Chinatown: Navigating Change, Growth And Development
Crafted by artists from Tianjin, China and coated with tiles manufactured in Philadelphia, the Friendship Gate on 10th and Arch streets symbolizes a kinship between two cities that are nearly 7,000 miles apart. In 1984, the 40-foot arch was erected at the border of Chinatown. Since then, massive development projects — like the Vine Street […]
Immigration: With Limited Options For Employment, Many Immigrants Become Entrepreneurs
Teresa Herrera’s dream began with a shopping cart, which she pushed around North Philadelphia and sold her homemade recipes out of. Hector Hernandez’s began in the driver seat of a limousine. Xu Lin’s was an abandoned shoe store. Despite their varied experiences and industries, Herrera, Hernandez and Lin have all supported their families and themselves […]
North Philadelphia: Promoting Literacy To Parents And Children In Unlikely Places
A shave, a haircut … and a good book? A North Philadelphia barber shop is part of a program to help increase literacy and help strengthen the community. Jasmond Schoolfield, better known as “Jazz the Barber,” owns Creative Image Unisex Hair Salon at 2737 W. Cecil B. Moore Ave. Putting down his hair cutting tools, he takes […]
Fairmount: Bicycle Shop Identifies With Its Riders On The Road
When the rest of the city is asleep on Saturday mornings, the Fairmount-based WTF road riders are already biking through the city. WTF isn’t just a trendy acronym; it’s a 20-30 mile road bike ride catering exclusively for folks who identify as women (W), transgender (T), femme (F) or non-binary. Fairmount Bicycles, which focuses on […]
Podcast: Visit Philadelphia Founder Talks About The City Tourism Industry’s Impact On Under-Served Communities
After decades of promoting the city of Philadelphia to both tourists and locals, Meryl Levitz says the time has come to retire as CEO of Visit Philadelphia, the tourism booster she founded in the ’90s. The longtime founding president of Philadelphia’s leisure tourism agency is retiring after serving 22 years. We spoke to Levitz and she […]
East Falls: EFCC Zoning Committee Tests Out New Meeting Spot And Timmons House Spared
On Wednesday, Oct. 17, community members gathered at Billy Murphy’s Irish Saloon for an East Falls Community Council’s (EFCC) zoning meeting. Presenters at the meeting included representatives from William Penn Charter School and the Kelly House. Murphy’s remained open for business while welcoming attendees of the zoning meeting. A projector screen was set up for […]
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 […]
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 […]
Port Richmond: Local Woman Created Mobile Site To Troubleshoot Body-Image Issues Through Social Media
Lauren Hallden from Port Richmond is using a website she created to connect with users in a unique way. Problem Bodies is a site that randomly generates things that are “wrong” with how you look. If you agree with the site, it’ll try to sell you a solution. If you disagree, sometimes it will argue […]