A public meeting was held Thursday to provide a forum for residents to respond to the Philadelphia Magazine article “Being White in Philly.” Published last month, the article’s content mostly focused on interviews with citizens living in Fairmount and Brewerytown. The Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations hosted the meeting at Girard College to give these residents an opportunity to respond to the article’s claims…. Read More

The uniquely triangular section of Francisville connected by the 1600 blocks of Ridge Avenue and Poplar Street is home to five community outreach organizations. Although the groups offer different services, they share similar goals to provide assistance to the community.

Southwest Nustop, a drug and alcohol treatment center on the block, opened its doors to the neighborhood in 2007 when its partner center in Southwest Philadelphia was asked to expand…. Read More

In December 2010 an opportunity arose for three artists who studied in New York City. Anthony Ranalli, Andrew McManus and Jeremy Deck were asked by a former instructor at Grand Central Academy of Art to create a workshop in Philadelphia. The men accepted the challenge and founded Cambridge Street Studios in Francisville…. Read More

Fairmount residents voted last month to support of a bicycle lane starting at Broad Street heading west. Now the neighborhood awaits approval from Spring Garden and Francisville. These residents will be given the opportunity to vote this week.

The idea for a bicycle lane is part of a joint effort between the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities…. Read More

After 30 years of urban blight, the rejuvenation of Francisville has begun, largely thanks to the Arts Garage, an eclectic venue bringing energy and attention back to the North Philadelphia neighborhood.

The Arts Garage opened in 2006, but its roots go back to 2001, when the Philadelphia’s Neighborhood Transformation Initiative encouraged Philadelphians to take advantage of the abandoned properties and vacant lots citywide…. Read More

It’s hard to walk through the Francisville area without noticing the sudden upswing of construction. It seems that almost every block is experiencing an influx of new houses or newly renovated properties. While some members of the community find this to be a nuisance, the facts show that the community greatly benefits from the new construction…. Read More

With its oldest location being located at 1515 Fairmount Ave., Project H.O.M.E has been a staple in the Francisville community for over 20 years. The Francisville location offers 48 rental opportunities, primarily for patrons with a history of mental illness.  However, in addition to that, Project H.O.M.E has dedicated part of its time and efforts toward providing affordable housing for below-average income qualifiers…. Read More

From an outsider’s perspective, Francisville has always appeared to be living in the shadow of its neighbor, Fairmount.  While Fairmount was developed with high-price townhouses and fancy restaurants, Francisville remained, for the most part, in the same state. That’s not for a lack of trying, however, and recent projects, spearhead by the Francisville Neighborhood Redevelopment Corp., are aiming to give the neighborhood a major facelift…. Read More

Cousins II Pizza and Grill, located at 1500 Ridge Ave., has only been in the area for four months, but is already experiencing a higher demand.

Currently, business is not where owner Sam Zayed wants it to be.

“It is not bad but could be better,” Zayed said…. Read More

Located in the heart of Francisville, the Church of the Living God has established itself as a staple of the community. Throughout the years, the church has always provided a place for locals to gather in prayer. Recently, however, the church has also become a rallying point for the needy through its multiple assistance programs…. Read More