Special Reports

For whatever reason, Andrew Valerio didn’t think much of it when instead of handing him keys to the house, his new landlord gave him a power drill to remove the lock on the front door. [continue reading…]

Queen Village is an area extraordinarily rich in history.  The development of the neighborhood can be traced all the way back to the early 17th century when Swedish immigrants settled in the area slightly south [continue reading…]

Imagine Queen Village as it was in the early 1800s—a growing community located right outside of the capitol of a fairly recently independent nation. The U.S. Naval Shipyard was on the rise and offering plenty [continue reading…]

https://vimeo.com/23096757] For some Philadelphia residents, Venice Island–a patch of land between the Manayunk Canal and the Schuylkill River—is a site for contentious debate. Since its official inception in 1889, Venice Island has challenged a community [continue reading…]

https://vimeo.com/22890200] Gregory Trainor has not had an alcoholic beverage in three months. Though he still frequents bars, he’s content with just ordering a glass of water. “I took a pledge,” said Trainor, 23. “I will [continue reading…]

https://vimeo.com/22909418] A cleaning and greening initiative has swept Philadelphia including the small, historic neighborhood of Francisville. Vacant lots in Francisville are disappearing at a surprisingly fast rate thanks in part to Penelope Giles, founder of [continue reading…]

  Thirty years ago, A.V. Abraham quit his job as a health care specialist to pursue another career as a landlord, realtor and owner of American Home Realty Center. The housing market was where the [continue reading…]

Before joining the Project H.O.M.E. community Hyacinth King, 56, recalled living out of a cardboard box on the streets of Philadelphia and hustling for money and pills. “I wasn’t always that way,” King said. Growing [continue reading…]