Mayfair: CDC Executive Director Aims to Keep Neighborhood Current
Luka Lakuriqi has made it his mission to make the Mayfair community the place to be in the Northeast. He leads the Mayfair Community Development Corporation, located on the second floor of the Mayfair Community Center at 2990 St. Vincent St. Lakuriqi and his team serve everyone from business owners to residents to make sure that Mayfair’s […]
Mayfair and Rhawnhurst: Five Bakeries to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth
If there’s anything that ties residents of Northeast Philadelphia together, it’s the love of food and family. That same concept is what keeps some of Mayfair and Rhawnhurst’s long-standing bakeries in the hearts of their communities. Bakeries in the area have been closing up shop in recent years, as the neighborhoods’ demographics and economies attempt to catch […]
Mayfair: Local Businesses and Vendors Rally for Small Spending
Mayfair pop-ups may do much to unify a neighborhood, but businesses don’t all see eye to eye on the subject of regular pop-up events. The intent, to bring together community and possibly spur local spending, isn’t an idea anyone would do away with, but some businesses are much more welcoming of the idea than others. A […]
Mayfair: Pop-up Events Bring Community Together
Pop-ups throughout Philadelphia have been gaining popularity. These small, usually short markets come for all sorts of reasons: a beer garden in the summer, to promote a corporate brand or, in the case of Mayfair, to bring a sense of unity to the neighborhood. In 2015, Uwishunu, a tourist destination website, reported more than 20 […]
Tacony: The LAB Brings Creativity And Art To The Community
This past March, on its 110th anniversary, the Tacony Free Library branch at Torresdale Avenue and Knorr Street closed its doors for 18 months of renovation. “The target date is Oct. 1, 2017,” said branch manager and head librarian Suzin Weber about the projected reopening. As a recipient of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Building Inspiration: 21st Century […]
Mayfair: Q&A with a Business Leader Fighting a Changing Neighborhood
Angela Vanni is a Philadelphia native and an owner of Giggles Gifts, a retail gift shop which specializes in candies, cards, seasonal decorations and other possible presents. Located at 7400 Frankford Ave., it was founded by the Veneziale family in 1983 and opened during an era when these types of businesses were a common sight in Mayfair. Now, the times have changed, […]
Mayfair: Butterfly Project Brings Monarchs to Mayfair
In the coming months, Mayfair’s residents and visitors can expect to see thousands of butterflies roaming throughout the neighborhood. After learning that the iconic North American black-and-orange insect is on the verge of disappearing for good, a coalition of organizations within the neighborhood decided to launch the Monarch Butterfly Project. “The monarch is an endangered […]
Mayfair: Civic Association Leader Renews Interest in Splitting 15th Police District
For nearly 30 years, Mayfair residents have been urging the Philadelphia Police Department and the City of Philadelphia to split the 15th Police District. Largely owing to a collaboration between Donny Smith (above), president of the Mayfair Civic Association, Councilman Bobby Henon, who represents Philadelphia’s 6th Council District in Northeast Philadelphia and Joe DeFelice, chairman […]
Mayfair: Q&A with Jerry Bolzak, Executive Director of Northeast Victim Service
Jerry Bolzak, a Philadelphia native and executive director of the nonprofit Northeast Victim Service, has been helping victims of crime in Mayfair for the past 15 years. The organization, which originally launched in 1992 following the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, provides financial assistance with medical expenses, funeral costs and counseling services for victims and witnesses in Northeast Philadelphia. The […]
Mayfair: Reuniting the Community With a Playground
The Mayfair Memorial Playground is a community built park and is helping the community come together. It’s located in front of Lincoln High School on Ryan Avenue. The playground received a $80,000 grant from KaBOOM in 2011. KaBOOM is a national nonprofit that helps provide children with an active lifestyle. Every year the Friends of […]