Southwest Philadelphia

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Southwest Philadelphia
Neighborhood of Philadelphia
Philadelphia aerial view.jpg
Southwest Philadelphia as viewed from an airplane
SWPhilaDistrict.PNG
Southwest Philadelphia, as defined by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission
CountryUnited States
StateFlag of Pennsylvania.svg  Pennsylvania
County Philadelphia
City Philadelphia
Area
 • Total
10.6 sq mi (27 km2)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total
123,829
 • Density5,192/sq mi (2,005/km2)
ZIP code
19142, 19143, 19153
Map of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, highlighting West Philadelphia Borough before the 1854 Act of Consolidation KingsessingTwp1854.png
Map of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, highlighting West Philadelphia Borough before the 1854 Act of Consolidation

Southwest Philadelphia (formerly Kingsessing Township) is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The section can be described as extending from the western side of the Schuylkill River to the city line, with the SEPTA. The northern border is defined by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission as east from the city line along Baltimore Avenue moving south along 51st Street to Springfield Ave. It follows the train tracks until 49th Street. From 49th and Kingsessing Ave the line moves east along Kingsessing Ave. The line then moves south along 46th St to Paschall Ave where it jogs to join Grays Ferry where the line runs to the Schuylkill River. [1]

Contents

Southwest Philadelphia is also described by the city as being the area south of Baltimore Avenue; [2] at the turn of the 20th century, Baltimore Avenue between 49th and 52nd Streets was known as "The Hub of Southwest Philadelphia" . [3] Historically home to many Irish American neighborhoods, the section now has a large African American and West African immigrant population; a recent nickname is "Little Africa". [4] [5] [6]

Southwest Philadelphia contains Philadelphia International Airport, oil refineries, and other heavy industries.

The housing stock is diverse with ornate Queen Anne-style twin mansions in the neighborhoods bordering Cedar Park, plainer and simpler styles of twins predominating closer to the airport, and newer rowhouses, many with porches, filling in many neighborhoods.

Less than 1% of Southwest is covered by trees, giving it one of the lowest ratios of shade tree cover in the city. [7]

The Philadelphia Police Department patrols the 12th and 77th districts within Southwest Philadelphia. [8]

History

Kingsessing Township was a township in the extreme southwestern portion of the county, roughly encompassing what is now known today as Southwest Philadelphia. It was bounded on the north by Blockley Township; on the east by Mill Creek and Schuylkill River; on the south by Delaware River and Bow Creek; and on the west by Darby Creek and Cobbs Creek. It embraces the site of the old village of Kingsessing. The township contained no other settlements of any size except Maylandville. It was traversed principally by the Darby Road and the road to Lazaretto. Its greatest length, 5 miles (8.0 km); greatest breadth, 2+1⁄2 miles (4.0 km); area, 6,800 acres (28 km2). This was the oldest settled portion of the county of Philadelphia.

The Kingsessing settlement was started by Swedes who settled the colony of New Sweden. Most of the settlers were Finns. Dating to 1646, it was the first village settled by Europeans within the territory of Philadelphia. Fort Nya Vasa at Kingsessing, was located on the eastern-side of Cobbs Creek near Cobbs Creek Parkway and Greenway Avenue. [9]

The township of Kingsessing was created not long after control of the colony was transferred to William Penn. The township and village were incorporated into the City of Philadelphia following the Act of Consolidation, 1854.

For the 18th and most of the 19th centuries Kingessing was a rural township with farms, orchards and market gardens. A major botanic and horticultural garden, Bartram's Garden was located in Kingessing Township, and was frequently called the "Kingsess Garden." By the middle of the 19th century, Kingessing was a major center for the nursery and florist gardens in Philadelphia County.

The name Kingsessing or Chinsessing comes from the Lenape word for "a place where there is a meadow". The origins of Kingsessing are found in the village of the same name that roughly occupied the same site as the current neighborhood. Kingsessing became the name of the township in which the original Lenape and Swedish village stood.

Population

More than 80,000 people live in Southwest Philadelphia. It is approximately 60% black, 36% white, and 4% Asian. [10]

Until the late 1960s, the Southwest section of Philadelphia was commonly associated with Irish-Americans until Southeast Asian refugees settled in the area along with African-Americans from nearby West Philadelphia. Philadelphia's West African community has been most concentrated in Southwest Philadelphia and Northeast Philadelphia starting from the late 1990s with significant growth in the early 2000s. The majority of the immigrants are mainly Liberian refugees from the Gio, Mano, Mandingo, Krahn, Grebo, and Kru ethnic groups, along with immigrants from Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Côte d'Ivoire. Southwest Philadelphia has long been called a haven for refugees. [11]

Transportation

A number of SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines traverse the area along Chester, Woodland, and Elmwood Avenues, providing easy access to Center City through the 40th Street Portal. These also extend to Darby and Yeadon.

Southwest Philadelphia is served by four of the five Subway-Surface Lines (Trolleys) 11, 13, 34, and 36. It is also served by bus routes 12, 37, 52, 64, 108, G, and by the Airport and Media/Elwyn Regional Rail lines.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingsessing, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Kingsessing is a neighborhood in the Southwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. On the west side of the Schuylkill River, it is next to the neighborhoods of Cedar Park and Elmwood Park, as well as the borough of Yeadon in Delaware County. It is roughly bounded by 53rd Street to the northeast, Baltimore Avenue to the northwest, Cobbs Creek and 60th Street to the southwest, and Woodland Avenue to the southeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedar Park, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Cedar Park is a neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the larger West Philadelphia district, it stretches north to Larchwood Avenue, south to Kingsessing Avenue, east to 46th Street, and west to 52nd Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

West Philadelphia, nicknamed West Philly, 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 is also known as University City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobbs Creek</span> River in Pennsylvania, United States

Cobbs Creek is an 11.8-mile-long (19.0 km) tributary of Darby Creek in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It forms an approximate border between Montgomery County and Delaware County. After Cobbs Creek passes underneath Township Line Road, it forms the border between Philadelphia County and Delaware County. It runs directly through the two sides of Mount Moriah Cemetery which spans the border of Southwest Philadelphia and Yeadon, Pennsylvania. It later joins Darby Creek before flowing into the Delaware River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 695 (Pennsylvania)</span>

Interstate 695 (I-695) was an auxiliary Interstate Highway that was proposed in 1964 to connect I-95 in Southwest Philadelphia, at Philadelphia International Airport, with I-95 near the Delaware River waterfront near the Benjamin Franklin Bridge. Known as the Cobbs Creek Expressway between Southwest Philadelphia and I-76 and the Crosstown Expressway between I-76 and the waterfront, I-695 was designed to provide connections to Philadelphia International Airport and become part of a Center City Loop, with the Crosstown Expressway being the southern section of that loop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angora station</span> Urban railway station in Philadelphia, USA

Angora station is a SEPTA railway station in Philadelphia. It serves the Media/Wawa Line and is officially located at 58th Street near Baltimore Avenue in Southwest Philadelphia's Angora neighborhood, however the actual location is south of Baltimore Avenue. Part of Cobbs Creek Parkway runs along 58th Street from Baltimore Avenue, over the railroad bridge, to nearby Hoffman Avenue. In 2013, this station saw 36 boardings and 37 alightings on an average weekday, making it SEPTA's least used regional rail station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA Route 11</span> Philadelphia trolley line

Route 11, also known as the Woodland Avenue Line, is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street station in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Darby Transportation Center in Darby, Pennsylvania. It is one of five lines that are part of the subway–surface trolley system. Sitting at an average of 13,580 riders per weekday in 2019, it is the most used subway-surface trolley route, even though it lacks overnight service. This route will be rebranded as the T4 as part of the transition to SEPTA Metro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA Route 13</span> Philadelphia trolley line

SEPTA Route 13, also known as the Chester Avenue Line, is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects 13th Street Station in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with Yeadon and Darby, Pennsylvania. It is one of five lines that are part of the Subway-Surface Trolley system. Route 13 will be rebranded as the T3 as part of the transition to SEPTA Metro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">40th Street Portal</span> SEPTA Subway-Surface Lines trolley station

The 40th Street Portal, also known as simply 40th Street station, is a SEPTA Subway-Surface Lines trolley station in Philadelphia. At this station's portal, four of the five Subway-Surface Lines enter the Woodland Avenue subway tunnel after running on the street in Southwest Philadelphia and nearby suburbs. Eastbound trolleys run in the tunnel under the nearby campuses of the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University to Center City Philadelphia. Westbound trolleys travel to the Philadelphia neighborhoods of Eastwick and Angora and the Delaware County suburbs of Yeadon and Darby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEPTA Route 36</span> Philadelphia trolley line

SEPTA's Subway-Surface Trolley Route 36 is a trolley line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) that connects the 13th Street station in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the Eastwick Loop station in Eastwick section of Southwest Philadelphia, although limited service is available to the Elmwood Carhouse. It is the longest of the five lines that are part of the Subway-Surface Trolley system, and was even longer between 1956 and 1962 when the western terminus was at 94th Street and Eastwick Avenue. From 1962 through the 1970s, it was at 88th Street and Eastwick Avenue, making the route 16.2 miles (26.1 km) long. Since 1975, it only goes as far as what was once 80th Street at the southern edge of the Penrose Plaza shopping center parking lot. Route 36 will be rebranded as the T5 as part of the transition to SEPTA Metro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blockley Township, Pennsylvania</span> Former Township in Pennsylvania, United States

Blockley Township was a township that was located in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Incorporated in 1704, the township was incorporated into the City of Philadelphia under the 1854 Act of Consolidation.

The Baltimore Pike was an auto trail connecting Baltimore, Maryland, with Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania Route 3</span> State highway in Chester, Delaware, and Philadelphia counties in Pennsylvania, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastwick, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Eastwick is a neighborhood in the Southwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the southwesternmost neighborhood in the city, bordering Philadelphia International Airport and the city line with Delaware County at Cobbs Creek and Darby Creek. The Elmwood Park neighborhood borders it to the northeast. It includes the Clearview neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elmwood Park, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Elmwood Park, also known simply as Elmwood, is a neighborhood in the Southwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It borders the city line with Delaware County at Cobbs Creek, and extends to the Schuylkill River. The Eastwick neighborhood borders it to the southwest, and Kingsessing borders it on the northeast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Angora, Philadelphia</span> Neighborhood of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, United States

Angora is a neighborhood in the Southwest section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Although its boundaries are not precise, it is roughly bounded by the Cobbs Creek neighborhood to the north, Cobbs Creek to the west, Kingsessing to the south and east, and Cedar Park to the east. The Angora Commuter Rail Station on the Media/Wawa Line, two bus lines, and a trolley line all intersect around Baltimore Avenue and 58th Street, which is unofficially the nexus of the neighborhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 1 in Pennsylvania</span> Highway in Pennsylvania

U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a major north–south U.S. Route, extending from Key West, Florida, in the south to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canada–United States border in the north. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, US 1 runs for 81 miles (130 km) from the Maryland state line near Nottingham northeast to the New Jersey state line at the Delaware River in Morrisville, through the southeastern portion of the state. The route runs southwest to northeast and serves as a major arterial road through the city of Philadelphia and for many of the suburbs in the Delaware Valley metropolitan area. South of Philadelphia, the road mostly follows the alignment of the Baltimore Pike. Within Philadelphia, it mostly follows Roosevelt Boulevard. North of Philadelphia, US 1 parallels the route of the Lincoln Highway. Several portions of US 1 in Pennsylvania are freeways, including from near the Maryland state line to Kennett Square, the bypass of Media, the concurrency with Interstate 76 and the Roosevelt Expressway in Philadelphia, and between Bensalem Township and the New Jersey state line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 13 in Pennsylvania</span> Highway in Pennsylvania

U.S. Route 13 (US 13) is a United States Numbered Highway running from Fayetteville, North Carolina, north to Morrisville, Pennsylvania. The route runs for 49.359 miles (79.436 km) through the Delaware Valley metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The route enters the state from Delaware in Marcus Hook, Delaware County. It continues northeast through Delaware County, passing through the city of Chester before heading through suburban areas along Chester Pike to Darby. US 13 enters the city of Philadelphia on Baltimore Avenue and runs through West Philadelphia to University City, where it turns north along several city streets before heading east across the Schuylkill River along Girard Avenue. The route turns north and heads to North Philadelphia, where it runs northeast along Hunting Park Avenue. US 13 becomes concurrent with US 1 on Roosevelt Boulevard, continuing into Northeast Philadelphia. US 13 splits southeast on a one-way pair of streets before heading northeast out of the city on Frankford Avenue. The route continues into Bucks County as Bristol Pike, heading northeast to Bristol, where it becomes a divided highway. US 13 becomes a freeway in Tullytown and continues north to its terminus at US 1 in Falls Township, near Morrisville. US 13 roughly parallels Interstate 95 (I-95) through its course in Pennsylvania.

Mingo Creek is a tributary of the Schuylkill River between the Eastwick neighborhood and Philadelphia International Airport, in the United States.

References

  1. ↑ Philadelphia City Planning Commission [usurped]
  2. ↑ "City Archives | Department of Records". City of Philadelphia. September 28, 2022. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  3. ↑ Cedar Park Neighbors Archived March 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Risemberg, Annie (February 5, 2018). "How a Corner of Southwest Philly Became "Little Africa"". Slate Magazine. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  5. ↑ "The Entrepreneur Lifting Up Southwest Philly's "Little Africa"". nextcity.org. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  6. ↑ Matza, Michael; Duchneskie, John (December 23, 2013). "In Southwest Phila., a 'little Africa' is growing". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  7. ↑ The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
  8. ↑ PPD Online Patrol Districts [usurped] , Philadelphia Police Department.
  9. ↑ Day, Elizabeth D. Kingsessing: Swedish Settlement to Urban Blight (University Archives and Records Center. University of Pennsylvania. October 10, 2005) http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/upwphil/day_kingsessing.pdf
  10. ↑ Neighborhoods of Philadelphia
  11. ↑ Herold, Benjamin. "Student 'ambassadors' tackle divide between Africans, African Americans." The Notebook.[ clarification needed ] Northern hemisphere Fall 2008. Volume 16, No. 1. 1. Retrieved on December 16, 2010.

39°53′54″N75°14′10″W / 39.898299°N 75.236238°W / 39.898299; -75.236238

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