Southwest Philadelphia: Local Churches Open Its Doors To The Hungry
While it can be difficult to pinpoint the exact number of homeless individuals living within a city, the city of Philadelphia’s count as of January 2016 determined 705 people living within the city were entirely unsheltered. Local nonprofit organization Project HOME states one of the main causes of homelessness is poverty, which stems from lack of jobs at competitive living wages. With […]
Chinatown: Stakeholders Tackle Crucial Development Questions As Neighborhood Grows
The story of Philadelphia’s Chinatown isn’t unique. But the history of this city’s Asian immigrant- and Asian-American home is, for residents, what makes it stand out from other stories of gentrification. Historically, Chinatowns have grown in abandoned urban neighborhoods, unwanted for things other than industrial business. In Philadelphia, this part of town – called Chinatown […]
Center City West: Area Building Boom Includes High-Rise Hotels, Condos
David Ertz peered out his office window at the evolving Center City skyline he is helping to create. “It is kind of remarkable, what’s going on,” said Ertz, a partner and design architect at Cope Linder Architects, located at Market and 17th streets. The firm has designed buildings in the neighborhood like 1706 Rittenhouse Square […]
Chinatown: Gate Serves as Symbolic Entrance to Philadelphia’s Asian Community
In a neighborhood that’s stood in Philadelphia since the 1870s, the Friendship Gate at 10th and Arch streets seems young by comparison—it was finished and dedicated in January 1984. Chinatown’s symbolic entrance, however, might not have been erected if it weren’t for Dick Doran, an assistant to former mayor William Green. Doran elevated the importance […]
Chinatown North/Callowhill: Naming the Neighborhood Proves To Be Longtime Challenge
There’s a battle of sorts being waged near the Vine Street Expressway. Development throughout the entire city has been picking up over the past few years in Philadelphia, and the area north of Chinatown is no exception. But it’s not just arguments over development that are sparking debate between community leaders in the neighborhood north […]
Chinatown: Officials Weigh Competing Proposals for Development at Parking Lot Site
Cecilia Yep has served the Chinatown community for decades. As one of the founders of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., she has fought what she considers intrusive development, including a proposed stadium near the Vine Street Expressway and Chinatown’s northern border. And on March 6, in a overflowing meeting room at 1234 Market St., Yep […]
Northwest Philadelphia: Entrepreneur Doing Well By Doing Good for the Community
For Ken Weinstein (above), passion is more than just a cliche, it is the driving factor that has motivated him to become the successful real estate developer, entrepreneur, and benefactor he is today. “Passion isn’t just about making money or going to a job everyday, it’s doing what you love to do,” said Weinstein. […]
Chinatown: Community Agency Looks To Engage More Residents, Businesses
In a quiet office on 9th Street, red lanterns are strung from the ceiling and two long banners are hung beside a portrait of the Arch of Friendship. The office houses the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., where special projects associate Lamei Zhang (above) sits in the back corner, tucked between two computer screens and flyers […]
Northern Liberties: The Nuance Behind The Neighborhood
Someone walking down American Street through Northern Liberties would see many sleek, modern homes mixed with niche places to shop and eat. They might hear echoes of thumping and clanking from new construction and definitely a few barking dogs. The neighborhood wasn’t always a hub of expansion. Similar to small towns along the Rust Belt, […]
Northern Liberties: Out With the Old, In With the New
Like other parts of the city, Northern Liberties’ housing market has rapidly expanded in recent years. It seems as if every other street is restricted by orange construction barricades. By the time the seasons change, they’re gone, a new building is up and an old brick home is being demolished. New construction often comes with […]