West Philadelphia: Libraries “Plant A Seed” That Brings Success And Literacy For West Philly Children
Out of the 339 schools within the Philadelphia School District, only eight have full-time paid certified librarians. Louis Lozzi, a Philadelphia native and teacher said that the lack of library funding in the school system has been an issue since he began his teaching career 15 years ago. “I’m used to being in schools without […]
Overbrook: Pope Francis Makes a Surprise Visit to Saint Joseph’s University
Students at Saint Joseph’s University were hoping at best to catch a glimpse of Pope Francis as his motorcade traveled down City Avenue. Many students were planning to gather together to watch the festivities on television. “They’re going to watch him make a speech or something like that,” said Dimetri Williams, a Saint Joseph’s University student. “He’s […]
Overbrook: Three Questions About The Overbrook Area
Overbrook is a community within West Philadelphia, known for Will Smith, its safe streets and active community members. However, there are a lot of confusing elements of Overbrook, even to its longtime residents. Where exactly is Overbrook? According to the Neighbors of Overbrook Association, Overbrook parameters consist of the land between Lancaster, Woodbine, Haverford, and […]
Morris Park: A Green Urban Playground for Nature Lovers
Dan Gasiewski, long term resident of the Overbrook Farms and executive director of Friends of Morris Park, remembers the days when the meadowlands entrance to Morris Park, at the corners of 66th Street and Woodcrest Avenue, used to be full of litter left by local residents. In 2004, Gasiewski founded the Friends of Morris Park […]
Overbrook: Five Places To See In Will Smith’s Old Neighborhood.
With so much history behind this West Philadelphia neighborhood, it’s no wonder there are so many hidden treasures. Overbrook possesses interesting locations that are unknown to many people living in the Greater Philadelphia region. Overbrook Farms Often considered a sub-section of the Overbrook neighborhood, Overbrook Farms (above) is a suburban area in the city that […]
Overbrook Farms: A Suburb Within City Limits
[vimeo 62712343] Residents on the 6300 block of Overbrook Avenue confidently express pride as one of the few neighborhoods where one can still go next door to borrow sugar or eggs and everyone knows each other’s name. Paul and Laurel Wilson have lived on Overbrook Avenue for the past 31 years. During their time on the […]
Wynnefield: Religion Does Not Change A Community
[vimeo 41284965] In the beginning of West Philadelphia’s development during the late 1800s, the neighborhood was predominately upper-class Jewish. However, in the past century, the demographics changed as much of that original community moved out and a new one entered. The new mostly consisted of middle-class African-Americans whose religions are predominately Christian and Muslim. Despite […]