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It was a muggy, rainy afternoon, but inside Carlette’s Backyard the beers were ice cold and the company was warm and welcoming. Carlette Brooks, the owner of the bar, was greeted by a customer with

One of the most eye-catching buildings in Germantown is, without a doubt, a bright purple, Barbie-doll-decorated, mural-covered building at the intersection of Armat Street and Germantown Avenue. Building number 5524 is the home of the

https://vimeo.com/18012308] No one knows better about a neighborhood than the people who live there. And it comes as no surprise that those people form a strong bond not only with their families that live near by,

Fannie Wilson can remember a time when Upland Street thrived. When the block was filled with row after row of houses, and the streets were regularly tended to. She can remember when a family occupied

Sandwiched between some of the busiest, roughest blocks in town, the 5900 block of McCallum Street is a rare find. Quiet, peaceful and pleasant for the most part, you would never know this residential block

https://vimeo.com/18011273] Mantua residents once enjoyed a vivid, colorful mural on their walks home from Center City along the Spring Garden Street Bridge, but in the last three months diamond-plated paneling slowly stole their vibrancy. Tired

https://vimeo.com/18630533] The next time you grumble over Center City parking kiosk prices or cringe sympathetically while watching a rerun of A&E’s Parking Wars, keep in mind where the money collected by the Philadelphia Parking Authority

[soundslide url=”https://smcsites.com/soundslides/uploads/su1013northcentraloneblock” height=550 width=600] Being a block captain is not for everyone. Keeping up with community events and informing neighbors—voluntarily—takes time, dedication, and an understanding of the neighborhood. Katherine Lakins of 19th and Nicholas streets