Kensington: Local Boxer Shares Gift With Community
With years of boxing experience under his belt, 18-year-old Branden Pizarro is making a name for himself as the youngest professional boxer in Pennsylvania. He’s been featured on Showtime’s ShoBox: The New Generation and now has his own space for him and others to train, The Gift Boxing Gym. In this video, Pizarro and his family […]
Kensington: Galaei Philly Empowers The Lives Of Latino LGBT Youth
Right across the street from Norris Square Park, at 149 West Susquehenna Ave., sits a small but powerful organization dedicated to helping residents in Philadelphia’s LGBT community. Galaei Philly provides health services such as HIV testing, counseling and sexual health education with a special focus on those of Latin origin. The organization’s mission is to […]
Kensington: Esperanza To Spend $14.5M To Transform Vacant Building Into Health Center
The new Esperanza Health Center in Kensington is expected to benefit the entire neighborhood by expanding access to much needed medical services in a state-of-the-art facility, said Juan Perez, operations director at Esperanza Health Center. “We may have been one of three in the city that received this grant from the state,” said Perez (pictured […]
Immigration: Councilman Mark Squilla Helps Serve Immigrant Communities
Councilman Mark Squilla is the councilman for the First District in Philadelphia City Council. Squilla is the representative for several Philadelphia neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Kensington, Bella Vista, Northern Liberties, Fishtown and Port Richmond. A native of South Philadelphia, Squilla has been engaged in public service for close to 30 years, serving on the Philadelphia Democratic […]
Latinx: The 197th District Elects Their First Dominican-American State Rep. Candidate
Danilo Burgos, former aide to Councilwoman Maria Quiñones-Sánchez and Councilman Allan Domb, became the 197th District’s first Dominican-American State Representative candidate after defeating incumbent Rep. Emilio Vazquez and CEO of Pan-American Mental Health Services Fred Ramirez in the primary election this past May 15. Burgos, a democrat, will run unopposed in the November general election as there […]
Hunting Park: Kensington Pastor Unifies Church Communities Through Charity And Outreach
In August 2009, Stephen Thompson was ordained as a pastor. Now a senior pastor at House of Triumph, located in Kensington, Thompson helps run community-oriented programs at the church. These programs include food outreach dinners twice a week and group addiction counseling twice a month. The church also holds a free market outreach once a month […]
PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods.com Magazine
In the summer of 2017, through a generous donation from Lew and Janet Klein, PhiladelphiaNeighborhoods.com invited five former students (Jonathan Ginsburg, Jared Phillips, Ramona Roberts, Brianna Spause and Bob Stewart) to participate in a fellowship program to continue reporting throughout the summer. Each week we posted stories online about the happenings of particular neighborhoods from […]
East Kensington: Neighbors Work To Preserve Letterly Green
Stephanie Koenig, 36, moved to the East Kensington area with her husband, Lewis Colburn, in 2009. The couple, both sculptors who found studio space in Philadelphia, bought a house across the street from Letterly Green, an empty plot of land that spans half a block long, two years later. Along with their next-door neighbors, Onais […]
East Kensington: Green Spaces Foster Sense Of Community
Even in the increasingly solitary digital age, people still often feel the need for community in their lives. In Philadelphia and cities across the country, green spaces of all shapes and sizes can fulfill that need. “People like a place to congregate,” said City Councilman Mark Squilla, whose District 1 encompasses East Kensington. “If you […]
Fishtown: Yoga Instructor Strives for Deeper Impact Through Practice
Contrary to its name, the wild ride that comes with owning Grace & Glory Yoga Fishtown is not always a smooth or graceful one for Brittany Everett. The yoga studio at 2220 Frankford Ave. is home of the Philadelphia location, the other Grace & Glory is found in New Jersey, and opened in 2015. Everett […]