“It happened in the Bustleton section of the city.”

No, it didn’t.

NBC10 was on the 2800-block of Grant Avenue yesterday for a school bus crash. If you’ve never been to that part of Grant Avenue, it’s that non-resident stretch around Ashton Road  and its biggest claim to fame is the Northeast Airport. continue reading »

Ever hear of Grubtown? How about Comlyville or Harrisburg, Philadelphia?

All three are former names and nicknames for pockets of Northeast Philadelphia, and they’re included in the city’s database of Neighborhoods and Place Names.

The database is mentioned in a piece published by the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia about the city’s reputation for being a “city of neighborhoods.” continue reading »

Though it’s been more than “a week or so” since PennDOT said the new traffic lights at Ashton and Willits roads would be activated, the change has finally be made.

Left-turn lanes have been painted and green arrow lights have been installed to help keep traffic flowing during the Holme Avenue Bridge repairs. The bridge shut down unexpectedly in June, blocking off the chunk of Holme Avenue between the circle and Convent Avenue/Pennypack Street. continue reading »

A month after the Holme Avenue Bridge closed unexpectedly, residents and business owners are still handling the impromptu detours and increased traffic.

One of the busiest intersections, Ashton and Willits roads, has had new traffic lights installed to accommodate more lanes of traffic, but those lights remain dark and covered in plastic. We reached out to PennDOT to find out why.

“This was a time-saving measure so that once our traffic operation plans were finalized, the signals would be in place and ready to go,” Safety Press Officer Jennifer Robinson tells NEast Philly. “Due to the volume and complexity of traffic patterns in the area, our analysis of the revised traffic control plan has been taking a little longer.  Our signal experts have nearly completed their review, and we also are coordinating our plans with the city Streets Department.” continue reading »

What's left of the Holme Avenue Bridge as PennDOT works to repair it.

“The bridge failed.”

That’s the way PennDOT engineer Javier Salgveiro explained the recent closure of the Holme Avenue Bridge. Amid technical jargon about bridge decks, rebars and beams, Salgveiro, two other PennDOT employees and John Buckley of Buckley Construction explained why the bridge closed last Monday while crews were in the middle of repairs.

The topic brought about 40 people to last night’s Holme Circle Civic Association meeting, where the bridge was the only item on the agenda.

“Serious deterioration,” as seen in the photos below, means the bridge will be closed until Buckley and his crew can finish the repairs. The timeline is “before Christmas,” as Salgveiro put it. That’s the silver lining in what’s otherwise been a headache for residents as they navigate their way around the closure. Had the bridge remained open during repairs — as was originally planned — work would have gone on until mid-2012.
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For the second time in the last year, Stop & Shoop market at Ashton and Willits roads has been burglarized. As CBS3 reports, two thieves used a crowbar to enter the store over night. continue reading »

Three men invaded an Ashton Road home Friday night, making off with a TV.

Reports say the men entered a home on the 9400-block of Ashton Road just after 11 p.m. Monday, and demanded money from the resident. The resident pulled out a kitchen night to try to defend himself, but was injured when the knife broke. Finding no money, the intruders left with a TV in their burgundy vehicle.

The suspects have no been identified.

The early morning scene of a watermain break off Holme Avenue at Willits Road. Photo Courtesy of CBS3.

Maintenance crews were called yesterday after a watermain broke on Willits Road just above Holme Avenue near the Academy Gardens/Holme Circle border.

The break happened around 6 a.m., and while crews were able to repair the break, the water flow turned the intersection into a sheet of ice. NEast Philly staffers reported the street was still closed at 11 a.m.

This is the third break break in the area in the last six months; the first happened in July, just one block away, and a second occurred in October just a few blocks away at Willits and Ashton roads.

Action News must have been in a rush last week to get a story together about an eight inch watermain break on Willits Road near Holme Circle, because the report that appeared on the Web site had two major location errors.

The writer reported the break happened in Torresdale, then went on to say it occurred on the 2800-block of Willits Street. Willits Street doesn’t exist, but if did, wouldn’t be in Torresdale, since the block intersects with Ashton Road, a good distance from the rough Academy Gardens/Torresdale borders.

Once again, speed takes precedence over accuracy, and the Northeast takes a hit.

Outside media don’t care about the Northeast. We have all seen them misuse, misspell and mistake our neighborhoods and our streets, so we at NEast Philly wanted to do something about it. When they get it wrong, we set it right in a segment we like to call Right NEast/Wrong NEast.

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Multiple homes are without water pressure, and others have several feet of water inside them after a watermain broke on the 2800-block of Willits Road near Ashton Road in the Holme Circle area.

Two houses were evacuated as crews tried to repair the damage on the heavily-traveled street.