Group 11 Neighborhood Evaluation

When we first began covering our neighborhood on Ridge Avenue, we were just doing it to get our grade and get out, but as we spent more time there and met more people we felt more like real reporters. It was like we were actually doing something to help these people in this poor area, even if most of them didn’t like us and often gave us a hard time about being there.

We learned the most about our neighborhood by just being in it and aimlessly walking around. The older people were usually the most helpful, since many of them were born and raised there and saw the neighborhood go down hill firsthand. Several of them said how it was once a nice place to live and how now they're scared to even go outside.

Throughout the entire six-week period it was quite clear that most of the locals in the neighborhood did not want us in their neighborhood. It was obvious to them that we were outsiders, and when we’re walking around with cameras, exposing the poor condition in which many of them live, they have good reason to not want us there. At first we didn’t really want anything to do with the area or anyone who lived there, but over time it became fun to learn about places, especially businesses, in the area.

I think the experience will help, just because it makes us more numb to certain things that may have stirred us up in the past. It is important for reporters to keep their cool, especially when in difficult and uncomfortable situations. Being thrown into such a deprived area helps us to not feel as awkward the next time we’re forced to report in a similar place.

-Group 11 Wrapping It Up

A Final Venture Into Germantown

We decided to go into Germantown by walking down Chew Avenue. It starts all the way back near Mount Airy. The one thing we noticed is a lot of changes occur along the avenue. Back near Mount Airy the homes are bigger and more traditional. They resemble homes that are in the wealthier and quieter parts of Northwest Philadelphia. Moving into Germantown, you start to notice more row homes that are surrounded by an urban environment.

Another element that changes is the community and the people. At the beginning of Chew Avenue (near Mount Airy) it is quieter – some people are out in their garden, inside or at work. When you enter into Germantown, more people are outside and sitting on their front porch. You see people talking at the local market or walking to work. It is understandable that there are different senses of community in different parts, but it is fair to say that the community in Germantown seemed more active during the day. Perhaps this is what makes the city of Philadelphia, and other cities, so unique. The people, housing, environment and other elements are what separates it from other locations.
We also got a chance to go by the Awbury Arboretum in Germantown, which is the topic of our team enterprise project. The Arboretum is actually located right off of Chew Avenue and Washington Lane in Germantown. The main focus of the Arboretum is to reach out to the local community and connect it to both nature and history. During the summer, the Arboretum is particularly focused on working with children. This Friday we will be going back to the Arboretum to work on our team enterprise project. It will be a particularly good day to be there because children and staff will be at the site of the Awbury Arboretum’s Children’s Garden. There the Salsa Garden, Candy Garden and Ratatouille Garden will all be installed. We are saving pictures of the Arboretum for our final project. We are very excited to get this project underway, and we also enjoyed learning more about the Germantown community throughout this course! Thanks for a good class and learning experience from Group six!

A Mile in Their Shoes...

I was fresh off the plane after spending an unexpected overnight in Atlanta. I had missed my connecting flight from Minneapolis because of weather. Before there was flooding in the Midwest, there were thunderstorms. In effort to avoid the storms, the pilot of the plane I was on a four-hour route instead of the usual two-hour one.

I considered the weekend before I took a walk in Fairhill quite a learning experience. While I went to Minneapolis to attend a conference, I also took my trip to the Midwest in part to overcome my fear of the unfamiliar.

I grew up with diversity; I’m a little uneasy when everyone looks the same. I imagined the Midwest to be a place that embodied my fear of being surrounded by people that looked, and worse, thought the same. I imagined people naively smiling to strangers on the street; something I was always taught would get you into trouble.

The weekend I spent in Minneapolis, I learned that the Midwest is not like Little House on the Prairie, nor does everyone look the same. Sure, there were some exceptions, but for the most part, it can be said that people in the Midwest are just as sophisticated as those back east.


Once I was back in Philadelphia, I couldn’t stop thinking how I thought that everyone was more alike than could be imagined. Whether you are in the Midwest, South, Northeast, or anywhere else, we as humans all have the same basic needs, and it’s possible to relate to anyone if you just take the time to.

I’ve heard it said many times that you shouldn’t judge a person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. I think I reserve judgment on people pretty well, but I had a different impression of the residents of Fairhill after I walked a mile to get to the neighborhood’s business center.

El Centro de Oro or the Center of Gold, is about a mile from the Broad Street Line stop as well as a mile from the Kensington Stop on the El Train. During my walk, it dawned on me why this neighborhood seems so centered around itself.

The walk to pubic transit is incredibly far, especially on the one hundred degree day that I made my trek. Without a car the rest of Philly is nearly inaccessible from this neighborhood. Sure, there are busses. But, I know that I’d much rather take a train or subway than a bus, I’m more confident that they’ll arrive and go exactly were I expect them to. Of course the residents of Fairhill don’t make their way down to Center City to look for much, including jobs.


While it’s true that I’ve never opened the fire hydrant, no matter how hot it was, I can still completely understand why someone would do so. I grew up with sprinklers, and pools at my disposal, the people of Fairhill don’t have these opportunities. While I may have kvetched about taking my walk, I’m glad I did it. It helped me see things through different eyes.

Lauren Hard, Katelyn Leshko, Daniel Lymarenko

Group 5

The housing situation in Germantown is suffering some minor setbacks but the future there looks quite promising. Having proper equipment and enough money are two of the biggest roadblocks in improving housing and real estate in the Germantown region. Contractors and architects are doing their part to help improve living situations, but the Greater Germantown Housing Development Corporation is responsible for a majority of the renovations currently being done in the area.

The main goal of the GGHDC is to help renovate homes for first time home buyers. Renovations include electrical systems, plumbing and kitchens. While the GGHDC is going to great lengths to improve the housing situation, there are some financial stipulations for who is eligible to live in these homes. Grants are available to buyers of these homes and they typically sell anywhere from $ 50,000 to $140,000.

As housing developments continue to improve in Germantown, the economy is slowly growing as well. The GGHDC has offered various entrepreneurial training programs which are structured to help create new businesses as well as expand current businesses. The result of the growing and creation of numerous businesses has the potential to boost the economy in Germantown and provide many new job opportunities. The GGHDC also reports that they are currently working to help improve the aesthetics of the area, particularly new landscaping and street improvements around Germantown Avenue.

As non-profit and government agencies alike help to improve economic and housing situations in the area, one such business that is already thriving in the region is the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts. The school is looking to attract not only more Philadelphia locals to the area, but attract people from all parts of the east coast as well. Also, the 3000 B.C. Spa located on Germantown Avenue was recognized in Allure Magazine this month for having outstanding spray tans.

Between housing developments and new businesses, the economy of Germantown is slowing beginning to thrive. Not to mention, not only can you now join the circus in Germantown, but you can also look as though you just spent a week in the tropics. Germantown is definitely in the process of climbing up the ladder.

Lindley Court Apartments: Five Days After

It does not look good for the 200 residents who were evacuated from the Lindley Courts Apartments this past Saturday. After a meeting on Tuesday, residents are stilled kept in a loop not knowing if they will ever be allowed to move back in. Today, Stephanie and I decided to come up to the apartments to investigate the area and to observe if any residents were coming in and out of the building. Two security guards were walking up and down the street making sure in keeping out intruders. We decided to ask one of the security guards if he could inform us on the situation at this moment. He replied negatively and asked about our intentions for being there. We explained to him of our news story and he made sure that we understood that we could not past the yellow caution tape.

As we waited for residents to arrive so that we can interviewed them. There was one family that came but was cautious about our presence as we were holding a digital and video camera. Stephanie and I overheard the conversation between the family and the security guard about taking out some items from their apartments. It was strange to hear only one person is allowed for five minutes and accompanied by security to gather some items. This restriction was surprising to the family and complained that they needed more than five minutes to gather their things. We spoke with the mother who did not want to be interviewed or filmed but suggest that we might be able to speak to her daughter. Unfortunately, we were unable to get an interview with the daughter as she was being rushed by her family to get in the car.

Our time was rushed by one of the security guards as he was getting aggravated by our presence. To avoid getting him angry we decided to come back tomorrow to see if any other residents coming back to get any necessary items.


By Group 10

Rounding Third and Heading Home

As I trudged to the field lugging twenty or so pounds of electronics, I caught a whiff of something. It was something I hadn't smelled in a long time, but still familiar. A combination of bubblegum, leather and lemonade it was the smell of baseball. There wasn't even a game being played at Jefferson Street park, but the unmistakable summer smells still hung in the air. Even though this wasn't an original park I was standing at, it bordered one. Next to the Daniel Boone School, the current playground fields at 25th and Jefferson streets in Brewerytown gave me a small idea of what baseball in its infancy may have been like in the 1870's.
















Daniel Boone School, site of the former Jefferson Street Grounds

The Jefferson Street Grounds hosted the Philadelphia Athletics from 1871 until 1875 during their stay in the National Association, and for one year when they joined the National League. Jefferson Street wasn't the first, or the last, home of the Athletics, or Phillies for that matter. Ballparks dotted the North Philadelphia area during this time, with one seemingly every few blocks. Recreation Park at 25th and Columbia (now Cecil B. Moore), served as the first home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Al Reach, credited by some as the first "professional" player, bought the Worcester Nationals and renamed them the "Phillies" after their new city

It has been a pretty interesting story to piece together, from the early game in the 1700's, to its emergence as a spectator sport (or literally, "pass-time"), to baseball today as "America's pastime." The history isn't the only important aspect of our story, though. We've also covered those who chronicle the past, with the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society. Maybe most important is the introduction of the "Play Ball" program by Michael Nutter, one of the many summer programs for children in the city. The program helps out neighborhoods by providing equipment, facility restoration and league formation. In giving Philadelphia's kids

a summer outlet like baseball, the city can build a bridge from the past to the present.

Cheers

Group 1

"Offering a hand up not a hand out" Group 8

With all the homelessness, drugs and prostitution there is in Kensington there is a man who accepted is calling to help and save those who want to be saved. We met a man name Pastor Vega who runs a center called Inter City missions on Front street. They help homeless people who may be on drugs or prostituting to get off the streets and turn their life around. Pastor Vega has saved over 1000 people and some kept up the good work and some have falling back into old habits. Pastor Vega goes to different parts of the city reaching out to people and praying with them everyday. He also has truck that he turned into a "mobile clinic" where they do general health care procedures and HIV/AIDS testing. He will continue with the mobile clinic starting this September. He is truly an angel sent.

South of South Street: Moving on Up

As the session winds down, most of us are taking what may be our last stroll through our neighborhoods. For me it felt like a second home because i was always there. When you walk through an area that you don't really know it can be a very tense situation. Simply because it could be a great experience or a scary horrible experience. Some residents can be coy and not want to give their insight of the neighborhood. But my group was fortunate to be welcomed with open arms. The residents of the area want to be heard and i feel like it is our duty and my priviledge to help them. If what we do as journalist whether it be multimedia print or on-air, if it helps one person then we can say we have done our jobs. Anywho there are so many wonderous things that we've found out about our neighborhood. The Turkish restaurant right in middle of the hood. Revitalization happening on every street. Center city is moving south and in a big way. Yesterday we learned that on the corner of Broad and Washington they are going to build a $30 million complex with a hotel restaurants and much more. Its so that they can try to expand and bring people into Philadelphia whether its living or visiting. Some Residents aren't to happy about the expansion. What did they say? Find out when the final projects are posted online.

Not Much of a Mansion- Group 2

Tuesday afternoon we went back into Strawberry Mansion looking to cover a story on housing in the community. We met with Beverly Hall, an elderly woman who owns and maintains two homes along 33^rd and Diamond streets. Hall spoke to group members for a previous story, so she recognized us as we walked up.

Before we could really ask her about her perspective on our housing statistics, she took us inside to show off her “mansions”. She explained the history of the buildings as mansions of centuries past, which she had bought to rent to individuals. She said Philadelphia city inspectors want her to maintain the structure and integrity of the buildings because of their history too. Then, our eyes were opened when she cheerfully led us inside to see the buildings. But her humble, good nature couldn’t hide the condition the home was in. There were tenants angered by her talking about the taxes and bills she owes the city, others sitting by the front porch and much of the house still in dire need of finished construction. The architecture of the houses was nice. Hall led us to the back area, through the barely lit hallways to the spiral stairway that ran three stories up. All I could think of was why doesn’t Ty and ABC’s Extreme Makeover Home Edition crew come through here…

Hall said many of the men who lived there, were given rooms in the building because of their carpentry and/or construction skills. Many of the men sat around as Hall said they don’t want to work without seeing money upfront, except for one younger male who she praised for his dedication to the building.

She later showed us into a room where a tenant just moved out and where one was living. The inside was very dark, with few windows and an unfinished floor. Walls were open with pipes that Hall complained about because the “men do the job the wrong way”. She believes she’s become quite knowledgeable in plumbing and construction and tries to direct the workers.

We left feeling bad for Ms. Hall and the work that she has to put in with her own funding to keep up two buildings in need of a ton of work. The workers don’t seem to take her serious and she could end up buried in fines from Philly’s Licenses & Inspections department due to unsightly conditions. Through all this you can tell she loves her homes and maintains a very positive attitude about their integrity. She loves the history and must really see the potential the homes have.

She did not allow us to take pictures because of the inspections and future construction. But probably looking forward to this construction and with a big smile, she let us go repeating, “It’ll get done, it’s going to get done.”

Mander Playground

At the corner of 33rd and Diamond streets is where Mander Playground is located. This park occupies a large portion of the block and is beautifully maintained. We entered the park and walked through the swing sets and past the two ceramic seals spraying water with a little girl jumping in the puddles, to get to a small yellow building. In front of the building, which is a community center, we ran into Gail B. Gail, a community outreach director for the East Park Revitalization Alliance. Gail was waiting for a meeting she had scheduled with a member of the community center, but in the mean time we chatted with her about her occupation and the revitalization alliance. I could not stop myself from continuously peering over her shoulder as she had her back facing a colorful and charming mural. When I acknowledged the artwork by Henry Bermudez (I spotted the artists name printed on the credits in the corner of the wall) Gail turned around, and we stood in awe at the beauty of it for a minute. Then, Gail motioned for us to follow her as she said, “Let me show you the rest of the artwork,” and laughed. She lead us to the other side of the building where the intricate art turned into what looked like a second grader could have painted it. Stars, trees, birds, ducks and rainbows were randomly placed and misshapen all over the wall. Not so much to my surprise, this portion of the mural was in fact, created by a second grader, a whole bunch of second graders and other kids of various ages from the neighborhood painted the mural on the backside of the building. The young artists are a part of an after school program provided by the community center. The artwork is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face and definitely worth noting as another highlight in Strawberry Mansion.

Army Recruiting and what have you

In our travels, we happened across this interesting sign. The building is located (I think? I'm not positive on the exact coordinates) at 24th and Lehigh streets in our neighborhood. It didn't look like much, considering the run-down appearance of the structure.

However, that's something we've learned in not taking the outward appearance for granted. There's a lot more to see than what you take back from a first impression.

It's sad to think about how the neighborhoods we're covering get overlooked. There's a lot to find and share walking through each area. Laura, Greg and I have been ruminating a bit about how we're going to miss having an excuse to just hang out in our neighborhood.

The last undertaking to drudge up information for our housing project afforded a few little snags, mostly due to my poor sense of direction. We went out looking for the community civic organization on Lehigh Avenue and I got the numbers of the address transposed and we ended up at the wrong location. Laura and I, instead, found ourselves at the community health center in the area and my misdirection gave the ladies manning the receptionist window a little chuckle.

After I thought I got the address correct, our walk continued and we happened across a five-person assembly with a card table and a rather lively game of Gin Rummy. From the card game, we continued our walk and found a sneaker spot that had a wide array of kicks. It was a rainbow smorgasbord of sneakers and there was even a substantial variety of choices for the little ones--ranging from plaid Ralph Lauren slip-ons to orange, red, blue, green high-top Chuck Taylors!

The venture out into our particular neighborhood has helped us to reassess our ideas about what makes a community rich. There's a lot to be said for the characters housed within and their efforts to make the best they can out of their community given the resources and mold it as much as to what they need as possible.

No Hurricane, Just Filth

Group 9: Nicole Kelly, Matt LaPadula, Keith Bellomo


After hearing about the evacuation of the Lindley Court Apartments in Logan, I decided to go see for myself if anything was being done to house the 200 residents and get the complex back up and running.
As I walked around the building, I nodded to the guards watching the doors for trespassers. A group of people was being escorted out of the building after collecting a few more of their belongings from the soon-to-be boarded up building. Several contractors were milling about the building tossing around plans for rehab and waiting for the "OK" to begin reconstruction.

At one point, a young black man approached me and asked if I was with the news, and if so, I should try to do something about what's going on here. He divulged to me that he is one of the many who were put out of a home. He and his "Grandmom" are now staying around the corner in a room that was offered to them when they were evacuated. He asked if I had a bottle of water to give him, which I did.
After asking around from a few more people that were milling about the building and chatting with the guards, I learned that many of the residents had complained to the landlord of the unsanitary conditions of the buildings. "The hallways," said one passerby, "reeked of urine and the whole place was infested with rodents and bugs."

Walking around the building, I noticed many missing doors and broken windows on the upper floors as well as along the sidewalk. One of the broken windows may have made way for one of the intruders who store the copper piping. I'm very interested in talking to more of the residents who were living in this building and finding out what the plans are for rehab. This incident just shows that it doesn't take a hurricane to put people out of their homes. Simple neglect by the landlord and lack of respect of the facilities by those who live was enough in this case.

Honey From The Hood

Very few people assume that there are gardens and farms in Kensington partially because of its neighborhood economic struggles. Even though the signs of poverty such as project houses, polluted roads with food waste and crushed news papers and a large number of financially-challenged households, exist almost every single corner, some grocery farms are becoming prosperous by providing locally-raised fresh vegetables and fruits, and one of them is Greensgrow. Greensgrow occupies almost a whole block on Cumberland Street. The particular block is filled with full of greens. This vivid green makes the farm’s existence stand out from any other brown and exhausted lands on the same street. One way of visiting this site is to take a 39 bus from York-Dauphin station. After ten minutes of ride, people will find a distinct sign that says “Greensgrow.”Originally two pioneers cultivated an abundant soil and changed it to a promising land that local store owners and residents appreciate for its by-products. The renovation of the ground took close to two years, but the result was breathtaking. What was covered by weeds and branches is now a canvas, painted by red, yellow and green. Greensgrow functions as a profit farm even though it is under the operation of a non-profit organization. It accepts both credit cards and cash for any items on the farm. “Everything is fresh, including herbs and flowers,” said a regular. “This place is nothing like Kensington, very peaceful, clean and alive.”

Calcutta House

From the first visit to our neighborhood, two buildings stood out significantly in Group 11’s section of Ridge Avenue. They both have an interpretive design on the exterior that depicts ocean waves and the sun’s rays rising above. The metal signs read: “Calcutta House.”

(Left) 1601 W. Girard Ave.

(Right) 1221 N. 19th St.

Calcutta House’s locations are exclusive to our neighborhood, and with reason. Surrounded by the zip codes of Philadelphia that is most populated with people living with the virus, Calcutta serves as a facility for homeless people with full-blown AIDS.

For some history, the original Calcutta House opened 21 years ago in West Philadelphia. In July 1996, the facility was relocated to North Philadelphia. The number of adults living with AIDS has been on the rise, but this topic received the most attention in 1997 when studies became more popular, and shortly after Calcutta House changed locations. During this time, injected drug use was among the most common ways that people became infected with HIV. Drug use was also a major problem of our neighborhood, which is due to the reason for the chance in locations.

The original Calcutta House, 45th and Walnut

Being the only facility of its kind in this particular area, there is an ever-growing waiting list for those with AIDS to be admitted, resulting in recent plans for an expansion. There are currently two locations – one is at 1600 block of Girard Avenue, and the other is on the 1200 block of North 19th Street. Residents receive their own bedroom, nursing, nutritional and psychosocial support, as well as emotional guidance through programs for drug and alcohol use. With no active family of their own, the staff of nurses, social workers, directors and volunteers plays the role of a family.

Both buildings are full to capacity with 31 residents, but there is a waiting list right now of approximately 60 people.

So now, Calcutta House is preparing to expand in North Philadelphia. There is a board that is in the process of making two new facilities.

One of these will be a personal care home, similar to the current facilities. There will be individual bedrooms, a kitchen, game room and an outside area for the residents – all are structured with the goal to help them learn to live independently.

There are also plans to open another facility exclusively for women and children. There would be apartments available to keep families together, in situations where one or both parents have AIDS.

The board plans on making a decision in regards to these new locations by 2009.

-Group 11

Logan Residents Left Without a Home

City officials evactuated 200 residents from Lindley Court Apartments, an 80-unit apartment complex in Logan, Philadelphia Saturday night.

The complex, located at 1300 Lindley Avenue, closed after residents filed complaints of having no water to their dwellings. Apparently, thieves ripped about 35 feet of copper plumbing lines from the complex to resell because of copper's high trade in value. Copper is becoming increasingly expensive due to its limited supply.

After the Department of Licenses and Inspection investigated, officials also found dumpsters overflowing with garbage, proving unsanitary living conditions. L&I ordered the evacuation, and fortunately, Red Cross provided some hotel accomodations for about 37 families.

L&I officials also ordered the complex owners to make repairs.

Businesses in Kensington

Kensington’s businesses and their local customers are working with each other to maintain a healthy living environment and rebuild a community plagued with drugs and blight.
The friendliness and quaint atmosphere that exudes from Golden Sunrise Restaurant is what makes this business stand out in the Kensington community.
Golden Sunrise Restaurant is a tiny nook on the 2900 block of Kensington Avenue. Owned by Rejep Sayan, who likes to be known as ‘R.J.’, this place of business is a gem to a downtrodden neighborhood. R.J. took over ownership of the restaurant officially in 2002 from his father. Golden Sunrise has been in R.J.’s family since 1992, but the restaurant itself has existed since 1974. Having a large amount of regular customers, Golden Sunrise serves breakfast and lunch 7a.m.-4p.m., seven days a week. Its small size is not an issue, with R.J., who claims that the size is what makes the restaurant work. “It’s small enough that one man can run this. It’s easy to control,” says R.J. It must be since he not only owns the restaurant, but is one of the only people that cook, as well.
There is a wide range of comfort food available at Golden Sunrise, ranging from eggs and pancakes to cream-chipped beef. R.J. acknowledged the biggest seller on his menu. “People love the combo specials. There’s one that’s two pancakes, two eggs and either two pieces of bacon or sausage for $3.99.” By keeping his prices low, he believes it really benefits the community and keeps his clientele happy, as well.

Nigel Collins has been coming to the café in the span of time of three ownerships. He appreciates the business because of its quality of service. “You come in, sit down, order and the food comes out really quick,” says Nigel. What makes Golden Sunrise stand out from the other neighborhood restaurants, to Nigel, are the friendly employees that greet him every time he comes in. “The people here make the business,” he says. Nigel’s favorite dish: “I like sausage, biscuits and gravy.”
‘Diverse’ would be the word to describe the eclectic décor of Golden Sunrise, who’s capacity only holds a few booths against the wall and a couple of counter seats that border the register. The old, cheap décor was discovered at a thrift store down the block from the café by R.J. and his family. Primarily consisting of old paintings and model ships, there is one piece of decoration that stand apart from the rest because of how uniquely beautiful it is.

The growth of business, though, is a long-term benefit for the customers who need these low-cost businesses to survive, and for the businesses that are trying to reform the neighborhood of Kensington.

A Place of Faith and Hope - Group 5 Reports

Places of worship are great places to get a pulse of communities they are in. For the past few weeks we curiously walked by The First Presbyterian Church of Germantown on Chelten Avenue. With our time and energy focused on our other stories we never got the chance to find out what the church was all about, but today we did. We got the chance to speak with someone who does have a pulse on the church and on the Germantown community.

Eileen Jones, Director of Urban Ministry, has worked at the church for 21 years now. Those 21 years are only a small history of the church which will be celebrating its 200th Anniversary next year. Those 21 years however are not small in their impact. One of her roles involves running and organizing the Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry. The program has a food cupboard, offers small grants for people struggling economically, gives information to the unknowing, and offers a friend to talk to.

Jones, a Mount Airy native, loves Germantown and fondly remembered the Germantown of her youth. "This was such a very vibrant shopping district, so I've known this area my whole life." She doesn't believe the change in the community was due to white flight and cites the diversity of Germantown and of her congregation which she says is about "fifty-fifty" in terms of whites and blacks.

People are joined together in faith and also in service. The Crisis Ministry helps people with or without faith. Jones, calls herself a, "Baptist, working at a Presbyterian Church, with a Pentecostal preference." She runs into people without faith and some even blame God for their struggles. She actually relishes when those moments arise and said, "We're not going to help them because of their faith, we're helping you because of ours. We're called to do this."

It is that calling that fuels Jones' energy and keeps the Crisis Ministry running and expanding. She now runs a summer day camp for about 50 young people in the community. The kids usually come from working parents who cannot afford to send their children to other camps and programs. Jones believes in the importance in giving a helping hand and hope to those who need it most. "As Germantown is strengthened," she says, "that branches out to the surrounding communities." The pulse of the community is strong, and the church, Jones, and the Crisis Ministry are a big reason why.

Fairhill: Group 4

This week in Fairhill we started exploring environmental issues in the neighborhood. In Fairhill, where only 25 percent of the residents have a high school degree, it is a community effort to combat ignorance and seek higher education about green issues.

I attended a workshop at the Lillian Marrero Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia focused on informing residents about recycling issues, sustainability and neighborhood beautification.

The seminar, entitled “Help the Environment”, was hosted by Eva Burrell, Community Outreach Specialist for the Philadelphia Department of Streets. The program was free and attendees received a free recycling bin (myself included).

As of May 5, bi- weekly recycling was newly available to over 150,000 households in North Philadelphia, Fairhill included. Recycling is single stream, and any resident is welcome to participate. Single stream recycling is a term indicating that all glass, metal, plastic containers #1 and #2 and paper are combined. Bi-lingual postcards have been mailed directly to each affected residence with clear instructions.

The Department of Street’s guidelines are easy. Simply have recyclables “clean, dry and empty.” Remove lids from bottles, dispose of plastic liners and empty and flatten cardboard boxes.

The “Help the Environment” program expanded on these simple guidelines, and gave additional information on how to beautify your neighborhood.

“People need to see that they are in charge of their own neighborhood,” Burrell says. “What we do will change the streets for our children.”

Handouts were available with information on how to have potholes and street signs fixed and where to dispose of tires, hazardous waste and cut grass.

Some guidelines I didn’t expect to hear suggested that residents approach local squatters and ask them not to put fecal matter in buckets out for trash collection. The waste can splash onto workers and make unsanitary working conditions.

Michelle Leverett-McMillian, Clerk II at the City of Philadelphia Recycling Office, said, “Get your drug dealers involved. They are your eyes and ears to the neighborhood weather you like it or not. Until things change the reality is that they are part of the community too.”

Leverett-McMillian suggested getting the drug dealers and guys on the corner to put their beer bottles in recycling bins instead of smashing them to improve neighborhood conditions and set a good example.

While our group might not approach the local drug dealers about neighborhood beautification, we are hoping to get involved with the sanitation department. We’ve contacted a Sanitation Department Officer who gives out fines, warnings, and advices for incorrect recycling in Fairhill, and are awaiting permission to shadow her.

Fairhill has had curbside recycling available for almost two months, and we are curious to find out how well the neighborhood is recycling thus far.

Our Brewerytown Experience, Then and Now

From Stephanie Adams:

Our group has not yet begun working on the final project, but we have some ideas. The Philadelphia Athletics played some of the first organized baseball games in the city on neighborhood playgrounds, and we’re planning on researching the ties to Brewerytown. In addition to this, we will be discussing Mayor Nutter’s “Play Ball” program, which helps out communities to restore fields, get equipment and organize leagues. Our articles, pictures, and broadcast story will revolve around these ideas.
Earlier in the week, the entire group crowded into Bob Seabury’s row home in Fairmount. Bob offered us iced tea and allowed us to make ourselves comfortable in his cozy living room. As he spoke confidently about his determination to bring a supermarket to the Brewerytown-Fairmount area, I gazed around the room, fascinated. The walls are covered in various forms of artwork; the furniture is draped with heavy blankets. A huge CD collection is almost concealed by the clutter in one corner. I don’t know what I was expecting before we entered the house, but it certainly wasn’t this. Something about the disorder made me like Bob immediately.
Bob detailed his mission with the West Girard Supermarket Coalition. They are in the process of trying to bring in a new supermarket at either 27th Street and Girard Avenue or 31st Street and Girard Avenue. The area has not had a market since the Shop-n-Bag closed nearly 10 years ago, and Bob believes that a supermarket is critical to keeping Philadelphia residents healthy. When only fast food and TV dinners are available, Bob says, residents are not getting the nutrition they need.
The passion Bob feels for his cause is obvious. That, coupled with his friendly smile and hospitable nature, left the group hoping that he and his coalition will be able to make their dream a reality.

Group 1
Steph, Andy and Eric

Group 10

The barbecue sauce has finally been washed off the fingers. My hands don’t smell like crab anymore (thanks to a Red Army moving through Germany-level assault on my hands with what I can only assume was industrial soap) and my throat no longer feels like I swallowed an inverted pincushion. Our culinary trip, or at least our extensive, focused, deliberate effort to eat, eat and eat more, within the Olney and Logan neighborhoods is over, and I for one enjoyed it almost as much as I enjoyed the food.

It’s as easy as it is common to talk about the food of a place and use it as a barometer of culture, to throw around broad-sweeping, ambiguous phrases that elude only to a knowledge of some 60’s sociology-vocab (‘socio-economic reflection’ et. al are as clunky as they are unhelpful) is viewed by far too many people as an easy way to get to the heart of a people without actually getting to the heart of them.

And while we’d be remiss to mention that we did the same thing in a way, our goal with an ‘eating different food’ was not some half-hearted attempt to try to better understand the neighborhood we were covering. It was never to uncover whatever truths about the harmonious existence of the multitude of cultures that people claimed they were receiving by doing similar projects brought them- I think what made our quality of life so enjoyable, and dare I say it, culturally enlightening, was that our motives were purely superficial- like Hamlet’s play, our mindset was always that the food was the thing, any perspective gained is a casualty of curiosity.

But we did learn something other than chicken when smoked for a long period of time is so soft that it practically melts in your mouth; I’m almost ashamed to admit it, but contrary to everything I just said, it’s time for some community reflections by way of food.

Olney and Logan are first and foremost working class neighborhoods. More than 90% of the properties in the neighborhoods are residential. The houses are not ornate, the cars are several years old but well maintained, visually and the streets have minimal litter. It’s not as ethnic as South Philadelphia, as gaudy as Northern Liberties or as pretentious as what Kensington seems to be turning into. I can’t keep the notion out of my head that Olney and Logan are the neighborhoods that the 21^st century mindset forgot- they’re blessed with 21^st century advances, but still maintain Leave it to Beaver-mindsets. You can see that in their food. It’s not the small plates of Jose Garces’ Tinto, for the first time in a very long time I could remember walking around, taking active notice of restaurants and not noticing anything Asian-fusion and no one eating there cares who is standing next to them in line or sitting two tables away.

The food is simple- there isn’t a reduction sauce to be seen in the place. Instead it’s a culinary tradition passed down through generations- you get the impression that the food someone cooked for you is the same food that their mom cooked for them. There are always less ingredients than more, the portions are always less is less and most places are cash only- and the cash is minimal: most meals, with drink, are less than $10.

Fairhill: Group 3

Robert Shabazz is the very definition of a renaissance man. He is an enthusiastic performer and instructor of music. He is an adept creator of wooden portraits, canes, and instruments. Shabazz also spends three hours of his morning picking up trash from the storefronts along Fifth Street. Ever since he moved his modest shop from Fifth and Dauphin to "El Centro De Oro" along Fifth and Lehigh, he has had a transformative influence on the community of Fairhill.

Twenty years ago, Shabazz stepped into a gallery full of African wood carvings and felt inspired to carve his own items. He began to whittle his way into family portraits and ancient African icons, encapsulating time and memories onto a piece of wood. He is renown for his unusual canes, each an homage to the natural world. "When you walk down the street with one of these," he says, staggering around the shop on a cane, "you get noticed."

In the back of his shop, Shabazz teaches music. He specializes in the conga and saxophone, employing other instructors for a variety of instruments. He teaches traditional rhythms to anyone who is willing to be taught, regardless of age or agility. His passion for percussion connects him with the close knit Latino community of Fairhill. "The Puerto Rican people, they have roots in Africa," says Shabazz. "There are lots of similarities in all their music. Throughout the Latin world, all of the rhythms they play come from Africa."

Shabazz is changing the face of Fairhill one morning at a time. Each day from nine am until twelve pm, he walks along Fifth Street scooping up the litter from the yellow sidewalk. HACE, the Hispanic Association of Contractors and Enterprises, pays Shabazz $10 per hour for his efforts. Shabazz maintains that the reward is not the money. When residents see him cleaning the street, it encourages them to do the same.

Trolley car pulls in the locals

When Kelly McCellum comes to the Trolley Car Diner in Mount Airy, she expects to see people from the neighborhood.
“It’s a community place. That’s just the type of place I think it is. I know a lot of people who come here,” said McCellum, who said when her husband is working nights, she visits the diner once a week.
“Every time we come, I see people I know. I don’t even come for the food, I just come here to meet with my friends. We planned a fundraiser from a booth here once. Plus, the kids like the mac and cheese,” said McCellum, a Mount Airy resident who has been coming to the diner since moving to the area six years ago.
Located on Germantown Avenue and Creshiem Valley Drive and as the only nearby diner in the neighborhood, many residents frequent the restaurant or get ice cream and water ice served out of the trolley car next door.
“When it opened, everyone was really excited about it. I could hardly get in because so many people came,” said Wyndmoore resident Dan Pickens, a Trolley Car regular.
Pickens said many residents feel a sense of gratitude to the diner for removing the blight that once stood at its Germantown Avenue location.
“Before it was the diner, it was a burnt out old Arby’s. It was an eyesore. It was closed down for years and years, a real blight on the community. We were happy not only to get a diner, but it was such a big renovation that it made everyone feel better about it. It was a great contrast, and now it’s a cool place and a nice place to have,” said Pickens.
Mount Airy Geoff Wagg has also been supporting the diner since it opened.
“When they were first building it, I couldn’t figure out what it was, so I kept coming around every couple of days to check, and then I came the day it opened,” said Wagg.
It may be that debt of gratitude that keeps the neighborhood residents supporting the diner in flocks, despite the grueling construction project that has been taking place in front of the Trolley Car Diner since January.
Business has been down 30 percent since the $17 million road renovation project on Germantown Avenue began, but co-owner Robert Mazaleski said the community support has kept the business running.
“I’ve been coming more often because I felt sorry for the Trolley Car Diner. We would go out of our way to come eat here, and we keep running into different people doing the same,” said Wagg.
Rachel Pickens, home for a summer vacation from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., was taking a moment spend some quality time with her dad eating ice cream.
“I love the architecture of the trolley. The aesthetics really attracts me because it’s fun to come here and see the trolley,” said 21-year-old Rachel Pickens. “There is not many places around here for the neighborhood to get reasonably priced ice cream. It brings the neighborhood together in the evenings.”

Group 6

Vietnamese South Philadelphia

Vietnamese South Philadelphia

Little is known about this banner and whether or not the intentions for the building have been properly approved by authorities, as the South Philadelphia community at large has not been informed about any of this. This sign appeared a couple of months ago when Tran Dinh Truong – a hotel operator in New York and the current richest Vietnamese person alive – bought the Frankford Chocolate Factory building and signs slowly and quietly began appearing on the building in certain places. The sign, one side in Vietnamese and the other in English, states that the New Vietnamese Center will be located at 21^st and Washington and will include “300 stores, markets and offices, with low rents, and no security deposits required.”

Whether or not this plan goes through, it’s obvious to anyone who walks through South Philly on Washington Avenue and the streets surrounding it that Philadelphia has a very large and underrepresented Vietnamese community. The reason that it’s probably so underrepresented and underreported on is that almost none of the people who live and work in this community speak English. For the most part, their patrons are fellow Vietnamese – and when English-speaking patrons come in, depending upon the store and its staff, one may be hard pressed to find anyone on staff who even speaks enough English to carry out regular business transactions. However, the fact that there’s a language barrier doesn’t mean that a place shouldn’t be reported on – so here we bring you a photo essay about Vietnamese Philadelphia.

Hoa Binh Plaza/Sieu Th Big 8 Supermarket








A taste of their vast selection of live seafood: crabs, lobster, various fish, frogs and water snakes.



Ying Phat Plaza



Another poster on the Frankford Chocolate Factory denoting important events in Vietnamese history

(All images photographed/edited by Chrissy Reese)