Mantua: Residents, Business Owners Hope for More Progress With New Mayor
With Philadelphia’s primary election creeping up in May, the city is already prepping for a new mayor to take the reins from Mayor Michael Nutter, and many are talking about what changes they would like to see. In the West Philadelphia neighborhood of Mantua and the Lancaster Avenue corridor, students, residents and small-business owners are thinking about […]
Mantua: Community Plans Outreach to Help Residents Use Philly Bike Share
Philadelphia is finally hopping aboard the bike share train. Residents and tourists can look forward to more than 60 bike share stations that will begin to blossom all across the city this spring. Sponsored by Independence Blue Cross, the bike share will hit the streets with more than 600 bikes available 24/7, 365 days a […]
Mantua: Artist Ian Sampson Draws on the Community for Inspiration
Ian Sampson is an artist based in West Philadelphia but is originally from Birmingham, Alabama. Sampson currently works as a resident artist at the Neighborhood Time Exchange. It began in January and was originally conceived by Broken City Lab, the Mural Arts Program, the Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, and the People’s Emergency […]
Mantua: Residents Speak Out on Priorities for Next Mayor of Philadelphia
On Nov. 3, the people of Philadelphia will elect Mayor Michael Nutter’s successor. Philadelphia’s new mayor will be handed the enormous task of alleviating a city fraught with poverty, segregation and criticism of stop and frisk. Declared Democratic candidates include Lynne Abraham, Nelson Diaz, James F. Kenney, Doug Oliver, Milton Street and Anthony H. Williams. The […]
Mantua: Residents Seek Stronger Communication with City Hall
Redevelopment, providing accessible fresh food and strengthening communication between politicians and their constituents are all priorities that Mantuans are talking about in regards to the upcoming mayoral election. “I think we had a lot of stuff on the backburner for years and those smaller things are becoming boulders,” said Mantua Civic Association president De’Wayne Drummond. “So […]
Mantua: Through City Year, New College Graduate Gives Back to Younger Students
On the 600 block of North 35th Street lives a young college graduate trying to make a difference in the City of Brotherly Love. Twenty-three-year-old Ivan Vivar is a recent graduate of the University of Delaware. Instead of pursuing his own career aspirations, though, he’s taking a year to ensure the success of future generations […]
Mantua: 5 Construction Sites to Keep An Eye On
The West Philadelphia neighborhood of Mantua has been getting nationwide attention for being a part of President Barack Obama’s Promise Zone project. This plan was set up in order to build safe public spaces and to strengthen federal assistance in housing, education and public safety. Today, a year after Mantua was designated as a Promise Zone, […]
West Powelton: Bernadine Hawes Says, “We Try to Create Great Citizens of Philadelphia.”
Bernadine Hawes is a Washington D.C. native who moved to West Philadelphia in 1972 to get her master’s degree in Medical Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania. She has since been a very active member of the community. Hawes is the chair of the board at the People’s Emergency Center (PEC) and also serves on […]
Mantua: Five Churches to Know
Here is a list of five out of several well-established churches in the Mantua community. The motto of First United Baptist Church (above) is “Keep this Church Alive.” The pastor-teacher is longtime Bishop Samuel Adkins, who has held the position for over 20 years. The St. Jude Baptist Church sits at 38th and Wallace streets. The pastor […]
Mantua: Longtime Donut Shop Owners Have Seen Good Changes in Community
Loyal customers know that Fresh Donuts owner Donald Eap and his sister Van have owned the doughnut and breakfast shop at 39th and Lancaster Avenue in Mantua for years. The neighborhood has changed significantly since they opened the doors back in 1991. What changes have the Eaps seen in Mantua? “Now it’s more like upbeat,” […]