Olde Kensington: Imam Aims To Build Stronger Ties Within The Community
Mohamed Shehata, an imam at Al-Aqsa Islamic Society, was born and raised in Egypt. An imam at a mosque typically leads prayer and leads the mosque. Shehata came into the Philadelphia community in 2001 after accepting the offer of leading the Al-Aqsa Islamic Society community. Since then, he has worked on building better relationships between Muslims and […]
Olde Kensington: Families Bond at Second State Press Art Workshop
For children, arts and crafts are nothing without getting your hands messy. And they’re even better when families can be involved. Both elements were included at Second State Press earlier this month for its PECO Second Saturdays workshop. Second State Press is a communal printmaking workshop housed in the Crane Arts building in Olde Kensington. They invite artists […]
Olde Kensington: Director Keeps LSH a Well-Oiled Machine
Inside the Lutheran Settlement House, at 1340 Frankford Ave., is an atmosphere of constant activity where people are always smiling. From bingo to GED preparation, the century-old building houses enough social services to satisfy the community’s neediest. The building must stay a well-oiled machine through funding and lots of care; a task executive director Kelly […]
Kensington: Artists Make New Homes Amongst Longtime Residents
Areas like Kensington, Fishtown and Olde Kensington have become synonymous with a new rising scene that was not there before. With each artist that moves into the area, the culture begins to shift and the neighborhoods begin to see a change. Historically as a textile epicenter of Philadelphia and much of the nation, Kensington has […]
Olde Kensington: Pig Iron Encourages Students to Find Individual Artistic Vision
The Pig Iron Theatre Company, founded in 1995, has since its inception created over two dozen original works. In 2011, the Pig Iron Theatre Company launched the Pig Iron School for Advanced Performance Training (APT). The school utilizes a two-year program that uses unique teaching methods to train its students in physical- and ensemble-based theatre. […]
Olde Kensington: The Circus Comes to North Philly
Residents gawked from stoops and car windows as people flew dozens of feet above their heads. Nestled on the edge of Olde Kensington, Fly School Circus Arts treats residents to their very own circus in North Philadelphia. There are no elephants, lion tamers or clowns here, only a handful of students defying gravity on the […]
Olde Kensington: Andrew Ha Pursues Two Passions in the Heart of Philadelphia
Andrew Ha describes his relationship with music as a marriage, but it’s not his only commitment. Like many working Americans, Ha holds regular job hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; he works for the Jewish Employment Vocational Services, or JEVS. In the evenings, armed with his cup of coffee – and the occasional glass of […]
Olde Kensington: Brewing at the Philly Homebrew Outlet
The Philly Homebrew Outlet (above), home to the Philadelphia Homebrew Club, serves as a depot for brewing connoisseurs. People from all walks of life often visit the outlet for beer-making supplies and advice. “We get people that are scrapping through college – just scraping to get by and spending whatever dime they can – and then […]
Olde Kensington: Muslims Gather for Eid Al-Adha
On Oct. 4, there was little room to walk in the mosque of Al-Aqsa Islamic Society. Several hundred Muslims gathered to pray and to celebrate during the Islamic holiday Eid Al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice. The prayer area, which consists of nearly two floors, was full to the brim. People who did not arrive early […]
Olde Kensington: Five Places for Repurposing and Do-It-Yourself Projects
In an effort to revive the Olde Kensington area, artists have strived to make art more accessible to the general public. Artists use places like the Crane Arts studios (above) to hold workshops that teach people how to make art easily and how to bring that art into their homes. Do-it-yourself projects are becoming extremely […]