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 »

Ryan Director of Admissions Pam McPeak discusses the school's shadow program with students, junior Christopher Gatton (left) and freshman Julio Polanco (center).

Patrick Boylan and Tom McGowan, both juniors at Northeast Catholic High School, would have ruled the school as seniors next year – McGowan as a National Honor Society member ranked fifth in his class and Boylan as a legacy student, following his father, grandfather, uncles and older brothers by attending the school.

Now, both Boylan and McGowan will find themselves adapting to new schools for senior year, after the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced plans to close Northeast Catholic, opened in 1926 on the border of Frankford and Kensington, and Cardinal Dougherty High School, opened in 1956 in Olney, at the end of the academic year due to waning enrollment.

“When I first heard North was closing, I was really mad,” McGowan, who is enrolled at Father Judge High School for next year, said. “I was mad that this announcement came out of nowhere and I was even more upset that North was closing a year before my senior year. I was confused because I didn’t know where I was going to go next year and what was going to happen with my scholarship.” continue reading »

Inside the Excel Academy South in Northwood, Executive Director Milton Alexander stands with Stephanie Buca and a select group of the interviewed honor students. Photo by Maria Konidaris.

Jamirca Delacruz dropped out of Frankford High School. Sarae White was struggling academically. Brandon Ausborne was simply not attending a high school at all.

All three chose to attend the newest Camelot School, Excel Academy South, which opened this year on the grounds of Friends Hospital at Roosevelt Boulevard and Adams Avenue.

“I didn’t want to stay home and not graduate and be a failure,” Ausborne said.

continue reading »

Mayfair CDC Executive Director Brian Patrick King mentions some of the politicians who've helped the organization.

UPDATE [March 9] — Flash portion added.

For Kim Wilson and her 5-year-old daughter Marian, the STARS Program housed in Mayfair’s John M. Perzel Community Center provides a support system for facing the struggles of a disability.

“When you get a diagnosis for your child, there’s a whole process you go through in coming to terms with the diagnosis,” Wilson, whose daughter has been diagnosed with mild autism, a severe articulation disorder and a sensory integration dysfunction, said. “But then you also find out that there is this larger community of families going through that same process. Part of what STARS did for us was learning that we weren’t alone in what we were going through.”

Now, STARS, a sports program for disabled children, and more than 50 other groups that call the state-of-the-art John M. Perzel Community Center home, are facing possible program cuts, increases in fees or even facility shut downs due to recent and projected state funding cuts. continue reading »

Photo by Jennifer Reardon

The Heavy Hitta’s Boxing Club, located at 6000 Rising Sun Ave. in Lawncrest, had a boxing exhibition and gospel performance Tuesday night.

The newly formed boxing club was hoping to showcase its boxers and advertise its new club to the Lawncrest locals — all while supporting a good cause.

Chief Executive Officer Rick Terrell, 35, and his right-hand man, Chief Operating Officer Lonnie Haile, 42, met and started the club back in July 2009.   continue reading »

Mayfair Memorial Playground -- on Lincoln High School's property -- remains unused for now.

Mayfair Memorial Playground – chained shut, empty and littered – doesn’t appear to be anything more than the reputation it has in Mayfair – a place for teenagers to get into trouble.

The Mayfair Civic Association hopes to transform the small park, dedicated to fallen firefighter John Redmond, into a family playground. One major obstacle — the $50,000 price tag for new equipment — stands in the association’s way.

“Right now we’re at $2,500,” said Joe DeFelice, president of the civic association. “We need to get to $50,000. You’d be surprised how much playground equipment costs.” continue reading »

Let us preface this by saying how great NEast Philly’s relationship with MURL is. For the past two semesters, we’ve had a total of six students from Temple University’s Multimedia Urban Reporting Lab working with us, exploring the region, and helping us cover the Northeast.

And while we love the idea of sending student journalists out to unfamiliar neighborhoods, this is the second time said students have included Fairhill in the Northeast. (Other infractions have included Fishtown and Port Richmond). continue reading »

At the intersection of Cottman and Frankford avenues, high atop the street pole is a well-defined white police box that records daily activity.

Originally put up for safety reasons during the Phillies’ World Series before-and-after parties, the surveillance camera was used to aid the police in monitoring any suspicious or harmful conduct that the fans might have tried during the games.

To warn participants that they are being filmed, a constant, flashing blue strobe light pulses just above the white box.

Surprising news came to many Mayfair residents after the baseball season ended and they were told at their town watch meeting that the camera wasn’t coming down. This fact angered more than a few members. continue reading »

Eric Doyle of Mark My Flesh tattoo shop on Frankford Avenue perfects a tattoo, which reads "Kendrell" with a heart, on Jasmine White's wrist.

Fernando Torres has more than an aesthetic reason for wanting to improve the look of his Frankford tattoo parlor.

“Cars hit the building a few times,” Torres, who also owns a women’s boutique next door to the parlor, said. “I want to get a steel structure in front to protect it.”

Torres opened Mark My Flesh, his tattoo shop, and Dream Girl’s Fashion, his boutique, about two years ago. On Jan. 21, he was one of six local business owners who participated in a Design Day program sponsored by the Frankford Community Development Corporation’s Main Street Initiative and the Community Design Collaborative. continue reading »

Joshua Dillinger, who served stints in Afghanistan and Iraq, works as an outreach specialist for Northeast Philadelphia Vet Center. Photo by Christeen Vilbrun for Philadelphia Neighborhoods.

In honor of Veterans Day, NEast Philly intern Christeen Vilbrun explored the hardships many vets face when they return home to find life different than they left it. Christeen spoke with vets across the Northeast and all of Philadelphia to find how they are adjusting to life after war.

Imagine risking your life for the country you love by joining the military. After serving your time overseas, you come back healthy and uninjured, with a job lined up and waiting for you.

Unfortunately, this is not the case for many veterans who have served our country. The reality is that some soldiers returning to the United States have a tough time readjusting, and are shocked to see that civilian life is completely different than what they had remembered. continue reading »