Poplar: Ukrainians Still Return to Area to Attend Historic Cathedral
In 1907, Bishop Sotor Stephen Ortynsky, the first bishop of the Ukrainian Catholics, purchased the old Cathedral Church. More than 100 years later, Ukrainian Catholics flock to a new cathedral on the same land Ortynsky bought. “Ukrainians have a strong identity not only to their faith, but also to their ethnicity,” director of communications John […]
Chinatown: Stakeholders Tackle Crucial Development Questions As Neighborhood Grows
The story of Philadelphia’s Chinatown isn’t unique. But the history of this city’s Asian immigrant- and Asian-American home is, for residents, what makes it stand out from other stories of gentrification. Historically, Chinatowns have grown in abandoned urban neighborhoods, unwanted for things other than industrial business. In Philadelphia, this part of town – called Chinatown […]
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 […]
Mantua: Residents Seek Stronger Communication with City Hall
Redevelopment, providing accessible fresh food and strengthening communication between politicians and their constituents are all priorities that Mantuans are talking about in regards to the upcoming mayoral election. “I think we had a lot of stuff on the backburner for years and those smaller things are becoming boulders,” said Mantua Civic Association president De’Wayne Drummond. “So […]
Poverty Beat: Land Bank Program Offers Much Needed Change
In January Philadelphia became the largest city in the country to approve the creation of a land bank, an entity that will regulate the sale of the city’s 40,000 abandoned properties. A coalition of for-profit and non- profit entities came together under the umbrella of The Philly Land Bank Alliance to advocate for its creation. […]
Plan Philly: South Kensington Business Owner May Lose Seven Properties
Mel Anthanasiadis, the owner of El Greco Pizza & Luncheonette, has been quite popular over the past year and a half. His struggle to keep his seven properties in South Kensington has been featured in City Paper, News Works and other Philadelphia media outlets. The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority and the Arab American Community Development Association […]
Hunting Park: Abandoned Buildings Plague the Neighborhood While City Organizations Work Toward Improvement
Residents of the 4000 block of North Darien Street are like a family. Whether it’s giving the kids a safe place to play after school or forcing thugs and drug dealers off the block, the residents are constantly battling negative elements to improve the quality of life in their area. Yet for all their efforts, […]