Upper Holmesburg residents study Holy Family University's early plans for the redevelopment of Liddonfield. Photo/Shannon McDonald

Of the 20 proposals awaiting consideration from the Philadelphia Housing Authority, the one from Holy Family University for the redevelopment of Liddonfield has the support of the Upper Holmesburg community.

If it wasn’t the speeches from Sr. Francesca Onley of HFU, 6th District Councilman Bobby Henon, developer John Parsons, Upper Holmesburg Civic Association President Stan Cywynski or UHCA board member Paul DeFinis, it was the applause and cheers from the 50-plus residents in attendance that proved the neighborhood is ready for a change.

Planning for Liddonfield’s future began early last year when the UHCA started working with the Philadelphia City Planning Commission to revitalize the neighborhood according to Philadelphia2035 goals.

“We were very practiced in our process, and that just may be our saving grace,” DeFinis said of his hopes that the effort Upper Holmesburg has made will be enough for the PHA.

With the help of politicians at the city, state and federal levels; a petition 4,000 signatures long; and support from the Holmesburg, Holme Circle, East Torresdale, Tacony and Morrell Park civic associations; the UHCA now waits to hear if the PHA will enter an agreement with Holy Family.

If that’s the case, John Parsons of BSI Construction (Island Green Country Club), outlined what he stressed are conceptual plans his development company has for the Liddonfield property at Torresdale Avenue and Megargee Street. continue reading »

Photo/Philadelphia Police

Police have issued an arrest warrant for the man they believe is responsible for a fatal New Year’s Day shooting in Frankford.

North Philadelphia resident Christopher Johnson was involved in a car crash with Frankford resident Gerald Market and then chased Market to the 4100-block of Orchard Street. continue reading »

First of all, CBS3, 19124 is not Mayfair.

Somehow every news outlet in Philadelphia but you managed to determine that Large and Pratt streets intersect in Northwood.

Not Mayfair.

So when a 10-year-old was hit by a car after school, and CBS rushed to alert everyone that a Mayfair child had been struck, parents in that neighborhood had to scramble to account for their kids. continue reading »

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 »

The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will get the small screen treatment next month, and don’t be surprised if the Northeast makes an appearance.

National Geographic’s WILD channel will debut its “Philly Undercover” series Jan. 7, but tickets for a special screening Jan. 5 are on sale now.

The six-part series will go undercover with the PSPCA’s Humane Law Enforcement officers as they investigate and break up cases of animal hoarding, dog fighting and cockfighting. continue reading »

We did a little consulting before running this one, worried we’re being too hard on news outlets that appear not to own maps or computers.

But friends in the neighborhood and the local media told us to persevere. A mistake is a mistake, after all, and we’ve corrected this one multiple times.

It’s the curious case of Frankford, in which large media outlets apply their lack of neighborhood knowledge to news reports by calling places Frankford. 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 »

Toy drive photo by Flickr user tyner_slay

Two toy drives will benefit Frankford this holiday season, and you can begin dropping items off now.

Sen. Christine Tartaglione has announced her Toys for Tots collection for her constituents, including Frankford residents. Anyone wishing to donate a toy can drop it off between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at Tartaglione’s offices, including the one at 1061 Bridge St. continue reading »

Father Judge had a hazmat situation earlier this week. Which means mainstream media just discovered the school and tried to figure out what neighborhood it’s in.

That’d be Holmesburg. You know, where there are Holmesburg flags flying from telephone poles.

Kudos to our reader Mark Hanna, who spotted Fox29′s ridiculous error. The large media outlets jumped all over this story (were they there Thanksgiving week when Judge students helped break ground on a renovation project at Ramp playground?) Maybe spending some time in Holmesburg outside of the hazmat situation and methadone clinic might help. continue reading »