Sharswood: Finding An ‘Anchor’ In A Changing Neighborhood
Zafir Hall cried in front of 96 men he barely knew in jail as he watched his home be demolished on television. Hall, 22, grew up in the Norman Blumberg affordable housing complex in Sharswood, which was made up of three 18-story high-rise buildings. The towers were built in 1967 by the Philadelphia Housing Authority. […]
Sharswood: PHA Grocery Store Can Improve Food Access
For Joe Wise to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, he has to walk nearly a mile away to the Fresh Grocer of Progress Plaza on Broad Street near Oxford. Wise, who lives at 21st and Jefferson streets, often gets food from Wendy’s or Burger King. He calls himself a “fast-food junkie.” But in the next […]
Sharswood: After Loss, Father Gives Back to Neighborhood Children
On the same Sharswood block where Greg Bullock was born, grew up and lived for nearly 50 years, he found himself standing in a pool of his son’s blood. Bullock’s son, Devin, was 17 years old when he was involved in an accidental shooting just a few hundred feet from his father’s home on 26th […]
Francisville: Kayuh Bicycles’ Hybrid Shop Serves As Community Space
On the corner of 19th and Girard streets, there is a mural of an individual riding a bright orange bike zooming passed cars. The mural reads “Kayuh: You’ll get there faster.” Kayuh means “pedal” in Malaysian. Izzat Rahman, who is from Malaysia, opened Kayuh Bicycles & Cafe in June 2012. The shop offers a range […]