By: 8:00 am on April 27 Permits have been issued for the construction of a four-story residential building at 3725 Pulaski Avenue in Nicetown-Tioga, North Philadelphia. The project is located between North 16th Street, West Butler Street, and Pulaski Avenue. Designed by Designblendz the development will deliver 30 residential units along with amenity space The project will rise on a 0.32-acre site with a construction cost estimated at $3,000,000 The four-story structure will span a total of 36,081 square feet 3725 Pulaski Avenue Plan via DesignBlendz Architecture 3725 Pulaski Avenue North Elevation via DesignBlendz Architecture Plans call for three residential units and shared amenity space on the ground floor and fourth floors will each house additional apartments Twelve bicycle parking spaces will be provided along an accessible route at the ground level 3725 Pulaski Avenue East Elevation via DesignBlendz Architecture The building will top out at 38 feet and feature a fiber cement board-and-batten exterior with masonry accents at the base Two new street trees will be planted along Pulaski Avenue and landscaped buffers will enhance the rear of the property A rooftop mechanical structure is planned but no occupiable roof deck is proposed 3725 Pulaski Avenue South Elevation via DesignBlendz Architecture 3725 Pulaski Avenue Site via DesignBlendz Architecture the development will add new multi-family housing to Nicetown–Tioga supporting ongoing residential growth in the neighborhood Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews The Erie station of the Broad Street Line is only 4 short blocks to the east There is nothing diversified about that neighborhood the nicer neighborhoods will diversify (like it or not) The site plan shows the development built on seven lots: 3725 Google Maps March 2023 shows that all but 3725 were vacant Unlike some North Philadelphia neighborhoods Nicetown-Tioga did not suffer severe depopulation in the second half of the 20th Century It’s good to see density investment occurring ADVERTISEMENT Follow on Instagram © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY LLC NPR's Morning Edition takes listeners around the country and the world with two hours of multi-faceted stories and commentaries that inform Morning Edition is the most listened-to news radio program in the country The branch reopened just in time to serve as a polling place for the election Philly libraries are used as cooling centers during extreme heat The Free Library has aimed for universal six days a week service at all of its 55 branches in the Philadelphia region for years The Free Library considers the repairs made in recent months a “temporary fix,” Graham said The Free Library is working with the city’s Capital Programs Office to get a new structural system designed that’ll strengthen the floor on a long-term basis said she worried the branch might never reopen Now she hopes to see it renovated and expanded coming several times a week for homework help and activities like cooking demonstrations and arts and crafts was particularly “devastated” by the closure and frequently asked him when the library would reopen Zameena said without her neighborhood library to go to, she was “bored all the time.” But while taking a break from playing games with her sister at the library Monday Our weekly newsletter delivers original reporting on the people WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. energy-efficient buildings and solar energy won part of the redeveloped shipyard “LEED Gold” for neighborhood design lead and other toxins can harm pregnant people and babies the number of Philadelphians living in poverty has dropped by 6% according to the annual Pew Charitable Trusts report Sophia Schmidt covers the environment for WHYY's PlanPhilly Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardThe closure and delayed reopening of the Nicetown-Tioga Library have been devastating for the neighborhoodSince it closed in April families have lost access to books and computers and people in need of health care and emergency food have lost vital support On the morning of April 5, a brief earthquake rattled Philadelphia it was a fleeting reminder that we live near shifting tectonic plates But for the Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood in North Philly it was the start of a long saga that shut down our local library and community hub Nicetown-Tioga Library, located at the intersection of North Broad Street and Erie and Germantown Avenues With its huge first-floor windows and concrete facade it is a classic example of midcentury modern architecture 70 years of deferred maintenance by the city have created hazardous building conditions including unreliable electrical service and inadequate cooling and heating Improvised support beams in the basement buttress the first floor library staff called city officials to make sure it was safe for library patrons The Department of Licenses and Inspections arrived later that day and ordered the library closed until a structural engineer could weigh in The closure has been devastating for our Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood and we have no idea when our library will open its doors But the neighborhood has always been able to rely on its library The library had just launched new computer classes The library was the closest neighborhood branch to several elementary schools that do not have their own full-time libraries It was also one of the few branches that was open on Saturdays “I am saddened that they keep putting our Nicetown-Tioga branch library on the back burner,” community member Lenise Miller told us “Our children have no place to go to after school for programs and resources and to keep them off the streets.” over 50 community members met with the leadership of the Free Library of Philadelphia at Community Legal Services to advocate for reopening our branch has had a neighborhood law office at Broad and Erie for 50 years and our clients have told us how transformative the library’s services have been in their lives we were assured leadership was taking the closure seriously an even larger number of residents spoke up at a meeting at Zion Baptist Church The library leadership promised us that the library would reopen by July 12 Ninety-three percent of Nicetown-Tioga residents identify as Black or Latino will eventually make necessary renovations families are losing access to books and computers now People in need of health care and emergency food are losing vital support now And a neighborhood is losing a critical center of activity By: 8:00 am on December 15 The new structure will rise on what is currently a vacant lot one of many on this block and the surrounding vicinity The bland lot is rather unkempt and does not offer much to the neighborhood The added density in this location makes sense considering the property’s close proximity to Broad Street to the east as well as the Temple University medical complex While seeing the bland lot turn over in favor of residential development is already a positive change for the property the inclusion of six residential units within the project is an added bonus that will help repopulate this unfortunately scarce block This development, it turns out, could be a new trend along the 19th Street corridor in this area. Back in April, YIMBY reported on permits issued for a three-unit development located at 3345 North 19th Street No completion date is known for the project at this time Would love to see renovation and reuse of 3400 N catty-corner to the vacant lot discussed in the post there’s a handsome three-story residence with Wissahickon Schist stone walls and Mansard roof Will this be affordable housing for people who are low income are retired on Social Security and when will they be accepting applications?🤔✝️ A woman was killed in a car crash in Philadelphia's Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood early Saturday morning Officers were dispatched to the 2300 block of West Hunting Park Avenue just before 1 a.m. Philadelphia police Inspector D F Pace said When they arrived they found a white sedan had crashed into a parked truck Click here for the full story via CBS Philadelphia CBS Local Digital Media personalizes the global reach of CBS-owned and operated television and radio stations with a local perspective By: 8:00 am on January 26 Permits specify a construction cost of $632,999 which yields an average cost of around $149 per interior square foot The building will rise on a sloped site where the street-facing first floor becomes a partially submerged basement at the rear lending to the structure’s designation as a three-story building in the permits The structure will be styled in an attractive historicist Second Empire style with a stone veneer exterior a trimmed two-story street-facing cantilever and a top floor stylized as a mansard roof 3351 North 19th Street will rise within a 15-minute walk to the northwest of the Allegheny Station on the Broad Street subway line, which sits by the Temple University Hospital campus The Allegheny regional rail station sits somewhat closer sited within a ten-minute walk to the southwest of the proposed development and 60 buses also run within walking distance of the property I always liked Designblendz’s architecture Another great infill and another empty lot – gone how well does the design fit in with what else is on the block The entire neighborhood is a complete hellhole dump Do you want to make a dumpy building to fit in with the rest of the dump 2025 at 7:48 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}The woman who was shot in her neck is in stable condition (Shutterstock)PHILADELPHIA — A woman was shot in the neck Monday night in Philadelphia near the 2200 block of West Hunting Park Avenue in Nicetown-Tioga She was shot once in her neck and taken to Temple University Hospital Contact the Philadelphia Police Department’s Shooting Investigations Group at 215-686-8270 or submit an anonymous tip by calling 215-686-8477 with any information on the shooting Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. By: 7:00 am on November 6 Permits have been issued for the construction of a new multi-family building located at 3114 North Broad Street in Nicetown-Tioga, North Philadelphia The new building will feature a simple exterior that matches other new projects in the area The building takes the form of a traditional rowhome with brick coating the entirety of the facade This brick will not be used on portions of the building that do not front Broad Street to save materials costs and potentially keep unit prices more affordable The structure will rise on what is currently a vacant lot The property is one in a long row of vacant properties creating a large grassy field on a site that once contained ornate and historic homes It is very positive to see properties like this one continue to turn over in favor of more dense residential development the vacant lot contributes very little to the surrounding area while the added six residential units from the new project will help restore the area’s original density additional projects similar to this will rise on the remaining vacant properties helping to meet the growing residential demand in Philadelphia 2025Philadelphia police have made a second arrest in connection with the murder of a teenager who was shot while walking to school.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police have made a second arrest in connection with the murder of a teenager who was shot while walking to school The second suspect arrested has not yet been identified was killed in March of 2023 while walking to Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia's Tioga-Nicetown section Last month, authorities arrested and charged 20-year-old Taamir Cole. They say he was one of at least four people who tried to rob Weedon man critical after crash in Tioga-Nicetown section of the cityThe male driver is in critical condition while a 50-year-old female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Police are investigating a fatal accident near Hunting Park Avenue and Wissahickon Avenue Police found two people in an Oldsmobile Aurora crashed into a parked truck A Chrysler Pacifica was also found crashed into a parked car Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident and the Chrysler's involvement in the accident 2024A 32-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after she was shot in the Tioga-Nicetown section of Philadelphia.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A 32-year-old woman was rushed to the hospital in critical condition after she was shot in the Tioga-Nicetown section of Philadelphia It happened on the 3400 block of North 21st Street Police say the woman was shot in the face just before 11 a.m Investigators say a weapon was recovered and an arrest has been made It is not yet clear what led to the shooting 2024Police are investigating after an incident inside a home in Philadelphia's Tioga-Nicetown section.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Police are investigating after an incident inside a home in Philadelphia's Tioga-Nicetown section One person is in critical condition and another is now behind bars Police responded to the home on the 2800 block of North 26th Street around 2:30 a.m Action News is waiting to hear back from detectives about what exactly happened The Action Cam captured a 2nd-floor window that appeared to be smashed out Police have not identified the victim or suspect The PHS Love Where You Live greening plan is the product of The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s community-driven work to articulate a green vision for North Philadelphia’s Nicetown and Tioga neighborhoods that is rooted in the aspirations of community members of this neighborhood predominantly black and brown neighborhood has suffered decades of disinvestment leading to increased rates of crime Nicetown CDC (Community Development Corporation) and Tioga United articulated horticulturally driven strategies to tackle the neighborhood challenges identified by residents including trash and litter These strategies included cleaning and greening all eligible vacant lots training and placing neighborhood residents in green jobs mobilizing neighbors and businesses to increase access to fresh food and supporting residents to garden and beautify their blocks Prior research has proven that these strategies contribute both to the neighborhood’s defined goals and to other physical health PHS also set out to create a new model of delivering its greening tools with a place-based focus that directly combats environmental inequity at the neighborhood level PHS’s work in Nicetown and Tioga delivers simple low-cost greening solutions to urban and green challenges identified through numerous conversations with community residents Through the usage of a community- led approach that centered the needs and aspirations of residents PHS and the community identified the following horticulturally driven strategies to address these challenges:  Clean and Green all eligible vacant lots  Train and place neighborhood residents in Green Jobs  Mobilize Neighbors and Businesses to Increase Access to Fresh Support Residents to garden and beautify their blocks  These needs in Nicetown and Tioga challenged PHS to work in new ways to carefully design projects that build on the organization and a specific neighborhood’s strengths while addressing the needs and aspirations of the community to significantly improve their environment and sustainability This new model leverages PHS’s decades of experience with community greening using culturally appropriate strategies and strong networks of neighborhood partners rather than presenting single-action greening tools (planting trees or vacant land cleaning and greening) for one-off use data-driven greening model to support Nicetown and Tioga neighbors to drive big changes they envision by connecting community groups with layers of technical assistance and partners needed to realize their goals of using greening to transform their neighborhood and promote sustainability in the long-term To successfully deliver these green interventions PHS was challenged to develop trust and buy-in for the program from a historically disinvested and needed to clearly establish the goals of the program as being community-driven and long-term commitments Building this trust began with a community-first approach that surveyed over 400 residents on the green changes they envisioned for their communities as well as held forums to discuss how PHS could support delivering on the community’s vision through its greening programs At every step in the program’s journey PHS has continued to work closely with community members to track progress and ensure their vision remains central to the program’s operation.  In addition to the above greening strategies PHS also wanted to test run a community-led plan to build social ties through gardening where interested residents could sign up to receive a free gardening kit from PHS including plants and other materials needed to garden their front stoops or porches participation in the Front Porch Challenge more than doubled with the test block having 100% participation PHS judges issue awards recognizing the creativity and design skill of resident’s gardens. All these initiatives enacted by PHS contributed to delivering upon the community’s green vision for their neighborhood and created lasting impact through rectifying environmental inequity and fostering deeper social connection among neighbors In the program’s first 2 years of operation over 1.19 million square feet of vacant land in Nicetown and Tioga has been cleaned 55 raised beds have been created at 6 community grow sites and 2,772 daily green jobs have been created with 33 residents participating in green jobs training PHS more than doubled the number of residents who beautified their block as part of the Love Where You Live Front Porch Challenge with over 60 residents (an entire neighborhood block) participating The Love Where You Live program has also delivered 23 gardening educational workshops to community gardeners and youth educators via its Green City Teachers and Garden Tenders programs PHS launched significant infrastructure improvements as part of Love Where You Live and invested $42K into equipment and infrastructure upgrades Recent examples include the construction of a new walking path at a local community garden and a “garden makeover” that revitalized an old garden with 16 new raised beds and an orchard to be planted this Fall.  These results are considered a success because they demonstrate significant progress in achieving the green vision of this community as delineated by the Love Where You Live program’s 3 Year Greening Plan Moving into the program’s third year of operation PHS hopes to continue to expand its efforts and further engage the Nicetown and Tioga community as stewards of positive environmental change.  inside a second-floor hallway at a residence on the 2800 block of North Bailey Street Officers arrived at the scene and found the young victim, a black female, suffering from a gunshot wound to the right side of her chest. Police transported her to Temple University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 8:02 p.m Authorities have not yet recovered a weapon and no arrests have been made as investigators continue to work the case The scene remains secured as detectives search for leads Anyone with information regarding the shooting is asked to contact the Philadelphia Police Department’s Homicide Unit A $20,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction © 2008-2025 - Shore News Media & Marketing Ltd By: 8:00 am on July 27 3216 North 16th Street prior to redevelopment with the Allegheny Apartments in the background The new building will rise as a narrow structure measuring 31 feet wide and extending 175 feet long from the sidewalk almost all the way to the rear of the lot leaving space for a 23-foot-deep rear yard the proposal resembles the street-facing wing of Allegheny Apartments an existing four-story apartment building on the same block further to the south though features such as a bay window and multi-material facade are markedly mote contemporary than the sparse brick exterior An 18-foot-wide drive aisle will run along the building’s southern frontage which will also allow for extensive window coverage throughout said facade Much of the ground level will be dedicated to parking Credit: Designblendz via the City of Philadelphia Since the site sits on a slope that rises toward the west at the western portion the ground floor will sit entirely below ground level and the rear yard will sit flush with the level of the lowest residential story Residential floor-to-floor slab heights will measure around ten feet The transit-adjacent site (the Allegheny Station on the Broad Street Line sits less than 1,000 feet to the southeast) was clearly capable of supporting a much greater number of residences at least by common sense urban planning tenets if not by the miserly allotment allowed by the city’s stringent zoning code 3216 North 16th Street will be a welcome addition to the area especially considering its near-adjacency to the Temple University Hospital 3216 North 16th Street and the Bethel Holy Temple Church at 3220 North 16th Street prior to demolition a note must be made regarding a highly unfortunate demolition that took place just a couple of lots away the lot at 3220 North 16th Street was home to a church structure most recently occupied by the Bethel Holy Temple Church Although the building itself had sat vacant and boarded up for well over a decade the prewar structure still made an imposing presence on the block The church building made for a rather unusual piece of architecture as suggested by its overall tower-nave form the stalwart structure was clad in heavy stone masonry more consistent with the Romanesque style down to the octagonal finials atop the tower a solid stone wall where the main entrance and a rose window would typically feature further lent the church the flair of a literal fortress The Bethel Holy Temple Church at 3220 North 16th Street prior to demolition The intriguing church structure was demolished some time after 2019 Even if it involved cutting new windows into the solid stone facade we would have much rather seen the edifice restored and perhaps repurposed as a residential building despite its unabashedly contemporary appearance which will rise in place of a three-story detached house that was also demolished will share certain distinct traits with the church the new building will have an access alley running along the southern frontage which also allows for extensive fenestration on the southern facade I live how the utility pole is actually in the drawing Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardWhat Philly’s gun violence drop looks like in neighborhoods like Kensington and ParksideGun violence has declined across the city so far this year and the drop has been significant in some neighborhoods 38 people were shot in Tioga and Nicetown in just the first five months of the year Philadelphia has experienced significantly lower levels of gun violence so far this year — and the drop-off is especially pronounced in some neighborhoods Tioga and Nicetown have seen one of the starkest declines, according to an Inquirer analysis. But nearly every neighborhood in the city has experienced a drop-off, even those that have struggled with gun violence for years And they caution that an early decline does not guarantee that the trend will continue throughout the year particularly in those areas that are smaller or have fewer instances and where a weekend rash of shootings can have outsize influence here are three areas where the decline in shootings has stood out so far this year This sprawling section of the city — which spans nearly river-to-river and covers the area north of Fairmount and Northern Liberties toward Fairhill and Nicetown — has long been one of its most violent Poverty levels in the area have been high for decades, and some blocks — particularly those west of Broad Street — have seen perpetually high levels of shootings And the rate of gunfire per square mile has long been higher than in the city as a whole more than 180 people had been shot in this part of the city through May that tally was 85 — a reduction of more than 50% In fact, if the radius is broadened to include other nearby neighborhoods around the core of North Philly — including East Germantown and others — shootings in the first five months of the year dropped by 57% And shootings per square mile in those areas fell from from 19.8 to 8.5 Another notable decline has occurred in Kensington The community has long been one of the most challenged in the region and high levels of homelessness and drug use Numerous studies in recent years have found that the blocks near McPherson Square have had not only the highest rates of gun violence in the city but also the highest concentration of shootings in the entire country But gun violence in Kensington to start 2024 was down more than 70% compared with two years ago The number of people shot per week during the first six months of this year is as low as it has been in recent memory The drop-off occurred even before Mayor Cherelle L Parker’s administration began implementing its plan to aggressively confront many of the neighborhood’s challenges leaving some officials puzzled about how or why shootings have fallen so dramatically Gunfire has also been perpetually high in some areas west of the Schuylkill River but nearly all of them have experienced steep declines this year the section between Overbrook and Cobbs Creek 21 people had been shot in Parkside this year — a 65% decline compared with last year and the lowest year-to-date tally since at least 2015 The rate of shootings per square mile there has also dropped there by more than 18% from 2021 the rate of shootings per square mile declined by even more — about 25% and Parkside","meta_title":"Gun violence in Philly has dropped significantly in 2024","mobile":"","native":"","print":"","tablet":"","web":""},"owner":{"sponsored":false,"id":"pmn"},"address":{},"comments":{"allow_comments":false,"display_comments":false},"syndication":{"external_distribution":false,"search":true},"workflow":{"status_code":6},"subheadlines":{"basic":""},"description":{"basic":"Gun violence has declined across the city so far this year and the drop has been significant in some neighborhoods."},"language":"","label":{"commission_team_1_required":{"display":true,"text":"Justice & Injustice","url":""},"commission_team_2":{"display":true,"text":"I-Team","url":""}},"source":{"name":"Staff","source_type":"staff","system":"airtable"},"taxonomy":{"primary_section":{"_id":"/crime","_website":"philly-media-network","type":"section","version":"0.6.0","name":"Crime","description":"Crime courts and justice news and analysis from The Philadelphia Inquirer.","path":"/crime","parent_id":"/","parent":{"default":"/"},"additional_properties":{"original":{"_id":"/crime","site":{"site_title":"Crime & Justice","site_description":"Crime courts and justice news and analysis from The Philadelphia Inquirer.","site_url":"https://www.inquirer.com/crime/","site_about":"Exposing wrongdoing courts and justice news and analysis from The Philadelphia Inquirer.","path":"/crime","parent_id":"/","additional_properties":{"original":{"_id":"/crime","site":{"site_title":"Crime & Justice","site_description":"Crime the nation and the world from The Philadelphia Inquirer.","path":"/news","parent_id":"/","parent":{"default":"/"},"additional_properties":{"original":{"_id":"/news","site":{"site_title":"News","site_url":"https://www.inquirer.com/news/","site_description":"News from Philadelphia the nation and the world from The Philadelphia Inquirer.","path":"/news","parent_id":"/","additional_properties":{"original":{"_id":"/news","site":{"site_title":"News","site_url":"https://www.inquirer.com/news/","site_description":"News from Philadelphia 0) + 10px);margin:calc(0px - (var(--appbar-height) + var(--nav-height #222222);line-height:1.5em}.inno-byline__author{display:inline}.inno-byline__author-link,.inno-byline__authors a{color:var(--color-text-primary #222222);text-decoration:none;transition:color .4s ease-in-out}.inno-byline__author-link:hover,.inno-byline__authors a:hover{color:var(--color-text-link the number of shootings were fairly consistent with previous years shootings in the city reached unprecedented levels shootings fell as dramatically as they had spiked Gun violence in Philly has plummeted to its lowest level in nearly a decade After three straight years of record-setting gun violence shootings in Philadelphia so far this year have plummeted to levels that rival the lowest pace in nearly two decades according to an Inquirer analysis of police statistics What stands out is not only the stark drop in gunfire compared with last year but also that it has plunged to a level not seen since 2015 — and remained that way For example: Fewer than 100 people have been shot in each of the last seven months the first time that’s happened in a decade and just the third time the city has seen such a stretch since 2007 The number of victims so far in 2024 is about half of the total at the height of the pandemic And the drop has been seen citywide: Only one of the city’s 21 police districts has recorded year-over-year increase in shootings In some of the most historically violent districts — particularly in Kensington and parts of North Philadelphia — the rate of gun violence has been cut nearly in half The only modern precedent for such a sudden change in Philadelphia’s level of gun violence is the spring of 2020, when the record-setting surge of shootings began. Still, that spike came after gunfire had been gradually increasing for several years Some key stakeholders, including Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel and District Attorney Larry Krasner, said in recent interviews that even they aren’t certain what’s driving the decrease. While they believe that law enforcement has been taking effective steps to address the issue — modifying patrol assignments arresting suspected shooters at a higher rate and collaborating effectively across agencies — they said some of the answers could remain difficult to pinpoint for some time The search for answers is further complicated by the impact of the pandemic during which broad swaths of public life — such as in-person jobs and schooling and other community activities all of which can act as deterrents to crime — were shut down or disrupted “Some of it we may never be able to put a handle on,” Bethel said Attorney General Merrick Garland called “historic.” One recent study, by the left-leaning Center for American Progress, said the decline in Philadelphia’s rate of gun violence so far this year has been the most significant drop of any large city in the country Other cities with comparable declines were Detroit To be clear, a drop in violence to begin a calendar year does not mean that the lower pace will hold. Shootings in Philadelphia have traditionally spiked in the summer when the weather gets warmer and more people are outdoors And 2015 provides a cautionary roadmap: After averaging about 2.3 shooting victims per day through April of that year the pace of gun violence over the next eight months was nearly twice as high A decline also does not mean the issue has been solved The city is still on pace to see more than 1,000 people shot in 2024 The trauma and sheer loss of life over the last several years, meanwhile, will likely be felt for decades More than 10,400 people have been shot since 2019 Children have been forced to grow up without mothers or fathers parents mourn for their sons and daughters and survivors have been paralyzed and forever scarred Even as a feeling of cautious optimism begins to spread across the city Tammy Cross-Hayward’s life has waned ever since the night her 21-year-old son was shot and killed in West Philadelphia on May 1 She cannot sleep through the night and finds herself scribbling streams of consciousness into her journal just to ease her mind While shootings have dropped citywide, the decline in violence in Kensington — long one of the most violent places in the city — has been particularly striking Shootings in the 24th and 25th police districts are down from a combined nine victims a week in 2021 and 2022 — when shootings peaked — to about 3 a week this year said he is uncertain how or why shootings have fallen so dramatically in Kensington this year — particularly because many aspects of the Parker administration’s tough-on-crime approach for the area have yet to be put into practice “Things we might do in the future haven’t happened yet,” he said “And therefore I think it bears a closer look.” president of the Harrowgate Civic Association said she finally believes that she can sit outside her house again without fear of being caught in the crossfire and didn’t understand that they needed to run and hit the ground Now they’re spending more time in the fresh air ”I’m sitting on my porch with my kids again,” she said The decline of gun violence in Kensington is just one part of a broader puzzle Officials say they’re similarly stumped that many of the metrics that rose as gun violence spiked have not changed significantly amid the decline Police staffing is perhaps the clearest example. The department began losing officers during the pandemic and some officials — including former Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw — said that made it harder to address crime and bring shootings under control But staffing remains a significant issue even as the number of shootings has plunged The department said it has about 5,100 sworn officers on the payroll — 1,200 short of its authorized number Gun sales were also frequently mentioned amid the pandemic as an accelerant of violence, with background checks for potential purchases spiking to unprecedented levels in 2020 And the guns that were purchased during the pandemic are almost certainly still in circulation making it unclear how or why gunfire has fallen if the arsenal of potential weaponry remains so large “That’s a hard one to put a handle on,” said Bethel arrests dipped to the lowest in at least a decade according to data published by the district attorney’s office But even as the pendulum swings toward less violence apprehensions have remained generally flat The pace of arrests has ticked up slightly this year but the number of people taken into custody in 2024 — about 11,000 — remains generally on-par with the pace during the violence crisis and is about 40% lower than in pre-pandemic years Two categories that have shown some improvement are arrests for homicides and shootings Krasner credited advances in technology — including more use of cellphone records and surveillance video — and in-depth investigations targeting groups accused of multiple acts of violence And he and Bethel said the lower pace of violence this year has given investigators more time to focus on a smaller number of cases rather than juggling caseloads that previously seemed to grow by the hour for all the progress at the start of this year the pain for those affected by gun violence remains constant said she will never forget when doctors told her that her son Jordan was brain dead and wouldn’t survive after being shot the 21-year-old — who’d recently finished up the final credits for his high school diploma and was working at an Amazon warehouse — was walking with two friends on the 200 block of North Robinson Street in West Philadelphia when he was shot and killed another man on the block saw them and asked Jordan and his friends ignored the question and kept walking After Cross-Hayward was told her son wouldn’t survive She wrote to them recently and told them about Jordan — how he loved to drink water and chew mint gum and how he’d hoped to become a firefighter so that he could have a stable job to help take care of his mother “He’s helping them and I’m grateful for that.” It’s some of the only comfort she feels these days She prays every day that her son’s killers are brought to justice She calls and emails detectives hoping for updates She imagines a day where no other family has to feel the pain she lives everyday The Inquirer's journalism is supported in part by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and readers like you. News and Editorial content is created independently of The Inquirer's donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer's high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Last month, Rebuild introduced ‘First Fixes’ — Rebuild’s immediate fixes to help sites stay open while plans for a long-term over $12 million has been invested in First Fixes roof-lift) through the First Fixes program The prior condition of the roof included various materials leaking into the building directly affecting staff offices as well as a classroom used for job labs Over $100,000 was invested into renovating the roof The renovations included resurfacing and coating which remedied the issues happening in the community library Rebuild acted on the already affected interior rooms investing $25,000 in repairing and repainting the Nicetown-Tioga library is on the path to being back to its strongest self with more investment from the library itself for flooring and furnishing in order to improve the job lab programming coming soon Helping this library to get back in action is the definition of a ‘Raise the Roof’ moment here at Rebuild All qualified and selected Rebuild sites are eligible for a First Fix many of our selected sites undergo a short-term First Fix before the guaranteed flagship project takes place By: 7:30 am on January 6 Construction costs are specified at $3 million Nicetown-Tioga is a North Central Philadelphia neighborhood situated west of Broad Street and bound roughly by Allegheny Avenue to the south and West Hunting Park Avenue (the western extension of Roosevelt Boulevard) to the north The district was impacted considerably by depopulation and subsequent wave of demolitions in the postwar period leaving a patchwork where nearly intact city blocks built out with rowhouses sit next to blocks that lost up to with ample vacant lots and abandoned buildings The property at hand is situated at one of such desolate blocks Although the east side of the street has retained its prewar rowhouses in near-entirety the site of the proposal at 3424 North 17th Street comprises a near-continuous strip of vacant lots and derelict abandoned rowhouses and mass transit adjacency (the Allegheny and Erie stations on the Broad Street Line may both be reached within a ten-minute walk of the proposal site) Although Nicetown-Tioga is yet to see any notable volume of new development, there are signs that revival is already at hand. Over the past few years, the eight-story Art Deco building which sat abandoned for years at 1700 West Tioga Street at the north end of the 3400 block was renovated into Tioga Luxury Apartments by Lofts 1700 West Tioga LLC Violent crime is one of the most unfortunate aspects of urban living involve a complex analysis well beyond YIMBY’s purview urban blight and neighborhood decay are undeniable factors that lower the quality of life for local residents and contribute to ensuing social problems whether wholesale or one building at a time construction) and permanent jobs or by replacing nuisance lots with new residences and commercial venues New development can be both a blessing and a curse for the community residents.What seems to happen is rents and tax assessments increase and people cannot afford to stay in their residences Could the solution be different kinds of housing built in the same area Redevelopment to blighted areas is both a blessing and a curse to those already living in poor communities Current residents cannot afford to stay and get pushed out The developers buy up everything and receive 10 year tax abatements What about building new housing for mixed income levels of people the houses have been very cheap in Nicetown-Tioga for a few decades now no reason why anybody couldn’t have become a homeowner The monthly mortgage for a modest rowhouse has been a good deal cheaper than rent in many cases the city of Philadelphia Revenue Department has a program called ‘Senior Citizen Tax Freeze’ (www.phila.gov/senior-freeze) whereby they stop increasing the amount that is owed for real estate taxes Under this program the amount of property tax you pay each year will not increase even if the property assessment or the tax rate change By: 7:00 am on March 21 Permits have been issued for the construction of a multi-family building at 3637 North 16th Street in Nicetown-Tioga, North Philadelphia. Designed by Designblendz the building will rise three stories tall and hold six apartments There will be seven parking spaces included with the project with construction costs estimated at $980,000 Note: The above rendering is slightly out of date as the building will stand three stories tall The new building takes cues from original architecture in the surrounding area and a decent execution allows for a solid new addition the three ground floors will be coated in brick with a mansard roof on the fourth floor that also features dormer windows The other main component of the structure is more simple and offers a more boxy contrast to the other piece of the facade A cornice will be located at the top of this portion of the building The new building will be replacing a vacant lot This lot is like thousands of others throughout the city with a grassy lawn bordering a lone-standing rowhome featuring a stunning and detailed crown above a nice brick-clad structure It is very unfortunate and saddening that its neighbors were demolished over time the new building presents a great improvement at the site Adding six residential units to a property currently occupied by none is not an uncommon occurrence these days and the added units will help raise the population in a neighborhood that as been on the decline One thing that does not make full sense about the project While this high quantity of parking is something that new development should be moving away from it unfortunate is also a likely reason for the project to be able to move forward The major gap created due to the parking drive aisle does not help its chances 2024Fire damages several businesses in Philadelphia's Tioga-Nicetown neighborhoodPHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Smoke poured from a business overnight in Philadelphia's Tioga-Nicetown section Firefighters were called to the 3500 block of Germantown Avenue right around 2:45 a.m The flames quickly spread to three adjoining businesses on the block and through the roof It took more than an hour to bring the blaze under control The cause of the fire is under investigation A suspect reportedly opened fire on Philadelphia police officers in the city's Tioga-Nicetown district and barricaded himself inside a house Six officers were injured in shooting, taken to hospital and released A witness reporting they heard more than 100 shots during the standoff "I heard so many gunshots that I got scared and I lifted my window up to see what was going on and I leapt out of the house because I was scared," the unidentified woman said on camera to ABC Philadelphia.  surrendered just after midnight when police fired tear gas into the home he was in on the 3700 block of N The location was half a mile away from Temple University Hospital Despite its proximity to Temple University Hospital the location is almost two miles north of the campus of Temple University The university has lifted a lockdown affecting the Health Sciences Center campus The university said in a tweet that civilians must avoid the incident scene during the standoff The Temple University main campus was not impacted by the lockdown Nate Chute is a producer with the USA Today Network By: 7:30 am on September 28 the development will span 97,017 square feet 79 one-bedroom apartments (both age-restricted) a 4,579-square-foot adult day care facility Parking for 18 cars and 12 bicycles will also be provided Credence Home Care Residences at 1901 West Westmoreland Street The care facility will likely benefit from its proximity to the Temple University Hospital which is located within a ten-minute walk to the east The Allegheny Station on the Broad Street Line is situated at the south end of the campus within a 12-minute walk to the southeast of the proposed care facility Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardFBI agent shoots person in Nicetown-Tioga while serving a warrantThe shooting occurred as agents attempted to serve an arrest and search warrant at a home near the intersection of 17th and West Venango Streets The person who was wounded was taken to a hospital An FBI agent in Philadelphia shot a person Friday morning in the city’s Nicetown-Tioga section The incident occurred as agents attempted to serve an arrest and search warrant at a home near the intersection of 17th and West Venango Streets The wounded individual was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment Authorities did not release any other details Friday — including what led up to the shooting Neighbors along the block and those who gathered on the other side of police cordons said they had not seen anything including some in white hazmat suits who appeared to search under a black Dodge minivan and other cars parked on the street near a police cordon Federal agents also were seen removing evidence from a house on the 1600 block of West Venango Street and two FBI agents later bagged up a pair of black sandals abandoned on the sidewalk near that street’s intersection with 17th Street Officers from the Philadelphia and Upper Southampton Police Departments were seen assisting the investigation Friday afternoon Spokespeople for both departments declined to comment referring questions about the incident to the FBI “The FBI takes all shooting incidents involving our agents or task force members seriously,” bureau spokesperson Carrie Adamowski said in a statement the shooting incident is under review by the FBI’s Inspection Division.” Staff writer Jesse Bunch contributed to this article This is a developing story and will be updated By: 7:30 am on October 7 Today YIMBY shares an extended collection of plans which was undoubtedly attractive before it reached its current dilapidated state the structure will be generally preserved and incorporated into the new development; unfortunately it will be stripped of its expansive paneled loft windows which will be replaced with smaller apertures A redeeming design feature is the three-story corner segment which will apparently feature two-story-high murals and will be topped by a tree=sporting green roof The care facility will likely benefit from its proximity to the Temple University Hospital Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardPoint Breeze and Tioga-Nicetown: Why one Philadelphia neighborhood has surged while the other languishesThe two neighborhoods were much alike just a decade ago Point Breeze is abuzz with construction and soaring property values while Tioga-Nicetown has languished The North Philadelphia neighborhood of Tioga-Nicetown and South Philly’s Point Breeze Both were largely African American communities of aging rowhouses More than a third of their residents lived in poverty a stratospheric rate even for America’s poorest big city Their median household incomes were approximately $29,000 and $34,000 — advantage that $5,000 gap has widened to more than $20,000 Point Breeze today is abuzz with construction; newly built The median household income has swelled to about $42,000 and the poverty rate has shrunk to less than a quarter of the population — which at 27% is nearly three times as white as it used to be the median household income dropped more than $8,000 to slightly over $21,000 Census Bureau’s recently released American Community Survey The divergence between Point Breeze and Tioga-Nicetown is in some ways the story of gentrification in Philadelphia which at least one expert predicts will run its course sooner rather than later only eight registered income increases of more than 10% in the last decade “The issue nationwide is that either you have places that are being gentrified or you have places that are being continually disinvested and there is very little in between,” said John Joe Schlichtman a sociologist at DePaul University and author of the book Gentrifier In Point Breeze, the makeover is evident to all they’re starting to build higher and higher,” said Kentrice McFadden Tioga-Nicetown’s troubles are equally plain to see and hear. In August, bullets whizzed through the streets during a midday gun battle that injured six police officers neighbors described feeling unsafe and ignored [the neighborhood] went up in flames,” said Tricia Jarmon a home health aide who moved to the Nicetown Court apartments with her daughter and grandson seven years ago you see things you don’t want your kids to see.” » READ MORE: Philly’s 10-year tax abatement is changing, but it’s already changed Point Breeze. Here’s what residents think. The reason one surged and the other stagnated is in large part geography Point Breeze is closer to the job hubs of Center City Tioga-Nicetown is twice as far from central Philadelphia — about four miles — and as an economic driver nearby Temple University cannot compare to the University of Pennsylvania gentrification was already underway in the Graduate Hospital area a professor of city and regional planning at Penn Point Breeze was adjacent — a natural next step “Gentrification is sort of a checkerboard approach,” Landis said “It doesn’t jump over areas into a new area.” and it’s easy to hop on the Broad Street Line “It’s where developers see the hottest market,” said City Councilmember Kenyatta Johnson and such basic amenities as public trash and recycling cans “Every corner should have a trash can if you don’t want garbage,” said Lonzo Edwards-Woodard The air quality is some of the worst in the city She talked about the importance of community involvement in revitalization leaves people less free to advocate for their own neighborhoods "There is a level of chaos that comes along with poverty,” she said Troy and Juanita Marrow are trying to sell a rowhouse that has been in the family for more than 40 years so they can move to North Carolina and although they mentioned crime as a concern “They’re not giving the opportunities for talented or gifted children.” Transportation is another issue. Tioga-Nicetown has Broad Street Line stops and the Wayne Junction Regional Rail station But the subway is beyond walking distance for many and the Regional Rail’s suburban routes are of little value to the almost 60% of residents who work within the city “Those trains go places that 99% of Nicetown ain’t going,” said Larry Pettaway A trip into Center City by Regional Rail costs more than double a subway ride a partner at the consulting firm Econsult Solutions and a former SEPTA board member “Cheaper rides would be really quite important but also they need to fix the nature of the service so it’s not gap-toothed.” While Tioga-Nicetown’s distance from Center City has stymied redevelopment the growth occurring nearby in East Falls and Germantown also hasn’t spread to the North Philadelphia community due to Roosevelt Boulevard and the swath of industrial properties in between a Penn urban history and planning professor Systemic discrimination in the city’s housing policies meant homes were less expensive in minority neighborhoods and undervalued housing stock makes gentrification possible Tioga-Nicetown wasn’t next to large white communities that might have bled into it and it offered low-priced homes to buyers looking to spend less for more house “It was cheap when I moved here,” said Brianna Cheli who works in residential real estate and moved to Point Breeze as a renter more than three years ago » READ MORE: Philadelphia a city of extremes: High incomes, high poverty, report shows Point Breeze has become increasingly residential “It’s not like it’s our neighborhood” anymore The prosaic landmarks of her childhood — a corner store And she has felt the pinch of rent increases Tenants are particularly vulnerable to displacement an affordable-housing researcher and advocate in Point Breeze and they are less likely to find a new rental property in a neighborhood as prosperous as their old one “When lower-income people were displaced,” she said “they went to neighborhoods that were far worse than the one that they left.” Keeping people in their homes can include help with deeds and homestead tax exemptions the city also needs a comprehensive affordable-housing plan “We know developers are in it for profit,” he said “We need to also provide incentives to build affordable housing.” Change could come to Tioga-Nicetown without gentrification The city could spur growth by partnering with banks to encourage support for middle- and low-income residents in the form of mortgages and home improvement loans and could spruce up the environs with street cleaning and sidewalk repair “The city has to take up the dual approach of improving urban services and working with vendors,” said Landis The gentrification that changed Point Breeze might not continue sweeping through Philadelphia The city does not have a young population large enough to sustain significant gentrification “Is demand so strong that it won’t manage to be met in places like Point Breeze I don’t necessarily know that’s the case.” killed outside corner store in Tioga-NicetownPolice say they found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds A man was shot and killed in front of a corner store in Tioga-Nicetown.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man was shot and killed in front of a corner store in Tioga-Nicetown Sunday near North 17th and West Atlantic streets Police say they found the victim suffering from multiple gunshot wounds Police rushed the man to the hospital where he later died Witnesses saw a white Jeep drive away from the scene Officers are looking through surveillance video to hopefully identify the suspect or suspects Police: Man dies after 20 shots fired in Tioga-NicetownPHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia Police are investigating a homicide that happened Sunday in the Tioga-Nicetown section of the city. It happened just after 4 a.m. on the 3400 block of Judson Street. Police responding to the scene found a man lying in the street suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. More than 20 shots were fired. No weapon was recovered and no arrests have yet been made. This is an on-going investigation with Philadelphia Homicide Detectives. This homicide is the 7th homicide of 2024. NPR's Morning Edition takes listeners around the country and the world with two hours of multi-faceted stories and commentaries that inform, challenge and occasionally amuse. Morning Edition is the most listened-to news radio program in the country. Curtis De Veaux and his City Athletics organization bought the empty church before the pandemic and renovated it into a space that is welcoming young people from the community In 2020, Curt DeVeaux and partners converted an old church space into a recreation center for kids in North Philadelphia. DeVeaux, 42, is a father of 5 and has been involved in youth sports for the past 10 years. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY) Rev. David Brown writes about the formation of the #JuneteenthChallenge and what he learned during a month of intentional patronage of Black businesses and institutions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by City Athletics Philly (@cityathleticsphilly) He began construction on the church in March 2020. Then the pandemic struck. It delayed the project but he and a crew of six men found a way to paint, spackle, and rip up the floor. “It started to feel real when we got the floor down,” De Veaux said, laughing at the memory. He reminisced about his crew taking breaks to play basketball just because they could. “If you see a basketball court, you have to take a shot.” He had a soft opening for Martin Luther King Day earlier this year that featured a toy drive and a basketball clinic. The rec center was still under construction and required industrial heaters at the time, but he wanted something to formally introduce himself to the community. “It’s always great when we get people from the neighborhood and they’re just amazed at what we’ve done and they’re happy it’s for the youth and didn’t turn it into condos,” he said. View this post on Instagram A post shared by City Athletics Philly (@cityathleticsphilly) De Veaux kept much of the church’s original aesthetics. There’s organs upstairs in his office and the original stained glass in the stairways. His office looks over the basketball court that doubles for volleyball and he has the stray balls to show for it. Turns out off-throws can fly high in an old church.  “They accumulate when I’m not here to throw it back,” he said.  He joked that there’s no need for amps or speakers because the church’s acoustics are so loud.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by City Athletics Philly (@cityathleticsphilly) View this post on Instagram A post shared by City Athletics Philly (@cityathleticsphilly) City Athletics offers basketball training and girls volleyball The organization also rents out its space to other youth programs in the city and sometimes Sunday’s Juneteenth Parade and Festival in Philadelphia served as a “celebration and homage to our ancestors.” The flag raising kicks off a series of Philly events leading up to the big Juneteenth parade and festival on June 16 The Nicetown Community Development Corporation is looking to a new administration for the help they need to wage a long-term fight on violence Reading Railroad’s abandoned Spring Garden Station is a highly visible landmark at 9th Street The old passenger depot is ripe for rehabilitation given the Rail Park’s successful first phase architecture critic of the Philadelphia Inquirer concerning the efforts of a blight-fighting nonprofit to force the cleanup of this derelict property under Pennsylvania’s Abandoned and Blighted Property Conservatorship Act (Act 135) either by its owner Reading International or by a receiver the real estate firm that has been buying and rehabilitating other nearby buildings for nearly a decade Readers of my February 2020 article responded with their thoughts on potential reuses for Spring Garden Street Station but also to the larger theme of restoring and improving public transit “Starting to revitalize the railroad will bring less pollution and above all make proud of Philadelphia’s heritage which again will be beneficial for tourism development.” this article will attempt to explore opportunities to revitalize Philadelphia’s railroad network starting with SEPTA’s abandoned Tioga Station on the Reading Viaduct A 1942 WPA land use map showing locations of Tioga and Nicetown Stations along Reading RR 9th Street Viaduct. Kenderton Park at Tioga Station is now Jerome Brown Playground. | Image: PhilaGeoHistory.org The Reading Viaduct follows the route of Philadelphia’s first operating railroad From Wayne Junction’s passenger and freight car rail yards lines radiate out like fingers from a hand’s palm to Germantown and Chestnut Hill The Viaduct is the arm connecting all of them to Center City whether to Reading Terminal when it was the heart of the Reading System or to the Center City Commuter Connection Tunnel From the tunnel a rider on the former Reading lines travels seamlessly onto commuter lines of the former Pennsylvania Railroad to destinations as diverse as the Main Line and the rapidly growing job center of West Philadelphia The Viaduct is a vital link between employees’ homes and their jobs Unfortunately its trains running past North Philadelphia offer little service to communities who could really benefit from it but once upon a time they most certainly did and Girard Avenue and Spring Garden Street on 9th Street constructed on the Viaduct above the street bed The company continued serving the other stations until its bankruptcy and reorganization into Consolidated Rail Corporation Conrail also inherited passenger stations of the Penn Central in Philadelphia but conveyed its commuter rail operations here to SEPTA in 1986.  SEPTA operating a network of bus and subway lines throughout North Philadelphia ceased operating Tioga and Nicetown Stations and demolished Tioga Station in 1987 on the reasonable assumption that its City Division fleet would adequately service Tioga Station’s dwindling commuter traffic 13 railroad stations have been closed in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods Tioga Station looking south toward Center City | Image courtesy of the Reading Company Technical and Historical Society The Tioga neighborhood would reach its pinnacle of prosperity in the 1940s Philadelphia’s prowess as an industrial center had begun to ebb in the early 20th century when Baldwin Locomotive Company relocated its factory to Delaware County from Broad and Spring Garden Streets After World War II the trickle of move-outs and plant closures grew stronger raising alarm in City Hall and the Chamber of Commerce which created the Greater Philadelphia Movement to try to stem the losses Philadelphia found itself swept up in the undertow of a postwar de-industrialization wave engulfing the Northeast and Midwest.  This had dire impacts on the residents of Tioga as well as the city in general The Reading Railroad went bankrupt by 1971 By the time Tioga Station was demolished in 1987 there appeared to be little justification to retain it Along with many other Philadelphia neighborhoods Tioga fell victim to urban decay and disinvestment The Reading Railroad donated the garden to the City of Philadelphia The steps of the former Tioga Station Garden now lead to Jerome Brown Playground The Philadelphia City Planning Commission has embarked on a series of strategies for neighborhood revitalization and Tioga came under their focus in 2010 Among its major recommendations were restoring train stations Its report cited a University of Pennsylvania design studio that proposed “CityRail,” where the former stations would be restored Within city limits trains would run ever 15 minutes creating a new rapid transit system serving Philadelphia neighborhoods Trains headed for the suburbs (“MetroRail”) would operate as express service within the city.  These recommendations were never implemented On January 9, 2020, the Philadelphia Inquirer published the article “Point Breeze and Tioga-Nicetown: Why one Philadelphia neighborhood has surged while another languishes.” The article found that one of the reasons for Tioga’s continuing poverty was its lack of transportation access to centers of job creation such as Center City and Penn Medicine Tioga Station at 20th and Tioga Streets in 1987 prior to demolition SEPTA has a 3-mile extension of their Media/Elwyn line to Wawa underway What is intriguing about the line is that its passenger service extends southward from Temple University Station but its trains begin and end their route two miles north in Wayne Junction Yard as there is no railcar storage capacity at Temple The Media/Elwyn trains from Wayne Junction travel empty past Tioga and North Broad Station before making their first passenger stop at Temple If these Media/Elwyn trains stopped at Tioga the residents would have a “one seat ride” to Temple University and Penn Medicine–Media/Elwyn line is not the only SEPTA line that connects all of these stations SEPTA’s Airport Line also offers the possibility of service between Tioga and Penn Medicine Stations The possible employment opportunities for Tioga residents are really too good to pass up The lands necessary for recreating a station at 20th and Tioga Streets remain in SEPTA’s ownership Initially there would be no need to create a station grander than a simple bus shelter on either side of the track before the full impact of the pandemic would be felt SEPTA anticipated having a consultant on board to begin advancing an overall network analysis and design along with a robust public engagement plan It is too early in the process to anticipate what changes may be proposed but SEPTA will eventually involve public input to ensure that there are opportunities for community feedback we may see enhanced service come to Tioga if there is advocacy for it as the process moves forward Tags:     Duffy is the author of "Philadelphia: A Railroad History" (Camino Books 2013) and "Philadelphia Celebrates: Three Great Anniversaries - 1876-1926-1976" (Camino Books One of the most in depth articles I have seen on the philly rr history in a long time Septa took over railroad operations in 1983 This proposal is not persuasive because it does not take existing transit options into account Tioga residents have access to two Broad Street Line stations (Erie and Allegheny) that provide a “one-seat” ride to Temple’s main campus and Center City Erie is among the busiest stations on the BSL with average 7750 daily weekday riders in FY 2018 The Allegheny station on the Manayunk/Norristown regional rail line in the southwest of the neighborhood (conveniently served by the 33 bus) also offers a “one seat” ride to Schuylkill Yards via 30th Street Several trains in the morning/afternoon continue to Penn Medicine on the Media/Elwyn line Allegheny saw an average 76 weekday boardings in FY 2014 just a hair above the profitability threshold of 75 daily boardings the author fails to provide evidence that reactivating the Tioga and Nicetown Reading stations would have an appreciable impact on the neighborhood What kind of fieldwork has been done to determine that additional regional rail stations are what residents The author rightly mentions the catastrophic effects of de-industrialization on North Philadelphia but he neglects to explain that because of this major employers in the city today (health care It is the persistent gap in education and achievement that keeps folks in communities like Tioga away from jobs in these sectors and negatively affects disparities in income and health This comment says that evidence is not provided that reactivating Tioga Station (Nicetown Station was not recommended) would have an appreciable impact on the neighborhood but this article provides a link the the June 2010 Planning Commission report in its entirety that draws this conclusion based on its findings This Commission study in itself should merit the attention of the SEPTA consultant to be brought on board to undertake network design and analysis This comment also concludes that Tioga residents do not need the station reactivated because they lack the skill sets qualifying for employment by today’s major employers Does the writer believe that all the jobs in health tourism and hospitality are staffed only by highly educated workers that investment of almost $180 million is justified in extending the Media/Elwyn line three miles What effort has anyone made beside the Planning Commission to analyse restoration of Tioga Station Fortunately the Biden Administration has issued an executive order ‘Advancing Racial Equality and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.’ In future transportation funding requests will need to include elements that support urban communities like Tioga if they are to receive federal funding This will be a factor to include in planning design and implementation of future transportation projects such as extending rail service to King of Prussia JR: “…the persistent gap in education and achievement…” which overlooks the persistent underfunding of Philadelphia’s schools in our neighborhoods 2) It is a 10-block walk to the Erie stop of the Broad St You could have saved space by just saying “I don’t want SEPTA to invest in lower-income mostly-Black population parts of the city.” The stops in Philly were also useful during transit division strikes Dave Fecteau and Mike Thompson undertook the referenced Tioga study I had studied Transportation Engineering at Penn’s Towne School in the 1970s SEPTA has closed thirteen stations in Philly hope that their consultant charged with studying their system will consider reversing their fate Wonderful to learn about Tioga Station Garden and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. 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Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardCourt records and video footage shed new light on the death of a man shot by the FBI in Nicetown-TiogaSources familiar with the investigation say Tahiem Weeks-Cook was wanted in connection with a string of 7-Eleven robberies across the Philadelphia region The 22-year-old man who was shot last week by an FBI agent attempting to arrest him at his apartment in Philadelphia’s Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood has died as surveillance video and court records began to fill in details on the events that led to his shooting Tahiem Weeks-Cook was shot four times during the incident Friday on the 1700 block of West Venango Street He died Sunday evening at Temple University Hospital Since then, authorities have released scant details on the circumstances and Weeks said she’s struggled to obtain any information about why agents were trying to arrest him but I need answers,” she said in an interview Monday “They haven’t even contacted me with condolences or anything Officials said last week that Weeks-Cook was shot as agents attempted to serve arrest and search warrants at his apartment Yet they have declined to provide a full narrative of the incident or identify the agent who fired the shots That silence continued Monday as FBI agents and investigators working for a lawyer hired by Weeks-Cook’s family returned to the neighborhood in search of witnesses or security footage from neighboring buildings that might provide answers A video captured by cameras at a nearby business depicted the moments before the shooting just after noon Friday Weeks-Cook can be seen leaving his apartment on the 1600 block of Venango Street as four armed agents in military-style camouflage tactical gear leap out of the back of an unmarked white van He spots them and takes off running toward 17th Street as they pursue The video does not show the agents shooting Weeks-Cook But less than a minute after he and the agents run off screen another law enforcement officer gets out of the white van and speeds off in the direction of the chase Weeks-Cook does not appear to be holding a weapon in his hands in the footage Authorities have not said he was armed at the time he was shot — a fact that has prompted more questions from Weeks and her family’s lawyer “I feel like they used unnecessary force,” she said Officials have also declined to say why they were trying to arrest Weeks-Cook in the first place But sources familiar with the investigation said Monday that the FBI was investigating him in connection with a string of recent armed robberies of 7-Eleven stores across the region On the same day he was shot, Upper Southampton Township police filed felony charges against him — including counts of robbery, conspiracy, and making terroristic threats — for a July 30 stickup at a 7-Eleven at 932 State Rd. The affidavit of probable cause for Weeks-Cook’s arrest in that case indicates that the FBI and local authorities linked him to that crime by tracing cell phone location data from the location of the robbery in Bucks County to the apartment on the 1600 block of West Venango Street declined to comment except to say she was “devastated” by his loss the FBI offered a reward for any information related to the individuals behind the Upper Southampton robbery and said they believed it to be linked to at least seven other 7-Eleven stickups in Philadelphia Each of those attacks involved two to three suspects — one of whom would wait by the door dressed in black with their faces covered in masks and sunglasses and eventually make off with the contents of the store’s cash register But as Weeks mourned her son’s death Monday she said none of that had been explained to her She spent the weekend by his bedside as doctors struggled to treat the gunshot wounds she said he sustained to his stomach Her every attempt to talk with investigators who also lingered in the hospital over the weekend was rebuffed said: “I hope that we are able in an expedited fashion to get some answers for the family drawn-out process that will only increase the pain and anxiety that they’re already dealing with.” Weeks said she’s determined to fulfill the last promise she made her son “I whispered in my child’s ear yesterday,” she said Philadelphia police are investigating a homicide in Tioga-Nicetown that left one man dead in the street.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are investigating a homicide in Tioga-Nicetown that left one man dead in the street The incident happened Saturday just after 8 p.m Police say a 34-year-old man was found shot to death on the street He was shot twice in the head and once in the neck Anyone with any information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardN.Y.-based group buys former Nicetown-Tioga factory site that Trump had eyed for Philly casinoThe Plymouth Group paid $6.5 million for a 25-acre swath of industrial land that makes up the remaining unredeveloped section of the former plant A New York-based private equity and real estate investment firm has acquired the former Budd Co. manufacturing complex in the city’s Nicetown-Tioga section, where Donald Trump once sought to build a Philadelphia casino The Plymouth Group paid $6.5 million for a 25-acre swath of industrial land that makes up the remaining unredeveloped section of the former plant commercial real estate firm Colliers International located north of Hunting Park Avenue between Wissahickon Avenue and Fox Street manufactured heavy industrial products including auto parts A few years after the plant closed in 2003, an investment group involving Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc. proposed a $350 million casino but the project failed to win a state gaming license A section of the former plant property has since been redeveloped into the Salvation Army’s Kroc Center which serves the surrounding area with fitness classes and other community programming Another building at the site serves as headquarters for the Temple University Health System a Colliers senior vice president in Philadelphia brokered the sale to Plymouth in conjunction with Max Spann Real Estate & Auction Co Plymouth’s plans for the site likely include “commercial and industrial repurposing educational and residential components,” Colliers said A man in a wheelchair was rescued from a burning home in Philadelphia's Tioga-Nicetown section early Tuesday morning.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A man in a wheelchair was rescued from a burning home in Philadelphia's Tioga-Nicetown section early Tuesday morning Video from the Citizen App shows flames raging from the back of the home and the moment something electrical sent sparks flying The 38-year-old disabled man was taken to the hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation by | Apr 19, 2023 | News | 0 comments Meet the team that is activating play at the Lil’ Philly Safety Village Angela Harris and Tanaya Fisher are a dynamic mother-daughter duo who you will find activating play at the Lil’ Philly Safety Village every Saturday Tanaya loves giving back to her community and spending time with families and friends She likes arts and crafts and shopping at local farmers markets and can’t wait to play with you at the Lil’ Philly Safety Village Come meet Angela and Tanaya and join the fun, every Saturday 10-12 at the Lil’ Philly Safety Village in Hunting Park 1500 Walnut St # 1107 | Philadelphia, PA 19102 | 215-BICYCLEThe Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit organization Join Us: Become a Member! Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardFamily questions FBI shooting of a suspect in Nicetown-TiogaStacey Weeks 22 — was shot four times after a bureau SWAT unit arrived just before noon Friday at his apartment on the 1600 block of Venango Street The family of a man shot Friday by an FBI agent attempting to serve an arrest warrant in Philadelphia’s Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood is questioning the circumstances behind the shooting Stacey Weeks said her son — Tahiem Weeks-Cook has had trouble finding out what led to her son’s shooting while doctors at Temple University Hospital have worked to try to keep him alive “They’ve told me nothing,” she said of the FBI They told the nurses that this was an ongoing situation A spokesperson for the FBI’s Philadelphia office has said the shooting remains under review by the bureau’s Inspection Division a unit that investigates agent-involved shootings authorities have released little information — including a confirmation of the identity of the man who was shot anything about what led up to the shooting or a description of the charges that first led them to the apartment on Venango Street Court records indicate that the same day Weeks-Cook was shot he was charged by authorities in Upper Southampton Township on state felony counts of robbery The documents do not indicate that he had been arrested on those charges But officers from that township’s police department were spotted outside Weeks-Cook’s apartment in North Philadelphia following Friday’s shooting Bucks County authorities have so far declined to discuss the case said they’ve heard concerning things from neighbors who said they witnessed the shooting Friday morning — including that Weeks-Cook was unarmed and fleeing from authorities when he was shot Neighbors at the scene Friday could not immediately confirm those details in interviews with The Inquirer FBI spokesperson Carrie Adamowski declined to comment Hetznecker called on the bureau to provide a full account as soon as possible “The information that the family has provided is extremely troubling,” Hetznecker said “I have grave concerns about the independence of any investigation conducted by the FBI without some sort of independent inquiry.” His mother described him as an auto-body mechanic who has been a role model to his two younger brothers in the five years since their father died He remains hospitalized and doctors amputated his right-leg Saturday morning While she waited on news of her son’s condition she left the hospital to see the scene of the shooting near the intersection of 17th and Venango Streets Gone were the police cordons that a day earlier had kept curious neighbors at bay while investigators in hazmat suits searched under a row of cars parked along the street Gone were the rows of law enforcement vehicles standing ready as agents removed evidence from Weeks-Cook’s apartment as she shot video of the remnants of the scene “I don’t understand how you can shoot a person in broad daylight Staff writer Rodrigo Torrejón contributed to this article Efforts began this spring to stabilize the Conkling-Armstrong House at 2224-26 W the twin dwelling served as an architectural showcase for the eponymous Conkling-Armstrong Terra Cotta Company a major manufacturer of architectural terra cotta used in the construction of various buildings around the Philadelphia region commissioned to design the three-story twin at 2224 and 2226 W left it dripping in a wide sampling of the company’s terra cotta works It is hard to find a square foot of the building’s facade and exterior walls that isn’t adorned with some form of decorative terra cotta or flourishes that surround nearly every window and door The rich history and entirely unique design of the house led to a nomination to the local historic register submitted in 2018 by The Keeping Society of Philadelphia The building was designated by the Philadelphia Historical Commission for legal protections the following year the already-dilapidated house was quickly falling deeper into disrepair leaving the city’s preservation community concerned it was still eventually destined for demolition Enter The Wise Holding Group, an LLC that formed in 2020 and scooped up the Conkling-Armstrong House the following year. A flurry of activity swiftly followed, with an employee from an architectural firm hired by Wise Holding engaging members of Philadelphia Industrial & Commercial Heritage, a historic preservation group on Facebook for help in addressing imminently dangerous violations from the City permits were filed suggesting at least the building’s front facade could be saved The Conkling-Armstrong House in February 2019 Wise said he has ambitions to conduct significant restoration of the residence saving and rehabilitating both its facade and sidewalls and reutilizing as much internal framework as possible There is evidence of progress: scaffolding and structural supports are currently visible on the building’s interior City records show Wise’s company received permits to make the building safe while maintaining its exterior walls Wise says he anticipates he will need several months to make the building fully safe before true redevelopment can commence He also volunteers that it is the first time he has worked on saving a historic building but says he is committed to restoring the Conkling-Armstrong House and converting the structure to multi-unit residential A page from the Conkling-Armstrong Terra Cotta Company’s catalogue showing details of designs used at its showroom home in Tioga | Image courtesy of The Keeping Society of Philadelphia via the Philadelphia Historical Commission The use of terra cotta materials for various purposes like pottery dates back to ancient times as noted in a history assembled for the Conkling-Armstrong House’s 2018 nomination Italian for “baked earth,” was first widely used in architecture during the Italian Renaissance of the 15th and 16th centuries Its popularity then ebbed and flowed over centuries and across cultures notably rising again in the United States during the industrial boom of the late 1800s and early 1900s There was plenty of new money to go around during the Victorian era and Gilded Age and flamboyant architectural styles flourished with terra cotta useful to fill the demand Urban buildings were also increasingly going vertical opening other new opportunities for versatile terra cotta uses “The material benefits of terra cotta were that it was strong in compression and therefore capable of being highly ornamental it was cheaper and lighter than carved stone,” the Keeping Society’s nomination explained “What really carried the terra cotta industry to great heights was its marriage with transitional masonry and later curtain wall construction that made up America’s earliest skyscrapers.” Drawings of the Conkling-Armstrong House by architect Edgar V 25 large terra cotta works were in operation around the country and even had their own trade group the company was originally located at 46th Street and Girard Avenue and carried the names of three founders: Stephens Stephens broke off to start a new company in New York and the remaining Conkling-Armstrong Terra Cotta Company relocated its works and offices to Nicetown The company experienced considerable success helping to adorn more than 90 buildings in Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania’s Dental Hall while also opening a second office in New York City According to an 1898 portfolio of the company’s best work which includes dozens of pages of photographs of adornments used around Philadelphia Conkling and Armstrong believed terra cotta was in essence truly democratic “The monotony of design is giving way to more originality and warehouses of today show evidence of design,” the authors of the portfolio wrote “This has been made more possible by the use of terra cotta and artistic material for both structural and decorative purposes.” As robust as it was the black and white portfolio of the company’s work wasn’t enough This photograph of the completed Conkling-Armstrong House was featured in the catalogue of the T-Square Club Architectural Exhibition of 1899 | Photo courtesy of The Keeping Society of Philadelphia via Google Books While most terra cotta companies had showrooms for their products “no other company had the common sense ingenuity” to construct a demonstration home like the Conkling-Armstrong House The homes were to be the actual dwellings of Conkling and Armstrong situated just a few minutes away from their company’s factory on Wissahickon Avenue who in turn designed the twin in a Châteauesque style Seelers certainly did not shy away from decoration for the Nicetown-Tioga home cladding it heavily in Conkling-Armstrong terra cotta The first floor is dominated by a front porch decorated in flowers and diamond shapes in the length above A diamond pattern is utilized again in vertical lines framing the first floor’s bay windows Things get truly unruly on the second and third floors requiring the use of an architectural encyclopedia for anyone unstudied in the terminology ornate terra cotta adorns nearly everything: patterns and panels of geometric shapes and scrolls surround the dwellings’ various windows Both sides of the building are also ornamented The current owner plans to consult with terra cotta experts to see how the house’s damaged and eroded ornamentation can be restored the original grandeur of the building has deeply faded with time The roof of the porch has collapsed in recent years those familiar with the building say not much remains salvageable inside director of preservation services for the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia was previously involved with efforts to repair the house when it was still owned by a woman who was raised in it the house went to sheriff’s sale and in more recent years was owned by developers who hadn’t realized the building’s unique and demanding characteristics They found themselves “in over their head,” Robinson said The Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I) also declared the building unsafe “There was a lot of concern that it might not stay standing even with the local protections,” said Robinson With the last of the Conkling-Armstrong factory buildings demolished in 2011 it appeared the final sunset on the company’s physical footprint was imminent and Robinson said the Preservation Alliance worked to notify L&I that someone was working to save and redevelop the building “We were thrilled to see it was in the hands of someone who had an interest in preservation,” Robinson said New residential construction in the home’s large rear property is one potential way to aid in funding the restoration project Wise is currently working just to make the building safe with an additional priority construction of a new roof to minimize exposure to the elements He has received permission from the Historical Commission to replace the original slate with faux shingles but says it is still going to be very expensive Installing new joists and flooring are also near the top of the to-do list Wise says he is bringing in terra cotta consultants to assess what it would take to restore or replace the myriad ornamentations He did not offer an estimated dollar amount she suspects the costs of all the rehabilitation work could make the margins of a residential redevelopment very tight She wonders if perhaps there is a possibility of additional construction on the back of the lot Wise says he is also interested in finding any potential grant programs to help with the restoration Robinson noted that there typically isn’t a lot of funding in the philanthropic world for historic restoration Wise says he envisions a multi-family development with a mix of market-rate and affordable units But that’s another conversation with the city after the building has been stabilized “We just haven’t gotten that far yet,” Wise said Tags:     Kyle Bagenstose is an independent journalist based in East Mt he writes primarily about environmental and urban topics I remember seeing all the old beautiful buildings This one is Shirley the most of the most beautiful So grateful that the work is being done on it I wish I had the money to donate because I surely would I am now curious as to the ‘rest of the story’ Abagail Mills speaks of..please say more asap Madeleine Pierucci I’m hoping the last owners and their living family’s story will be reach the public A great wrong has been done in the name of politics and greed a fourth-generation supermarket owner has gone where others have feared to tread: food deserts low-income neighborhoods that have no direct access to a real grocery store The small chain has given these communities a place to get nutritious food Economics correspondent Paul Solman reports Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy underserved communities that lack access to fresh food Economics correspondent Paul Solman examines how one grocery store chain has devised a different business model to address the problem It's part of our weekly series Making Sense which airs every Thursday on the "NewsHour." Fourth generation Philadelphia supermarket owner Jeff Brown is a hands-on CEO Brown's Super Stores: Is everything all right Brown has just showed me some things that I can get better in Brown has become renowned for doing the seemingly impossible He operates seven profitable stores in food deserts low-income neighborhoods where supermarkets have long since feared to tread Bus driver Kevin Griffin thought it can't happen here We have been waiting for this a long time in this area This area is the Nicetown-Tioga section of North Philly since there hasn't been one here in over 20 years Lonea Cameron's family has lived here much of that time This is the first place that has been so well-stocked unappetizing Tastykake plant until grocer Jeff Brown came around When we looked at the real estate to come here Others saw the lone and level sands of the food desert But how to succeed in a business that traditionally lost about four cents on every dollar's worth of sales even getting a new bus stop in front of the store Public-private partnerships like these offset costs by about 2.5 cents for every dollar of sales and you wind up with a 1-penny profit margin Brown makes that extra 2.5 cents by catering carefully to local tastes I think this is an interesting example of our business model Understand our customers come from the South It's like half of the bakery business in this store Religiously sanctioned meats for the neighborhood's many Muslims And the imams in the area have been involved with the selection of our vendors And there's another motivation here as well Since lower obesity and less diabetes are the goals So this is something that you can choose a nice cabbage and you will be able to stretch your dollars that way her lessons are up against a host of distractions They're just dealing with a lot of other issues and they just feel like nutrition is not at the top of their list right now There's also a walk-in clinic where the uninsured can see a nurse practitioner for $20 one other person in your household is claimed by you An in-store social worker helps customers apply for public benefits There's even a credit union with no minimum deposit on your account instead of the typical high-fee alternatives in low-income neighborhoods But what's most important to the community This location has provided full-time employment for a lot of guys It changes your life because now you have gainful employment You don't have to be on the corners anymore Forty-one-year-old Anthony Jackson spent half his life in jail I have been incarcerated for numerous crimes Jackson is now a frozen foods manager making over $50,000 a year I'm trying to climb this ladder of success This is not going to solve all the problems Nor is it the total answer when it comes the nutrition according to a study published last year in "Health Affairs," the opening of a supermarket in another Philadelphia food desert didn't lead to changes in fruit and vegetable intake or lower body mass index The customers in this area had no way to buy any produce at all before And now we sell the same amount of produce we sell in a suburban store So I would have to believe their diet has changed And if they allocated their resources more towards fresh fruits and vegetables there are a lot of not-rich people going unserved I think we're short about 1,000 supermarkets There's 25 million people that live without a grocery store today and they don't have a practical means to get to one Brown isn't the only retailer to see opportunity in the desert Whole Foods is expanding into inner-city Detroit and Chicago while Wegmans plans to open next to a Brooklyn housing project the profitable food desert supermarket can turn out to be a mirage Baltimore's Apples & Oranges fresh market went bust in just two years so they're not accustomed to running a food business at all you can't tell people what to eat and you can't open up a store and sell all healthy food This is economics correspondent Paul Solman reporting for the PBS NewsHour from a Philadelphia food desert where a supermarket chain is making at least part of it bloom © 1996 - 2025 NewsHour Productions LLC PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization Subscribe to Here's the Deal with Lisa Desjardins Real estate investor Ani Sanyal and his partners are offering gallery space to local artists — for free — as part of a three-and-a-half-month artist-in-residence program Rahat Kamal (center) and Ani Sanyal (right) are partners in the Tioga Park Development Group 28-year-old Matthew George got tired coming home to a parade of plastic bags styrofoam take-out food trays and overflowing cans but you need to still communicate with the neighbors,” Tyner said “We’re willing to talk to you anytime you’d like.” WHYY is one of over 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city’s push towards economic justice “The water damage destroys everything it touches The next thing is putting it back,” said the contractor repairing the building tenants and attorneys described a system that’s violent and traumatic Philadelphia police have released surveillance video of three suspects wanted for a deadly triple shooting in Tioga-Nicetown.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police have released surveillance video of three suspects wanted for a deadly triple shooting in Tioga-Nicetown It happened back on August 5 in the 3500 block of Warnock Street A 28-year-old man was killed when police say he was ambushed by the three suspects seen on the video If you recognize them you're asked to call police a $20,000 reward is being offered for tips leading to an arrest and conviction and legal help programs aim to give opportunities to people with criminal records in hopes of ending the cycle of gun violence Rasheed Abdus is a mentee and hopes to be a peer specialist one day Community activists say the Chicago-based READI program could be the solution Philly needs to curb gun violence – if it ever materializes educators are making changes they hope will better protect children WHYY News reporters took a close look at some of their efforts “We could see it happening in a larger space.” Here is a list of resources and events for people affected by the criminal justice system And more at “Up the Block- Philly Gun Violence Resources.” If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence in Philadelphia, you can find grief support and resources online. WHYY is one of over 20 news organizations producing Broke in Philly The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox city and community leaders to discuss solutions to keep communities safe Coalition for a Safer Delaware will feel the pinch of federal funding cuts for gun violence intervention and community programs President Donald Trump proposed cuts to gun violence research that some experts say could cost lives The long-abandoned Beury Building at Broad Street and Erie Avenue is in the early stages of being redeveloped for a hotel and other uses by owner Shift Capital Seek out lists of historical neighborhoods to visit in Philadelphia and you’ll likely encounter the usual suspects: Old City and its charming alleyways leafy “streetcar suburbs” in points west and northwest with their summer estates and Victorian and Tudor-filled streets But what about the intersection of Germantown Avenue deep in the heart of North Philadelphia and ringing the edge of the Nicetown-Tioga neighborhood The area is more likely to be listed on a crime map on the local evening news than any list of “must-stops” for a typical visitor to Philadelphia “The preservation field as a whole has been grappling with this a lot in the past few years,” said Shannon Garrison program manager and historic preservation planner for the Historical Commission what specifically are we trying to protect What is it about these places that makes them important what about the people who live here currently How does all this play into what we think of as preservation?” The idea also holds value for community members like Amelia Price, corridor manager for Called to Serve, a community development corporation that operates out of Zion Baptist Church Price is among those whose living memories include a very different time for the corridor recalling a shopping district and family-oriented community in the mid-20th century not the one where many live in fear of gun violence today through partnerships with the City like Treasure Philly! will one day soon resemble the days of her youth She and other advocates raise up the sankofa bird a Ghanian symbol conveying the importance of remembering the past in order to progress Which means you can’t look forward unless you reach back and grab your roots,” Price explained Dwight’s Barbecue at 3734 Germantown Avenue has been a neighborhood staple for decades Examining the historical and cultural landmarks of the eastern flank of Nicetown-Tioga is only part of a wider city effort to transform the area. In 2017, Mayor Jim Kenney launched a Broad, Germantown, and Erie Task Force The City identified many areas for improvement The corridor was among the 12 percent of city streets where 50 percent of traffic deaths and injuries happen and there was a need for more public spaces and business revitalization That same year, Mayor Kenney also launched the Philadelphia Historic Preservation Task Force to review the City’s policies and engage the public Garrison said one of the main recommendations of the task force was to conduct a city-wide survey of potential historic assets now the acting deputy of the Department of Planning and Development secured a $250,000 grant from the William Penn Foundation to help support the work the foundation asked the City to take a look at how they document “intangible heritage and cultural resources beyond properties,” Garrison said The city was set to start work in early 2020 “Once we got through the initial pandemic scramble we realized we had a real opportunity with this project to take a step back and do something different,” said Garrison City preservation planners internally deliberated the best way forward and also engaged the ROZ Group, a Philadelphia-based strategic planning and marketing communications firm, along with Partners for Sacred Places and creative agency Little Giant to create a pilot effort examining how to best develop a methodology for identifying and preserving intangible resources.  Philadelphia isn’t alone in thinking through such challenges Garrison said cities such as San Francisco and San Antonio have also been grappling with how to honor the history of an area when a key building may already have been demolished or what to do with tricky situations where the tension between past and present is evident “This comes up a lot with legacy businesses How do you allow for a family business that’s been around for generations to continue to operate when designating the building they operate in isn’t going to necessarily keep their business open?” Garrison said “How do we look at these institutions more holistically?” with its own website and eyed the Broad Street and Erie Avenue corridor for its pilot project The City was already holding community meetings and making ties in the neighborhood through its infrastructure and business improvement efforts so it made sense for the Historical Commission to piggyback The former office of Pennsylvania State Representative Ruth Harper at 1427 Erie Avenue she opened the Ruth Harper Modeling and Charm School there in 1963 Garrison said the methodology is still very much an open question launched this summer with large events held through September to bring in community members and talk with them about what they value about the neighborhood and its history But bad luck and poor weather led to washouts shifting the City’s plans to smaller walk-alongs in November “Our background is usually in architectural history so if we walk a neighborhood only with other preservationists we’re only going to get one story,” Garrison said “But if you walk that same neighborhood with somebody that has lived there for 50 years they can reveal a whole other aspect of that neighborhood.” At one two-hour community meeting Treasure Philly! held in August, that knowledge transfer had already began. Attendees talked about businesses they used to go to in the neighborhood, important neighborhood figures like the Reverend Leon Sullivan, and a charm school on the second floor of the legislative offices of Ruth Harper a state representative who served the area from 1977 to 1992 She opened the Ruth Harper Modeling and Charm School in 1963 “Many women in the neighborhood would go there to learn their manners,” explained Garrison Another potential gem was the 3700 block of North 15th Street which local residents recall was a regular candidate for “Most Beautiful Block” awards in the 1980s two and three-story rows with ornate cornices and bay windows square concrete flower boxes adjoining the front steps Residents recalled warmly how they used to all be filled with flowers and the Historical Commission was able to find an old newspaper article about the man who originally built them all for the block “It’s something we might have noticed–why are there all these flower boxes–but maybe never would have connected the dots,” Garrison said Just how such community assets and memories could be honored is an open question Preservations could use traditional methods like erecting preservation or historical markers or add to their toolkit with annual commemorations ‘What do we offer for people in the neighborhood to preserve these memories themselves?’” Garrison adds Concrete planters line the 3700 block of North 15th Street Neighbors fondly remember the man that created them years ago to help beautify the area trends toward valuing the people of the neighborhood an internationally-renowned civil rights leader and social activist changed the lives of many during his time as pastor of Zion Baptist Church and comedian and actor Kevin Hart’s mother have all called the congregation home Price views the neighborhood’s history not as something to be put behind glass and admired at a distance but actively leveraged for the purposes of revitalization Through honoring the histories of local businesses like King of Pizza and Dwight’s BBQ along with revitalizing standout buildings in the area Price sees a path to return commerce to its former glory Through public transit and infrastructure improvements Price sees an opportunity to secure even more foot traffic for the business corridor by remembering and holding up the days when the neighborhood was family-oriented and filled with latchkey kids and the community leaders who helped make it that way Price believes Nicetown-Tioga can turn the page on its current challenging chapter thing we want people that’ve been on the corridor to tell their memories of the good old days,” Price said “Just to tell the story so that the current generation will know that it wasn’t always like it is now Tags:     but that is where I had to go to register for the draft Philly is such an old city full of historic buildings and landmarks It’s cool to see them take steps to preserve our history Philly began allowing walk-ins this weekend after noticing that some of its appointment slots were going unclaimed Nicetown resident Vincenteen Miller Paige received the COVID-19 vaccine at Simon Gratz High School Mastery Charter in Philadelphia on March 15 What does “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19 mean WHYY’s Health Desk Help Desk looked at the new CDC guidelines and indoor dining capacity will be raised to 75% for restaurants that undergo the self-certification process Gov. Tom Wolf will expand more business and event capacity limits and lift coronavirus restrictions on bar service starting on Easter Sunday Monday’s announcement says bars and restaurants can raise indoor capacity limits to a maximum of 75% from 50% but must follow the state’s social-distancing requirements Going away are a ban on seating at the bar and serving alcohol after 11 p.m. as well as a requirement that patrons order food with their alcoholic drinks Other businesses can also move to 75% of maximum capacity Outdoor events can go to 50% of maximum capacity Tuesday, March 16, will be a sobering milestone: that date is the one-year anniversary of the beginning of Philadelphia’s first pandemic lockdown city officials are organizing a number of virtual and socially distanced activities under the umbrella of #Phillyreflects churches and other places of worship will light candles or put on other displays to honor the more than 3,000 city residents who have died of COVID-19 At 5:30 p.m., Mayor Kim Kenney and other officials and community leaders will hold a virtual event featuring “words, ritual, and music” to mark the one-year anniversary. You can pre-register for a Zoom link here, or tune in on Facebook At 7 p.m. building across the city will light up in blue to honor frontline workers, first responders, and all lives lost to the pandemic. City officials are asking people to post pictures of blue-lit buildings as well as their reflections on the last year to social media with the hashtag #phillyreflects The latest news and updates about the COVID-19 vaccine rollouts in our region The categories have expanded beyond just people who are immunocompromised WHYY’s Health Desk Help Desk offers some basic booster answers There will be three drawings in June and July aligns the city’s distribution system with the suburban counties and the rest of Pennsylvania “Stop The Bleed” teaches emergency responsiveness and many Philadelphians are training to combat gunshot wounds Registered nurse Sarah Misuro (right) teaches Kaz Burok how to apply a tourniquet during a Stop the Bleed class at Nicetown-Tioga Library in North Philadelphia The newly formed Civic Coalition to Save Lives says it will build a violence intervention strategy based on what’s worked in other cities At the Young Chances Foundation in South Philly's Grays Ferry area gun violence prevention involves feeding kids and building their trust in law enforcement Each participant practiced their new skills on Misuro and received a tourniquet of their own “I took [the class] because as a person that has been doing security for over 26 years I’m a people person and I care about people This class really helped me to be able to save a life [and] I’m grateful for the knowledge that was given in this class.” Misuro said that the instruction is just one piece of helping the city she loves People can realize what they can do in a situation And that’s the small piece that I bring to the table According to Stop the Bleed’s website, there are currently five in-person trainings scheduled in Philadelphia through February. Additionally, Stop the Bleed offers an online course. If you or someone you know has been affected by gun violence in Philadelphia, you can find grief support and resources online Sam Searles is a Report for America corps member covering gun violence and prevention for WHYY News Explore diverse perspectives and solutions to Philly’s gun violence crisis Could beefing up this controversial police tactic help keep the city safe man critical after being struck crossing Tioga-Nicetown streetSaturday man injured crossing Tioga-Nicetown street: as seen on Action News Mornings 2019.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are investigating a fatal crash that left a woman dead and a man in critical condition Friday at 16th Street and Hunting Park Avenue in the city's Tioga-Nicetown section Police said a 34-year-old woman a 38-year-old man were struck as they crossed the road The woman died of her injuries and the man remains hospitalized Police said the driver of the striking vehicle stopped at the scene 2023Thieves left behind a trail of damage while trying to steal cash from an ATM in Philadelphia.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Thieves left behind a trail of damage while trying to steal cash from an ATM in Philadelphia 17th Street in the Tioga-Nicetown section around 3:40 a.m Police say three people placed an explosive device on the ATM The blast blew the front of the machine right off The suspects ran away when they realized they could not access the cash box.