Nicetown: Community Involvement is Key to Accomplishing Zero Waste and Litter
Philadelphia isn’t disparagingly called Filthadelphia for no reason: Cans, bottles, bags, take-out boxes and other types of trash are ubiquitous on the streets of Philly. But following on Mayor Jim Kenny’s executive order in 2016 creating the Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet, the city is beginning to discover some ways Philadelphia might eventually kick that […]
East Kensington: Neighbors Work To Preserve Letterly Green
Stephanie Koenig, 36, moved to the East Kensington area with her husband, Lewis Colburn, in 2009. The couple, both sculptors who found studio space in Philadelphia, bought a house across the street from Letterly Green, an empty plot of land that spans half a block long, two years later. Along with their next-door neighbors, Onais […]
Cobbs Creek: Environmental Center Educates The Community And Works Alongside The Philadelphia Water Dept.
The Cobbs Creek Environmental Center is part of the Alliance for Watershed Education of the Delaware River, one of many organizations in the area providing public education about the environment and our water supply. “One of the problems we have in this part of the city is our system is very old,” said the center’s […]
Spruce Hill: Greensgrow Urban Farm Talks Food Insecurity And Community
Greensgrow Farm was created to bring fresh, locally-grown produce to Philadelphia. Today, two locations and mobile markets (in Fishtown and West Philadelphia) provide fruits, vegetables, flowers and a sense of community across the city. The urban farm located at 5123 Baltimore Ave. seeks to raise awareness of the necessity of wholesome agricultural practices, as well […]
Tacony: Community Makes 7000 Block of Erdrick Street Beautiful
The 7000 block of Erdrick Street in Tacony is anxiously awaiting to find out if it will become the city’s Most Beautiful Block. And if you speak to any of the residents, they believe they’ve got a good chance of winning the citywide contest run by the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee. Results will be announced in […]
Bridesburg: Plan For Refurbishing Brownfields Awaits Next Step
Much of the area in North Philadelphia that abuts the Delaware River has been in a decades-long transition stage from manufacturing hub as factories in the neighborhoods move, leaving behind their industrial footprint. The possibility of chemical contamination in now-vacant lots means these properties, dubbed “brownfields,” must be assessed and cleaned before the lots can […]
How To: Qualify To Receive Financial Assistance For A Water Bill
When Councilwoman Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez saw her constituent’s water bills, she knew she needed to act. Despite a new assistance plan in place, there were still people who owed thousands of dollars in late and overdue payments. “This is crazy,” Quiñones-Sánchez said. “This is a government owned utility. How did people get into this debt?” […]
How To: Start A Community Garden
Finding a place to care for plants or harvest crops in an urban setting like Philadelphia may not be easy. However, throughout the city there are more than 60 community gardens at the public’s disposal. If none of the established gardens are close enough to home, or the waiting list to join is too long, there’s […]
Point Breeze: This Week In The News – Neighborhood Sees Significant Progress, Lost Dog Found On 23rd Street And More
In case you missed it, we found a few places where people were talking about things happening in Point Breeze: Point Breeze, Fairmount among Philly neighborhoods seeing the most progress– According to in-depth analysis of data from the U.S. census from 2009 to 2014, based on how neighborhoods had prospered from the city’s overall growth […]
How To: Recycle, And Get Rewarded For It
Every month, Philadelphia throws out enough glass jars to fill the Municipal Services Building to the brim – you know the one, the 17-story building on 15th Street and JFK Boulevard. If not recycled properly, those glass jars will go to a landfill where they will take more than 4,000 years to decompose. The city […]