Sharswood: Proposed Transformation Of Struggling Neighborhood Raises Concerns, Hope
Talmadge Belo narrowed his eyes under the shadow of his baseball cap, his gaze zeroed in on something across the street. “That used to be the nicest house on the block,” said Belo, the vice president of the Brewerytown-Sharswood Civic Association. But that house is boarded up now. A torn mattress tumbled out the back […]
Francisville: Urbanstead Farm Teaches Neighbors About Food, Responsibility
When Urbanstead founder Lisa Gaidanowicz was given a plot of land in Francisville to create a farm a few years ago, she didn’t realize it might be the first time neighborhood residents saw food coming from soil. “To you and me, an urban farm is a really big garden,” she said. “You don’t really find […]
North Central: Lynn Dorwaldt Uncovers History at the Wagner Institute
Lynn Dorwaldt has always loved puzzles. “Word puzzles, crossword puzzles, logic puzzles,” she said. “I love the journey of trying to find the answer to something.” Dorwaldt, the librarian at the Wagner Free Institute of Science, sees her work as a big, giant puzzle. “When you’re researching history, it’s never like, ‘Oh, there’s the answer,’ […]
Sharswood: Civic Association Trying to Navigate Redevelopment
Warren McMichael and Talmadge Belo of Sharswood say they have seen it all in terms of construction and development in their neighborhood. The lifelong residents retired from their careers in education and manufacturing, respectively, to bring as many resources they could get their hands on to their struggling streets. McMichael, the president, and Belo, the vice […]
North Philadelphia: Neighborhoods’ History Has Not Been Forgotten
The neighborhoods of North Philadelphia are home to a number of historical landmarks. Reminders of the area’s 17th- and 18th-century history are scattered across the changing neighborhoods of Francisville, Sharswood, Spring Garden and North Central. Though some landmarks have been forgotten over the years, many still stand as proud reminders of the past. Founder’s Hall, […]