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 saw a house around the corner in my neighborhood, Bells Corner, that was for sale last week but it is not anymore because the sign is gone. My son is looking for a house, and I am thinking that would be a great house for him. How can I find out about buying it if the owners still want to sell?

A: Just because you see that the sale sign is gone does not always mean that house did not sell. Some real estate brokerages add the “sold” riders on their sign when it is sold. Some add “sale pending” riders to their sign when the sale is pending. But others do not proclaim a property “sold” or “pending” and do not add any riders, but simply remove the sign when it’s time. continue reading »

Q: Please give me good news. I really want know about the market in Northeast Philly  19152 zip code. If there is good news, I might be able to sell my house. It has been on and off the market for a couple years with no luck.

A:  Location, condition, price. Those are the three things that motivate a buyer to buy a particular home. And, for the right price, any home in any location or condition can be sold. continue reading »

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 »

The Stella site plan. See full documents at the end of this article. Image/Columbus Property Management

Documents related to this story are embedded at the bottom of the article. The Holme Circle Civic Association stuck fliers in about 1,200 doors advertising Wednesday night’s meeting as part of a renewed effort to grow the membership.

It worked. The line to sign into the meeting was out the door as HCCA board members scurried to add more chairs to the St. Jerome School hall to accommodate the roughly 200 people who attended the meeting.

They were there to talk about The Stella, the affordable housing units planned for the old convent on the Nazareth Hospital property at 2723 Holme Ave. When the HCCA last met in November, Columbus Property Management shared plans to turn convent into 44 affordable housing units for veterans. 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 »

Plans for affordable housing for vets was the topic at a crowded Holme Circle Civic Association meeting Nov. 28. Photo/Shannon McDonald

“This meeting is going to pot.”

It was 8:49 p.m. Wednesday and Holme Circle residents had just spent nearly two hours listening to details of a plan to convert the old Sisters of Nazareth convent into affordable housing. The soon-to-be property owners had trickled out and residents had begun to carry on sidebar conversations as Holme Circle Civic Association President Joe Razler called everyone back to order.

It had been a long two hours, as residents asked repeated questions about the project – which does not need a zoning variance – that the four representative from Columbus Property Management struggled to answer effectively.

The convent is adjacent to but separate from Nazareth Hospital at 2723 Holme Ave. The hospital president will address the plan at the next HCCA meeting in January, but told residents last night, “we have nothing to say about it.”

But Holme Circle residents, joined by representatives from the Ashton Square and Winchester Park civic associations, had plenty to say. Namely, they were concerned about CPM’s inability to guarantee that the 44 new housing units will be reserved for veterans. continue reading »

Pennsylvania SPCA Humane Law Enforcement Officers are executing a search warrant and removing dozens of animals from a house on the 1900-block of Emerson Street in Rhawnhurst, according to PSPCA spokeswoman Wendy Marano.

“Officers have removed 15 cats so far, and are in the process of removing additional animals from the property including dogs and cats,” she said in a media alert filed at 3 p.m. continue reading »

Two emaciated horses were found tied to a fence Wednesday at Seventh and Diamond Streets in Northeast Philadelphia.

Sound wrong to you, too? That’s what Fox29 reported. continue reading »

The Serviceberry tree is one of eight species TreePhilly offers residents. File photo/Jennifer Klimowicz

Philadelphia’s Department of Parks & Recreation is winding down the application period its TreePhilly program, and two Northeast neighborhoods are part of its target.

Frankford and Morrell Park are part of the handful of neighborhoods singled out for their need of trees. They –  along with West Oak Lane, Tioga, Old Kensington, South Philadelphia, Whitman and Haddington – have the most tree canopy needs and are in the Philadelphia Water Department’s combined sewer-overflow area.