agree. They need a way to make money. People need jobs. Can you imagine if a big corporation came to the area and how the communities could turn around.
@@kathykeene2092 they shouldnt rely on big coporation
Especially since they're right off of Interstate Route 70.
Almost makes me wonder if some thought should be given instead of pumping money for new housing, instead to pump money for renovation at the same time pumping money for law enforcement. The density of the housing would make it worth it and you can tear down and rebuilt other properties or encourage certain types of commercial properties.
What a great video. Never expected to watch the whole video but, couldn't hit stop watching all the way through. Great work Peter!
Peter, your gift of gab is incredible. It always amazes me how easily you approach people and get them to open up to you.
I work at Cleveland Cliffs in Middletown Ohio. Cleveland Cliffs use to be AK Steel. We are still going strong. Number 1 in the country for rolled steel. A lot of our steel is used in vehicles, appliances, pipes. Pretty cool to see a fellow steel brother.
I've never come acrossed a fellow Middletownian on UA-cam. I was born & raised in Middletown, my grandfather worked for Armco Steel back in the day! Peter's video's are the best!
@@bobbieevingham3242 And now there's JD Vance..
I was gonna say. This video is timely. Learning a lot.
Go middies
JD the snake
I live in the Mon Valley and when I saw this pop up on my TV, I thought oh great, he is doing a video on the rust belt, but never thought it would be on the Mon Valley. Thanks for covering this. There are some incredible people who are working to do some great things in the valley. While yes, crime exists, it is in most communities today. Seeing the folks working to build the restaurant is just one example of the cool people you can meet if you just get out and about. Thank you again for focusing on the Mon Valley.
I love Glen and that you met him. And he's a Kiwi!! (My dad is a Kiwi 😊) The exchange about having lack of heat in the winter and Glen is just like, yeah, I freeze, cracked me up. Very Kiwi thing to say.
Peter, you need to go back in a year and see how the lovely couple starting the restaurant are doing 😊
I'm a Texan through and through but I lived a couple of years in Pittsburgh (South Hills). Next to Texas, it was my favorite place to live. Hands down. Good people, blue collar roots, great neighbors. I loved living in that area. I've lived across the country and Pittsburgh is easily my go to after Texas.
I have learned more about my country on this channel than any other source. Look forward to the journey every week. Such an amazing, diverse and complicated nation.
Peter, your videos traveling through the US are incredible documentaries. They are snapshots in time that tell fascinating and insightful stories. These will be a treasure trove for future historians, sociologists and cultural archaeologists who will be thrilled to get a glimpse into the many walks of life that you are recording and presenting. Good on you! I hope you keep on keepin' on and always stay awesome!
Once on a road trip home I chose to avoid NJ and NY on the way home. Decided to go for back roads and lost highways and found myself traveling back in time through America. It was a surreal experience, driving alone, and then slowly watching major civilization dwindle but instead of open farmland there were rustic towns. Civilization without people, it was like driving through a museum exhibit.
This nation has went to hell!
Thats how it feels...all just museum exhibits. They did the same to my home lands...coal mining and steel...now all turned to dust...apart from a few museums...but like you said...the place is a museum...and apart from a few lively folk...the folk look in a ghoulish and haunted state...
I've been thinking about taking an extended road trip. I can count on one hand the times I've been east of the Rockies. I would really like to visit the rust belt.
I grew up in a blue-collar mill town on the west coast. There were all kinds of industries, US Steel, American Bridge, Crown Zellerback, Fiberboard, Dow, Dupont, Glass Containers, Continental Can, and Canneries along the river. Most closed down back in the 70s and 80s. So I kinda know what it's like to lose so many jobs and what it does to a town.
@@controlavirus9839 Just like your grammar!
@@controlavirus9839 much like yr brain,apparently
That guy living in the dilapidated Church is such a fascinating fellow, I would like to know his whole backstory, sounds like a wild ride
Surprised the woman wasn’t covered in tattoos.
Called a Viper RE
Beyond wild..
Peter, keep up the honest journalism. Focusing on the resilience of people and the greatness within.
Kudos to the Cave Boxing Club for trying to make a difference. It's true...some of the best friends I have in life were developed out of a disagreement where we fought...had a beer afterward...and became close...out of mutual respect. When a gun is pulled over pettiness...there will never be a chance to get that kind of bond. 2 lives will be over...shooter's and victim's. Great work as always Peter. 💪😎
God bless, yeah! I'm a 2nd Dan in Shotokan Karate, a 6th Dan in Shinobi Ninjitsu! I am 54, and I have used my skills in self defence 3 times in my life....! That's it!! Two walked away, but the last one wasn't my fault! Total props to the Cave Boxing Club!! It's not easy, it takes courage & it takes LOVE!!! What the feck are you fightening for, and does it really matter?
This channel made me fall in love with the US and Americans. You guys are good people
Where are you from?
@@farzana6676 New Zealand :)
@stover14 That's a beautiful country. I want to jetboat on the Waimack river one day.
@farzana6676 Haha nice the inventor of the jet boat was my great grandads best friend actually
Great first look Peter, and big thanks to the husband and wife who showed you around. Peace and love 🙏
Yes, they seemed to be an excellent choice for information of the area. And they seemed like really nice people.
So many awesome people in this country, and Peter took us along today as we met some of them. Thanks, Peter.
Thank you again Peter Santenello!
The couple from PA was so beautiful. They showed you all around. Big ups on them!
The Venezuelan and Dominican Republic Family are so motivated. I put my hands together and hoped them the best and was so proud of them! Good job guys.
I'm from Ethiopia and I have to say what Peter is doing is setting a precedent for raw, honest and good quality content creation. Besides the quality Peter is giving voice for multitudes that may not get the limelight otherwise. Thanks Peter again!
❤ ethiopia
Being a European who used to live in Boston and Philadelphia, I grew increasingly disgusted by people in the Northeast and California talking trash about the Rust Belt. I had the chance (some would say the audacity) to visit a few places in that region, and I had a much better time and met better people than I ever did anywhere else in the USA.
This video was a blast. Great job!
Same and agreed! Also as a European, the people I met in the Midwest were far more socially minded, nicer people than in and around East Coast cities. It really is different out there, more social and friendly.
I am a Native Californian, and I just want to say that I have never heard anyone talk trash about the Rust Belt.
@kathykeene2092 Lucky you, then
@@kathykeene2092the world is talking trash about your commi trash can state
@@kathykeene2092 can’t speak of the other parts of rust belt but Pittsburgh is disgusting ….. lived there - no one leaves their back yard .. has some great universities and medical facilities but the other parts are just nasty
That Glenn seems like such a cool character. I hope he finds buyers for his beautiful home.
agree. Do you have any more info about him?
42:44 Fittingly enough the original Charleroi in Belgium used to be an Industrial power house back in the day, and now still suffers from its decline many decades later.
I’m an American who used to live in Luxembourg. Remember seeing trains bound for Charleroi at the station in Luxembourg City.
Peter, what you do is of national importance. Thank you for bringing us on your journey.
I am born, raised, and still live in Pittsburgh for 43 years now. I love our little hard working, take no BS, fun loving, full of great down to earth people, part of the world. It will always be the Steel City! 💪🇺🇲
I had the privilege of living and working in Pittsburgh in July 1987 I and friends worked on the Gateway Clipper Fleet and stayed in Carnegie Mellon University The people were so generous, so friendly and so genuine I still regard Pittsburgh as home, even almost 40 years later I’m glad that hasn’t changed Best Wishes from Scotland
GO BROWNS !
Much love from New Hampshire USA I miss the old days. I was born 96 @@exactsame
I was born across the border in Younstown,most of my family is still there & they all did well. All have the American dream as well as the ones like myself who did move. Gotta be a hustler & think positive..
If you have to say it, it usually isn't true. I have a completely different reality coming from Pennsylvania. That place is like a brain warp. No one believes me outside of PA but they definitely don't want to go broke to find out. Good luck up there, warm thoughts and prayers.
"Travel the world before it blows up." He says that jokingly but it makes you think. Great episode again.
I love your videos. I've been in Western Pa most of my adult life. I recently moved from McKeesport to New Eagle. And it is awesome seeing you make videos about the area and the struggles we face.
I'm from Pittsburgh. It is sad to see this and also reminds me of why I left at 21yrs old. Literally half of my childhood friends died from drugs. Some more in prison. I made it out. It is such a depressing place full of the nicest people in the country.
I am from Johnstown, PA and left in 1976. The young adults who graduated high school in the 70s knew it was best to leave and find a career other than the mills or mines.
Miss the hills and the forests.
I'm from Youngstown,left in 68 at age 11. Drugs are what brought this Country to its knees. I beat it after 35 yrs, its my wish everyone can see the light.
Depressing? Not really in general but yes in places. Not everywhere is like this in the video. LIke anywhere else you go there are some places doing better than others. If you haven't been back in a long time you should visit.
@TK-421_66 I still own property in Somerset County. That's as close as I go to Pittsburgh unless it's to see family. Yes depressing. The sky is grey 300 days a year. I live in Scottsdale and it's the exact opposite. 320 days of sunshine a year and wealth beyond your comprehension. Way more opportunity in Arizona.
I agree. I grew up in Ft. Wayne Indiana and left as soon as I could. Industry was dead and drugs were everywhere. I now live in N Idaho
Glad to see that more attention is being paid to the Rust Belt
Will it rust completely one day...and fall into ashes?
That lovely lady in the shop and her man the boxing coach are such beautiful spirits. I wish them well.
I live an hour away from Pittsburgh and love that you came around to make a video!
remarkable that a Kiwi has more care for the preservation of historical sites than a local government.
You are so correct
Look forward to these every week. Thank you Peter for showing us the world.
Very impressed with the Venezuelans and their hard work to improve the community.
Wish them all the luck with their future….greetings from Australia.
Yeah, same here awesum to see...
that's one out of a million
Watching this video, gave me hope for the future of these towns. The people you met and interacted with were truly inspiring. Sincerest Best wishes to you all from another New Zealander ♥️
I am from Sweden. Thank you for making these videos of places and people that tells a different story from what we get in the news. Keep up the good work!
This is one of the most useful and best shows on tv and streaming. So many great people around our country. Thanks Peter!
It's interesting to see that Charleroi in America literally has the same feeling as Charleroi in Belgium, they even share the same industrial history
Very true, same gloomy atmosphere
Checked comments because wanted to say same thing. How Ironic that Charleroi, the city most known for industrial decline in Belgium, once thriving with coal mines and steel industry, shares the same fate as Charleroi (US). For context, in Charleroi (Belgium) you can actually take an 'ugly' urban safari tour, visiting the most ugly abandoned industry buildings in the city, including a ghost subway line they never finished.
I just watched this video and think you and the tour guides did a great job. I personally visited most of those mills as a steel mill consultant. There is still a lot of steel production in Western PA, checkout ATI Brackenridge/Natrona and Cleveland Cliffs Butler. I come from a town that once had 4,000 workers in plate glass manufacturing and another 1,000 in the porcelain fixtures (toilets) manufacturing. The town population is now around 2,000....not seeing the gun violence, thankfully.
Please have this be a series all over the rustbelt, it’s such a fascinating region with a very rich and sad history
I was in the United Steelworkers of America. I made great money. Worked hard. Fast forward to now, 40 years later, the company I worked for is gone, the buildings have been destroyed. It’s actually sad when a large part of your life just disappears.
You can thank the politicians
@@unitedstatesdale Biden made his bones advocating for rust belt workers who were seeing their jobs getting shipped away decades ago in the 80's. You can thank Trump for his bombastic rhetoric about fighting for the worker while he lined his own pockets and committed felonies. Democrats at least tried back then. Trump and his father were busy being slumlords and shady real estate developers in Manhattan.
Homestead Works alumni here. Most of the places I worked at since 1975 are long gone...
Union Switch and Signal.
Westinghouse East Pittsburgh.
U.S. Steel Homestead Works.
Elrama Power Station.
Cheswick Power Station.
All gone.
Sold out by corruptions and politicians, everything went to China and India for maximum profits,,
@@unitedstatesdaleNah, it’s just the free market doing its thing to lower costs
Western Pennsylvanian here, thanks for shining a light on our neck of the woods. We're the America that gets forgotten outside of Election season but for us that's just life.
I lived in small village/town ( Australia) for 30 years/ It used to be a mining town with a population of around 3,000 people. The mine shut down in the early 60s, just locked the gates, didn't even give its employees notice. The company said it was no longer profitable. By the time we moved there, in the late 80's, there were maybe 400 folks living there. It was a desolate place, depressed, but beautiful surroundings up in the mountains. Like you, we only saw politicians and local government councillors when they came to sell their wares at election time. The rest of the time, we were not important. Best wishes to all of you. You are survivors. 👏🙏.
Yeah. We aren’t on the coasts
As a brit viewer I really appreciate how people just know who you are and come to speak to you.. you are so well known and thought of.. hence why your docs are so good.. the people and their rapport with you is great to watch.. thank you england 🏴 🇬🇧
@petersantenello as an Australian, these videos of the forgotten America are amazing, we never see this, its wild well done mate
Appreciation from India for your incredible content
Love the spontaneous interaction with the people on the street. Great hosts today too. Being from the Midwest, when we always drive east Pennsylvania is so beautiful. Great info today Peter.
Greetings and love from Norway. This was just FAB! Thank you all -
Welcome to Pennsylvania Peter! Born, raised, worked my entire blue collar career in a machine shop, and now retired in the mostly rural area of west/central part of PA, 100 miles north of Pittsburgh. My two children and their families live just east of Pittsburgh in law enforcement and it’s sad how the crime, drugs, and violence has grown around that area. I’m staying here, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. It’s a beautiful state, especially up here.
Love your videos, you are doing a great service to people with what you do. Hopefully you get up my way.
This is the best content on UA-cam hands down. I cannot get enough of watching these videos and so engrossed. Peter is an amazing storyteller and has an amazing way of showing areas and finding interesting people and stories.
Thank you for sharing my side of pa. I grew up rural but this is all home to me. ❤ I’m so happy to see people are trying to revive it.
My grandma is from Charleroi! She was there in the 20s/30s. She has stories! She’s 99 now ❤
The big business in Charleroi is the glass factory not steel. There's also an oil refractory in Spears. There's many other active businesses.
😊❤
Born in McKeesport. Raised in West Newton, PA. When I was young in the late sixties and early seventies, we went to Charleroi every Saturday to shop and eat lunch. Many stores and restaurants. Great memories. My dad and sister both worked in the Mon Valley. I am saddened by the crime and abandoned homes and businesses today. Still live here in PA in the Laurel Mountains. I will never leave PA!!
There is some amazing architecture and it's sad to see it decay away. The great people you meet certainly show hope.
Thanks so much for taking us along.
Alternately heartbreaking and hopeful.❤
Daddy
I love how you guys meet up with some strangers and then meet other strangers and then the first pair of strangers are talking with other strangers in the background. Really bringing people together. Real nice.