The Rhawnhurst NORC recently worked with the Hunger Coalition to distribute assistance information to those who need it. Photo/Shanice Richardson

Northeast Philadelphia has many different programs that help members of the community in different ways. T

wo programs that are relatively new to the area are Heart to Heart, run through the Klein JCC in Somerton, and the Rhawnhurst Naturally Occurring Retirement Community. Both programs are designed to help families that may be in the “fringes of society” in one way or another. continue reading »

Q: I really want to buy a home in the Northeast but the absolute most I can afford is $100,000. I really don’t want a fixer-upper or anything that “needs TLC.” What can I get for that price and where should I be looking?

A:  In the Multiple Listing Service Trend, there are 268 homes listed for sale today in Northeast Philadelphia for $100,000 and under. Out of those homes, there are 116 active listings that are noted as “Average +” continue reading »

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s office has filed charges against a Castor Gardens man for lying about a home invasion and the circumstances of his wife’s death.

Judith Hartdegen, 74, died Monday in the couple’s home on the 6700-block of Castor Avenue. Her husband Lou, 75, who suffered injuries, told police they couple had been victims of a home invasion perpetrated by a neighbor.

Police announced Tuesday that Lou Hartdegen had later confessed to killing his wife during an argument. Hartdegen is charged with murder, possession of an instrument of crime, abuse of a corpse, false reports, unsworn falsifying and aggravated indecent assault. He is being held without bail.

Castor Gardens residents cleaned up Max Myers Rec Center during the 2012 Philly Spring Cleanup. Photo/Michelle Alton

Is there a spot in your neighborhood that needs cleaning?

For those looking to volunteer, the Philly Spring Cleanup website has the full list of sites for the annual citywide clean-up event.

All cleanups scheduled for Northeast Philadelphia will be posted here, below. The clean-up day is April 13. continue reading »

Michael Palumbaro holds his cat Lucky in his home in Oxford Circle. His pets, he says, keep his spirits up and contributed to his survival. NewsWorks Photo/Emma Lee

By 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, half of HIV-positive Americans will be 50 or older.

As better drugs keep HIV patients alive longer, patients and healthcare providers must juggle treating the virus and the host of other chronic illnesses that come with aging. continue reading »

Image/Online-Utility

Castor Gardens is taking steps to prevent an issue many Northeast neighborhoods deal with – truck parking.

The large trucks parked on residential streets that block views and act as an eyesore are a perennial problem brought up at civic association meetings, including the Take Back Your Neighborhood meetings in Castor Gardens. continue reading »

In a housing market where nobody has been able to predict for certain when a real estate recovery will take place locally, Northeast Philadelphia’s number of units sold actually increased in 2012.

Sure, we took a few hits in sale price over the past several years in many of our neighborhoods with short sales and foreclosures at an all time high, but does this increase in sales mean are the Northeast is finally poised for recovery? continue reading »

Two Castor Gardens residents are among Temple University students awarded scholarships. Photo/Temple University

Carlos Denos and Lauren Lam, residents of Castor Gardens, each received a surprise $12,000 scholarship earlier this month from Temple University.  They’re both second-year students and are studying Sport and Recreation Management and Tourism and Hospitality Management, respectively. continue reading »

In less than 24 hours, a business was damaged and two people were killed in separate accidents along two very different parts of Bustleton Avenue.

Charges were filed Wednesday against 33-year-old Mayfair resident Robert Bregenzer. His bail is set at $500,000 and he’s due in court in two weeks for DUI, homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, simple assault and reckless endangerment of another person charges [updated Nov. 14, 3 p.m.]. continue reading »

Image/ Philadelphia City Planning Commission

There are two weeks left to comment on the draft plan for the Lower Northeast Planning District.

Presented at an August open house, the plan lays out long- and short-term goals for transportation, greenways, public health and other neighborhood factors in Frankford, Northwood, Summerdale, Lawncrest, Oxford Circle and part of Castor Gardens.

The comment period began in late August following a presentation to the City Planning Commission, and will close Oct. 1. Comments should be sent to ian.litwin [AT] phila [DOT] gov.