Girard Avenue is a major commercial and residential street in Philadelphia . For most of its length it runs east–west, but at Frankford Avenue it makes a 135-degree turn north. Parts of the road are signed as U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 30 .
67-832: Girard Avenue begins in West Philadelphia at 67th Street, runs east through the Carroll Park neighborhood and the Centennial District , crosses the Schuylkill River via the Girard Avenue Bridge , and continues through East Fairmount Park and across North Philadelphia to Frankford Avenue in the Fishtown neighborhood. At Frankford Avenue it makes a 135-degree turn to the north and becomes East Girard Avenue, running parallel to
134-563: A Roman Catholic saint. The Church of the Gesu , at 18th Street, built as a neighborhood Catholic Church , now serves as the chapel for Saint Joseph's Preparatory School . The Green Hill Presbyterian Church , between 16th and 17th Streets, a Gothic Revival church that pre-dated development of the area, was demolished in 2009 following decades of neglect. Medical facilities include the Girard Medical Center , at 8th Street and
201-549: A Sunni Muslim institution at 4228 Walnut Street. Founded in the late 1980s, Masjid Al-Jamia is located in the former Commodore Theatre, a cinema which opened in 1928 and which was built in the Spanish Colonial or Moorish architectural style. Cathedral Cemetery was founded in 1849 and is the oldest Catholic cemetery in Philadelphia. It contains the burials of several notable people including over 50 members of
268-403: A boarding school for underprivileged children. The avenue merges with South College Avenue between 19th and 25th Streets to bypass the school's 43 acre (17 ha) campus. Girard Avenue Historic District – located between the school and Broad Street – features architecturally significant residential and religious buildings. Girard Avenue West Historic District – located between
335-694: A critical community need, as the vast majority of US vocational schools in this period were racially segregated, and Philadelphia-area African Americans had no formal vocational training options until the Institute opened. The founders also highlighted the need for vocational training for recent waves of Black migrants from the South . From six instructors and 25 students in 1899, the Berean Institute had grown to 300 students and 16 instructors by 1909. Classes were held at night as most students worked during
402-583: A portal allows access to the subway tunnel into Center City. The Route 34 trolley runs along Baltimore Avenue from Cobbs Creek at 61st Street to the transit tunnel at 40th Street in University City . The Route 13 trolley runs along Chester Avenue from the transit tunnel at 40th Street and Baltimore Avenue to 67th Street where it turns off Chester Avenue and continues along PA Route 13 into Yeadon, Delaware County on to its terminus at Green Lane. The Route 11 trolley runs along Woodland Avenue from
469-543: 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
536-499: A trade school for orphaned boys. The first Girard Avenue was a 3-block street in North Philadelphia , between the 1800-block of Ridge Avenue and Corinthian Avenue, approaching the under-construction Girard College (confirmed by 1845). By 1852, the avenue had been extended west to 33rd Street; and in 1855, the timber-arched Girard Avenue Bridge carried it over the Schuylkill River and into West Philadelphia. In 1858,
603-611: Is a district-owned school operated by Mastery Charter 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 Catholic Preparatory High School in the building at 46th Street. St. Thomas More High School for Boys at 47th and Wyalusing Avenue was closed in 1975 and now houses the Sr Clara Muhammad School. West Philadelphia
670-608: Is a section of the city of Philadelphia . Although there are no officially defined boundaries, it is generally considered to reach from the western shore of the Schuylkill River , to City Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek to the southwest, and the SEPTA Media/Wawa Line to the south. An alternate definition includes all city land west of the Schuylkill; this would also include Southwest Philadelphia and its neighborhoods. The eastern side of West Philadelphia
737-449: Is also known as University City . 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. This gradual elevation makes the skyline of Center City visible from many points in West Philadelphia. The Wynnefield neighborhood is a location frequently used by photographers and organizers of civic events. According to
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#1732773255532804-616: Is also served by five of SEPTA's thirteen Regional Rail Lines , which transport thousands of commuters daily to and from Center City and University City, and provide a quick and inexpensive link to the Philadelphia International Airport. [All 13 serve 30th Street Station on the edge of West Philadelphia.] The Airport Line serves University City at University City Station in the University of Pennsylvania, going on to southernmost Southwest Philadelphia and
871-480: Is mixed; someone traveling along Market Street into Upper Darby would cross 62nd Street, then Cobbs Creek Parkway/63rd St, then several named streets until finally arriving at 69th Street, skipping 64–68. Other major thoroughfares include Chestnut and Walnut Streets, which together form Pennsylvania Route 3 . Every day, thousands of vehicles travel this route, which is one of the major commuter routes into and out of Philadelphia from Delaware and Chester Counties. In
938-497: Is not contiguous with the 77th Street in the column of streets that ends with 90th Street in Southwest Philadelphia. The two 77th Streets (as well as all numbered streets after 58th) are miles apart. The street grid ends at Cobbs Creek Park along with the western political boundary of Philadelphia, but many of the street names and a roughly similar street grid (it begins to degrade outside the city) continue beyond
1005-567: Is on the National Register of Historic Places . The First Presbyterian Church of Kensington (1857, Samuel Sloan , architect), at Columbia Avenue, survives, although its tall steeple has been removed. The Girard Avenue Trolley ( SEPTA Route 15 ) follows a circuit from West Philadelphia to Kensington . A trolley begins the route at the Haddington Loop at 63rd Street, runs on the eastbound tracks along Girard Avenue, crosses
1072-599: Is the Haddington Library, designed by Albert Kelsey, which opened in 1915. The Stephen Smith Home for the Aged , at 44th Street, a nursing home built by Quakers in 1871 to provide care for infirmed African Americans (including Civil War veterans), was demolished in 2009. The Kensington National Bank (1877, Frank Furness , architect), at Frankford Avenue, is still in use as a bank. The Green Tree Tavern (1845, Joseph Singerly, architect), at Marlborough Street,
1139-581: Is the home to several universities, including the University of Pennsylvania , Drexel University , and Saint Joseph's University . Another university in the neighborhood, the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia , was merged into Saint Joseph's in 2022. West Philadelphia has about 75 of Philadelphia's 196 blue historic markers , which note historically important birthplaces, homes, business and other places. The nation's oldest zoological garden,
1206-527: The 2010 census , 216,433 people live among the ZIP codes of 19104, 19131, 19139, 19143 and 19151. ( Map ) Starting with the first wave of Irish immigrants in the early 19th century, West Philadelphia was home to large numbers of European immigrants and their descendants. The area's African American population began growing in the 1880s through the migration of blacks from the Southern states ; white flight in
1273-668: The 69th Pennsylvania Infantry Regiment who fought in the American Civil War . The area gained some fame through the DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince song "Yo Home to Bel-Air", which became the theme song to the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air in which Wynnefield native Will Smith raps, "In West Philadelphia, born and raised...." The NBC drama American Dreams is set in West Philadelphia in
1340-597: The Broad Street Line , is located beneath the intersection of Broad Street and Girard Avenue. Girard El Station , part of an elevated section of the Market–Frankford Line , is located above the intersection of Front Street and Girard Avenue. U.S. Route 13 runs northward along 34th Street by the Philadelphia Zoo , where it merges with Girard Avenue and crosses the Schuylkill River via
1407-589: The Delaware River until it ends at Richmond Street. As of 2023, most of Girard Avenue (from Fishtown to Lancaster Avenue) is part of Philadelphia's High Injury Network, the small fraction of city streets on which the majority of traffic deaths and serious injuries occur. Girard Avenue was named for banker Stephen Girard (1750–1831) who, at his death, was the richest man in the United States – who directed that his fortune be used to found
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#17327732555321474-667: The Philadelphia International Airport . Two other trolley lines originally ran through West Philly. The Route 38 trolley, running from Wynfield to Center City via Belmont Avenue, and the Route 31 trolley, running from Overbrook to Center City via Haverford Avenue, were replaced by diesel buses when the Philadelphia Transportation Company transferred control of the trolley service to National City Lines . West Philadelphia
1541-548: The Philadelphia Nursing Home , at 21st Street, is built on the former site of the Mary J. Drexel Home. Hatfield House , at 33rd Street, is a colonial villa built in 1760, with Greek Revival additions from 1838. In 1930, it was relocated from Nicetown to East Fairmount Park. The current Girard Avenue Bridge (1972) is the third bridge over the Schuylkill River at that location. It incorporates some of
1608-850: The Philadelphia Zoo , has exhibitions and educational programs. Nestled in the center of Fairmount Park, it is near Memorial Hall , the current home of the Please Touch Museum , Kelly Pool, The Carousel House , and the new Microsoft partner high school, the "School of the Future" Cultural venues include the Mann Music Center of the Performing Arts and the Bushfire Theater of the Performing Arts on 52nd Street. West Philadelphia contains many places of worship. These include mosques such as Masjid Al-Jamia ,
1675-579: The West Indies , as well as a growing number of African immigrants , ranging from West African immigrants (such as Nigerians ) to East African immigrants (such as Ethiopians ). The Woodlands , which is located near the west bank of the Schuylkill River, was originally the estate of Andrew Hamilton who bought the property in 1735 from descendants of Blockley Township's founder, William Warner, who hailed from Brockley , England. Warner
1742-692: The "number streets" or numbered north–south thoroughfares and closure of large portions of Market Street, have led to many remaining businesses failing. 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. 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
1809-815: The 16th, 18th, 19th, and 92nd. The area's public schools are operated by the School District of Philadelphia . West Philadelphia High School was one of the biggest and most diverse schools in state when it was opened in 1911. The students of "West" were the children of middle-class black people, as well as of Irish, Jewish, Polish and other immigrant groups. Other high schools include University City High School ; William L. Sayre High School , formerly Sayre Middle School; Robert E. Lamberton High School ; Mastery Charter Shoemaker Campus , formerly William Shoemaker Middle School; and Overbrook High School . Elementary schools include Morton McMichael Elementary School and Lea Elementary School. Harrity Elementary School
1876-416: The 1960s and 1970s, illuminated signs announced what speed to drive to travel 4.3 miles into Center City without stopping for a red light. The streets were once lined with American Chestnut and walnut trees that touched across the five lanes of roadway, but many were removed due to Chestnut blight and replaced with a mix of sycamore and poplar trees. City officials found these species much more tolerant of
1943-477: The Berean Institute from 1899 until his death in 1928. His wife, Dr. Caroline Still Anderson , a physician and educator who like her husband was a graduate of Oberlin College , served as the school's assistant principal until her death in 1919. The Berean Institute took its name from the biblical city of Berea and from Berea, Ohio , where Anderson preached during his time at Oberlin. The Berean Institute filled
2010-756: The Berean Manual Training and Industrial School on November 6, 1899. The organizers included Dr. Matthew Anderson, a leader in the city's Black community and the pastor of the Berean Presbyterian Church, which he had founded in June 1880. In 1888, Anderson had founded the Berean Building and Loan Association, which grew to manage more than $ 150,000 of stock on behalf of 700 members of Philadelphia's African American community as of 1909. Anderson went on to serve as principal of
2077-658: The Girard Avenue Bridge, and then splits to continue northward along 33rd Street. The proposed Girard Avenue Expressway – a below-grade superhighway that would have connected Interstate 95 (Delaware Expressway) with Interstate 76 ( Schuylkill Expressway ) and continued through West Philadelphia to the city line – was abandoned in 1977 following public opposition. 39°58′08″N 75°08′04″W / 39.968821°N 75.134447°W / 39.968821; -75.134447 West Philadelphia West Philadelphia , nicknamed West Philly ,
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2144-651: The Girard Avenue Bridge, continues across North Philadelphia to Frankford Avenue, makes a 45-degree turn onto East Girard Avenue, follows that for a mile (East Girard Avenue ends), and completes the route along Richmond Street. At Westmoreland Street, the trolley makes a 180-degree turn around the Richmond-Westmoreland Streets Loop , and begins a return on the westbound tracks. In 1901, the Girard Avenue trolley had approximately eight million passengers. Girard Subway Station , part of
2211-500: The Institute, which had experienced at least four consecutive years of operating losses. The Berean Institute officially closed when the Commonwealth evicted the Institute from its state-owned building in late 2012. The Institute had failed to make lease payments since 2006 while subletting parts of the building in violation of its lease and failing to pay its utility bills. The Philadelphia Technician Training Institute purchased
2278-558: The Market-Frankford Line and the Broad Street Line. West Philadelphia's streets are laid out in a modified grid . The main thoroughfare, Market Street , runs East and West, paralleled to the north and south by smaller streets named for tree species. North–south streets are numbered, rising consecutively from 30th Street at the Schuylkill River to 77th Street on the far western edge near Cobbs Creek and to
2345-776: The Pennsylvania militia took control, but nativists returned in even larger numbers. The rioting reached its peak on May 8, when St. Michael's Church and its rectory, a Catholic school, and dozens of houses and businesses were burned. As the state militia struggled to regain control in Kensington, another nativist mob burned St. Augustine's Church in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia. In all, more than 14 people were killed, an estimated 50 were injured, and more than 200 were forced to flee their homes. The Kensington riots may have been more anti-Irish than anti-Catholic —
2412-551: The Puerto Rican community, and more. Enrollment was open to all students regardless of race or color. In the 1980s, the Berean Institute enrolled 200-300 students. The Institute's enrollment fluctuated over the years but experienced overall decline, with its academic programs having 92 students in 2005 and 157 students in 2007. Enrollment plummeted to just six students in 2008, after the school lost its accreditation and after an independent audit found inadequate recordkeeping by
2479-632: The Wynnefield neighborhood. In addition, one of Philadelphia's six 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. The intersection of 52nd Street and Market Street in West Philadelphia was listed number eight in a 2007 list of the city's top ten recreational drug corners according to an article by Philadelphia Weekly reporter Steve Volk. The Philadelphia Police Department divides West Philadelphia into four patrol districts:
2546-535: The airport. The Media/Wawa Line also serves University City and portions of Southwest Philadelphia before continuing to Media and points beyond. The Paoli/Thorndale Line serves Overbrook and Wynnefield, and continues to the Main Line communities and Paoli. However, the Paoli/Thorndale does not stop anywhere between 30th Street and City Line Avenue, instead bypassing most of West Philadelphia ever since
2613-567: The area surrounding 2nd Street and Franklin Street (later Girard Avenue) was the site of several days of anti-Catholic nativist riots . Beginning May 3, the anti-immigrant American Republican Party held rallies in the Irish Catholic neighborhood of Kensington, provoking violence from its residents. Nativists responded by vandalizing houses and businesses owned by Catholics. Residents defended themselves with guns. Following several deaths,
2680-456: The area. In 2008, the area around the Please Touch Museum , Philadelphia Zoo , and the Mann Music Center was designated the Centennial District : an area to be revitalized by the country's 250th birthday in 2026. Most of the houses in West Philadelphia are row houses , although there are areas of semi-detached and detached houses. The earliest developments began in 1850 and the final period of mass construction ended in 1930. Development
2747-490: The area. One of West Philadelphia's most prominent features is the "El", or SEPTA 's Market-Frankford Line or Blue Line. Completed in 1907, this elevated subway line linked West Philadelphia, Millbourne and Upper Darby to Center City and then later to Frankford . 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
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2814-413: The basement of the Berean Presbyterian Church to a newly constructed three-story brick building on Girard Avenue . The school moved again to a larger brick building on Girard Avenue in 1973. The Berean curriculum expanded to include two-year programs and high school completion courses, cosmetology, salesmanship, information technology, management, finance, dietetics and nutrition, ESL courses targeted to
2881-535: The block-long 90th Street in Southwest Philadelphia near the airport. The highest numbered street to run any considerable distance contiguously is 58th Street, which runs from the northern frontier of West Philadelphia at City Avenue south to the Schuylkill River. 77th and 86th Streets run just a few blocks before they leave the city for surrounding jurisdictions. (For example, 84th Street becomes Hook Road when it crosses into Sharon Hill.) The 77th Street in Overbrook
2948-464: The city limits into Upper Darby Township, into which Market Street runs uninterrupted to 69th street at the El terminal, where it turns into West Chester Pike and runs through Delaware County and into Chester County. With the exception of Market Street, these streets can be regarded as being "named after" the streets in West Philadelphia, not continuations, as they are cut off by the park. The numbering pattern
3015-462: The city. 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. One of the aggravating factors in this change has been the recent reconstruction of the EL which, due to detours of
3082-539: The closure of 52nd Street station . The Cynwyd Line is a limited-service express line from Center City to the Bala Cynwyd neighborhood of Lower Merion Township. Most of these passenger trips originate outside of the city, but more West Philly residents are using SEPTA's multi-ride "Transpass" , which allows unlimited rides on SEPTA vehicles within the city limits. Community groups have called on SEPTA to reopen closed Regional Rail stations in areas further away from
3149-414: The day. Adult students learned arithmetic, reading and writing, bookkeeping, electrical wiring, carpentry, upholstery, sewing, hatmaking, typewriting and stenography, cooking, and waitering. The Berean Institute received its inaugural charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1904, which enabled it to start receiving funding support from the Commonwealth. In 1908, it moved from temporary quarters in
3216-547: The decorative ironwork from the second bridge (1874). Landmarks of Girard Avenue in West Philadelphia include the Philadelphia Zoo , at 34th Street; the Letitia Street House , relocated from Old City to West Fairmount Park in 1883 (under the mistaken belief that it had been the residence of Pennsylvania's founder William Penn ), near 35th Street; Smith Memorial Arch , a Civil War monument and
3283-629: The early 1960s completed the transition to a majority-black population. Since the 1980s, gentrification , immigration, and the Urban Indian relocation movement have brought more racial diversity. Arrivals from East Asia and Latin America , mainly Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans, have given the area small Hispanic and Asian American populations. The community has a significant number of Afro-Caribbean / Caribbean American residents from Jamaica , Haiti , Barbados , and other areas of
3350-419: The gateway to West Fairmount Park, near 41st Street; Memorial Hall , the art gallery from the 1876 Centennial Exposition , now home to the Please Touch Museum , near 42nd Street; and Old Cathedral Cemetery , at 48th Street to just east of North 52nd Street. The avenue bounds the southern end of Carroll Park between 58th and 59th Streets, for which the neighborhood Carroll Park is named. At North 65th Street
3417-408: The initial houses, were built around Chester Avenue. The setback of these houses was 25 feet, allowing generous front yards. Another development on Locust Street, a project by banker and West Philly resident Clarence Howard Clark , comprised three-story, two-bay, brick, restrained Queen Anne rowhouses. The street was unified by front yards, and enclosed by decorative iron fences. The houses melded
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#17327732555323484-556: The institute's vacated building in 2015 for $ 2.8 million and uses the space for a trade school. On October 17, 1990, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission installed a roadside historical marker to mark the Institute building on Girard Avenue. The marker's text states, "Founded in 1899 by Rev. Matthew Anderson, pastor of Berean Presbyterian Church and founder of Berean Savings Association, this school taught Blacks skilled trades not available elsewhere. Later
3551-648: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, thanks in large part to horsecars, then streetcars, and Schuylkill River bridges that allowed middle-class breadwinners to commute into the Central Business District a few miles to the east. West Philadelphia was among the early streetcar suburbs , and a portion of it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the West Philadelphia Streetcar Suburb Historic District . The western portion of
3618-549: The latter confrontation, police firebombed the group's headquarters , killing 11 people 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 campaign to rename part of the area University City (the designation now appears on maps as well as public street signs and government listings). Many young professionals and families have moved into
3685-637: The mid-1960s. Berean Institute Berean Institute , founded as the Berean Manual Training and Industrial School , was a vocational school for predominantly African American adult learners in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . Founded in 1899 by Rev. Matthew Anderson and Dr. Caroline Still Anderson and located at 1901 W. Girard Avenue, the school offered business and vocational training for both men and women. The Institute closed in 2012. Six prominent Philadelphia citizens organized
3752-555: The more crowded city center. Developers found they could increase profits by catering to this emerging group, shrinking lot sizes, and building more compact, less ornate houses. 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. An additional but smaller and less ornate 16 Italianate, brownstone, semi-detached houses, similar in form to
3819-500: The name Girard Avenue was adopted for the existing Franklin Street, which ran east–west between 6th Street and Frankford Avenue, including the existing Prince Street, that ran northeast-southwest between Frankford Avenue and Norris Street. The 12-block gap between 6th and 18th Streets was filled in before the Civil War . The West Philadelphia section of the avenue was extended to 64th Street in 1868; and to 67th Street in 1936. In 1844,
3886-471: The nativists did not attack the German Catholic church under construction at 5th Street and present-day Girard Avenue. In July 2024, it was announced that Philadelphia City Council would rename the corner of 58th Street and Girard Avenue in Philadelphia (near Woodson's childhood home) "Sgt. Waverly B. Woodson Way". The major landmark of Girard Avenue in North Philadelphia is Girard College,
3953-500: The neighborhood was once home to some of the most expensive real estate in the country (and much striking Victorian-era architecture remains). The area has declined in prominence over the last 50 years, thanks in part to increasing crime and the migration of many middle and upper-class residents to suburbs and other sections of the city. West Philadelphia drew national attention in 1978 and 1985 for violent clashes between police and an Afro-centric, back-to-nature group called MOVE . During
4020-474: The school and 29th Street – features architecturally significant commercial and residential buildings. Brewerytown Historic District – located between 30th Street and East Fairmount Park – features architecturally significant residential and industrial buildings. The Berean Institute , a vocational school for mostly African American adult learners located on Girard Avenue, opened in 1899 and closed in 2012. Girard Avenue east of Broad Street
4087-478: 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
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#17327732555324154-606: The transit tunnel at 40th Street to the city line at Cobbs Creek and continues into Darby Borough . Finally, the Route 36 trolley is the longest trolley Green Line service. The 36 trolley leaves the 40th Street transit tunnel running along Woodland Avenue until 49th Street where it turns south to continue along Lindbergh Boulevard turning at Elmwood Avenue starting at 55th Street. Route 36 terminates in Southwest Philadelphia at Island Avenue west and 73rd Street, near
4221-505: The urban environment and resistant to disease. A handful of chestnut trees remain near Cobbs Creek. Lancaster Avenue begins at 34th street near Drexel University ; runs westward to the city line at City Avenue ; and continues on as U.S. Route 30 to Lancaster , York , Pittsburgh . and the West Virginia border. One of the major retail strips in West Philadelphia, it is lined with shops and restaurants through to 64th Street in
4288-485: Was a collection of Colonial Revival houses with Arts and Crafts influences, which reflect the sophisticated tastes of post- World War I Philadelphians. 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
4355-540: Was a major shopping and entertainment district for lower North Philadelphia . Most of the late-19th and early-20th century theaters have been demolished, and surviving ones have been converted to other uses. St. Peter the Apostle Church , at 5th Street, houses the National Shrine of Saint John Neumann (1811–1860), the fourth Bishop of Philadelphia and the first American man to be canonized as
4422-431: 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. 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
4489-475: Was the first known European west of the Schuylkill. In 1840, the property was transformed into a cemetery with an arboretum of over 1,000 trees. It holds the graves of many famous Philadelphians. Satterlee Hospital , one of the largest Union Army hospitals of the Civil War, operated from 1862 to 1865; part of its grounds are now the northern section of Clark Park . West Philadelphia's population expanded in
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