Photo: Maria Pouchnikova, for Axis Philly
- Axis Philly reports “Philadelphia has once again become a gateway city for foreigners,” specifically in the Northeast, on an eight-mile stretch of Castor Avenue from Oxford Circle to Bustleton Avenue; here, the proportion of foreign-born Philadelphians is more than double that of the city as a whole. The influx of Asian refugees is choosing the Northeast more and more as many see it as a cheaper alternative to NYC, Boston, and DC, all while having an accessible Community College system. And the Planning Commission is taking note of these demographics, says Michael Thompson. “We’re thinking about how we can help create a concentration of businesses along the corridors there that could attract people from all over the region, and not just the neighborhood.”
- NewsWorks stops by the African American Museum to get a sense of two complimentary exhibits now on display, each seeking to better understand the conflicted narrative of the African-American farmer. Mt. Airy-based sculptor Syd Carpenter’s garden pieces explores the stories of slavery, emancipation, sharecropping, the Great Migration—as well as her own ancestry—offering a juxtaposition between the pains of coercion and injustice and the fruits of that labor. Photographer John Ficara’s work is presented in another gallery, depicting “hard manual work, long days, and networks of supportive neighbors,” all meant “to show the twilight of the African-American farmer.”
- With SEPTA announcing that it will resume 24-hour weekend subway service on a trial basis for three to six months later this year, Philadelphia will become one of three North American cities “where one can catch a rapid transit train at any hour of the day,” writes Sandy Smith on Philadelphia magazine’s blog. Yet expanded service hours for the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines does nothing to help those Philadelphians who live in the Far Northeast, Roxborough, and Manayunk, where no bus service is nonexistent soon after midnight.
- A bill was passed on Monday in Harrisburg that would rename the 100 block of W. Erie Avenue “Roberto Clemente Way” after the baseball legend who played 18 seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, says The Inquirer. “The section of the state road that would be renamed is in front of Roberto Clemente Middle School, which serves a majority Hispanic population.”
About the author
Stephen Currall recently received his BA in history from Arcadia University. Before beginning doctoral studies, he is pursuing his interest in local history, specifically just how Philadelphians engage their vibrant past. Besides skimming through 18th century letters, Steve is also interested in music and travel.
