2023 University of Pennsylvania University Archives and Records Center, The West Philadelphia Community History Center is sponsored by the, University of Pennsylvania University Archives and Records Center. The 77th Street in Overbrook is not contiguous with the 77th Street in the column of streets that ends with 90th Street in Southwest Philadelphia. Other major thoroughfares include Chestnut and Walnut Streets, which together form Pennsylvania Route 3. [4], The Philadelphia Police Department divides West Philadelphia into four patrol districts: the 16th, 18th, 19th, and 92nd.[5]. Allegheny West. The Callowhill Depot built by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company to house their fleet of streetcars. 2020 (latest available). On the morning of August 8, 1978, Mayor Frank Rizzo ordered police to enter the property by force. The Black population swelled again during World War II, breaking West Philadelphia's racial boundaries by moving south of Market Street and west of Fifty-Ninth Street. But the expansion into surrounding residential neighborhoods embittered many residents. It stood divided, like much of the city and the country, between the haves and the have nots. For the next half century at least, West Philadelphia largely became a suburb in the cityabetted by a series of advances in transportation technology, starting with the horsecars of the 1850s. View All Data Tools and Apps A click on a specific census tract as found in either the list or the map for a given census year will present a detailed map with a link to the demographic statistics for that census tract. Philadelphia was at the forefront of the early nursing profession and its prestigious nursing schools set new standards for professionalism in the field. Finally the decision was made by Philadelphia Police Commissioner Gregore Sambor to drop an incendiary device on the bunkerlike structure to weaken MOVEs position. The El once powered the economic engine of West Philadelphia. Different vintage years of estimates are not comparable. St. Thomas More High School for Boys at 47th and Wyalusing Avenue was closed in 1975 and now houses the Sr Clara Muhammad School. (For example, 84th Street becomes Hook Road when it crosses into Sharon Hill.) No representation, guarantee or warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information modified or aggregated for specific neighborhoods and/or zip codes. A plethora of recreational bike trails and a bike sharing program provide cyclists with new options in the twenty first century. 77th and 86th Streets run just a few blocks before they leave the city for surrounding jurisdictions. White 1 Hispanic 2 Black Asian Mixed 1 Other 1 -42.4% 35.3% 77.7% +6.3% 12.4% 6.12% +31.8% 42.9% 11.0% +3.8% 6.90% 3.14% +0.3% 2.05% 1.71% +0.2% 0.53% 0.28% 1 non-Hispanic 2 excluding black and Asian Hispanics Relative Ethno-Racial Composition by Age #3 Initial development was divided into block lots and sold in 1852 with the condition that "substantial stone or brick buildings" be erected. Public sector employment in city government and the school district offered a wide range of employment opportunities for Black workers, from professional positions as managers and teachers to jobs that required less formal education, like sanitation and transportation. 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. Community groups have called on SEPTA to reopen closed Regional Rail stations in areas further away from the Market-Frankford Line and the Broad Street Line. At the time, the majority of residents were working classabout half immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and Englandand settlements of any density tapered off at what would become the boundaries of Fortieth Street, with the wealthy clustered along Walnut and Chestnut near this westward extremis. These include mosques such as Masjid Al-Jamia, a Sunni Muslim institution at 4228 Walnut Street. The impetus for Penns expansion came from an infusion of government research funding along with the urban renewal dollars made available by the national Housing Act of 1949. In 1924, the president of Drovers and Merchants National Bank argued that West Philadelphia should have its own seat on the local Federal Reserve Board. In later decades, many of these large row houses were subdivided into apartments and were joined by larger multiunit buildings as the neighborhoods continued to boom. The Black residents of West Philadelphia were forced to contend with redlining and other discriminatory practices that limited access to capital and higher-paid employment for many residents. The street was unified by front yards, and enclosed by decorative iron fences. The Emerging Suburb: West Philadelphia, 1850-1880, Pennsylvania History, Vol. 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). A few large estates were built during this time as well, most notably the Hamilton familys Woodlands with its iconic Georgian mansion and that of John Bartram (1699-1777), the renowned botanist and Quaker who cultivated extensive gardens along the banks of the Schuylkill. Date(s) & Update Frequency: Foreign Born residents have immigrated to the United States from another country and may or may not be naturalized citizens. More than half the world's population . Demographic data shown in this section was gathered from the latest U.S. Census Bureau release, the 2020 American Community Survey. Philadelphia played a key role in the birth of the American pharmaceutical industry during the early nineteenth century. The Orlons, who recorded the hit song 'South Street,' formed at Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia in the 1950s. The Wynnefield neighborhood is a location frequently used by photographers and organizers of civic events. West Philadelphia was also the home of American Bandstand, the popular dance show that launched the career of host Dick Clark and turned some local high school students into teen idols. Unlike standardly available Census demographics, NeighborhoodScout uses dozens of custom models to transform 8.5 million raw demographic data elements from government sources into proprietary indices and insights. miles) 13.6 : Sex : Total Population: 275,579 : Male: 128,893: 46.8% Copyright 2000-2023 Location Inc. The land also houses over 750 historic plants and trees, some grown from seeds brought to Philadelphia by the 1804 Lewis and Clark expedition. Most recently many of these retail districts with the exception of 52nd Street have been converted to largely residential areas. The world view has basic facts, trade, and projections by country. The earliest developments began in 1850 and the final period of mass construction ended in 1930. Rodin, Judith. A pivotal factor in the development of West Philadelphia was the construction of the University of Pennsylvanias campus. The demographic statistics for this exhibit have been compiled fromSocial Explorerby the staff of theUniversity Archivesof theUniversity of Pennsylvania. Beginning in the 1990s, the University of Pennsylvania began a process of community engagement to help rebuild the surrounding neighborhoods by providing an unarmed security force in University City and establishing the university-affiliated Sadie Alexander School. The Route 11 trolley runs along Woodland Avenue from the transit tunnel at 40th Street to the city line at Cobbs Creek and continues into Darby Borough. Since the mid-nineteenth century, West Philadelphia's fortunes have risen and fallen with shifts in transportation and demographics. The Woodlands mansion and cemetery continue to operate today. The University and Urban Revival: Out of the Ivory Tower and Into the Streets. Methodology: The population density in City Center West is 97% higher than Philadelphia; The median age in City Center West is 7% higher than Philadelphia; In City Center West 78.92% of the population is White; In City Center West 6.11% of the population is Black; In City Center West 11.66% of the population is Asian 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. One of West Philadelphia's most prominent features is the "El", or SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line or Blue Line. This article is about the present-day area. This photograph shows two clusters of houses on an otherwise vacant street, awaiting the relocation of residents before demolition. 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.[2]. Asian and Hispanic residents may identify with one of the more specific subcategories. (Author information current at time of publication.). The process began during World War I, as Black migrants arrived in the city in increasing numbers. The least populous of the compared neighborhoods has a population of 11,228. Becoming Penn: The Pragmatic American University, 19502000. 2 (April 1980), pp. Penn took full advantage of postwar federal largesse, competing successfully with its counterparts in higher education for research and development grantsespecially after the flood of funding following the Soviet Unions Sputnik success in 1957. Miller, Rogerand Joseph Siry. The numbering pattern 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 6468. Finally, the Route 36 trolley is the longest trolley Green Line service. Residents complained of a bullhorn broadcasting political messages all day and accused the group of stockpiling weapons. Demographic data shown in this section was gathered from the latest U.S. Census Bureau release, the 2020 . 3,248,528. The Black population swelled again during World War II, breaking West Philadelphias racial boundaries by moving south of Market Street and west of Fifty-Ninth Street. The next most-common racial group is black at 20.3%. 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. Estimates are not comparable to other geographic levels due to methodology differences that may exist between different data sources. The decision tarnished Penns community relations for many years to follow, especially as the University City Science Center failed to promptly live up to the universitys lofty goals. The information is updated yearly, as soon as new data is made available by the US Census Bureau. Philadelphia police are investigating the fatal shooting of a 44-year-old man in Germantown. This is how city residents have self-reported their race and ethnicity to the US Census. By 1820, residents of these neighboring suburbs outnumbered those of the city proper. The Big 5, an association of local college basketball programs, played at the University of Pennsylvania's Palestra arena from the time of its formation until 1986. 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.