Fabric Row (Philadelphia)

Last updated
Fabric Row
Fabric Row signage.jpg
Fabric Row on South 4th Street
Street map of Philadelphia and surrounding area.png
Red pog.svg
Fabric Row
Coordinates: Coordinates: 39°56′26″N75°08′59″W / 39.9405°N 75.1496°W / 39.9405; -75.1496
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
State Pennsylvania
County Philadelphia County
City Philadelphia
Area
  Total0.01 km2 (0.004 sq mi)
Population
 (2016) [1]
  Total175
  Density17,000/km2 (44,000/sq mi)
ZIP Code
19147
Area code(s) 215, 267 and 445

Fabric Row (Der Ferder, "the fourth", in Yiddish) [2] is a historic Jewish [3] textile and garment district located on South 4th Street in the Queen Village neighborhood of Philadelphia between Bainbridge Street and Catherine Street. [4]

Contents

History

Fabric Row had its beginnings when the area was still part of the District of Southwark. [5] Starting in the late 19th century when peddlers were able to purchase licenses for $25. Those who could not afford the $25 fee would rent a cart for $0.25 per day. This business practice allowed some to profit until the 1950s when pushcarts were banned. The area later became a known fabric market where there existed up to 30 fabric retailers between the 1930s until the 1950s at its peak. [6]

In 1996, fabric shop owners on South Fourth Street successfully lobbied the city for official recognition of the "Fabric Row" name. [7] [8]

Preservation efforts

In 2015, the area went through major renovations with many services offered by the organization that manages the South Street Headhouse District. [6] As generations get older and with the lack of succession, many businesses in Fabric Row ceased operations. For example, Marmelstein's had been in business for 96 years before its closure. [9]

There are preservation efforts [10] to retain the "fabric industry" culture on Fabric Row even though the textile market in Fabric Row still remains strong to this day. However, many businesses face uncertainty when the older generations pass and the younger generations leave. [11] [12]

Demographics

Fabric Row Street scene in 2018 Fabric Row.jpg
Fabric Row Street scene in 2018

In 2016, Fabric Row, a neighborhood statistic which also includes 3rd and 4th Streets, had a population of 175 in an area of 0.004 square miles, giving a population density of 40,972 per square mile. The median household income is $93,750. The area consists of 96 males and 79 females. The median age is 31.6 for males and 34.8 for females. [1] Since the year 2000, the area has experienced a growth of 7%. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

Philadelphia Largest city in Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, colloquially Philly, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous U.S. city, with a 2019 estimated population of 1,584,064. Since 1854, the city has had the same geographic boundaries as Philadelphia County, the most-populous county in Pennsylvania and the urban core of the eighth-largest U.S. metropolitan statistical area, with over 6 million residents as of 2017. Philadelphia is also the economic and cultural center of the greater Delaware Valley along the lower Delaware and Schuylkill rivers within the Northeast megalopolis. The Delaware Valley's population of 7.2 million makes it the eighth-largest combined statistical area in the United States.

Sunset Park, Brooklyn Neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City

Sunset Park is a neighborhood in the southwestern part of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City, bounded by Park Slope and Green-Wood Cemetery to the north, Borough Park to the east, Bay Ridge to the south, and Upper New York Bay to the west. The neighborhood is named after a 24.5-acre (9.9 ha) public park of the same name, located between 41st and 44th Streets and Fifth and Seventh Avenues. The region north of 36th Street is also known as Greenwood Heights or South Slope.

Government Center, Boston

Government Center is an area in downtown Boston, centered on City Hall Plaza. Formerly the site of Scollay Square, it is now the location of Boston City Hall, courthouses, state and federal office buildings, and a major MBTA subway station, also called Government Center. Its development was controversial, as the project displaced thousands of residents and razed several hundred homes and businesses.

Washington Square West, Philadelphia United States historic place

Washington Square West is a neighborhood in downtown, or Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The neighborhood roughly corresponds to the area between 7th and Broad Streets and between Chestnut and South Streets, bordering on the Independence Mall tourist area directly northeast, Market East to the north, Old City and Society Hill to the East, Bella Vista directly south, Hawthorne to the southwest, and mid-town Philadelphia and Rittenhouse Square to the west. In addition to being a desirable residential community, it is considered a hip, trendy neighborhood that offers a diverse array of shops, restaurants, and coffee houses. Washington Square West contains many gay-friendly establishments and hosts annual events celebrating LGBT culture in Philadelphia including OutFest. The area takes its name from Washington Square, a historic urban park in the northeastern corner of the neighborhood.

South Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west. A diverse working class community, South Philadelphia is primarily known for its large Italian American population, but it also contains large Irish American and African American populations.

Center City, Philadelphia Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Center City includes the central business district and central neighborhoods of Philadelphia, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It comprises the area that made up the City of Philadelphia prior to the Act of Consolidation, 1854 which extended the city borders to be coterminous with Philadelphia County. Greater Center City has grown into the second-most densely populated downtown area in the United States, after Midtown Manhattan in New York City, with an estimated 173,284 residents in 2010.

South Street (Philadelphia)

South Street is a street in Philadelphia, which was originally named "Cedar Street" in William Penn's original street grid, it is an east-west street forming the southern border of Center City and the northern border for South Philadelphia. The stretch of South Street between Front Street and Seventh Street is known for its "bohemian", "punk", and generally "alternative" atmosphere and its diverse urban mix of shops, bars, and eateries. It is one of Philadelphia's largest tourist attractions.

Kensington, Philadelphia Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

Kensington is a neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its placement within the broader division of sections of Philadelphia is debated, but it is often considered as a dividing line between or belonging to both the Lower Northeast section of Philadelphia and North Philadelphia. It is generally considered part of the Philadelphia River Wards. Modern Kensington is larger than the former Kensington District, and unlike Kensington District it does not include Fishtown. As with all neighborhoods in Philadelphia, the lack of any official designation means the boundaries of the area vary between sources and over time. Traditionally, Kensington is known for its large working class Irish Catholic community. Kensington was the location of the Philadelphia Nativist Riots in the 19th century. Kensington is also the birthplace of the K&A Gang,, an Irish American organized crime network. Originally, Kensington was also home to a large, and largely invisible, English American community. For example, the five Episcopal parishes in the neighborhood were founded by 19th century immigrants from England.

Society Hill United States historic place

Society Hill is a historic neighborhood in Center City Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with a population of 6,215 as of the 2010 United States Census. Settled in the early 1680s, Society Hill is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in Philadelphia. After urban decay developed between the late 19th and early 20th centuries, an urban renewal program began in the 1950s, restoring the area and its many historic buildings. Society Hill has since become one of the most expensive neighborhoods with the highest average income and second highest real estate values in Philadelphia. Society Hill's historic colonial architecture, along with intelligent planning and restoration efforts, led the American Planning Association to designate it, in 2008, as one of the great American neighborhoods and a good example of sustainable urban living.

Queen Village, Philadelphia Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

Queen Village is a residential neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that lies along the eastern edge of the city, immediately south of Center City. It shares boundaries with Society Hill to the north, Bella Vista to the west and Pennsport to the south. Historically, the area is part of old Southwark, Philadelphia's first suburb, which was incorporated into the city in 1854 and remains the city's oldest residential neighborhood. Street boundaries are the south side of Lombard Street to the north side of Washington Avenue, the Delaware River to 6th Street, encompassing two principal commercial corridors, South Street and Fabric Row on 4th Street.

Bella Vista, Philadelphia Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

Bella Vista, Italian for "beautiful sight", is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Southwark, Philadelphia Former District in Pennsylvania, United States

Southwark was originally the Southwark District, a colonial-era municipality in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. Today, it is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Because of its location south of the early Philadelphia, the name was adopted in allusion to the borough of Southwark in the county of London, England, just south of the city of London.

Pennsport, Philadelphia Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

Pennsport is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

New Market and Head House United States historic place

New Market, as it was originally known, and later also known as Head HouseMarket and Second Street Market, is a historic street market on South 2nd Street between Pine and Lombard Streets in the Society Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With a history dating to 1745, it is one of the oldest surviving market buildings of its type in the nation. This portion, which survives from a longer structure originally extending all the way to South Street, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and is the centerpiece of the Head House Square historic district.

East Passyunk Crossing, Philadelphia Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

East Passyunk Crossing is a South Philadelphia neighborhood. Its location is considered to be from Tasker Street to Snyder Avenue, Broad Street to 6th Street.

Belmont Village, Philadelphia Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

Belmont Village is a middle class neighborhood located in the West Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dickinson Square West, Philadelphia Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

Dickinson Square West, Philadelphia is a neighborhood in South Philadelphia bordered by neighborhoods Queen Village to the north, Whitman to the south, Pennsport to the east and Passyunk Square and East Passyunk Crossing to the west. The neighborhood was previously referred to as "Dickinson Narrows," but was officially reestablished as "Dickinson Square West" in 2013 by the Registered Community Organization, Dickinson Square West Civic Association, located within its boundaries. In October, 2018, The Dickinson Square West Civic Association passed an amendment to expand the southern boundary from Mifflin Street to Snyder Ave

N3RD Street Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

N3RD Street is a nickname for a segment of North 3rd Street in Philadelphia, between Market Street and Girard Avenue, and its surrounding community that is home to a concentration of "nerdy" companies and spaces; "N3RD" is a double entendre as both leet for "nerd" and reflecting the "N. 3rd St." of postal addresses.

South Street Headhouse District Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States

The South Street Headhouse District in Philadelphia is an area with more than 300 stores which includes a diverse urban mix of shops, bars and eateries. The neighborhood is generally bounded between Front Street and Seventh Street and includes Pine Street and is known for its "bohemian", "punk", and generally "alternative" atmosphere. It is one of Philadelphia's largest tourist attractions.

References

  1. 1 2 "3rd St Fabric Row neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA), 19147 detailed profile". City-Data.com. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  2. Historical Society of Pennsylvania. "Fabric Row". PhilaPlace. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  3. Palmer, Michele Winitsky. "The Fabric of Our Lives: A History of Philadelphia's South Fourth Street". The Fabric Museum. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  4. "Fabric Row: The place for fabric in Philly". Visit Philadelphia. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  5. "The District of Southwark". Southwark on Reed. August 11, 2016. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  6. 1 2 Stigale, Theresa (June 3, 2016). "The Generations Collide On Fabric Row". Hidden City Philadelphia. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  7. Moqtaderi, Heather Gibson; Moqtaderi, Mehron (2014). "The Jewish Quarter Markets". Images of America: Philadelphia's Old Southwark District. Arcadia Publishing. p. 53. ISBN   9781467121781.
  8. D'Amelio, Danielle (2018). "Fabric Row". The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
  9. Gelb, Matt (November 19, 2015). "After three generations, Marmelstein's closing on Fabric Row". The Philadelphia Enquirer. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  10. Leonard, Lauren (March 2015). "The Future of Historic Fabric Row". QVNA Magazine. pp. 10–11. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  11. "South Philadelphia: A History in Fabric". Philadelphia Neighborhoods. June 29, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  12. Wittchen, Samantha (June 30, 2015). "Sew and Tell: Fabric Row is Philly's Next Hot Street". Flying Kite. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  13. "3rd St Fabric Row Philadelphia, PA". Weichert Realtors. Retrieved February 4, 2018.