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 […]
Fairhill: Residents Discuss Street Safety Solutions
The Hispanic Association Contractor Enterprise (HACE) discussed Fairhill street safety at its monthly community meeting on Oct. 10. HACE, a neighborhood advisory committee, is a community development corporation focused on affordable housing, economic development and social services in the Latino community. Neighbors gathered at HACE’s Business & Visitor Center on North Fifth Street near West Lehigh […]
Mount Airy: Construction, Transportation Headaches To Persist During Planned Bridge Overhaul
Five months into a $12.1 million repaving project on Lincoln Drive, Mount Airy residents prepare for the rebuild of the Allens Lane Bridge, set to begin in April. Between the two projects, residents can expect to see roadway construction in their community for the next three years. “This project, and I’m sort of embarrassed to […]
Bella Vista: An Immigrant Himself, Eugene Desyatnik Now Serves As The Bella Vista Neighbors Association President
Eugene Desyatnik is the president of the Bella Vista Neighbors Association. Desyatnik, a naturalized citizen hailing from the former Soviet Union, has lived in Center City for more than 12 years, recently moving to Bella Vista with his wife and children. The BVNA, a nonprofit organization, helps facilitate various city services to a very diverse […]
Chinatown: Community Gives Feedback on Recommended Improvements to Vine Street Corridor
For many Chinatown residents, the time had come to see plans for a safer future. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission held an open house Thursday at the Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic Church and School at 10th and Vine streets. The DVRPC — which is the federally designated metropolitan planning organization that serves Philadelphia and […]
Chinatown: Efforts Underway to Address Safety Concerns Near Vine Street Expressway
Initial planning has begun on measures to address pedestrian and vehicle safety concerns near the Vine Street Expressway, or Interstate-676, in Chinatown. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, which is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization that serves Philadelphia and eight suburban counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, held a kickoff meeting for its “Reviving […]
Brewerytown: Philadelphia’s Vision Zero Plan Works To Make Transportation Safer
In Philadelphia, like most major cities, traffic accidents are a regular occurrence. Whether as pedestrians or those using bikes or cars, one is almost always at some risk when moving through the city. “About 100 people are killed every year in traffic collisions in Philadelphia,” said Charlotte Castle, coordinator for Vision Zero, a plan the […]
Point Breeze: Bikes See Rise in Commuting Usage, Though Cars Remain Dominant
“The neighborhood is changing where we’re seeing more people use bikes,” said John Dietterle, about what those in the neighborhood have noticed as of late. The uptick in bicycle usage in Philadelphia in the last few years has not gone unnoticed. Especially by those such as Dietterle, a manager at VAC Auto Repair located at 25th and […]
East Passyunk: South Philly Bikes Keeps Things Moving
At first glance, South Philly Bikes may seem like just a typical bike shop. But to Dan Oettinger (pictured above, left), owner for the past three years, his shop is much more. As the owner, repairman, mechanic and salesman of South Philly Bikes, located at the corner of 13th and Mifflin streets, Oettinger is proud of […]
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 […]