South Philadelphia | |
|---|---|
 South Philadelphia as seen from theOne Liberty Observation Deck in May 2017 | |
 South Philadelphia highlighted on a map ofPhiladelphia County | |
| Coordinates:39°55′23″N75°10′31″W / 39.9231°N 75.1753°W /39.9231; -75.1753 | |
| Country |  United States of America |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Philadelphia |
| City | Philadelphia |
| Area | |
• Total | 9.7 sq mi (25 km2) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 175,717 (estimated) |
| • Density | 18,115/sq mi (6,994/km2) |
| ZIP Codes | 19112, 19145, 19146, 19147, 19148 |
| Area codes | 267, 215, 445 |
South Philadelphia, nicknamedSouth Philly, is the section ofPhiladelphia bounded bySouth Street to the north, theDelaware River to the east and south, and theSchuylkill River to the west.[1] A diverseworking-class community of many neighborhoods, South Philadelphia is well known for its largeItalian-American population, though it also contains largeAsian-American,Irish-American,African-American, andLatino populations.[2]
South Philadelphia began as a satellite town of Philadelphia, with small townships such asMoyamensing andSouthwark.[3]Towards the end of theFirst Industrial Revolution, the area saw rapid growth in population and urban development. This expansion was in part due to an influx of working class laborers and immigrants looking for factory jobs anddock work, as well as the first wave of mass immigration of Irishrefugees or impoverished immigrants fromIreland in the wake of theGreat Irish Hunger. South Philadelphia's urbanized border eventually expanded to reach that of Philadelphia proper, or what is today known asCenter City Philadelphia. Along with all other jurisdictions inPhiladelphia County, South Philadelphia became part of the City of Philadelphia proper with passage by the Pennsylvania legislature of the city–countyAct of Consolidation, 1854.
The area continued to grow, becoming a vital part of Philadelphia's large industrial base and attracting immigrants fromItaly, Ireland,Poland and manySouthern European andEastern European countries during the late 19th and early to mid 20th centuries, as well asBlack American migrants from the southern United States during theGreat Migration of the early 20th century. The immigrants and migrants became the basis of South Philadelphia's unique and vibrant culture that developed over the next several decades. Struggling to maintain theirCatholic identity in a mostlyProtestant city, the Irish built a system ofIrish Catholic churches andparochial schools for their children, including Catholic high schools. The later immigrant populations of Italians and Poles were also Catholic. Initially, these populations attended existing Catholic churches but built their own ethno-national churches when possible. However, the more established Irish-American ethnic community controlled the Catholic clergy and hierarchy for decades in Philadelphia and throughout the region, often excluding the more recent Italian (and, to a lesser extent, Polish) populations from participating in the church hierarchy.
In addition to the influx of Catholic immigrants to the majority Protestant city of Philadelphia, manyPolish Jews and otherJews fromCentral and Eastern Europe settled in South Philadelphia during the first half of the 20th century, especially in the diverse area now known asQueen Village where Jewish immigrants lived among Catholic Polish immigrants, Irish-Americans, and Italian immigrants. A smaller but significantGreek immigrant community also flourished around this time, leading to the establishment ofGreek Orthodox parishes in South Philadelphia, whileLebanese immigrants establishedLebanese Maronite parishes. Despite this dramatic growth in population, the low funding of education by the city resulted in the first public high school not being formed in South Philadelphia until 1934.[4]
Attracted to the industrial jobs, the new residents of South Philadelphia created communities that continued many of theirOld World traditions. While many of the new arrivals were Catholic, neighborhood parishes reflected their ethnic and national traditions. Monsignor James F. Connelly, the pastor of the Stella Maris Catholic Church and an editor of the 1976 workThe History of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said in a 2005Philadelphia Inquirer article that each parish church "offer[s] the immigrants the faith they were familiar with."[5]Coptic Orthodox Christian churches were also established in South Philadelphia in the 1960s. With the dramatic loss of industrial jobs during mid-20th century restructuring, there were population losses in South Philadelphia as well as other working-class parts of the city, and some neighborhood Catholic schools had to close.
Today, many of South Philadelphia's communities are largelyItalian Americans. Many of these communities contain both older and more recent Italian immigrants and Italian speakers, and Italian saint festivals and cultural celebrations, including the South 9th StreetItalian Market festival, are popular in the South Philadelphia Italian-American communities. In addition, South Philadelphia continues to be home to many ethnic Irish American communities and African American communities. Both Irish American and African American communities can be found in the neighborhoods ofGrays Ferry andSouthwest Center City, while the nearby neighborhood ofPoint Breeze is largely African American and is often considered the center of the South Philadelphia's African American communities. The neighborhood ofPennsport remains primarily aworking class Irish-American neighborhood and the cultural center of Irish-American South Philadelphia. An increase in late 20th-century and early 21st-century immigration has given South Philadelphia significant populations fromAsia, particularlySoutheast Asia, including populations fromVietnam,Cambodia,Indonesia andThailand. In addition, there has been an increase in recent years of immigrants fromRussia,Mexico andCentral American nations such asHonduras,Guatemala andEl Salvador. Today, many vendors that work alongside the Italian-Americans at the Italian Market are of Asian descent and Mexican or Central American descent, and Vietnamese, Thai, Mexican, and Central American restaurants are interspersed with historic Italian restaurants in the Market area. The recent revitalization ofCenter City Philadelphia and the subsequentgentrification of adjacent neighborhoods has also led to dramatic rises in prices of housing in the neighborhoods of historic Queen Village,Bella Vista, and some other northern parts of South Philadelphia, leading to an influx ofyoung urban professionals in those more northern neighborhoods.
Many of the community clubs that create the annualMummers Parade every New Year's Day have traditionally been from South Philadelphia, especially those located on the largelyIrish-American S. 2nd Street ("Two Street") in thePennsport neighborhood.[6][7][8]
Portions of South Philadelphia are withinPhiladelphia City Council Districts 1 and 2. As of 2014 CouncilmanMark Squilla and Councilman Kenyatta Johnson represent the two districts.[1]
ThePhiladelphia Fire Department operates nine fire stations serving South Philadelphia.[9] Most of South Philadelphia resides in Fire Battalion 1, headquartered at 711 S.Broad Street. Portions of South Philadelphia reside in Battalion 4, headquartered at N. 4th andArch streets, and Battalion 11, headquartered at 43rd andMarket streets.[1]
ThePhiladelphia Police Department patrols three districts located within South Philadelphia. The three patrol districts serving South Philadelphia are the 1st, 3rd and 17th districts.[10]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, South Philadelphia has an area of 9.7 sq. miles, all land.
The South Philadelphia Planning Analysis Section is bounded bySouth Street on the north and theDelaware andSchuylkill rivers to their confluence.[11] The portions on either side ofBroad Street are known asSouth Philadelphia West andSouth Philadelphia East.
In 2010, the area's population was 168,782. Though mostly known for its largeItalian population, South Philadelphia contains a diverse population of Italians,Irish,African Americans andMexicans, as well as growing populations ofVietnamese,Chinese,Cambodian,Indonesian,Thai andCentral Americans. In addition, the area contains smaller but historically significantGreek,Jewish, andMaronite Lebanese communities.
On January 22, 2010 theAssociated Press said "South Philadelphia has been growing more diverse for decades, but the last 20 years have seen the greatest influx of Asian and Hispanic families."[17] David Elesh, aTemple University urban sociologist, said that of the almost 60,000 Philadelphia residents who reported being born in China, many lived in South Philadelphia.[17]
As of the 2010 Census, there are 168,782 people in 78,440 housing units. The population density is 16,771 people per square mile. 46.6% of the population is male, and 53.4% is female. The South Philadelphia area comprises the zip codes of 19145, 19146, 19147 and 19148.[18]
The largest and oldest Italian immigrant settlements in Philadelphia are in South Philadelphia.[20] Though rare and small in size, some early Italian immigrant settlements appeared in South Philadelphia prior to the 1890s; however, these small settlements generally consisted of a few skilled workers, merchants, and artists fromGenoa and other wealthier areas ofNorthern Italy.[21] In contrast, beginning in the 1890s, the vast majority of Italian immigrants that settled in Philadelphia came from impoverished regions ofSouthern Italy, with most Italian immigration to Philadelphia occurring in the 20th century. Though Italians in Philadelphia emigrated from various Southern Italian regions, most Italians in Philadelphia emigrated from or have origins in three main areas: the previously combined regions ofAbruzzo andMolise; the city ofMessina inSicily and thesurrounding province; andSalerno andAvellino inCampania. To this day,dialects from those regions mixed with English are spoken in many South Philadelphia households and neighborhoods.
Italians in South Philadelphia experienced widespreaddiscrimination from the larger majority populations of Philadelphia. For example, Italian neighborhoods in South Philadelphia were heavilyredlined for decades specifically due to their Italian-American demographics. However, Italian-Americans in South Philadelphia have contributed greatly to the culture of Philadelphia, establishing theItalian Market, creating both thecheesesteak and thehoagie, and introducing Italianroast pork sandwiches,water ice,tomato pie andpizza to thecuisine of Philadelphia. Recently, some Italian-American South Philadelphians have moved toSouthern New Jersey.[20] However, the Italian-American population in Philadelphia remains the second largest in the country.
In 1852, the first ItalianCatholic parish in the United States,St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, was founded by pre-mass immigration Italians.[22][21] Donna J. Di Giacomo, author ofItalians of Philadelphia, wrote that this church "was a hallmark of the neighborhood and touched many a South Philadelphia Italian's and Italian American's life in one way or another for generations."[20]
Much of South Philadelphia's Irish population is located in the eastern part of the South Philadelphia, specificallyPennsport andWhitman. Pennsport, which is also locally referred to as "Two Street", is arguably the most well known Irish neighborhood in South Philadelphia. Pennsport is also home to many of the city's Mummers clubs, where some are known for their Irish American themes. Other Irish neighborhoods are located in the northwestern area of South Philadelphia, includingGrays Ferry,Devil's Pocket and areas ofGirard Estate,Southwest Center City andSchuylkill.
Philadelphia's large Irish community, however, is more prominent in other sections of the city, most notablyNortheast Philadelphia.
As of 2000 the largest Mexican community in Philadelphia was in the area bounded byFront Street, 18th Street, Oregon Avenue, and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia.[23] As of 2011 most Mexicans in South Philadelphia originate from the state ofPuebla.[24]
African Americans have lived in South Philadelphia since the early 19th century at the very least, though the city of Philadelphia proper was home to a significant population offreed andfugitive slaves from at least the 18th century onward. The majority of the current African American population in South Philadelphia, however, is descended from Southern migrants who moved into the city in high numbers during the firstGreat Migration in the early 20th century.South Street was originally considered the cultural and commercial center of this community, though the community became increasingly concentrated to western areas below South Street, includingPoint Breeze,Southwest Center City,Schuylkill andGrays Ferry.[25] Point Breeze and South Street particularly served as Philadelphia's "Harlem" during the first half of the 20th century. The first police station and fire station staffed by African Americans were located on South Street. Famous South Philadelphians include operacontraltoMarian Anderson and musiciansKenny Gamble andChubby Checker. The Odunde Festival, arguably the largest street festival in Philadelphia, is an African-American celebration that is held annually in the South Street area. As of 2013, those who identified as "Black alone" or in combination with another ethnicity totaled 45,482 persons living in the zip codes 19145, 19146, 19147 and 19148.[26] The African American population in South Philadelphia has historically constituted between 25% and 30% of South Philadelphia's population - 27% "Black alone" and in combination with another ethnicity, as of a 2013 population estimate.
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SEPTA'sBroad Street Line subway services South Philadelphia and provides quick access toCenter City andNorth Philadelphia. A number ofSEPTA bus routes also serve South Philadelphia, ferrying commuters to and from Center City and the surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs.
I-95 runs north and south through South Philadelphia and, in this area, provides commuters with access toPhiladelphia International Airport,I-76, theSouth Philadelphia Sports Complex and theWalt Whitman Bridge. The Girard Point Bridge section of I-95 crosses over the mouth of theSchuylkill River, where it merges with theDelaware River.
I-76 runs from the Walt Whitman Bridge to Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia and allows access between this section of the city andUniversity City,Center City,30th Street Station and the western suburbs.
In addition,PA Route 291 serves as a major artery between the area andDelaware County, crossing theSchuylkill River via thePlatt Bridge, named for Medal of Honor recipientGeorge C. Platt.Broad Street is part ofPA Route 611.
South Philadelphia is served by unprotectedbike lanes on many streets going in all directions.[27] Snyder Avenue has unprotected bike lanes going East and West. Columbus Boulevard has North and South bike lanes which are separated from automobile traffic from Reed Street to Center City. 22nd Street provides Northward lanes forcyclists. Some streets such as 11th Street have bothBike lanes and Sharrows orShared lane marking. In 2022, Washington Avenue east of Broad Street was transformed into amultimodel road with protected bike lanes and pedestrial crossings.[28] The span of Washington Avenue west of Broad Street underwent repaving and minor changes to bike lanes.
As of 2016[update] two Taiwanese airlines,China Airlines andEVA Air, provide private bus services to and fromJohn F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City for customers based in the Philadelphia area. These bus services stop in South Philadelphia.[29][30]
TheItalian-American Mafia family known as thePhiladelphia crime family is active in the area, maintaining much of its operations in South Philadelphia.[31] The African-AmericanBlack Mafia and its offshoot, theJunior Black Mafia, have also had a presence in the Point Breeze section of South Philadelphia since the late 1960s.
Historical gangs include the ItalianPhiladelphia poison ring as well as theLanzetta brothers, a gang of six Italian-American brothers who were drug traffickers andbootleggers. All six brothers were born in the ThirdWard of South Philadelphia. South Philadelphia (along withAtlantic City) was a part of their territory, in which they fought with rival bootleggersWilliam Michael "Mickey Duffy" Cusick andJoe Bruno duringProhibition.
Angelo Bruno, who was boss of the Philadelphia crime family, was murdered in front of his house at 10th and Snyder Avenues in 1980.[32]
Residents are with theSchool District of Philadelphia's South District.[1] Zoned public high schools in South Philadelphia includeSouth Philadelphia High School,Audenried High School, andFurness High School.[33][34][35][36] Historic school buildings includeFrancis Scott Key School andSouthwark School.
Academy at Palumbo,Girard Academic Music Program and ThePhiladelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA), all public magnet schools, are in South Philadelphia, at 11th and Catharine streets, 21st and Ritner streets, andBroad and Carpenter streets, respectively.[37]
TheMastery Charter Schools system operates the Thomas School (grades 7–12) in South Philadelphia. It was formerly the district school Thomas Middle School,[38] and shares a campus with a district elementary school,D. Newlin Fell School, at 9th Street and Oregon Avenue.
Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School is in South Philadelphia. It is a merger of the formerSaint John Neumann High School and theSaint Maria Goretti High School.[39][40][41] In addition, there are severalCatholic elementary schools in South Philadelphia, usually tied to a local parish church. In 2010 South Philadelphia Catholic elementary schools had 2,572 students, a decline by 27% from the 2006 figure.[42]
Philadelphia Free School, patterned on theSudbury school model, is located at the intersection of 21st and Christian streets.[43]
Free Library of Philadelphia operates six branches in South Philadelphia: Charles Santore, Fumo Family, Queen Memorial, South Philadelphia, Thomas F. Donatucci Sr. and Whitman.[44] Prior to its 1999 reopening in a new building, the Fumo Branch was known as the Ritner Children's Branch.[45] Prior to 2004, the Donatucci Branch was the Passyunk Branch, and the Santore Branch was the Southwark Branch.[46]
South Street has long been considered the border between South Philadelphia proper and Center City. It originally ran east and west (although traffic is now routed east one-way). Many bars, nightspots, shops and restaurants are located along this neon-lit hotspot, with occasional live music venues (including theTheatre of Living Arts) along the way.
The intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue is home to the regionally famousGeno's Steaks andPat's King of Steaks cheesesteak shops, fierce competitors in the local deli market for decades.[47][48] Also, nearby is the city's open-airItalian Market, specializing in fresh produce, meats and other foods. It is lined by specialty shops, such as butchers, bakeries and cheese/grocery stores, as well as one for kitchen goods, and new cafes and coffee houses. The area was featured in the filmRocky and its sequels. This is the heart of an annual street festival celebrating the neighborhood's food.
Edward W. Bok Technical High School, listed on theNational Register of Historic Places, has been converted into a workspace and community center.
Among the largest landmarks in South Philadelphia is theSouth Philadelphia Sports Complex at the corner ofBroad Street and Pattison Avenue. Here, thePhiladelphia Phillies (professional baseball),Philadelphia Eagles (professional football),Philadelphia 76ers (professional basketball),Philadelphia Flyers (professional ice hockey),Philadelphia Soul (professional arena football),Temple Owls (college football) make their home in the massive state-of-the-art sports arenas surrounding the well-known intersection:Citizens Bank Park,Lincoln Financial Field andXfinity Mobile Arena. Also located at the sports complex isStateside Live!, a dining and entertainment complex.
TheSouth Philadelphia Sports Complex is home to bothCitizens Bank Park, the home field of thePhiladelphia Phillies,Lincoln Financial Field, the home field of thePhiladelphia Eagles,Xfinity Mobile Arena, the home arena of thePhiladelphia 76ers andPhiladelphia Flyers, and the NovaCare Complex, the practice facility of the Philadelphia Eagles. The sports complex region also once housedVeterans Stadium, the former home field of the Eagles and Phillies, which stood from 1971 to 2004,John F. Kennedy Stadium, which stood from 1925 to 1992, and theSpectrum, the former arena of the 76ers and Flyers, which was in use from 1967 to 2009 and was demolished in 2011.
Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia is located in South Philadelphia near the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. The casino has over 2,100slot machines and electronictable games, 150 table games, apoker room, and asportsbook. The complex also has a 12-storyhotel, dining, entertainment, and an event center.[49] The South Philadelphia Race & Sportsbook operated byParx Racing is located in South Philadelphia near the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, offeringoff-track betting andsports betting.[50]
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) Park (originally named League Island Park) is a park located along theDelaware River in the southernmost point of South Philadelphia, comprising some 348 acres (1.41 km2). The park was built to the design ofOlmsted Brothers, the firm ofFrederick Law Olmsted Jr. andJohn Charles Olmsted in the early 20th century. TheAmerican Swedish Historical Museum is located inFranklin Delano Roosevelt Park.
ThePhiladelphia Naval Shipyard is located in this section of town along theDelaware River. For decade during theWorld Wars and after, the shipyard was a major employer, whose craftsmen built new ships and repaired and maintained existing ones. With the decline in the military uses, the area is being redeveloped by the Navy and city for a variety of business and industrial uses.
A refurbished area of South Philadelphia alongside Columbus Boulevard/Delaware Avenue (near theWalt Whitman Bridge), Columbus Commons, provides big box shopping and chain restaurants.
Washington Avenue, between 16th St. on the west and Front St. on the east, is home to many Asian businesses, including Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean. Among these are restaurants of all types, two largeAsian supermarkets, jewelers and a wide variety of specialty shops.
Passyunk Avenue, running on a diagonal from Broad Street to South Street, is a formerly thriving consumer district currently undergoing revitalization efforts. Within the past few years, several coffeeshops, restaurants and bars have opened which appeal to the younger population beginning to live in the area. In addition, a farmers' market is held on Wednesday nights at one of the squares.
2300 Arena (better known as the ECW Arena) at the corner of Swanson Street and Ritner Street is a venue known for hosting boxing and professional wrestling events.
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