Sharswood: Vaux High School Reopens Under New Management
Vaux Reopens Kelvin Jeremiah was shocked when he spoke to children from the Sharswood Blumberg towers that many of them didn’t know the “Rocky steps” were in Philadelphia. Many of them had never been to the Philadelphia Museum of Art or seen the Liberty Bell. “They didn’t know the rich history,” said Jeremiah, who is […]
Sharswood: North Philly Peace Park Plans Community Expansion
Donna Bradley never thought she could grow food in her own neighborhood. About two and a half years ago, Bradley started to crave a more environmentally friendly way to spend her time — she wanted to grow her own food and show other people how to do it, too. She didn’t think she could find […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]