Traveling to the Northeast seems to get simpler, yet more difficult with each trip. For one, it is easier because I have now grown accustomed to the train ride on the El to Frankford Ave. Transportation Terminal and then transferring over to a bus to take me to my final destination. However, due to the fact that the Northeast contains more than thirty neighborhoods, I find myself somewhere new each time, in what seems to be the middle of nowhere.
This week I wound up in Holmesburg at Pennypack Park, which runs nine miles and covers more than 1,300 acres. The park follows alongside Pennypack Creek, named after the Lenne Lenape Indian word for slow moving water. Part of the Fairmount Park Commission, it was established in 1905 to guarantee protection of the creek and its surrounding land.
Walking along the trail off of Ashburn Rd, I was in awe of the beauty in the park. The water flowed serenely while pedestrians and cyclists went up and
down the path, some stopping to stare at the beautiful scenery. Besides hiking and biking, I later found out that other popular activities at Pennypack Park included picnicking, fishing and horseback riding.
Residents of Northeast Philadelphia seemed to love the park not only for its nice touch of greenery in the middle of an urban city, but because it gave them a place to connect with nature as well as relax a bit. I came in contact with several cyclists riding their bikes and taking advantage of the nice weather, and most were doing it for fun and exercise. I also came across an old couple who were enjoying a nice walk together and a mother who had taken her children out for an afternoon away from the televisions and computer.
One man said he came down to the park everyday before work to prepare for his day. And indeed, as I completed my stroll along the trail and made my way to return to the bus stop, I felt calm and ready to take on the rest of the day's challenges.
-Christeen Vilbrun and Sean Supplee, Group 20, Northeast Philly
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