Maria A. Teixeira, a 27-year-old librarian whogrew up in New Bedford, says she has watched thecity's progressive decline.

"When I was a kid, times were tough, but not asbad as they are now," she says. "All theseboarded-up buildings were stores back then."

Teixeira--like many of the area's youth--movedto Boston to find employment after graduating fromcollege.

"There aren't many jobs left around here, so alot of people commute by bus," she says.

But with New Bedford more than an hour south ofBoston, commuting isn't always an option.

On the city's once bustling water-front,fishermen are still struggling to make a living.William D. Whipple, a resident of neighboringWestport describes the dismal state of his trade.

"There has been fairly severe over-fishing,"Whipple says. "As a consequence, the business hasgotten highly regulated, and the industry haspractically died."

According to Whipple, New Bedford saw its peakfishing years in the 1970s. Since that time,Whipple says, "things have declinedsignificantly."

New Bedford youths have a different impressionof the state of their city.

Nineteen-year-old Jenny Medeiros doubts theWhaling City has changed dramatically either forbetter or for worse.

"[New Bedford] is all I know," Medeiros says.

She says young people spend their free time"cruising the Ave." and "going clubbing."

Asked to explain, she says she is referring tothe kids who drive up and down Acushnet Avenue andfrequent the Juke Box, one of New Bedford's fewnightclubs.

Medeiros's friend Dulcineia F. Almeida praisesNew Bedford High School, where she is in hersenior year.

In addition to the "wide course selection,"Almeida calls attention to the "big mix" ofstudents.