Mill Creek: Pushing Millennials To Have A Seat At The Table
Ted Smith, 38, is often the youngest person in the room when attending various community meetings in West Philadelphia. Smith, born and raised in Mill Creek, said that while growing up, he often woke up and went to bed angry because of the lack of care for his community. One thing that particularly bothered him was […]
Juniata Park: First-Year Principal Goes The Extra Mile To Help Students Succeed
Emily Mary Trunfio, principal of One Bright Ray Community High School, doesn’t want to just help kids who struggle academically get a high school diploma. She wants to help them achieve success after they leave school as well. The school helps at-risk kids who are behind academically to catch up and get that ever-important diploma. […]
Center City: Four Groups Organize LOVE Park Rally Against Transgender Discrimination
Chants of, “Stand up! Fight back!” echoed throughout LOVE Park on Tuesday, Oct. 23. Hundreds gathered to vocalize their concerns about recent threats to transgender civil rights and to show support for the transgender community. The Rally for Trans Existence and Resistance, hosted by the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs, Trans Equity Project, ACLU PA […]
West Poplar: New Community Center Leader Unites Poplar Residents Through Art, Sports
Richard Austin, 54, worked in banking and insurance for almost three decades before making the leap to nonprofit work to connect with communities hands-on. After eleven years in the sector, the Cheltenham resident started a new position in September as the outreach program director at Saint Paul’s Community Center on Wallace and 10th streets. […]
Mt. Airy: Mary Sweeten Builds Community With Co-op Newsletter
Arriving at her third empty newspaper box of the day, editor-in-chief turned delivery-woman Mary Sweeten (above) pulls bundles of her newsletter from the back of her husband’s Volkswagen. She loads the box with copies of The Shuttle, the official publication of the Weaver’s Way Co-op, careful to recycle the plastic binding afterwards. “That woman back […]
Germantown: Andrew Trackman Talks Bettering Businesses And The Community
In 2014, Andrew Trackman (pictured above) became the Executive Director of Germantown United Community Development Corporation (GUCDC), located at 5320 Germantown Ave. He has been with the organization since it was created in 2012. He grew up in New Jersey, but has lived in Philadelphia since moving here at age 18 to got to school at […]
Poplar: Residents Express Concerns About Girard Avenue Development
Poplar residents raised concerns about an influx of college students and the lack of adequate parking after hearing a proposal for a new six-story development at a neighborhood meeting last week. More than 30 people gathered at Saint Paul’s Baptist Church for the 14th Ward Democratic Executive Committee’s community meeting to discuss the developer’s plan […]
Zoning: Mt. Airy Residents Hold Rally To Halt Apartment Construction
Residents of the 7000 block of Cresheim Road held a rally Saturday morning, Oct. 13, to protest the proposed construction of an apartment building on their block. Speakers, including representatives from West Mt. Airy Neighbors and the Philadelphia City Council, expressed their commitment to swaying Tester Construction Group away from the project. Tester bought 7000 […]
Arts: Philadelphia Open Studios Tour Returns To The City
The Center for Emerging Visual Artists (CFEVA) is holding its annual Philadelphia Open Studios Tour (POST) throughout October. For the first two weeks of the month, visitors can get a behind-the-scenes look at the work of nearly 300 artists, with stops located in four different quadrants of the city: Northwest, Northeast, West, and South Philly. […]
Roxborough/Manayunk: Shifting Demographic Impacts Housing Market
Manayunk and Roxborough are changing as their populations continue to get younger. Both sections of the city have proved to be destinations for young people to live after they finish school, and more of them are choosing to buy homes in the area. As recently as 2016, the median age of residents in the Manayunk […]