No, this thread is not a joke. I have not been through the area in years, but hope to take a gander at it this year if I'm in the area. There may still be major problems in the area, but at a minimum 9 or so major buildings currently undergoing or soon to undergo high quality renovations might at least mean that the area has bottomed out and is on the rebound. That does not mean that the area is already safe and stable.