In Seedfolks, what has happened to Ana's neighborhood since she came there as a child?

Ana has seen quite a few changes in the neighborhood over the years. An old lady who originally moved into the area in 1919, she's witnessed the complete transformation of the neighborhood from the vantage point of her apartment window, from which she watches people coming and going.
Once upon a time, Ana's neighborhood was a working-class district, full of decent, hard-working, and law-abiding people. But with the decline of heavy industry and the closing of the factories, the area started to go downhill. Many working people moved out of the neighborhood, turning it into a low-rent district which soon became infested with crime.
Ana has seen so many criminal acts from her apartment window that she's immediately suspicious when she sees a little black-haired girl hiding behind a fridge and burying something in the ground. She suspects that something illegal's going on; perhaps the little girl's getting rid of drugs or a deadly weapon. But Ana couldn't be more wrong; it's just Kim planting some white beans.