Glenn Segal writes about Oxford Circle and Castor Gardens when he's not working in a real estate office.

Glenn Segal is a man who talks fast. Earnestly and fervently dispensing his opinion and gesticulating animatedly while he discusses his novel series, Devine Intervention, he somehow manages to cover everything from the Grateful Dead to religious fanaticism to gang patrols from his youth in the Northeast in the space of an interview.

He’s obviously very bright, energetic and passionate about his work; he has very evidently poured his heart and soul into his books. Currently working two jobs – as an optician in Huntingdon Valley and at a local Prudential real estate office on Frankford Avenue – he writes constantly in his spare time as he finishes up the third installment of the series, titled Revelations, which

is due out at the end of this year.

Segal was born and raised in the Northeast, using it as a major source of inspiration for his series. continue reading »

It’s rare a mainstream news outlet can find Castor Gardens. Summerdale, Oxford Circle and Lawncrest often get the Castor Gardens label. Or simply, ‘Castor,’ whatever that’s supposed to mean.

When a body was found inside a car on the 800-block of Unruh Avenue, Philadelphia’s mainstream media rushed to report on it. Most came out without embarrassment. continue reading »

UPDATE: The victim in the car has been identified at 25-year-old Landis Carter of the 2300-block of Tremont Street.

Police in the 2nd and 7th Districts are busy today searching for suspects in two separate incidents that took place early this morning.

Around 1:30 a.m., a teenager delivering pizza was robbed and stabbed by a group of three males on the 6100-block of Belden Street in Oxford Circle. Five hours later, police in the 7th District were called to the Plaza Towers Apartments on the 2300-block of Tremont Street where a man was shot in his car. continue reading »

Two Lawncrest RNWN features in one week. Clearly the folks in front of the TV cameras haven’t been reading.

Just like there wasn’t a shooting last Thursday in Lawncrest, no one there died from the heat Tuesday. Early reports of a death on the 900-block of Carver Street indicate heat may have been a factor. continue reading »

Maybe it’s because Lawncrest is really two separate neighborhoods. Or maybe it’s because our local TV news reporters have never actually been to Lawncrest (except when there were some dog fighting arrests).

Whatever the case, the Lawncrest, Summerdale and Oxford Circle neighborhoods seem to present a real problem for Philadelphia’s mainstream media — geography-wise, that is. continue reading »

Police have arrested two suspects for an early Thursday morning shooting around Roosevelt Boulevard and Bridge Street.

Authorities discovered a man around 1:30 a.m. who’s been shot multiple times with a rifle, and the victim was taken to Albert Einstein Medical Center in critical condition.

A short time later, SWAT members arrested two men on the 1200-block of Cheltenham Avenue.

John Esch wiped his brow and took a hard swig of his water bottle. He has just traveled more than three hours, from the outskirts of Gettysburg, arriving at 900 E. Howell St. – the site of the Oxford Circle Farmers Market.

Esch, along with two other vendors, braved the near 100-degree heat last Thursday to bring farm fresh fruits and vegetables and baked goods to the people of the great Northeast. continue reading »

Ask any Philadelphia newcomer living in Fishtown, Port Richmond or Kensington where they live and they’re likely to tell you the Northeast. That misconception has now been extended beyond those boundaries, into the widest reaches of Northern Liberties.

Kudos to NEast Philly reader John Gormely for pointing out this laughable mistake from the Inquirer: continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

The driver of an SUV fled the scene after hitting two park cars early yesterday morning. Police say the driver lost control and hit two parked cars on the 2000-block of Hellerman Street and fled when the SUV tipped over. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Tacony is getting a new park. Work will start in the summer or fall on Lardner’s Point Park adjacent to the Tacony-Palmyra Bridge. As PlanPhilly reports, the fishing pier will be updated and tables, benches, restrooms, solar lighting and more will be added to the 4.5-acre space. continue reading »