Mayor Michael Nutter helps cut the ribbon at the new Frankford Computer Center. Photo/Michelle Alton

With partners PhillyRising and Temple University, Frankford got a computer lab Friday.

The Frankford Community Development Corporation celebrated the grand opening with Mayor Michael Nutter, City Managing Director Rich Negrin and Manny Citron, PhillyRising’s Northeast coordinator. The CDC has been working with PhillyRising on several community improvement projects since the city brought the program to the neighborhood a year ago. continue reading »

An area of green space on Griscom Street adjacent to a vacant property. These areas are targets of the PhillyRising Collaborative in Frankford. Photo by Pamela Seaton.

This is the second of a two-part look at revitalization in Frankford. You can read the first part here.

In the early 20th century, Frankford was a bustling neighborhood. With a growing middle-class population, it attracted residents from throughout the tri-state area, many of whom shopped at the popular businesses on Frankford Avenue.

In the 1950s, however, it lost a large amount of its population due to a great number of Philadelphians moving to the suburbs. White flight became a major problem in the 1970s and by 1990, more than 30 percent of the storefronts on Frankford Avenue were vacant, with more becoming vacant as the years went by.

Janice McDuffy, a former resident of Frankford for more than 11 years, witnessed Frankford’s downslide firsthand.

“When I lived there as a kid, it didn’t seem so dirty and there weren’t so many abandoned houses and businesses,” McDuffy said. “On the block where I used to live, there are now two empty lots that used to be homes. People dump their trash there.”

“All of Frankford is dirty and filled with litter . . . it’s a mess,” McDuffy said.

McDuffy said she quickly realized that there was a lack of economic opportunity in Frankford and moved out of the neighborhood after graduating from college, pursuing a law degree and an acting career. She said she hopes her family can move out of Frankford as quickly as possible.

“They [her family] couldn’t open a business in the future, if they wanted to . . . just look at all of the vacancies on Frankford Avenue,” McDuffy said.

“I don’t know why Frankford has deteriorated so drastically, but it’s a shame.”

Fortunately for McDuffy’s family and other Frankford residents, a few local organizations in Frankford are working to revitalize the neighborhood, including the PhillyRising Collaborative, the Frankford Special Services District and the Frankford Community Development Corporation. continue reading »

Photo of the Market-Frankford Line by Kirsten Stamn

This is the first of a two-part look at revitalization efforts in Frankford.

For the residents of Frankford, neighborhood revitalization efforts are nothing new.

The once thriving historic community has fallen on hard times and has succumbed to blight in the past few decades, evidenced by the empty storefronts, the graffiti and trash that decorate the street, and the lack of pedestrians going out and buying wares from the local shops.

Business is not booming, that much is clear. But the bigger problem is no matter how many programs have come through the area, not much has changed for the people who still linger in the area.

“We’ve been going over this since the ‘80s,” said Gilbert Pons, owner of Gilbert’s Upholstery. “I hope there’s change.” continue reading »

The Frankford Haunted History Tour stops at the Grand Army Republic Museum and Library. Photo submitted by the Frankford CDC

From the Frankford CDC:

Frankford is full of history, but did you know some of it is haunted?

Last Saturday, the Frankford Community Development Corporation, Historical Society of Frankford, St. Mark’s Church, South Jersey Ghost Research, the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library, and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association organized a haunted history tour of Frankford. continue reading »

Northwood Civic Association President Barry Howell discusses the Frankford Y at the Sept. 20, 2011 meeting.

If action isn’t made on the historic Frankford Y, “it needs to be leveled before something awful happens there,” said Northwood Civic Association President Barry Howell Tuesday night.

“It is becoming dilapidated, and kids are starting to hang out there doing drugs and causing trouble,” Howell said at the civic group’s monthly meeting at St. James Church on Castor Avenue. “It won’t be long until someone breaks into the door and bad things are going to happen.”

continue reading »

Last week brought a major milestone to the Frankford Gazette.

Until now, the neighborhood publication has been online-only, like NEast Philly. But last week, the Gazette hit the streets of Frankford in print form.

As part of the PhillyRising effort in Frankford to bring the police, city departments and neighborhood organizations together, the Gazette is printing to keep neighbors without computer access informed. continue reading »

Dozens of volunteers helped spruce up three Frankford parks over the weekend for Philly Spring Cleanup. The Friends of Overington Park and Frankford CDC led the efforts, with help from Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez and State Rep. Tony Payton.

The Frankford Gazette has recaps of both events, which included cleaning and planting in Overington and Wilmot parks and the small park at Hedge and Orthodox streets.

Image courtesy of the Frankford Gazette

We’ve received word that Terry Tobin, former executive director of the New Frankford Community Y, has passed away. The Frankford Gazette has an obituary for Tobin, who also served on the Frankford CDC and Business Association boards.

His viewing and funeral will be held Monday, Jan. 10 at McCafferty Funeral Home at Frankford and Unruh avenues from 9 a.m. to noon.

This is the obituary that ran in the Inquirer:

TERRY P. on Jan. 4, 2011, age 67. Beloved husband of the late Linda. Loving Father of Tammy Reed (Joe) and Daniel M., Sr. (the late Joanne), devoted grand-father of Kevin, Mark, Michael, Jamie, Kelly, Walter, Joseph, Daniel, Jr. and Teresa, brother of Carol Hitchen (Barry) and Randy Tobin (Sharon). Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Long time president of Vogt C.A., Director of New Frankford Community Y, member of Rhawnhurst American Legion, Frankford H.S. Alumni as well as many other organizations. Relatives and friends are invited to his Viewing and Funeral on Monday Jan. 10, 2011 from 9 A.M.- 12 Noon at THE JAMES A. McCAFFERTY FUNERAL HOME, 6709-11 Frankford Ave. (at Unruh Ave.), 215-624-4200. Prayer Service 12 Noon in the Funeral Home. Interment Sunset Memorial Park.
Published in Philadelphia Inquirer & Philadelphia Daily News from January 6 to January 7, 2011

Theresa Hanas, main street manager of the Frankford CDC, will resign later this month. As the Frankford Gazette reports, the CDC will accept applications for her replacement in the role.

CORRECTION: We originally reported that Theresa Hanas is the managing director, when is fact, she is the main street manager. Our apologies for the confusion.

Al Taubenberger, president of the Greater Northeast Chamber of Commerce, says several business corridors in the region have not experienced decline during the economic fallout.

For Samuel Nalbandian, owner of Rising Sun Pizza in Lawncrest, the business is a way of life and the recession is nothing to worry about.

“For me, it’s been the same,” he said of business during the past several months. “It’s always good, as long as I’m here managing. The customers are satisfied.”

Nalbandian, who opened the pizza parlor in 1982, said while he did see a slight drop in business last year that he attributed to the recession, he doesn’t worry about the shop.

“I do worry for other people not having jobs when the economy is bad,” he said. “But as long as I do the right thing, I don’t worry [about the business].”

Like some owners throughout the Northeast’s many neighborhoods and myriad business corridors, Nalbandian is a small business owner lucky enough to skirt the worst of the decline, avoiding being hit as hard as other businesses, especially larger ones. While there are not concrete statistics for our region of the city specifically, in terms of the economy’s effect on the businesses, a consensus exists among owners and civic leaders that while the Northeast’s businesses were hit, they largely weren’t hit too hard, and will pull through and stay profitable. continue reading »