Strawberry Mansion: At Everquest Studios, Hip-Hop is Both Art and Outlet
For Gary “Goliath Curtesy” Moody, hip-hop is about pain and healing. Moody has experienced his fair share of pain. When he was 16, his dad died of cancer. Moody found hip-hop as a way to express himself and his experiences, and reach others dealing with their own pain. He was 19 when he went to […]
Strawberry Mansion: Kevin Upshur, Founder of the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center
Kevin Upshur, a longtime resident of Strawberry Mansion, has watched his neighborhood go through changes in his life. The biggest change? Upshur’s family owned and operated bar, was converted into the Strawberry Mansion Learning Center, a non-profit neighborhood education and resource center. Opening its doors in 2008, the center, has provided the children of the community […]
Strawberry Mansion: For One Urban Rider, Growing Up Was Just Something Different
The Fletcher Street stables are home. At least that’s how Jamil Prattis describes them. Prattis, 29, has been coming to Fletcher Street since he was 11 when his cousin taught him to ride. His first horse was a 12-year-old thoroughbred named Lady Tracey. He took care of her, riding her until she died in 2013. […]
Strawberry Mansion: A Family Man Who Helps Lead His Community
For the past 54 years, Alfonso Glenn has lived in Strawberry Mansion. Born in the 1960s, Glenn has experienced decades of change, but still believes some of the same issues plague his community. Growing up during the peak of the city’s crack epidemic, Glenn found himself dealing drugs on the corner because it was the […]
Strawberry Mansion: For Students at Hank Gathers Center, Success is Top Priority
It’s 10 a.m. Saturday when the young, aspiring basketball players of Hank Gathers Recreation Center trickle into the gymnasium. By 11 a.m., practice has started. The gym is full as coaches Rodney Richardson and George Major order push-ups and suicides to warm up. The Hank Gathers basketball program has seen its successes including participants and […]
Strawberry Mansion: Property Developers Strive To Improve Neighborhood
When walking through Strawberry Mansion, you may notice an overabundance of vacant properties and abandoned houses. It was not always like this. Due to redlining, a racist collusion between banks and city government, where people of certain races were prevented from buying homes in certain sections of the city, the historic neighborhood on the edge […]
Fairmount Park: Historic Homes Have Stories to Tell
The Charms of Fairmount Park are six historic houses with six different stories to tell. Cedar Grove, Laurel Hill, Lemon Hill, Mount Pleasant, Historic Strawberry Mansion and Woodford are maintained as historic house museums. Some people have visited all of them while others have never heard of them. In recent years, fewer people are visiting the […]
Strawberry Mansion: Tyrone Williams of NAC Teaches Community To Use Its Voice
Now the head of community engagement at the Strawberry Mansion Neighborhood Action Center, Tyrone Williams has worked his whole life trying to better his community. From a young age, Williams took an active interest in reaching out to people. He estimated his history in community outreach went back to when he was 11-years old and a […]
Strawberry Mansion: A Veteran Community Leader Hopes for Community Enrichment
Denise Clark, a Strawberry Mansion resident for more than 50 years, serves as the vice president of the Strawberry Mansion Community Development Corporation. Clark helps guide the CDC to new heights while keeping the past in the present mind of Strawberry Mansion residents. Clark also ensures the growth of the community through her involvement with […]
Strawberry Mansion/Allegheny West: Loaded with History Worth Visiting
Strawberry Mansion and Allegheny West have been marred by news reports of violence and drug problems for many years. What people may think are dangerous areas in North Philadelphia are unique subdivisions with their own rich history, from the Revolutionary War period to the modern era. These neighborhoods hold secrets to the past that enrich these […]