Poplar: Residents Express Concerns About Girard Avenue Development
Poplar residents raised concerns about an influx of college students and the lack of adequate parking after hearing a proposal for a new six-story development at a neighborhood meeting last week. More than 30 people gathered at Saint Paul’s Baptist Church for the 14th Ward Democratic Executive Committee’s community meeting to discuss the developer’s plan […]
Zoning: Mt. Airy Residents Hold Rally To Halt Apartment Construction
Residents of the 7000 block of Cresheim Road held a rally Saturday morning, Oct. 13, to protest the proposed construction of an apartment building on their block. Speakers, including representatives from West Mt. Airy Neighbors and the Philadelphia City Council, expressed their commitment to swaying Tester Construction Group away from the project. Tester bought 7000 […]
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 […]
Chinatown: Activist Worked With Obama, Advocates For Immigrant Children With Disabilities
Chinatown resident Anna Perng is an advocate for both immigrant communities and for people with disabilities. Perng, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, has been an activist and organizer since her time studying at Swarthmore College, she said. After graduating, she also spent time working at Community Legal Services and in 2017 became a local community organizer […]
Brewerytown: Residents Adapting Alongside New Developments, Businesses
Brewerytown is an attractive neighborhood to people looking for the cool, new hot spot to live. Its accessibility by public transportation and its proximity to Center City and Fairmount Park have made it an enticing area for developers and new residents. It’s no question that Brewerytown has seen changes in recent years. New apartment buildings […]
Olney: Best for PHL, Philly Unite And More This Week
Looking to find out what’s going on in Olney this week? Our calendar round-up lets you know what’s happening in your neighborhood. Bop & Cha-cha– Monday, Aug. 21, 6-7:30 p.m., Greater Olney Library – Community Meeting Room, (5501 N. Fifth St.) Best for PHL Challenge Workshop– Tuesday, Aug. 22, 3-5 p.m., Greater Olney Library – Community […]
How To: Start A Registered Community Organization (RCO)
A few years ago, City Council established new qualifications for community organizations that wish to be part of development decisions in their area. Registered Community Organizations (RCO) are formal groups of community members that weigh in on the physical development of their neighborhood, from community gardens to zoning issues. When a developer wants to build […]
Mount Airy: Redevelopment Projects Look to Eliminate Blight, Improve Livelihood of Historic Neighborhood
Dating back to the 1680s, when it was a just small part of Germantown, the neighborhood of Mount Airy has a rich history that has shaped the diverse and tight-knit community that it is today. In 1750, William Allen, a chief justice for the province of Pennsylvania, built an estate at the corner of modern-day […]
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 […]
Point Breeze: Community Organization Seeks Neighborhood Engagement
Alice Shockley has lived in Point Breeze for the past 79 years and has no plans of leaving. The 85-year-old retired nurse has been an active member of Neighbors in Action for the past 10 years, where she currently serves as vice president. Shockley has witnessed the largely residential Point Breeze community undergo demographic shifts affecting […]