Block in North Philly
One of hundreds of run-down blocks in North Philadelphia
Restored, this could be a very nice place to live. What about the
people who live there now, though? North Philly was once a bustling
community of industrialists, merchants and factory workers, many of
whom had just arrived from Germany or elsewhere in Europe. They built
big churches and schools and small businesses. They rode their
success to the suburbs, the new symbol of the American Dream, and
African-Americans came from the South, escaping poverty and racism, to
fill in the dwindling supply of manufacturing jobs. As factory after
factory shut down, these new inhabitants were left with nothing but
despair and the husk of a neighborhood, used up and discarded by its
creators. This story is not at all unique in American cities.
But we already knew that, didn't we?
Comments and faves
elevenfortyfive [deleted] (66 months ago | reply)
...And I fear that it will take another one hundred years to rectify the situation....
makinmoneyfiggas (62 months ago | reply)
North Philly is in bad shape. The thing about Philly is it contradicts itself. Its this old city with tons of history and has not really gone through gentrification like New York City which gives it integrity and really has still kept its real heart but because of this there arnt as many jobs. Its really a shame you can't have both. Jobs= Yuppies
kizersoze2002 added this photo to their favorites. (61 months ago)
phillyguy1969 (59 months ago | reply)
Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Philadelphia: the Good, the Bad, the Ugly., and we'd love to have your photo added to the group.
SCRILLAHOLIK added this photo to their favorites. (56 months ago)
phillyguy1969 (54 months ago | reply)
They're like headstones marking the death of any vibrant manufacturing. Manufacturing BUILT those neighborhoods. The riots, economy, and crack killed them.
tiniestmonkey added this photo to their favorites. (51 months ago)
littleabe16 (51 months ago | reply)
beeeeeeeeeyuteeful
ricco3411 added this photo to his favorites. (50 months ago)
kaitlynn_flame (49 months ago | reply)
i live in an area like dat. hmmm, tis tis. tons of robberies. graffiti. trash bags covering windows, that's been my whole life. and i'm only 14! XD
naw but i'mma get outta it
s.kelly, Doilum, daynah, jinxremovingxo, and tozama added this photo to their favorites.
gratzbratz (35 months ago | reply)
is anyone out there from 19th and somerset or gratz street. alan maxwell or selia doaks, eleanor bomento, carl wreak, shorty mcnerney or maybe the twins ronnie and donnie. remember the hollywood movies? what happened to north philly is a disgrace and i want to talk about it.
jr0471 and kiera mai added this photo to their favorites.
TXOETB (27 months ago | reply)
Looks like something you'd see in Nuevo Laredo Mexico.
Boy From PA added this photo to his favorites. (27 months ago)
urbanfeel (22 months ago | reply)
Just like the wire!
kirra.tilley added this photo to her favorites. (22 months ago)
jcarn569 (15 months ago | reply)
I was born at 14th and Girard and went to Temple U in North Philly, though I grew up in a row house in Upper Darby. North Philly opened my eyes to what happens when property owners do not take care of their responsibilities. It influenced my decision to major in Urban Studies and get my Masters in City Planning and make a career of providing affordable housing to working families. Someone owns every single decayed home and trash filled vacant lot and people who do live there pay rent to somebody or some company or corporation, even the city owns many of those lots. The people who live need to take care of their part too. There wer 20K vacant homes in Philly when I was in college and decades later there are still 20K or more such places where people who need housing could live. Yet the Housing Authority is run by theives. Shame, Shame Shame
Youngking2010 and Will Violick added this photo to their favorites.