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109-875: The line begins at Greenwich Yard in South Philadelphia , where it meets the Philadelphia Belt Line Railroad . It heads west alongside the Delaware Expressway ( Interstate 95 ) and then north along and partially elevated over 25th Street, turning west at Washington Avenue to cross the Schuylkill River on the Arsenal Bridge . At Arsenal Interlocking, on the west side of the Schuylkill, a branch runs southwest alongside Amtrak 's Northeast Corridor to

218-471: A 2013 population estimate. SEPTA 's Broad Street Line subway services South Philadelphia and provides quick access to Center City and North Philadelphia . A number of SEPTA bus routes also serve South Philadelphia, ferrying commuters to and from Center City and the surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs. I-95 runs north and south through South Philadelphia and, in this area, provides commuters with access to Philadelphia International Airport , I-76 ,

327-491: A broad, sluggish inlet of the sea, with many marshes along its side, widening steadily into its great estuary, Delaware Bay . The Delaware River constitutes the boundary between Delaware and New Jersey. The Delaware–New Jersey border is actually at the easternmost river shoreline within the Twelve-Mile Circle of New Castle , rather than at mid-river, mid-channel or thalweg , so small portions of land lying west of

436-581: A day from the Delaware and its upstream tributaries. The Delaware River has been attached to areas of high pollution . The Delaware River in 2012 was named the 5th most polluted river in the United States, explained by PennEnvironment and Environment New Jersey. The activist groups claim that there is about 7–10 million pounds of toxic chemicals flowing through the waterways due to dumping by DuPont Chambers Works. PennEnvironment also claims that

545-510: A depth of 40 ft (12 m). There is an effort underway to deepen the 102.5-mile stretch of this federal navigation channel, from Philadelphia and Camden to the mouth of the Delaware Bay to 45 feet. The Delaware River port complex refers to the ports and energy facilities along the river in the tri-state PA - NJ - DE Delaware Valley region. They include the Port of Salem ,

654-471: A diagonal from Broad Street to South Street, is a formerly thriving consumer district currently undergoing revitalization efforts. Within the past few years, several coffeeshops, restaurants and bars have opened which appeal to the younger population beginning to live in the area. In addition, a farmers' market is held on Wednesday nights at one of the squares. 2300 Arena (better known as the ECW Arena) at

763-565: A few skilled workers, merchants, and artists from Genoa and other wealthier areas of Northern Italy . In contrast, beginning in the 1890s, the vast majority of Italian immigrants that settled in Philadelphia came from impoverished regions of Southern Italy , with most Italian immigration to Philadelphia occurring in the 20th century. Though Italians in Philadelphia emigrated from various Southern Italian regions, most Italians in Philadelphia emigrated from or have origins in three main areas:

872-564: A junction with the Philadelphia Subdivision near Lindbergh Boulevard. The main line heads north from Arsenal, rises onto the elevated structure, and crosses to the west side of the Northeast Corridor. It heads north above 31st Street, finally touching down in the southeast approach to Zoo Interlocking . It leaves that interlocking to the north, staying on the west side of the Schuylkill River , and ending at

981-400: A peak of 30.95 feet (9.43 m) on September 23, 2004, 34.07 feet (10.38 m) on April 4, 2005, and 33.62 feet (10.25 m) on June 28, 2006, all considerably higher than the flood stage of 22 feet (6.7 m). Since the upper Delaware basin has few population centers along its banks, flooding in this area mainly affects natural unpopulated flood plains. Residents in the middle part of

1090-547: A quiet and charming country of farm and forest, diversified with plateaus and escarpments, until it crosses the Appalachian plain and enters the hills again at Easton , Pennsylvania. From this point it is flanked at intervals by fine hills, and in places by cliffs, of which the finest are the Nockamixon Cliffs, 3 miles (5 km) long and above 200 feet (61 m) high. The Appalachian Trail , which traverses

1199-605: A result of the failure of a controversial plan to build a dam on the Delaware River at Tocks Island , just north of the Delaware Water Gap to control water levels for flood control and hydroelectric power generation. The dam would have created a 37-mile (60 km) lake in the center of present park for use as a reservoir. Starting in 1960, the present-day area of the Recreation Area was acquired for

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1308-518: A system of Irish Catholic churches and parochial schools for their children, including Catholic high schools. The later immigrant populations of Italians and Poles were also Catholic. Initially, these populations attended existing Catholic churches but built their own ethno-national churches when possible. However, the more established Irish-American ethnic community controlled the Catholic clergy and hierarchy for decades in Philadelphia and throughout

1417-526: Is 16,771 people per square mile. 46.6% of the population is male, and 53.4% is female. The South Philadelphia area comprises the zip codes of 19145, 19146, 19147 and 19148. The largest and oldest Italian immigrant settlements in Philadelphia are in South Philadelphia. Though rare and small in size, some early Italian immigrant settlements appeared in South Philadelphia prior to the 1890s; however, these small settlements generally consisted of

1526-538: Is a major barrier to travel between New Jersey and Pennsylvania . Most of the larger bridges are tolled only westbound, and are owned by the Delaware River and Bay Authority , Delaware River Port Authority , Burlington County Bridge Commission or Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission . After New York City built 15 reservoirs to supply water to the city's growing population, it was unable to obtain permission to build an additional five reservoirs along

1635-489: Is a park located along the Delaware River in the southernmost point of South Philadelphia, comprising some 348 acres (1.41 km ). The park was built to the design of Olmsted Brothers , the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and John Charles Olmsted in the early 20th century. The American Swedish Historical Museum is located in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park . The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

1744-450: Is an important part of the Delaware River's history, adding to its diverse cultural legacy. The magnitude of the commerce of Philadelphia has made the improvements of the river below that port of great importance. Small improvements were attempted by Pennsylvania as early as 1771. Commerce was once important on the upper river, primarily prior to railway competition of 1857. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area came about as

1853-500: Is in South Philadelphia. It is a merger of the former Saint John Neumann High School and the Saint Maria Goretti High School . In addition, there are several Catholic elementary schools in South Philadelphia, usually tied to a local parish church. In 2010 South Philadelphia Catholic elementary schools had 2,572 students, a decline by 27% from the 2006 figure. Philadelphia Free School , patterned on

1962-737: Is largely African American and is often considered the center of the South Philadelphia's African American communities. The neighborhood of Pennsport remains primarily a working class Irish-American neighborhood and the cultural center of Irish-American South Philadelphia. An increase in late 20th-century and early 21st-century immigration has given South Philadelphia significant populations from Asia , particularly Southeast Asia , including populations from Vietnam , Cambodia , Indonesia and Thailand . In addition, there has been an increase in recent years of immigrants from Russia , Mexico and Central American nations such as Honduras , Guatemala and El Salvador . Today, many vendors that work alongside

2071-720: Is located in South Philadelphia near the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The casino has over 2,100 slot machines and electronic table games , 150 table games, a poker room , and a sportsbook . The complex also has a 12-story hotel , dining, entertainment, and an event center. The South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook operated by Parx Racing is located in South Philadelphia near the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, offering off-track betting and sports betting . Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park (originally named League Island Park)

2180-596: Is located in the eastern part of the South Philadelphia, specifically Pennsport and Whitman . Pennsport, which is also locally referred to as "Two Street", is arguably the most well known Irish neighborhood in South Philadelphia. Pennsport is also home to many of the city's Mummers clubs, where some are known for their Irish American themes. Other Irish neighborhoods are located in the northwestern area of South Philadelphia, including Grays Ferry , Devil's Pocket and areas of Girard Estate , Southwest Center City and Schuylkill . Philadelphia's large Irish community, however,

2289-558: Is located in this section of town along the Delaware River . For decade during the World Wars and after, the shipyard was a major employer, whose craftsmen built new ships and repaired and maintained existing ones. With the decline in the military uses, the area is being redeveloped by the Navy and city for a variety of business and industrial uses. A refurbished area of South Philadelphia alongside Columbus Boulevard/Delaware Avenue (near

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2398-408: Is more prominent in other sections of the city, most notably Northeast Philadelphia . As of 2000 the largest Mexican community in Philadelphia was in the area bounded by Front Street , 18th Street, Oregon Avenue, and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia. As of 2011 most Mexicans in South Philadelphia originate from the state of Puebla . African Americans have lived in South Philadelphia since

2507-612: Is thought to derive from French de la Guerre . It has often been reported that the river and bay received the name "Delaware" after English forces under Richard Nicolls expelled the Dutch and took control of the New Netherland colony in 1664. However, the river and bay were known by the name Delaware as early as 1641. The state of Delaware was originally part of the William Penn 's Pennsylvania colony . In 1682,

2616-673: Is today known as Center City Philadelphia . Along with all other jurisdictions in Philadelphia County , South Philadelphia became part of the City of Philadelphia proper with passage by the Pennsylvania legislature of the city–county Act of Consolidation, 1854 . The area continued to grow, becoming a vital part of Philadelphia's large industrial base and attracting immigrants from Italy , Ireland, Poland and many Southern European and Eastern European countries during

2725-402: Is working to try to address the issue of flooding along the river. As the past few years have seen a rise in catastrophic floods, most residents of the river basin feel that something must be done. The local governments have worked in association with FEMA to address many of these problems, however, due to insufficient federal funds, progress is slow. A number of oil spills have taken place in

2834-568: The Army Corps of Engineers through eminent domain . Between 3,000 and 5,000 dwellings were demolished, including historical sites, and about 15,000 people were displaced by the project. Because of massive environmental opposition, dwindling funds, and an unacceptable geological assessment of the dam's safety, the government transferred the property to the National Park Service in 1978. The National Park Service found itself as

2943-569: The Associated Press said "South Philadelphia has been growing more diverse for decades, but the last 20 years have seen the greatest influx of Asian and Hispanic families." David Elesh, a Temple University urban sociologist, said that of the almost 60,000 Philadelphia residents who reported being born in China, many lived in South Philadelphia. As of the 2010 Census, there are 168,782 people in 78,440 housing units. The population density

3052-730: The Delaware Aqueduct . The Delaware River has two branches that rise in the Catskill Mountains of New York: the West Branch at Mount Jefferson in Jefferson , Schoharie County , and the East Branch at Grand Gorge , Delaware County . The branches merge to form the main Delaware River at Hancock, New York . Flowing south, the river remains relatively undeveloped, with 152 miles (245 km) protected as

3161-778: The Delaware City Refinery , the Dupont Chambers Works , Oceanport Terminal at Claymont , the Marcus Hook Refinery, the Trainer Refinery , the Paulsboro Asphalt Refinery , Paulsboro Refinery , Eagle Point Refinery, and Sunoco Fort Mifflin. As of 2011, crude oil was the largest single commodity transported on the Delaware River, accounting for half of all annual cargo tonnage. The Delaware River

3270-553: The Duke of York granted Penn's request for access to the sea and leased him the territory along the western shore of Delaware Bay, which became known as the "Lower Counties on the Delaware". In 1704, the Lower Counties were given political autonomy to form a separate provincial assembly, but they shared Pennsylvania's provincial governor until the two colonies separated on June 15, 1776, and they remained separate as states after

3379-612: The Otter Creek tributary , leading to a water advisory in Philadelphia . With the failure of the dam project to come to fruition, the lack of flood control on the river left it vulnerable, and it has experienced a number of serious flooding events as the result of snow melt or rain run-off from heavy rainstorms. Record flooding occurred in August 1955, in the aftermath of the passing of the remnants of two separate hurricanes over

Harrisburg Subdivision - Misplaced Pages Continue

3488-997: The Pennsport neighborhood. Portions of South Philadelphia are within Philadelphia City Council Districts 1 and 2. As of 2014 Councilman Mark Squilla and Councilman Kenyatta Johnson represent the two districts. The Philadelphia Fire Department operates nine fire stations serving South Philadelphia. Most of South Philadelphia resides in Fire Battalion 1, headquartered at 711 S. Broad Street . Portions of South Philadelphia reside in Battalion 4, headquartered at N. 4th and Arch streets, and Battalion 11, headquartered at 43rd and Market streets. The Philadelphia Police Department patrols three districts located within South Philadelphia. The three patrol districts serving South Philadelphia are

3597-508: The Philadelphia Phillies (professional baseball), Philadelphia Eagles (professional football), Philadelphia 76ers (professional basketball), Philadelphia Flyers (professional ice hockey), Philadelphia Soul (professional arena football), Temple Owls (college football) make their home in the massive state-of-the-art sports arenas surrounding the well-known intersection: Citizens Bank Park , Lincoln Financial Field and

3706-762: The Philadelphia crime family is active in the area, maintaining much of its operations in South Philadelphia. The African-American Black Mafia and its offshoot, the Junior Black Mafia , have also had a presence in the Point Breeze section of South Philadelphia since the late 1960s. Historical gangs include the Italian Philadelphia poison ring as well as the Lanzetta brothers , a gang of six Italian-American brothers who were drug traffickers and bootleggers . All six brothers were born in

3815-406: The Port of Wilmington , the Port of Chester , the Port of Paulsboro , the Port of Philadelphia and the Port of Camden . Combined they create one of the largest shipping areas of the United States. In 2015, the ports of Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington handled 100 million tons of cargo from 2,243 ship arrivals, and supported 135,000 direct or indirect jobs. The biggest category of imports

3924-634: The South Philadelphia Sports Complex and the Walt Whitman Bridge . The Girard Point Bridge section of I-95 crosses over the mouth of the Schuylkill River , where it merges with the Delaware River . I-76 becomes the Schuylkill Expressway at Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia and allows access between this section of the city and University City , Center City , 30th Street Station and

4033-753: The Sudbury school model, is located at the intersection of 21st and Christian streets. Free Library of Philadelphia operates six branches in South Philadelphia: Charles Santore, Fumo Family, Queen Memorial, South Philadelphia, Thomas F. Donatucci Sr. and Whitman. Prior to its 1999 reopening in a new building, the Fumo Branch was known as the Ritner Children's Branch. Prior to 2004, the Donatucci Branch

4142-700: The Trenton Subdivision at Belmont . The oldest portion of the Harrisburg Subdivision, along the west side of the Schuylkill River from Grays Ferry southwest to the Philadelphia Subdivision, was opened in 1838 by the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad . A new PW&B line, now the Northeast Corridor , opened in 1872; the old line was leased to the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road

4251-548: The Upper , Middle , and Lower Delaware National Scenic Rivers . At Trenton, New Jersey , the Delaware becomes tidal , navigable , and significantly more industrial . This section forms the backbone of the Delaware Valley metropolitan area, serving the port cities of Philadelphia , Camden, New Jersey , and Wilmington, Delaware . The river flows into Delaware Bay at Liston Point, 48 miles (77 km) upstream of

4360-401: The Walt Whitman Bridge ), Columbus Commons, provides big box shopping and chain restaurants. Washington Avenue, between 16th St. on the west and Front St. on the east, is home to many Asian businesses, including Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean. Among these are restaurants of all types, two large Asian supermarkets , jewelers and a wide variety of specialty shops. Passyunk Avenue , running on

4469-562: The Wells Fargo Center . Also located at the sports complex is Xfinity Live! Philadelphia , a dining and entertainment complex. The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is home to both Citizens Bank Park , the home field of the Philadelphia Phillies , Lincoln Financial Field , the home field of the Philadelphia Eagles , Wells Fargo Center , the home arena of the Philadelphia 76ers and Philadelphia Flyers , and

Harrisburg Subdivision - Misplaced Pages Continue

4578-495: The 1960s. With the dramatic loss of industrial jobs during mid-20th century restructuring, there were population losses in South Philadelphia as well as other working-class parts of the city, and some neighborhood Catholic schools had to close. Today, many of South Philadelphia's communities are largely Italian Americans . Many of these communities contain both older and more recent Italian immigrants and Italian speakers, and Italian saint festivals and cultural celebrations, including

4687-563: The 1st, 3rd and 17th districts. According to the United States Census Bureau , South Philadelphia has an area of 9.7 sq. miles, all land. The South Philadelphia Planning Analysis Section is bounded by South Street on the north and the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers to their confluence. The portions on either side of Broad Street are known as South Philadelphia West and South Philadelphia East . In 2010,

4796-692: The 30th Street Station area between Arsenal and Zoo Interlockings. The entire line became part of Conrail in 1976; the Delaware Extension, West Philadelphia Elevated, and Belmont Branch were grouped with the former Reading Company line to Reading and Harrisburg as the Harrisburg Line . In 1998, Conrail reconstructed the south end of the line, adding a direct connection from the Chester Secondary to CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision and allowing CSX-Conrail freights to use

4905-652: The Clean Water Act explains how conditions of the river should be stable enough for human fishing and swimming. Even though the river has had success with the cleanup of pollution, the Delaware River still does not meet that standard of swimmable or fishable conditions in the Philadelphia/Chester region. In March 2023, a pipe rupture at a Trinseo chemical plant in Bristol, Pennsylvania , released over 8,000 gallons of latex finishing material into

5014-717: The Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), all public magnet schools, are in South Philadelphia, at 11th and Catharine streets, 21st and Ritner streets, and Broad and Carpenter streets, respectively. The Mastery Charter Schools system operates the Thomas School (grades 7–12) in South Philadelphia. It was formerly the district school Thomas Middle School, and shares a campus with a district elementary school, D. Newlin Fell School , at 9th Street and Oregon Avenue. Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School

5123-666: The Delaware River as the River of the Year for 2020, citing 75 years of progress in reducing pollution and restoring wildlife. In 1984, the U.S. Department of the Treasury authorized the creation of a wine region or " American Viticultural Area " called the Central Delaware Valley AVA located in southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey . The wine appellation includes 96,000 acres (38,850 ha) surrounding

5232-745: The Delaware River north of Philadelphia and Trenton , New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, it consists of the territory along the Delaware River in Bucks County ; in New Jersey, the AVA spans along the river in Hunterdon County and Mercer County from Titusville , New Jersey, just north of Trenton, northward to Musconetcong Mountain . As of 2013, there are no New Jersey wineries in the Central Delaware Valley AVA. In

5341-497: The Delaware River's tributaries. As a result, in 1928 the city decided to draw water from the Delaware River, putting them in direct conflict with villages and towns across the river in Pennsylvania which were already using the Delaware for their water supply. The two sides eventually took their case to the U.S. Supreme Court , and in 1931, New York City was allowed to draw 440 million US gallons (1,700,000 m ) of water

5450-415: The Delaware River. This settlement marked one of the earliest European establishments in the region, with Fort Christina (located near modern-day Wilmington, Delaware) becoming a key trading post and symbol of Swedish colonial ambition. The Swedes engaged in peaceful land negotiations with the local Lenape people and developed a thriving colony. New Sweden became a center for trade and cultural exchange between

5559-463: The Delaware basin experience flooding, including three major floods in the three years (2004–2006) that have severely damaged their homes and land. The lower part of the Delaware basin from Philadelphia southward to the Delaware Bay is tidal and much wider than portions further north, and is not prone to river-related flooding (although tidal surges can cause minor flooding in this area). The Delaware River Basin Commission , along with local governments,

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5668-425: The Delaware. Similarly, the East Branch begins from a small pond south of Grand Gorge in the town of Roxbury in Delaware County , flowing southwest toward its impoundment by New York City to create the Pepacton Reservoir , the largest reservoir in the New York City water supply system . Its tributaries are the Beaver Kill River and the Willowemoc Creek which enter into the river ten miles (16 km) before

5777-419: The EPA involved the Delaware County Regional Water Authority (DELCORA) where they set up a plan to spend around $ 200 million to help rid the waterway of about 740 million gallons of sewage and pollution. DELCORA was also fined about $ 1.4 million for allowing the Delaware River to have so much pollution residing in the river in the first place and for not complying with the Clean Water Act. Part of

5886-417: The English expelled the Dutch and took control of the New Netherland colony in 1664, the river was renamed Delaware after Sir Thomas West , 3rd Baron De La Warr, an English nobleman and the Virginia colony's first royal governor, who defended the colony during the First Anglo-Powhatan War . George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River in 1776 led to the Americans winning the Battle of Trenton , which

5995-452: The High Line. The entire line from south of Arsenal to Belmont was assigned to CSX in the 1999 breakup of Conrail, while the rest of the Harrisburg Line became a Norfolk Southern Railway line. 39°57′43″N 75°11′04″W  /  39.96194°N 75.18444°W  / 39.96194; -75.18444 South Philadelphia South Philadelphia , nicknamed South Philly , is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to

6104-413: The Italian-Americans at the Italian Market are of Asian descent and Mexican or Central American descent, and Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, and Central American restaurants are interspersed with historic Italian restaurants in the Market area. The recent revitalization of Center City Philadelphia and the subsequent gentrification of adjacent neighborhoods has also led to dramatic rises in prices of housing in

6213-448: The Lenape". The Delaware River played a key factor in the economic and social development of the Mid-Atlantic region. In the seventeenth century it provided the conduit for colonial settlement by the Dutch ( New Netherland ) and the Swedish ( New Sweden ). Beginning in 1664, the region became an English possession as settlement by Quakers established the colonies of Pennsylvania (including present-day Delaware ) and West Jersey . In

6322-426: The New York City water system. It is the most recently constructed New York City reservoir and began serving the city in 1964. Draining a large watershed of 455 square miles (1,180 km ), the reservoir's capacity is 95.7 billion US gallons (362,000,000 m ). This water flows over halfway through the reservoir to enter the 44-mile (71 km) West Delaware Tunnel in Tompkins , New York. Then it flows through

6431-440: The NovaCare Complex, the practice facility of the Philadelphia Eagles. The sports complex region also once housed Veterans Stadium , the former home field of the Eagles and Phillies, which stood from 1971 to 2004, John F. Kennedy Stadium , which stood from 1925 to 1992, and the Spectrum , the former arena of the 76ers and Flyers, which was in use from 1967 to 2009 and was demolished in 2011. Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia

6540-501: The Pennsylvania–New Jersey state line for 25 miles (40 km) to the end of the ridge at Walpack Bend in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area . The Minisink is a buried valley where the Delaware flows in a bed of glacial till that buried the eroded bedrock during the last glacial period . It then skirts the Kittatinny ridge , which it crosses at the Delaware Water Gap , between nearly vertical walls of sandstone , quartzite , and conglomerate , and then passes through

6649-410: The Project of 1885, the U.S. government undertook systematically the formation of a 26-foot (7.9 m) channel 600 feet (180 m) wide from Philadelphia to deep water in Delaware Bay . The River and Harbor Act of 1899 provided for a 30-foot (9.1 m) channel 600 feet (180 m) wide from Philadelphia to the deep water of the bay. Since 1941, the Delaware River Main Channel was maintained at

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6758-424: The South 9th Street Italian Market festival, are popular in the South Philadelphia Italian-American communities. In addition, South Philadelphia continues to be home to many ethnic Irish American communities and African American communities. Both Irish American and African American communities can be found in the neighborhoods of Grays Ferry and Southwest Center City , while the nearby neighborhood of Point Breeze

6867-403: The Swedish settlers, Native Americans, and neighboring Dutch colonies. Although the Dutch would later assert dominance over the region in 1655, New Sweden laid the groundwork for European settlement along the Delaware River. The fort and surrounding settlements played a crucial role in the early European rivalry for control of North America's resources and territory. This era of Swedish colonization

6976-778: The Third Ward of South Philadelphia. South Philadelphia (along with Atlantic City ) was a part of their territory, in which they fought with rival bootleggers William Michael "Mickey Duffy" Cusick and Joe Bruno during Prohibition . Angelo Bruno , who was boss of the Philadelphia Crime Family, was murdered in front of his house at 10th and Snyder Avenues in 1980. Residents are with the School District of Philadelphia 's South District. Zoned public high schools in South Philadelphia include South Philadelphia High School , Audenried High School , and Furness High School . Historic school buildings include Francis Scott Key School and Southwark School . Academy at Palumbo, Girard Academic Music Program and The Philadelphia High School for

7085-406: The Upper Delaware Scenic Byway. The river flows southeast for 78 miles through rural regions along the New York-Pennsylvania border to Port Jervis and Shawangunk Ridge . At Port Jervis , New York, it enters the Port Jervis trough. At this point, the Walpack Ridge deflects the Delaware into the Minisink Valley, where it follows the southwest strike of the eroded Marcellus Formation beds along

7194-452: The West Branch meets the East Branch. The confluence of the two branches is just south of Hancock . The East Branch and West Branch of the Delaware River parallel each other, both flowing in a southwesterly direction. From Hancock, New York , the Delaware flows between the northern Poconos in Pennsylvania, and the lowered shale beds north of the Catskills. The river flows down a broad Appalachian valley, passing Hawk's Nest overlook on

7303-437: The agricultural development of the region. The strategic Delaware River was the scene of several important campaigns during the American Revolutionary War . Perhaps the most famous event was George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River with the Continental Army on the night of December 25–26, 1776, leading to a successful surprise attack and victory against the Hessian troops occupying Trenton, New Jersey , on

7412-424: The aqueduct into the Rondout Reservoir , where the water enters the 85 miles (137 km) Delaware Aqueduct , that contributes to roughly 50% of the city's drinking water supply. At Deposit , on the border between Broome and Delaware counties, it turns sharply to the southeast and is paralleled by New York State Route 17 . It joins the East Branch at 880 feet (270 m) above sea level at Hancock to form

7521-430: The area within less than a week: first Hurricane Connie and then Hurricane Diane , which was, and still is, the wettest tropical cyclone to have hit the northeastern United States. The river gauge at Riegelsville , Pennsylvania recorded an all-time record crest of 38.85 feet (11.84 m) on August 19, 1955. More recently, moderate to severe flooding has occurred along the river. The same gauge at Riegelsville recorded

7630-462: The area's population was 168,782. Though mostly known for its large Italian population, South Philadelphia contains a diverse population of Italians, Irish , African Americans and Mexicans , as well as growing populations of Vietnamese , Chinese , Cambodian , Indonesian , Thai and Central Americans . In addition, the area contains smaller but historically significant Greek , Jewish , and Maronite Lebanese communities. On January 22, 2010

7739-433: The bay's outlet to the Atlantic Ocean between Cape May and Cape Henlopen . Before the arrival of European settlers, the river was the homeland of the Lenape native people. They called the river Lenapewihittuk, or Lenape River, and Kithanne, meaning the largest river in this part of the country. In 1609, the river was visited by a Dutch East India Company expedition led by Henry Hudson . Hudson, an English navigator,

7848-598: The borders of New York , Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and Delaware , before emptying into Delaware Bay . The river has been recognized by the National Wildlife Federation as one of the country's Great Waters and has been called the "Lifeblood of the Northeast" by American Rivers . Its watershed drains an area of 13,539 square miles (35,070 km ) and provides drinking water for 17 million people, including half of New York City via

7957-400: The caretaker of the previously endangered territory, and with the help of the federal government and surrounding communities, developed recreational facilities and worked to preserve the remaining historical structures. The nearby Shawnee Inn , was identified in the 1990s as the only resort along the banks of the Delaware River. American Rivers , an environmental advocacy group, named

8066-461: The colony's fledgling settlements. Lord de la Warr arrived with 150 soldiers in time to prevent the colony's original settlers at Jamestown from giving up and returning to England and is credited with saving the Virginia colony. The name of the barony (later an earldom ) is pronounced as in the current spelling form "Delaware" ( / ˈ d ɛ l ə w ɛər / DEL -ə-wair ) and

8175-611: The corner of Swanson Street and Ritner Street is a venue known for hosting boxing and professional wrestling events. Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States . From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York , the river flows for 282 miles (454 km) along

8284-442: The country. In 1852, the first Italian Catholic parish in the United States, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi , was founded by pre-mass immigration Italians. Donna J. Di Giacomo, author of Italians of Philadelphia , wrote that this church "was a hallmark of the neighborhood and touched many a South Philadelphia Italian's and Italian American's life in one way or another for generations." Much of South Philadelphia's Irish population

8393-542: The culture of Philadelphia, establishing the Italian Market , creating both the cheesesteak and the hoagie , and introducing Italian roast pork sandwiches , water ice , tomato pie and pizza to the cuisine of Philadelphia . Recently, some Italian-American South Philadelphians have moved to Southern New Jersey . However, the Italian-American population in Philadelphia remains the second largest in

8502-429: The early 19th century at the very least, though the city of Philadelphia proper was home to a significant population of freed and fugitive slaves from at least the 18th century onward. The majority of the current African American population in South Philadelphia, however, is descended from Southern migrants who moved into the city in high numbers during the first Great Migration in the early 20th century. South Street

8611-469: The eighteenth century, cities like Philadelphia , Camden (then Cooper's Ferry), Trenton , Wilmington and New Castle were established upon the Delaware and their continued commercial success into the present day has been dependent on access to the river for trade and power. The river provided the path for the settlement of northeastern Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley , and northwestern New Jersey by German Palatine immigrants—a population that became key in

8720-636: The end of the First Industrial Revolution , the area saw rapid growth in population and urban development. This expansion was in part due to an influx of working class laborers and immigrants looking for factory jobs and dock work , as well as the first wave of mass immigration of Irish refugees or impoverished immigrants from Ireland in the wake of the Great Irish Hunger . South Philadelphia's urbanized border eventually expanded to reach that of Philadelphia proper, or what

8829-480: The establishment of Greek Orthodox parishes in South Philadelphia, while Lebanese immigrants established Lebanese Maronite parishes. Despite this dramatic growth in population, the low funding of education by the city resulted in the first public high school not being formed in South Philadelphia until 1934. Attracted to the industrial jobs, the new residents of South Philadelphia created communities that continued many of their Old World traditions. While many of

8938-629: The establishment of the United States. The name "Delaware" also came to be used as a collective name for the Lenape , a Native American people who inhabited an area of the basins of the Susquehanna River , Delaware River, and lower Hudson River in the northeastern United States at the time of European settlement, as well as for their language . As a result of disruption following the French and Indian War , American Revolutionary War , and

9047-437: The land mass in the United States. In 2001, the watershed was 18% agricultural land, 14% developed land, and 68% forested land. There are 216 tributary streams and creeks comprising an estimated 14,057 miles of streams and creeks, in the watershed. While the watershed is home to 4.17 million people according to the 2000 Federal Census, these bodies of water provide drinking water to 17 million people—roughly 6% of

9156-566: The largest street festival in Philadelphia, is an African-American celebration that is held annually in the South Street area. As of 2013, those who identified as "Black alone" or in combination with another ethnicity totaled 45,482 persons living in the zip codes 19145, 19146, 19147 and 19148. The African American population in South Philadelphia has historically constituted between 25% and 30% of South Philadelphia's population - 27% "Black alone" and in combination with another ethnicity, as of

9265-525: The late 19th and early to mid 20th centuries, as well as Black American migrants from the southern United States during the Great Migration of the early 20th century. The immigrants and migrants became the basis of South Philadelphia's unique and vibrant culture that developed over the next several decades. Struggling to maintain their Catholic identity in a mostly Protestant city, the Irish built

9374-615: The later Indian removals from the eastern United States, the name "Delaware" has been spread with the Lenape's diaspora to municipalities, counties and other geographical features in the American Midwest and Canada. The Delaware River's drainage basin has an area of 13,539 square miles (35,070 km ) and encompasses 42 counties and 838 municipalities in five U.S. states: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. This total area constitutes approximately 0.4% of

9483-850: The morning of December 26. During the Philadelphia Campaign control of the Delaware River was urgently needed by the British, allowing their naval fleet to supply troops occupying Philadelphia. To this end, the Battle of Red Bank and the Siege of Fort Mifflin were fought on and along the shores of the Delaware by the American and British navies, commanded by Commodore John Hazelwood and Admiral Francis Reynolds respectively. See historical map of that campaign. In 1638, Swedish settlers, led by Peter Menuet, established New Sweden along

9592-432: The neighborhoods of historic Queen Village, Bella Vista , and some other northern parts of South Philadelphia, leading to an influx of young urban professionals in those more northern neighborhoods. Many of the community clubs that create the annual Mummers Parade every New Year's Day have traditionally been from South Philadelphia, especially those located on the largely Irish Americans S. 2nd Street ("Two Street") in

9701-621: The new arrivals were Catholic, neighborhood parishes reflected their ethnic and national traditions. Monsignor James F. Connelly, the pastor of the Stella Maris Catholic Church and an editor of the 1976 work The History of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia , said in a 2005 Philadelphia Inquirer article that each parish church "offer[s] the immigrants the faith they were familiar with." Coptic Orthodox Christian churches were also established in South Philadelphia in

9810-820: The next year. From Arsenal east over the Arsenal Bridge and south along 25th Street to near Packer Avenue, the Pennsylvania Railroad built the Delaware Extension , completing it in 1862. The rest of the line, south and east to Greenwich Yard, opened in 1900 as the Schuylkill River Branch Extension to serve League Island . The part of the Harrisburg Subdivision north of Zoo was built by the Junction Railroad and opened in 1863, connecting to what

9919-475: The north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west. A diverse working-class community of many neighborhoods, South Philadelphia is well-known for its large Italian-American population, but it also contains large Asian American , Irish-American , African-American , and Latino populations. South Philadelphia began as a satellite town of Philadelphia, with small townships such as Moyamensing and Southwark . Towards

10028-539: The plateau in a deep trough. The branch flows generally southwest, entering Delaware County and flowing through the towns of Stamford and Delhi . In southwestern Delaware County it flows in an increasingly winding course through the mountains, generally southwest. At Stilesville the West Branch was impounded in the 1960s to form the Cannonsville Reservoir , the westernmost of the reservoirs in

10137-587: The pollutants in the river can cause birth defects, infertility among women, and have been linked to cancer. In 2015, the EPA saw the Delaware River as a concern for mass pollution especially in the Greater Philadelphia and Chester, Pennsylvania area. The EPA was involved after accusations that the river met standards made illegal by the Clean Water Act . In complying with the Clean Water Act,

10246-487: The population of the United States. The waters of the Delaware River's basin are used to sustain "fishing, transportation, power, cooling, recreation, and other industrial and residential purposes." It is the 33rd largest river in the United States in terms of flow, but is among the nation's most heavily used rivers in daily freight tonnage. The average annual flow rate of the Delaware is 11,700 cubic feet per second at Trenton, New Jersey . With no dams or impediments on

10355-759: The previously combined regions of Abruzzo and Molise ; the city of Messina in Sicily and the surrounding province ; and Salerno and Avellino in Campania . To this day, dialects from those regions mixed with English are spoken in many South Philadelphia households and neighborhoods. Italians in South Philadelphia experienced widespread discrimination from the larger majority populations of Philadelphia. For example, Italian neighborhoods in South Philadelphia were heavily redlined for decades specifically due to their Italian-American demographics. However, Italian-Americans in South Philadelphia have contributed greatly to

10464-648: The region, often excluding the more recent Italian (and, to a lesser extent, Polish) populations from participating in the church hierarchy. In addition to the influx of Catholic immigrants to the majority Protestant city of Philadelphia, many Polish Jews and other Jews from Central and Eastern Europe settled in South Philadelphia during the first half of the 20th century, especially in the diverse area now known as Queen Village where Jewish immigrants lived among Catholic Polish immigrants, Irish-Americans, and Italian immigrants. A smaller but significant Greek immigrant community also flourished around this time, leading to

10573-638: The ridge of Kittatinny Mountain in New Jersey, and Blue Mountain in Pennsylvania, crosses the Delaware River at the Delaware Water Gap near Columbia, New Jersey. In Easton, Pennsylvania , the Lehigh River joins the Delaware. At Trenton , the Delaware crosses the Atlantic Seaboard Fall Line with a drop of 8 feet (2.4 m). Below Trenton , the Delaware flows between Philadelphia and New Jersey before becoming

10682-728: The river's main stem, the Delaware is one of the few remaining large free-flowing rivers in the United States. The West Branch of the Delaware River , also called the Mohawk Branch, spans approximately 90 miles (140 km) from the northern Catskill Mountains to its confluence with the Delaware River's East Branch at Hancock, New York . The last 6 miles (9.7 km) forms part of the boundary between New York and Pennsylvania . The West Branch rises in Schoharie County , New York at 1,886 feet (575 m) above sea level, near Mount Jefferson , and flows tortuously through

10791-543: The shoreline, but on the New Jersey side of the river, are pene-exclaves under the jurisdiction of Delaware. The rest of the borders follow a mid-channel approach. At the time of the arrival of the Europeans in the early 17th century, the area near the Delaware River was inhabited by the Native American Lenape people. They called the Delaware River "Lenape Wihittuck", which means "the rapid stream of

10900-485: The way. The intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue is home to the regionally famous Geno's Steaks and Pat's King of Steaks cheesesteak shops, fierce competitors in the local deli market for decades. Also, nearby is the city's open-air Italian Market , specializing in fresh produce, meats and other foods. It is lined by specialty shops, such as butchers, bakeries and cheese/grocery stores, as well as one for kitchen goods, and new cafes and coffee houses. The area

11009-816: The western suburbs. In addition, PA Route 291 serves as a major artery between the area and Delaware County , crossing the Schuylkill River via the Platt Bridge , named for Medal of Honor recipient George C. Platt . Broad Street is part of PA Route 611 . South Philadelphia is served by unprotected bike lanes on many streets going in all directions. Snyder Avenue has unprotected bike lanes going East and West. Columbus Boulevard has North and South bike lanes which are separated from automobile traffic from Reed Street to Center City. 22nd Street provides Northward lanes for cyclists . Some streets such as 11th Street have both Bike lanes and Sharrows or Shared lane marking . In 2022, Washington Avenue east of Broad Street

11118-687: Was a pivotal moment in the American Revolution . The Delaware River is named in honor of Thomas West, 3rd Baron De La Warr (1577–1618), an English nobleman and the Virginia colony's first royal governor , who defended the colony during the First Anglo-Powhatan War . Lord de la Warr waged a punitive campaign to subdue the Powhatan after they had killed the colony's council president, John Ratcliffe , and attacked

11227-509: Was featured in the film Rocky and its sequels. This is the heart of an annual street festival celebrating the neighborhood's food. Edward W. Bok Technical High School , listed on the National Register of Historic Places , has been converted into a workspace and community center. Among the largest landmarks in South Philadelphia is the South Philadelphia Sports Complex at the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue. Here,

11336-436: Was fruit, carried by 490 ships, followed by petroleum, and containers, with 410 and 381 ships, respectively. The biggest category of exports was of shipping was containers, with 470 ships. In 2016, 2,427 ships arrived at Delaware River port facilities. Fruit ships were counted at 577, petroleum at 474, and containerized cargo at 431. At one time it was a center for petroleum and chemical products and included facilities such as

11445-586: Was hired to find a western route to Cathay (China), but his encounters set the stage for Dutch colonization of North America in the 17th century. Early Dutch and Swedish settlements were established along the lower section of the river and Delaware Bay . Both colonial powers called the river the South River (Zuidrivier), compared to the Hudson River , which was known as the North River . After

11554-630: Was originally considered the cultural and commercial center of this community, though the community became increasingly concentrated to western areas below South Street, including Point Breeze , Southwest Center City , Schuylkill and Grays Ferry . Point Breeze and South Street particularly served as Philadelphia's " Harlem " during the first half of the 20th century. The first police station and fire station staffed by African Americans were located on South Street. Famous South Philadelphians include opera contralto Marian Anderson and musicians Kenny Gamble and Chubby Checker . The Odunde Festival, arguably

11663-672: Was the Passyunk Branch, and the Santore Branch was the Southwark Branch. South Street has long been considered the border between South Philadelphia proper and Center City. It originally ran east and west (although traffic is now routed east one-way). Many bars, nightspots, shops and restaurants are located along this neon-lit hotspot, with occasional live music venues (including the Theatre of Living Arts ) along

11772-612: Was then the main line of the Philadelphia and Reading Rail Road at Belmont. The Junction Railroad also built the piece from Arsenal southwest to Grays Ferry, opened in 1866. Through leases and mergers, the Junction Railroad became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad ; the part from Zoo to Belmont was the Belmont Branch. The West Philadelphia Elevated, completed in 1904, was built by the PRR as a separate freight route through

11881-570: Was transformed into a multimodel road with protected bike lanes and pedestrial crossings. The span of Washington Avenue west of Broad Street underwent repaving and minor changes to bike lanes. As of 2016 two Taiwanese airlines, China Airlines and EVA Air , provide private bus services to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for customers based in the Philadelphia area. These bus services stop in South Philadelphia. The Italian-American Mafia family known as

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