North Philadelphia
North Philadelphia | ||
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ZIP code 19120, 19121, 19122, 19123, 19125, 19126, 19130, 19132, 19133, 19134, 19137, 19140 and 19141 |
North Philadelphia,
The city government views this sprawling chunk of Philadelphia more precisely as three smaller districts, drawn up by the Redevelopment Authority in 1964. These regions are (from north to south)
History
Early history
Prior to its incorporation into the city proper, North Philadelphia was little more than a collection of primarily agricultural townships above the original City of Philadelphia. In the 18th century, as Philadelphia grew in importance and, consequently, population, then pastoral North Philadelphia became an attractive alternative to the burgeoning city. The mansions of wealthy Philadelphians began to dot the landscape, and by the late 18th and early 19th century, several small town centers had developed to anchor the growing population. However, this suburban landscape was to be interrupted around the middle of the 19th century, as rapid urban expansion led to
Industrial era
Philadelphia was one of the most important centers of manufacturing in the world between the mid-19th and mid-20th centuries,[2][3] and North Philadelphia is one of the sections of the city whose landscape was most deeply shaped by the industrial era. Its landscape still strongly reflects this heritage.
As the
Along with many of Philadelphia's major manufacturing concerns came the nearby estates of the wealthy
Post-industrial economic decline
Over the next few decades
As the century marched past middle age, many other problems symptomatic of all US cities of the time came about. Many of the neighborhoods in North Philadelphia sprung up around one monolithic factory, which was the center of the community's income. Each factory that closed down devastated its host neighborhood. In this way, the wave of national industrial collapse caused the rapid break up of numerous "factory neighborhoods" in the predominantly working class North Philadelphia.
1964 Columbia Avenue Riot
On the evening of August 28, 1964, a black woman named Odessa Bradford got into an argument with two police officers, one black, Robert Wells, and the other white, John Hoff, after her car stalled at 23rd Street and Columbia Avenue.
Locale
North Philadelphia today
Neighborhoods
North Philadelphia, like many other sections of Philadelphia, is highly racially and socially segregated block by block. A noticeable pattern in the area is that, in the southern part of North Philadelphia (south of about Erie Avenue), Germantown Avenue (which later becomes North 6th Street) is the dividing point between the areas that are predominantly Black (to the west), and the areas that are predominantly Hispanic (to the east). However, this is slowly changing, with a small yet growing population of Hispanics living west of Germantown Avenue, and already significant population of Blacks living east of that street.
The area between Broad Street and 5th Street is increasingly becoming a "transition zone" between the larger predominantly black area west of Broad, and the smaller predominantly Hispanic area east of 5th. This section of Philadelphia has nearly equal populations of Hispanics and Blacks, although Germantown Avenue is still seen as a divider street, with areas between Germantown Avenue and Broad Street "more black" and areas between Germantown Avenue and 5th street "more Hispanic".
East of Front street, blocks start to get more diverse, with significant populations of Hispanics, blacks and whites. Also, as the Hispanic community continues to grow eastward, the ethnic white enclaves of eastern North Philadelphia continue to shrink.
See [1]
North Philadelphia is usually described as an area north of Center City, between Front Street and Fairmount Park.
Sub-sections include:
- Lower North Philadelphia - Spring Garden Street to the south and Dauphin Street to the north
- Upper North Philadelphia - Dauphin Street to the south and Wyoming Avenue to the north
Blight and Brownfields
Today, many remnants of these more prosperous eras remain. However, many historic buildings have collapsed, either from neglect or demolition, and thousands more still lie abandoned. A handful have become protected historic properties, and 67 properties and districts were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Several blocks, with numerous old mansions, have been re-zoned as the aforementioned historic districts. A great many extravagant churches were built over the years, as well. Some still stand, but all too often money is scarce to preserve their deteriorating architecture. The trolley lines that once criss-crossed the northern streets and linked the region with the rest of Philadelphia were shut down by SEPTA in 1992. Immense, abandoned factories sit idle; warehouses lie empty; and disused heavy rail lines scar the landscape. The names of the old industrialists, such as Gratz, Poth, Uber, Bouvier and Schmidt, still adorn many buildings and street signs in the area but are otherwise foreign to many modern-day residents.
The Neighborhood Transformation Initiative or NTI, was a City program launched by Mayor
Notable people
- Blue Magic
- Tierra Whack
- Cecil B. Moore
- Jaguar Wright
- Billy Paul
- Rasheed Wallace
- Teddy Pendergrass
- Lil Uzi Vert
- Bernard Hopkins
- M. K. Asante
- Blanche Calloway
- Cassidy
- John Coltrane
- Bill Cosby
- Freeway
- Young Gunz
- Vivian Green
- Kevin Hart
- Meek Mill
- Lee Morgan
- Ursula Rucker
- Jill Scott
- Monnette Sudler
- Walter E. Williams
- Maalik Wayns
- Kyle Lowry
- Danny Garcia
- Eddie Alvarez
- Gabriel Rosado (boxer)
- Pedro "Peedi Crakk" Zayas - rapper
- Kahleah Copper
Redevelopment and gentrification
This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2009) |
Some areas, like Olney, Allegheny and Erie, still have relatively active communities, but even they are often troubled by drugs, crime and/or social underfunding. Allegheny West has advanced, mostly from the support of some of the last industries in North Philadelphia, such as Pep Boys, which is headquartered in the neighborhood.
Several parts of North Philadelphia, especially those that border the Center City district, have recently[when?] been experiencing varying levels of gentrification. Once economically divested neighborhoods like Brewerytown, Francisville, Northern Liberties, Poplar and West Kensington have seen large scale development break ground. Other regions have seen virtually no change, save the rising housing values that have accompanied increased attention in urban markets. Many residents of communities in North Philadelphia have voiced resistance towards these gentrifying forces, viewing the sudden investment as an invasion that threatens the traditional character of the neighborhoods.
Demographics
According to the
Racial demographics
- Non-Hispanic Black: 169,494 (49.8%)
- Hispanic or Latino of any race: 103,806 (30.5%)
- Non-Hispanic White: 34,375 (10.1%)
- Asian & Pacific Islander: 17,017 (5.0%)
- Mixed or Other: 14,635 (4.3%)
- Native American: 1,021 (0.3%)
Most of North Philadelphia's population is made up of African Americans and Puerto Ricans.[8] The eastern half of North Philadelphia has one of the highest concentrations of Puerto Ricans in the country, this section of North Philadelphia is over 75% Puerto Rican, and over half of Philadelphia's Puerto Rican population resides in this section of the city. North Philadelphia also has a high concentration of Black Muslims.[8] The area also has significant Irish and other White Americans, Dominican, Haitian, Cuban, Korean and Polish populations, among others.[8] About half of the population lives below the poverty line.[8]
Crime
Most of Philadelphia's crime pertains to the drug trade. In a 2007
Economy
Pep Boys is headquartered in North Philadelphia.[10]
Certain sections of North Philadelphia were highly commercial. TOPPS Cards were once produced in North Philadelphia until moving to New York.
Temple University is the seventh largest employer in the City of Philadelphia, Temple University Hospital, Inc is number 11 (PA Dept of Labor and Industry, 1st Quarter 2019).[11]
Transportation
Notably, Broad Street roughly bisects North Philadelphia north-south. Broad Street is a six-lane arterial street that is designated as Pennsylvania Route 611. The Broad Street Line or 'Orange Line,' runs along Broad Street, directly connecting North Philadelphia with Center City and South Philadelphia, as well as with the rest of Philadelphia's public transit system: SEPTA.
As of 2017[update], Taiwanese airline China Airlines provides a private bus service to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for customers based in the Philadelphia area. This service stops in North Philadelphia.[12]
Education
Public education
Public and Charter schooling in North Philadelphia is handled by the School District of Philadelphia. The region is divided into several "clusters," which administer individual schools. By region, these clusters are:
Lower North Philadelphia
- William Penn (William Penn High School closed in June 2010)
- Strawberry Mansion
- Murrell Dobbins C.T.E.
- A. Philip Randolph C.T.E.
- Franklin (current closed for asbestos removal)
- Masterman
- Roberts Vaux (now a Big Picture Charter School)
Upper North Philadelphia
- Gratz (now a Mastery Charter School)
- Edison
Olney/Oak Lane
- King
- Olney
- Central
- Philadelphia High School for Girls ("Girls High")
YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School, which is chartered by the School District of Philadelphia, is also located in North Philadelphia, just south of William Penn High School.
The
North Philadelphia has the largest concentration of Charter Schools in Philadelphia
Post-secondary education
North Philadelphia hosts a number of institutions of higher learning.
- La Salle University
- Community College of Philadelphia
- Messiah College, Philadelphia Campus
- Temple University
- Harcum College at Congreso.[15]
Libraries
There are thirteen branch libraries of the Philadelphia Free Library located in North Philadelphia.
Museums and cultural sites
- Church of the Advocate
- Philadelphia Doll Museum
- Wagner Free Institute of Science
- The Blue Horizon - closed
- The Village of Arts and Humanities
- New Freedom Theatre
Uptown Theater is an iconic part of the music scene of North Philadelphia. It was a springboard for many notable artist of our time.[16]
See also
- List of Philadelphia neighborhoods
- History of the Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia
Notes
- ^ PPD Online Patrol Districts, Philadelphia Police Department.
- ^ Licht 1992, pp. 3–16
- ^ Workshop of the World
- ^ Doing No Good Time Magazine
- ^ "Mar/Apr Gazette: "No Other Life"". www.upenn.edu. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder - Community Facts". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on 16 February 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ Bureau, U.S. Census. "American FactFinder - Community Facts". factfinder.census.gov. Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d "2010 Census". Medgar Evers College. Archived from the original on 2010-06-11. Retrieved 2010-04-13.
- ^ Volk, Steve. "Top 10 Drug Corners Archived 2012-09-07 at archive.today." Philadelphia Weekly. May 2, 2007. Retrieved on January 20, 2009.
- ^ "Contact Us." Pep Boys. Retrieved on August 24, 2009.
- ^ "PA Department of Labor and Industry" (PDF). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
- ^ "Airport Shuttle Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine." China Airlines. Retrieved on May 12, 2017.
- ^ "Clymer Elementary." Mastery Charter Schools. Retrieved on September 10, 2012. "1201 W. Rush Street Philadelphia, PA 19133"
- ^ "Lenfest Campus." Mastery Charter Schools. Retrieved on September 10, 2012.
- ^ "Harcum College at Congresso." Harcum College at Congresso. Retrieved on July 16, 2015.
- ^ "Why the marquee lights are back on at North Philly's shuttered Uptown Theater". WHYY. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
References
- Bowie, John et al. (editors) (2007). "Workshop of the World—Philadelphia". Oliver Evans Press. Retrieved 2009-11-02.
{{cite web}}
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has generic name (help). - Licht, Walter (1992). Getting Work: Philadelphia, 1840–1950. Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: Harvard University Press. LCCN 91035021..
- Adams, Carolyn, et at. (editors) (1993). Philadelphia: Neighborhoods, Division, and Conflict in a Post-Industrial City. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press 978-1566390781