Powelton Village: A Neighborhood In Transition
Usually when a person’s name is drawn from a hat, they gain something. But when Linn Washington had his name called hours before one of Philadelphia’s most controversial events, he almost lost his head. Literally. “On August 8, 1978, the police quite surprisingly allowed six journalists to come within the police lines and essentially be […]
Mantua: After-School Programs Filling Void Left By Closure of University City High School
For 41 years, the 14-acre plot on Filbert Street between 37th and 38th streets was home to University City High School, Charles Drew Elementary School and The Walnut Center. Today, those buildings have been erased from existence, leaving behind a vast swath of unfinished terrain littered by rocks, dirt and controversy. University City High School closed […]
Mantua: “I Just Want to Be That Image For Them.”
After enduring a troubled childhood in West Philadelphia, near 56th Street and Lansdowne Avenue, 19-year-old Rodney Mobley began utilizing his past experiences to positively impact his community. He now serves as the community connector and engagement coordinator for People’s Emergency Center, which is based in the Mantua section of the city. Mobley is now a freshman on full-academic scholarship at Colby-Sawyer College in […]
Mantua: “They Help Me and They Say, ‘Don’t Be Afraid.'”
When Saquan Dixon walks through the Mantua section of West Philadelphia, he feels a vibe much different from the Kensington neighborhood where he was raised. Neither Mantua, also known as “The Bottom,” nor his neighborhood in Kensington have sparkling reputations but the 20-year-old Dixon sees a bright spot in Philadelphia’s Promise Zone. “I’m not too familiar […]
Mantua: “My Parents and Grandparents Trained Me to Survive.”
Nine years ago, De’Wayne Drummond nearly lost it all. A lifelong resident of the Mantua section of West Philadelphia, Drummond had unknowingly fallen asleep in nearly six pints of his own blood at his home on Haverford Avenue near 34th Street, only to be awoken by his infant daughter, Jadyn, who was desperately pleading for […]
Mantua: “You’re Never Really Alone if You Come to Work Here.”
Branon Gilmore makes enrichment for youths and adults in the Mantua area his priority every day when coming to work in the morning. Gilmore, 44, is the Center Director for the West Philadelphia Community Center on Haverford Avenue near 35th Street. For 10 years, he has been working for Caring People Alliance, an agency partnering with the […]
Lancaster Avenue: Five Great Eateries Worth Visiting
The Lancaster Avenue corridor in West Philadelphia is home to many small businesses, including ethnic restaurants, specifically Korean and Jamaican. While these restaurants may not look like the jazziest places to dine from the outside, local customers value the restaurants for filling their bellies on a daily basis. One of the most popular eateries in the […]