West Philadelphia, looking west from 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue

West Philadelphia is a section of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The Baltimore Pike was an Auto trail in the United States, connecting Baltimore Maryland with Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Though there is no set official definition on the boundaries of the region, West Philly can be described as being from the western shore of the Schuylkill River to City Line Avenue in the Northwest, Cobbs Creek in the Southwest, and with the SEPTA R3 Media-Elwyn line being used as a reference for the southern border. The Schuylkill River, most often ˈskuːkəl ("SKOO-kull" is a river in the U Cobbs Creek is a Tributary of Darby Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ( SEPTA) is a regional public authority that operates various forms of public transit &mdash bus The R3 is a route of the SEPTA Regional Rail Commuter rail system Occasionally West Philadelphia is described as being the area west of the Schuylkill River; this definition would also include Southwest Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. Southwest Philadelphia is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Topography

The topography of West Philadelphia is composed of rolling hills rising slowly from the Schuylkill River toward Cobbs Creek in the West and toward Belmont Plateau in the Northwest. The Schuylkill River, most often ˈskuːkəl ("SKOO-kull" is a river in the U Cobbs Creek is a Tributary of Darby Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Because of this gradual elevation, the skyline of Center City can be seen from almost any point in West Philadelphia; but most strikingly from the "Plateau" or "Plat" in what is now Fairmount Park in the Wynnefield neighborhood of West Philadelphia. Fairmount Park is the municipal park system of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Wynnefield ( aka The Field) is a predominantly African-American, middle-class neighborhood in West Philadelphia. Because of these majestic views the Western portions of Fairmount Park are the areas most often chosen for photographers and organizers of civic events.

History

Calvary United Methodist Church, built in 1905. Calvary United Methodist Church is located on the southeast corner of 48th St

West Philadelphia's population expanded in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with many middle-class breadwinners commuting into the Central Business District a few miles to the east. The western portion of the neighborhood was once home to some of the most expensive real estate in the country, but over the last 50 years has declined in prominence. This is due to increasing crime, which led much of the city's middle and upper classes to migrate to the suburbs and other sections of the city. Striking Victorian architecture remains, recalling the area's past.

West Philadelphia drew national attention in 1978 and 1985 for violent clashes between police and an Afro-centric, back-to-nature group called MOVE. MOVE is an organization formed in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, in 1972 by John Africa and Donald Glassey During the latter confrontation, police firebombed the group's headquarters, killing 11 and destroying an entire block of Osage Avenue and Pine Street.

In recent years, parts of West Philadelphia have undergone "Penntrification," a term that reflects the University of Pennsylvania's role in gentrification of the neighborhood; including a marketing campaign to rename part of the area University City. The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Gentrification, or urban gentrification, is the change in an Urban area associated with the movement of more affluent individuals into a lower-class University City is the name given to an area of campuses and neighborhoods in West Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Many young professionals and families have moved into the area.

Housing

A common style of Queen Anne house. Note the wrap-around porch.

A common style of Victorian Row house. These houses typically have 3 or 4 floors and front and rear staircases.

Most of the houses in West Philadelphia are rowhouses, although there are areas of semidetached and detached houses. In Architecture and City planning, a terrace(d or row house or townhouse (though the latter term can also refer to Patio houses The earliest developments began in 1850 and the final period of mass construction ended in 1930. Development was enabled by the creation of the horsecar, which pushed development to about 43rd Street, and, after the arrival of the electrified streetcar in 1892, accelerated to the west and southwest. A horsecar was an animal-powered Streetcar or Tram. The first passenger services in the world were started by the Oystermouth Railway in ^[1] (See West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb Historic District and the Market Street Line. The West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb Historic District is an area of West Philadelphia deemed important because it represents the transformation of Philadelphia's rural farmland The Market–Frankford Line ( MFL) (also called the Market–Frankford Subway–Elevated Line ( MFSE) El or Blue Line) is a Rapid )

Largely commissioned by speculative developers and designed by some of the city's most prolific architects, they were purchased by industrial managers and other professionals who led the first movement of upper and middle class from the more crowded city center. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Developers found they could increase profits by catering to this emerging group, shrinking lot sizes, and building more compact, less ornate houses.

Typical twin rowhouse most common in West Philadelphia neighborhoods.

Multi-unit rowhouse, the most common style of rowhouse in West Philadelphia. Note the higher quality of brick used.

Initial development was divided into block lots and sold in 1852 with the condition that "substantial stone or brick buildings" be erected. The houses in this grouping are primarily three-story Italianate buildings, linked by material, decorative detail, and form. Located around Chester Avenue, an additional but smaller and less ornate 16 Italianate, brownstone, semi-detached houses, similar in form to the initial houses. The setback of these houses was 25 feet, allowing generous front yards. Setback may have the following meanings a Problem Setback (land use, the distance a structure must be from the edge of a lot

Another development on Locust Street was comprised of three-story, two-bay, brick, restrained Queen Anne rowhouses. The Queen Anne Style is a style of architecture, furniture and decoration that reached its greatest popularity in the last quarter of the 19th century manifesting itself in The street was unified by front yards, and enclosed by decorative iron fences. The houses melded the suburban principles of front porches and greenspace with the urban rowhouse form, producing profitable, yet desirable, middle-class suburban housing. Other developments introduced urban density and architectural uniformity: the Queen Anne style with columned porches and decorative spindlework, brickwork and corbelling; steeply pitched gables with fishscale slate shingles; turrets; balconies; and windows with a single pane surrounded by small panes. These houses are typical of the early 20th-century developments in West Philadelphia, and are unified by rhythmic patterning of porch and gable features. The second story, projecting, semi-hexagonal bay is incorporated into this design, an element which defines the later rowhouses.

The western reaches of West Philadelphia included miles of two-story rowhouses with bay windows above classical columned front porches. What resulted was a collection of Colonial Revival houses with Arts and Crafts influences, which reflect the sophisticated tastes of post-World War I Philadelphians. The Colonial Revival was a Nationalistic Architectural style and Interior design movement in the United States. Arts & Crafts may refer to Arts & Crafts (record label, an independent record label based in Toronto Ontario Canada World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All For the first time in West Philadelphia, houses had garages. Later Tudor and Spanish Revival houses, and the Art Deco influenced apartment houses also filled in available lot spaces between developments and made it possible for more middle-class Philadelphians to move to the area.

Transportation

Elevated Rail

One of West Philadelphia's most prominent features is the "El", or SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line or Blue Line. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ( SEPTA) is a regional public authority that operates various forms of public transit &mdash bus The Market–Frankford Line ( MFL) (also called the Market–Frankford Subway–Elevated Line ( MFSE) El or Blue Line) is a Rapid Completed in 1907, this elevated subway line linked West Philadelphia, Millbourne and Upper Darby to Center City and then later to Frankford. Millbourne Station is a ground-level stop on the Market-Frankford Line, near the intersection of Millbourne Avenue and Market Street in Millbourne, Pennsylvania Upper Darby Township is a township and the largest municipality in Delaware County and the 5th largest municipality in the state of Pennsylvania. Frankford is a large and important neighborhood in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia situated about six miles northeast of Center City.

An "El" headed westbound from 52nd Street station headed toward 69th Street Terminal

Running above and for a portion, under Market Street, this transportation link is one of Philadelphia's two major transit lines that transport hundreds of thousands of students and workers daily into and around the city. Market Street, originally known as High Street is a major east-west Street in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The El once powered the economic engine of West Philadelphia.

Retail districts lined every street where there was a station as well as along Market Street. Most recently many of these retail districts with the exception of 52nd Street have been converted to largely residential areas. 52nd Street Station is an elevated stop on the Market-Frankford Line above the intersection of 52nd Street and Market Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania One of the aggravating factors in this change has been the recent reconstruction of the EL which due to detours of the "number streets" or numbered North-South thoroughfares and closure of large portions of Market Street, have led to many remaining businesses failing.

Light Rail

SEPTA'S Route 34 trolley in the 4500 block of Baltimore Avenue

Another major transit link in West Philadelphia are the five Subway Surface Lines, often called the Green Lines for their representation on SEPTA route maps. The Baltimore Pike was an Auto trail in the United States, connecting Baltimore Maryland with Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The Subway–Surface Trolley Lines are five SEPTA trolley lines that operate on public streets in Philadelphia and Delaware County, These include five of Philadelphia's remaining six streetcar lines. Combined, these trolley routes convey more than 150,000 passengers daily, and operate 24-hour schedules, even in blizzards.

The Route 10 trolley runs along Lancaster Avenue from 63rd and Malvern Avenue through to 36th and Ludlow Streets where a portal allows access to the subway tunnel into Center City. The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, first used in 1795 is the first long-distance paved road built in the United States according to engineered plans and specifications The Route 34 trolley runs along Baltimore Avenue from Cobbs Creek at 61st Street to the transit tunnel at 40th Street in University City. SEPTA Route 34 is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA that connects the 13th/Juniper station in downtown The Baltimore Pike was an Auto trail in the United States, connecting Baltimore Maryland with Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Cobbs Creek is a Tributary of Darby Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. The Route 13 trolley runs along Chester Avenue fron the transit tunnel at 40th Street and Baltimore Avenue to 67th Street where it turns off of Chester Avenue and continues along PA Route 13 into Yeadon, Township on to its terminus at Green Lane. There is also an English town of '''Yeadon''' West Yorkshire. The route 11 trolley runs long Woodland Avenue from the transit tunnel at 40th street through to the city line at Cobbs Creek and continues into Darby Borough. Cobbs Creek is a Tributary of Darby Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States. Darby is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, 5 miles (8 km southwest of Philadelphia and on Darby Creek. The final Green Line is the Route 36 trolley, the longest and furthest south. The 36 trolley leaves the transit tunnel, runs along Woodland Avenue to 49th Street, and turns south to continue along Lindbergh Boulevard until 55th Street when it splits off with Elmwood Avenue. It continues westbound on Elmwood until it turns south on Island Avenue west of 73rd Street, and continues south until its terminus in Penrose Plaza in Southwest Philadelphia, near the Philadelphia International Airport. Southwest Philadelphia is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

Initially, two other trolley lines, the Route 38 trolley which ran from Wynnefield to Center City via Belmont Avenue and Mantua, and the Route 31 trolley, which ran from the city line in Overbrook Park via Haverford Avenue and Market Street into Center City we to be diverted into the transit tunnel at Ludlow Street. But after National City Lines took over the Philadelphia Transit Company, those plans were scrapped and the routes converted to diesel buses. National City Lines Inc ( NCL) was a company formed in 1920 reorganized in 1936 into a Holding company for the express purpose of acquiring local transit systems The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority ( SEPTA) is a regional public authority that operates various forms of public transit &mdash bus As well, Route 38 was expanded into newly developed neighborhoods in Bala Cynwyd, and the Route 31 diverted into a circuitous route through West Philadelphia and Mantua.

Regional Rail

West Philadelphia is also serviced by five of SEPTA's eight Regional Rail Lines. The SEPTA Regional Rail Division provides Commuter rail service on thirteen branches to over 150 active stations in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and its suburbs The R1 services University City at University City Station in the University of Pennsylvania, as well as the southern-most portion of Southwest Philadelphia and the Philadelphia International Airport. The R3 Media-Elwyn line also services University City and portions of Soutwest Philadelphia before continuing to Media and points beyond. The borough of Media is the County seat of Delaware County Pennsylvania and is located 12 miles (19 km west of Philadelphia. The R5 line services Overbrook and Wynnefield before continuing to the "Main Line" communities and Paoli. The Main Line is a collection of affluent towns in the western suburbs of Philadelphia named after the Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (currently Amtrak's Another line, the R6 Cynwyd line is an express line from Center City to the Bala Cynwyd neighborhood of Lower Merion Township. The SEPTA R6 is a route of the US SEPTA Regional Rail ( Commuter rail) system

A SEPTA R3 Media-Elwyn Silverliner IV at 30th Street Station

Combined, these lines transport thousands of commuters daily into an out of Center City and University City, as well as providing a quick and inexpensive link to the Airport. The majority of these passenger trips originate outside of the city limits, however due to SEPTA's recent initiatives to increase ridership system-wide, increasing numbers of West Philadelphia residents make use of the Regional Rail lines as a high-speed link to Center City by using the multi-ride "Transpass". The transpass allows unlimited rides on SEPTA vehicles within the city limits, including Regional Rail. Recently, community groups have called on SEPTA to reopen previously closed stations along its Regional Rail lines to offer increased access to communities further away from the Market-Frankford Line and the Broad Street Subway.

Streets

West Philadelphia's streets are laid out in a modified "grid" pattern. Market Street is the central main thoroughfare running East and West, with "tree" streets above and below, also running East to West. Market Street, originally known as High Street is a major east-west Street in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The North-South streets are numbered consecutively starting with 30th street at the Schuylkill River through to 68th street on the far Western edge near Cobbs Creek. The Schuylkill River, most often ˈskuːkəl ("SKOO-kull" is a river in the U Cobbs Creek is a Tributary of Darby Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania in the United States.

Chestnut and Walnut Streets are wide three-lane thoroughfares that form Pennsylvania Route 3. Chestnut Street is an east-west street located in downtown Philadelphia and extends from the city's waterfront through Center City and West Philadelphia Walnut Street is located in downtown Philadelphia and extends from the city's Delaware River waterfront through Center City and West Philadelphia Pennsylvania Route 3 is a State highway located in the southeastern portion of Pennsylvania. These two streets constitute one of the major commuter routes into and out of Philadelphia from surrounding Delaware and Chester Counties. Thousands of cars, trucks and buses travel Chestnut and Walnut street daily. In the sixties and seventies these roads even boasted illuminated signs announcing the optimal speed to travel the 4. 3 miles trip into Center City without stopping for a red light. Once lined with actual American Chestnut and Walnut trees that touched across the five lanes of roadway, due to Chestnut blight many of these trees were removed and replaced with a mix of Sycamore and Poplar trees. Chestnut ( Castanea) (including some chinkapin or Chinquapin) is a Genus of eight or nine Species of Deciduous Walnuts (genus Juglans) are Plants in the family Juglandaceae. The chestnut blight is a fungal disease caused by the sac fungus ( Ascomycota) Cryphonectria parasitica (formerly Endothia parasitica) which City officials found these species much more tolerant of the urban environment and disease resistant, although a handful of Chestnut trees remain near Cobbs Creek.

Another notable street is Lancaster Avenue which begins at 34th street near Drexel University and runs through to the city line at City Avenue, and continues on as U.S. Route 30 to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh and the West Virginia border. The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, first used in 1795 is the first long-distance paved road built in the United States according to engineered plans and specifications Drexel University is a private Coeducational University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. City Avenue (also City Line Avenue) is the local name of a section of U US Route 30 is an east-west main route of the system of United States Numbered Highways, with the highway traveling across the northern tier of the country Lancaster is a city in the South Central part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and is the County seat of Lancaster County. West Virginia ( is a state in the Appalachian Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, bordered by Lancaster Avenue is also one of the major retail strips in West Philadelphia. Shops and restaurants line the entirety of Lancaster Avenue through to 64th street in the Wynnefield neighborhood. In addition, one of Philadelphia's six remaining streetcar lines, the Route 10 Green Line, transports commuters and students daily along Lancaster Avenue from 36th and Ludlow streets to 63rd and Malvern Avenue in Wynnefield.

Schools

Primary and secondary schools

West Philadelphia has some of the oldest and newest schools in the city.

Public schools

Area public schools are operated by the School District of Philadelphia. The School District of Philadelphia is a School district based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia

West Philadelphia High School built in 1911, was one of the biggest and most diverse schools in state when it was opened. West Philadelphia High School is a secondary school located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia Pennsylvania. The students of "West" were the children of middle class blacks; as well as Irish, Jewish, Polish and other immigrant groups.

Other notable high schools in West Philadelphia are West Philadelphia University City High School, William L. Sayre High School formerly Sayre Middle School, Robert E. Lamberton High School, and Overbrook High School. Robert E Lamberton HS is located in the Overbrook Park section of Philadelphia. This article pertains to the Overbrook High School in Philadelphia

Private schools

Blocks away from "West" were the West Philadelphia Catholic High Schools for Girls at 46th Street and Boys at 48th Street, now consolidated into West Philadelphia Catholic High School in the building at 46th Street. West Philadelphia Catholic High School is a Co-educational Catholic High school in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. St. Thomas Moore High School for Boys at 47th and Wyalusing Avenue was closed in 1975 and now houses the Sr Clara Muhammad School.

Colleges and universities

West Philadelphia is the home to several universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn) is a private University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Drexel University is a private Coeducational University located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia (USP located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, offers bachelor's master's and doctoral degrees in Pharmacy

Destinations

West Philadelphia boasts more attractions and destinations than many small cities. There are over 200 restaurants within its borders. Caribbean, Mexican, Soul Food, Halal, Indian, all manner of Asian cuisine, as well as traditional American fare can be had with blocks of one another. There are also many cheesesteaks and hoagies to be had prepared in every style and flavor. Quite a few of Philadelphia Magazine's 10 Best food dishes are to be found in West Philadelphia. Philadelphia (usually called " Philadelphia magazine " and often incorrectly written as " Philadelphia Magazine " Among these are Balal's Halal fish-cheesesteaks and fish-hoagies, Fu-Wah's vegetarian hoagies, Zocalo's marinated Carne Bandera, among many, many others.

West Philadelphia has about 75 of Philadelphia's 196 blue historic markers, which note historically important birthplaces, homes, business and other places. The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC is the governmental agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania responsible for the collection conservation and interpretation Many guided tours use these markers for themed tours and activities for visitors.

Memorial Hall

The nation's oldest zoological garden, the Philadelphia Zoo is a perennial destination for area school students and families with world-class exhibitions and educational programs. The Philadelphia Zoo, located in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on the west bank of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, was the first Zoo in the United Nestled in the center of Fairmount Park near ample parking and down from Memorial Hall, Kelly Pool, The Carousel House, and the new Microsoft partner high school, the "School of the Future". Designed by Hermann J Schwarzmann for the Centennial Exposition, Memorial Hall is made of brick glass iron and granite Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer

There are also quite a few cultural venues. The Mann Music Center of the Performing Arts perched atop George's Hill is a covered amphitheater that also boasts a grand open-air lawn that has seen concerts by the Boston Pops, Luther Vandross, and many more acts. The Boston Pops Orchestra was founded in 1885 as a subsection of the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO founded four years earlier Luther Ronzoni Vandross ( April 20 1951 – July 1 2005) was an American R&B and soul Singer-songwriter Concerts are frequently closed with fireworks. There is also the Bushfire Theater of the Performing Arts on 52nd Street, a longtime center for avant-garde and culturally introspective works by African American playwrights and choreographers

West Philadelphia in the media

The area gained some fame through the theme song to the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in which Wynnefield native Will Smith sings, "In West Philadelphia, born and raised . The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an award winning American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10 1990 to May 20 1996 Wynnefield ( aka The Field) is a predominantly African-American, middle-class neighborhood in West Philadelphia. . . "

The NBC drama American Dreams is set in West Philadelphia in the mid-1960s. American Dreams is an American Television Drama program broadcast on the NBC Television network.

West Philadelphia was also the home of American Bandstand. American Bandstand was a Television show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 hosted from 1957 until its final season by Dick Clark The popular dance show and career starter for host Dick Clark was produced at television station WFIL-TV (Channel 6, now WPVI-TV) in "Studio 'B'", which was located in their just-completed addition at 4548 Market Street. Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark (born November 30, 1929) is an American Television, Radio personality, Game show host WPVI-TV, channel 6 is an owned-and-operated station of the Walt Disney Company -owned American Broadcasting Company, located in Philadelphia Pennsylvania The show featured local high school students, turning some into teen idols. The former television station is now home to the West Philadelphia Enterprise Center, although the large satellite dish on the roof still remains.

External links

• University City Historical District - history of the area now known as West Philadelphia
• City government's West Philadelphia page: statistics, links
• West Philadelphia Data and Information Resources - University of Pennsylvania

References