In early 2009, the New York Times, CNN, and Fox News visited the town of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Braddock's mayor, David Fetterman, was also featured on The Colbert Report, proclaiming the town an example of a failed free market economy. The town was home to Eastern Europeans, African Americans, and Jews. Its population was twenty thousand. Today, Braddock is home to a small number of creatives.
John Fetterman, executive director of Grow Pittsburgh, proposed a project to plant an urban farm in Braddock. He had already started a small vegetable garden in his backyard, inviting local residents to pick vegetables from the garden. He did not allow anyone to take more than they needed, though. But he was intrigued by Braddock and invited him to visit. The mayor was surprised to see the grim state of the town, and the two men met, and they discussed setting up an urban farm.
The population of Braddock, Pennsylvania, grew by nine percent from 2018 to 2019 and is estimated to reach 546 people. Many residents commute by car, trolley bus, and walking to work. The city also has one active blast furnace, which was used for the production of the 2010 movie One for the Money. The city has also been featured in several television shows, including the first episode of the new TV series OtherLife, and the second episode of the upcoming sci-fi thriller Mindhunter.