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Northeast Philadelphia, nicknamed Northeast Philly, the Great Northeast, and known colloquially as simply "the Northeast", is a section of
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
. According to the 2000 census, Northeast Philadelphia has a population of between 300,000 and 450,000, depending on how the area is defined. The Northeast is known as being home to a large and diverse
working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
population, including
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
,
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
,
Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...
,
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, Brazilian, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Guatemalan, Ukrainian, Indian,
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
, Irish, and
Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...
neighborhoods.


Geography

Because of the large size of the Northeast, the Philadelphia City Planning Commission divides it into two regions called Lower Northeast and Far Northeast, the names being derived from their distance from Center City. The term Near Northeast is not widely used colloquially; Lower Northeast is more commonly used, but the term Far Northeast is in widespread use. The demarcation line between the two sections is typically given as
Pennypack Creek Pennypack Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through lower Bucks Coun ...
. Northeast Philadelphia is bounded by the
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
on the east,
Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...
on the north, and Montgomery County on the west. The southern limit is given as Frankford/Tacony Creek or Adams Avenue.See ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', Nov. 17, 2004


Lower Northeast


Far Northeast


History


Early European settlement

The first European settlement in the Northeast was by Swedish farmers, who emigrated there when the area was a part of the
New Sweden New Sweden () was a colony of the Swedish Empire between 1638 and 1655 along the lower reaches of the Delaware River in what is now Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Established during the Thirty Years' War when Sweden was a g ...
colony. They were followed by English
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
s, including
Thomas Holme Thomas Holme (1624–1695) was the first surveyor general of the colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania. He laid out the first and original plan for the city of Philadelphia. Holme was a member of the Valiant Sixty, a group of early leaders and ...
, who came to begin the settlement of William Penn's Pennsylvania colony in the late 1680s. In the years to follow, Northeast Philadelphia developed as a scattering of small towns and farms that were a part of Philadelphia County, but not the City of Philadelphia. Before consolidation with the City, what is now the Northeast consisted of the townships of Byberry,
Delaware Delaware ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic and South Atlantic states, South Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders Maryland to its south and west, Pennsylvania to its north, New Jersey ...
, Lower Dublin, Moreland, and
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, (largely rural areas); and the boroughs of
Bridesburg Bridesburg is the northernmost neighborhood in the River Wards, Philadelphia, River Wards section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. A mostly working-class neighborhood, Bridgesburg is an historically German and Irish community, with ...
, Frankford, and White Hall, which were more urbanized.


Growth in industry and farming

While most of the land in what is now the Northeast was dedicated to farming, the presence of many creeks, along with proximity to Philadelphia proper, made the towns of the Northeast suitable for industrial development. The Northeast's first factory was the Rowland Shovel Works on the
Pennypack Creek Pennypack Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through lower Bucks Coun ...
. In 1802, it produced the first shovel made in the United States., ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', Nov. 17, 2004 More mills and factories followed along the Pennypack and
Frankford Creek Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. It derived its name from today's Frankford, Philadelphia neighborhood. The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meander ...
s, and traces of the
mill race A mill race, millrace or millrun, mill lade (Scotland) or mill leat (Southwest England) is the current of water that turns a water wheel, or the channel ( sluice) conducting water to or from a water wheel. Compared with the broad waters of a m ...
s and dams remain to this day. The most famous of these factories was the
Disston Saw Works Disston Saw Works was an American company owned by Henry Disston that manufactured handsaws during the mid-19th to early 20th century in the Tacony neighborhood of Philadelphia. The company was initially named Keystone Saw Works and then He ...
in Tacony, founded by English industrialist
Henry Disston Henry Disston (May 24, 1819 – March 16, 1878) was an England, English United States, American industrialist who founded the Disston Saw Works, Keystone Saw Works in 1840 and developed the surrounding Tacony, Philadelphia, Tacony neighborhood of ...
, whose saw blades were world-renowned.


Consolidation and population increase

By 1854,
Philadelphia County Philadelphia County is the most populous of the 67 counties of Pennsylvania and the 24th-most populous county in the nation. As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,603,797. It is coextensive with Philadelphia, the nation's ...
was incorporated into the city. In spite of the political incorporation, the Northeast retained its old development patterns for a time, and the dense populations and urban style of housing that marked older, more traditional sections of the city had not yet found their way there. In the first three decades of the 20th century, rapid
industrialization Industrialisation (British English, UK) American and British English spelling differences, or industrialization (American English, US) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an i ...
led to the growth of industrial sections of the northeast and the neighborhoods surrounding them. These demographic changes, along with the building of the
Market-Frankford Line The L, formerly known as the Market–Frankford Line, is a rapid transit line in the SEPTA Metro network in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The L runs from the 69th Street Transit Center in Upper Darby, just outside of West Philad ...
train and new arterial highways, such as the Roosevelt Boulevard, brought new middle class populations to the lower half of the Northeast. Vast tracts of row homes were built in that section of the Northeast for new arrivals in the 1920s and 1930s, typically with small, but valued front lawns, which impart a "garden suburb" quality to much of the Northeast, reducing the sense of physical density felt elsewhere in the city. Much of this development occurred east of Roosevelt Boulevard (Mayfair, Torresdale) and in Oxford Circle.


Post-war growth

After
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, newer arrivals, armed with the mortgage benefits of the
GI Bill The G.I. Bill, formally the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, but the te ...
, brought the
baby boom A baby boom is a period marked by a significant increase of births. This demography, demographic phenomenon is usually an ascribed characteristic within the population of a specific nationality, nation or culture. Baby booms are caused by various ...
to the Northeast. This newer population was heavily
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
or ethnic
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
(including Irish,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
,
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
, and
German Americans German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...
) and completed the development of the region, filling in undeveloped areas of Rhawnhurst and Bell's Corner and developing the previously rural Far Northeast. As older sections of the city lost populations of young families, the Northeast's school-age population swelled, requiring rapid expansion of schools, libraries, cinemas, shopping, transportation, restaurants and other needed amenities. The period from 1945 through the 1970s was marked in many American cities by urban decline in older, more industrial areas. This was especially true in Philadelphia, in which much of the city's North, West and South sections lost population, factories, jobs and commerce. During the postwar period, the Northeast experienced a heavy influx of growing middle-class families, and had become an almost exclusively white community. This aroused controversy in the 1960s and 1970s, as passions for and against school busing were focused on the Northeast, to address racial imbalances, especially in the city's public schools. That racial imbalance was ultimately addressed by the upward mobility enjoyed by many of the graduates of the Northeast's excellent public and parochial school systems, who made their way out of the Northeast and into the suburbs from the 1980s onward, making room for new arrivals from the city's Latino,
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
and Asian populations.


A separate identity

In the 1980s, the Northeast developed along a separate path from much of the rest of the city. In addition to the racial differences mentioned above, the political climate in the Northeast was balanced evenly between
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and Democrats, while the rest of the city almost uniformly voted for the latter party. As a result, many Northeasters became more and more discontented with the high city taxes and a perceived imbalance in the services they received for them.See, e.g., ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', Nov. 17, 2004 This discontent grew to give rise to a
secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
ist movement, led by State Senator Frank "Hank" Salvatore, among others. Salvatore introduced a bill in the State Senate to allow the Northeast to become a separate county called Liberty County, but the bill failed to progress beyond this stage. As the Philadelphia economy grew stronger, and most discontented people fled to the suburbs, and a new, more popular mayor,
Ed Rendell Edward Gene Rendell (; born January 5, 1944) is an American politician, author, and former prosecutor who served as the 45th governor of Pennsylvania from 2003 to 2011. He previously served as chair of the national Democratic Party from 1999 to 2 ...
, was elected, the call for secession waned, and the section settled back into life as a part of the city. Today, the Northeast enjoys greater racial balance and relative stability. The region is uniformly developed, but like many American urban communities, it has witnessed the loss of manufacturing, factory conversions to marginal retail "outlets," and growing vacancies along shopping avenues, especially in the southern part of the region. During the housing boom of the first decade of the 21st century, property tax advantages granted to new construction within the city limits led to a growth in residential units and an escalation of existing home prices in the Northeast.


Demographics

According to the 2010 census, 432,073 people live in the Northeast section of Philadelphia.
Map
By 2018 immigration and ethnic diversity had increased in the region.


Racial demographics

* Non-Hispanic White: 252,022 (58.3%) * Non-Hispanic Black: 77,681 (18.0%) * Hispanic or Latino of any race: 60,020 (13.9%) * Asian: 31,658 (7.3%) * Mixed or Other: 10,692 (2.5%) * Native American: 7,777 (1.8%)


Irish Americans

The spur of the
Irish Famine The Great Famine, also known as the Great Hunger ( ), the Famine and the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of mass starvation and disease in Ireland lasting from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a historical social crisis and had a major impact ...
drew many Irish immigrants to the city. Today, the Irish in Philadelphia make up 14.2% of the city's population, the largest ethnicity in the city. Although there are Irish in almost every area of the city, they still are predominantly located within Northeast Philadelphia, especially in neighborhoods such as Kensington, Fishtown, and
Mayfair Mayfair is an area of Westminster, London, England, in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. It is between Oxford Street, Regent Street, Piccadilly and Park Lane and one of the most expensive districts ...
.


Political representation and government

While Philadelphia as a whole is heavily Democratic, there is consistent competition between
Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
and Democrats in some parts of the Northeast. Republicans currently hold one State House seat, and a portion of another, in the Northeast and one non at-large
Philadelphia City Council The Philadelphia City Council is the legislative body of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is composed of 17 councilmembers: ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large from throughou ...
seat. As of 2019, no Republican represents any part of the Northeast in the United States Congress.


U.S. House of Representatives

All of Northeast Philadelphia is in the 2nd Congressional District of Pennsylvania, and is currently represented by
Brendan Boyle Brendan Francis Boyle (born 6 February 1977) is a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives, since 2015 representing successive districts in the Philadelphia area. Since January 202 ...
.


Pennsylvania legislature


Senate

In the
Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four-year terms, stagger ...
, most of the Northeast is in the
5th district District 5, 5 District or 5th District may refer to: Europe * District 5 (Zürich) * District 5, Düsseldorf * V District, Turku * Districts of Malta#District 5, District 5, an electoral district of Malta * Districts of Malta#District 5 2, Distric ...
, represented by Republican
Joe Picozzi Joe Picozzi (born 1995 or 1996) is an American politician from Philadelphia, Somerton, Philadelphia currently serving as a Pennsylvania State Senate, Pennsylvania State Senator from Pennsylvania Senate, District 5, District 5. A member of the Rep ...
. Smaller parts are represented by Democrats
Sharif Street Sharif Street (born March 29, 1974) is an American politician and attorney. He is a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate who has represented the 3rd district since 2017. In 2018, Street was elected Vice-Chair of the Pennsylvania ...
(the 3rd district) and Tina Tartaglione (the 2nd district).Thi
National Atlas
map shows the district boundaries.


House of Representatives

The Northeast is split among several State House districts, including those of Democrats
Ed Neilson Edward James "Ed" Neilson (born August 23, 1963) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. In April 2012, he won a special election to represent the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Distr ...
, Kevin Boyle, Pat Gallagher, Jared Solomon, Jason Dawkins, Anthony Bellmon, and Joseph Hohenstein, and Republican Martina White.


Philadelphia City Council

In the
Philadelphia City Council The Philadelphia City Council is the legislative body of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. It is composed of 17 councilmembers: ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large from throughou ...
, the Far Northeast is represented by the 10th district councilman and Council Minority (Republican) Leader, Brian O'Neill. The Lower Northeast is divided among five other council districts, all represented by Democrats, including the 1st, represented by
Mark Squilla Mark F. Squilla (born 1962 or 1963) is a Democratic politician and member of the City Council of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Early life and education Squilla was born in Whitman, Philadelphia. He graduated from St. John Neumann High School in ...
, the 5th, represented by Council President
Darrell Clarke Darrell James Clarke (born 16 December 1977) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played in the English Football League. He is the head coach of club Bristol Rovers ...
, the 6th, represented by Michael Driscoll, the 7th, represented by Maria Quiñones-Sanchez, and the 9th, represented by
Anthony Phillips Anthony Edwin Phillips (born 23 December 1951) is an English musician and composer who gained prominence as the original lead guitarist of the rock band Genesis, from 1967 to 1970. He left in July 1970 and learned to play more instruments, bef ...
.


Public safety

The
Philadelphia Police Department The Philadelphia Police Department (PPD, Philly PD, or Philly Police) is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the County and City of Philadelphia. The PPD is one of the oldest municipal police agencies, f ...
patrols four districts within its Northeast Division, including the 7th and 8th districts in the Far Northeast, and the 2nd and 15th in the Near Northeast.


Economy and attractions

Northeast Philadelphia is home to Philadelphia Mills, formerly known as Franklin Mills, a shopping mall that was built on what was once
Liberty Bell Park Racetrack Liberty Bell Park was an American race track in Northeast Philadelphia that held harness racing from 1963 to 1985 and Thoroughbred horse racing from 1969 to 1974. Development In 1961, the Pennsylvania harness racing commission voted 2-1 to grant ...
, and is one of the most visited attractions in the state. The lower sections of the Northeast still boast pleasant shopping avenues lined by stores and restaurants, such as Castor Avenue. Major shopping centers along Cottman Avenue include, the Cottman-Bustleton Center, and the
Roosevelt Mall Roosevelt Mall is a medium-sized outdoor shopping mall, located along Pennsylvania Route 73 (Cottman Avenue) between Bustleton Avenue west end and U.S. Route 1 ( Roosevelt Boulevard) in the east end, or Rhawnhurst neighborhood, of Northeast Phi ...
which opened in 1964 at Cottman Avenue and the Roosevelt Boulevard. Also present in the Northeast are two nationally recognized medical establishments,
Friends Hospital Friends Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1813 by Quakers as The Asylum for the Relief of Persons Deprived of the Use of Their Reason, the institution was later renamed the Fran ...
and
Fox Chase Cancer Center Fox Chase Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center research facility and hospital located in the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The main facilities of the center are l ...
. Prior to its disestablishment,
Ransome Airlines Ransome Airlines was a regional airline in the United States, headquartered at Northeast Philadelphia Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1967, it operated feeder flights on behalf of different mainline carriers via specific airli ...
had its headquarters on the grounds of
Northeast Philadelphia Airport Northeast Philadelphia Airport is a public airport just north of the intersection of Grant Avenue and Ashton Road in Northeast Philadelphia. It is part of the Philadelphia Airport System along with Philadelphia International Airport and is th ...
.


Education

The first school was founded in the Northeast in 1723 by Silas Crispin,
Thomas Holme Thomas Holme (1624–1695) was the first surveyor general of the colonial-era Province of Pennsylvania. He laid out the first and original plan for the city of Philadelphia. Holme was a member of the Valiant Sixty, a group of early leaders and ...
's son-in-law. The Northeast is home to
Fox Chase Farm Fox Chase Farm is one of two working farms in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ( W.B. Saul High School's Farm in Roxborough is the other). Formerly owned by the Wistar family, the farm is located on Pine Road in the Fox Chase neighborhood ...
, an educational facility that is the only working farm left in the Philadelphia city limits.


Colleges and universities

The main campus of
Holy Family University Holy Family University is a Private university, private Catholic university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1954 and has four schools: Arts & Sciences, Business & Technology, Education, and Nursing & Health Scie ...
is located in Northeast Philadelphia. The university, founded in 1954, has more than two thousand students.


Primary and secondary schools

The
School District of Philadelphia The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is the school district that includes all school district-operated State schools, public schools in Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the largest school district in Pennsylvania and the eighth-lar ...
operates
public schools Public school may refer to: *Public school (government-funded), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government *Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging private schools in England and Wales *Great Public Schools, ...
in the area. Public high schools in the area include
Northeast The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A '' compass rose'' is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—eac ...
,
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...
, Samuel S. Fels High School, Frankford,
George Washington George Washington (, 1799) was a Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the first president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797. As commander of the Continental Army, Washington led Patriot (American Revoluti ...
, and Swenson. Several publicly funded charter high schools also operate in Northeast Philadelphia, including Philadelphia Academy, MaST, Franklin Towne and Maritime Academy Charter High School. Northeast Philadelphia is also home to a public
magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they mo ...
, The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush. The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia The Archdiocese of Philadelphia () is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia originally included all of Pennsylvania and Dela ...
operates
Catholic school Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...
s. Catholic high schools in Northeast Philadelphia include St. Hubert Catholic High School for Girls, Father Judge, Cardinal Dougherty, Northeast Catholic, and Archbishop Ryan. It was announced in October 2009 that both Cardinal Dougherty and Northeast Catholic would be closed due to decreasing enrollments. Nazareth Academy is an independent Catholic high school founded and operated by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth.


News media

A free weekly newspaper, the ''
Northeast Times The ''Northeast Times'' is an American newspaper, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that primarily targets the Northeast Philadelphia community. Philadelphia Newspapers, parent of ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', bought the ''Northeast Times'' in 199 ...
'', is distributed throughout the Northeast. A second free newspaper, the ''
Northeast News Gleaner The ''Northeast News Gleaner'' was an American newspaper that billed itself as "the oldest weekly newspaper in Northeast Philadelphia". It operated for more than a century. History Known informally as the ''News Gleaner'', and founded in 1882 b ...
'', was also printed there until it closed December 11, 2008. Two citywide newspapers, ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'' and ''
Philadelphia Daily News ''Philadelphia Daily News'' is a tabloid newspaper that serves Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper is owned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, which also owns ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', a daily newspaper in Philadelphia. The ''Dail ...
'', both dailies, also cover the Northeast.


Recreation

A prominent geographic feature and recreation destination in Northeast Philadelphia is
Pennypack Creek Pennypack Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 1, 2011 creek in southeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. It runs southeast through lower Bucks Coun ...
, which runs through
Pennypack Park Pennypack Park is a municipal park, part of the Philadelphia Parks & Recreation system located in Northeast Philadelphia in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Established in 1905 by ordinance of the City of Philadelphia, it includes about of wood ...
. The park's of woodlands span the width of the Northeast, and serve as a natural oasis amid urban development. The park is home to the oldest stone arch bridge still in use in the United States, built in 1697 on what is now Frankford Avenue. The section is also home to many playgrounds and smaller parks, including Burholme Park.


Transportation

The Northeast's main highways are Interstate 95 (Delaware Expressway) and Roosevelt Boulevard (
US 1 U.S. Route 1 or U.S. Highway 1 (US 1) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway System, United States Numbered Highway that serves the East Coast of the United States. It runs from Key West, Florida, north to Fort ...
). Secondary major arteries include Cottman Avenue (
Pennsylvania Route 73 Pennsylvania Route 73 (PA 73) is a long east–west state highway in southeastern Pennsylvania. It runs from PA 61 near Leesport southeast to the New Jersey state line on the Tacony–Palmyra Bridge over the Delaware River ...
), Frankford Avenue ( US 13), Woodhaven Road ( PA 63), Grant Avenue, Oxford Avenue ( PA 232), State Road, Bustleton Avenue ( PA 532), Bridge Street, Harbison Avenue, and Academy Road. The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge, the only
Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...
crossing in
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
not operated by the
Delaware River Port Authority The Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), officially the Delaware River Port Authority of Pennsylvania and New Jersey, is a bi-state agency instrumentality created by a congressionally approved interstate compact between the state governments ...
(thus resulting in a cheaper toll), allows one to drive between the Tacony section of the city and
Palmyra, New Jersey Palmyra is a borough in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 7,438, an increase of 40 (+0.5%) from the 2010 census count of 7,398, which in turn reflected an in ...
. The Northeast is also served by SEPTA's
Market-Frankford Line The L, formerly known as the Market–Frankford Line, is a rapid transit line in the SEPTA Metro network in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The L runs from the 69th Street Transit Center in Upper Darby, just outside of West Philad ...
, often called the "Frankford El" or "the El" because portions of the rail line are elevated above streets below, including Frankford and Kensington avenues. The northernmost and easternmost terminus of the line is at the
Frankford Transportation Center Frankford Transit Center is a transportation terminal in the Frankford section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was once known as the Bridge-Pratt station before a complete reconstruction in 2003. Frankford Transit Center is th ...
, Frankford Avenue and Bridge Street. Three
commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...
lines also serve the Northeast. An extension of the Broad Street Line along Roosevelt Boulevard has been proposed, Roosevelt Boulevard Subway. Many SEPTA bus routes and all three of its
trackless trolley A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tramin the 1910s and 1920sJoyce, J.; King, J. S.; and Newman, A. G. (1986). ''British Trolleybus Systems'', pp. 9, 12. London: Ian Allan Publishing. .or troll ...
routes run through the Northeast, although north-south buses run more frequently than west-east ones. Most north-south routes terminate at the Frankford Transportation Center. One of two airports that serve Philadelphia,
Northeast Philadelphia Airport Northeast Philadelphia Airport is a public airport just north of the intersection of Grant Avenue and Ashton Road in Northeast Philadelphia. It is part of the Philadelphia Airport System along with Philadelphia International Airport and is th ...
(PNE), is located in this section of the city. PNE is the sixth busiest airport in Pennsylvania.


Notable People

*
Eddie Alvarez Edward Alvarez (born January 11, 1984) is an American professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle boxer who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championsh ...
, former Bellator and UFC Lightweight Champion *
Rubén Amaro Jr. Rubén Amaro Jr. (born February 12, 1965) is an American former professional baseball outfielder, coach and executive. Amaro played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from to . He was named the GM of the Philadelphia Phillies on November 3, 2008, s ...
, MLB baseball player, general manager, and coach * Ed Bassmaster, YouTuber *
Marie-Helene Bertino Marie-Helene Bertino is an American novelist and short story writer. She is the author of three novels, '' Beautyland'' (2024), ''Parakeet'' (2020) and ''2AM at the Cat's Pajamas'' (2014), and one short story collection, ''Safe as Houses'' (2012 ...
, novelist and short story writer *
Gia Carangi Gia Marie Carangi (January 29, 1960November 18, 1986) was an American supermodel, considered by some to be the first supermodel. In 2023, Harpers Bazaar ranked her 15th among the greatest supermodels in the 1980s. She was featured on the cover o ...
, considered by some to be the first
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, one of the first famous women to die of AIDS * Richard Costello, Philadelphia police officer, former President of the Philadelphia Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police * Jack "Legs" Diamond, prohibition era gangster *
St. Katherine Drexel Katharine Drexel, Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, SBS (born Catherine Mary Drexel; November 26, 1858 – March 3, 1955) was an American Catholic Church, Catholic religious sister, and educator. In 1891, she founded the Sisters of the Blessed S ...
, Roman Catholic Saint * Michael Driscoll, Philadelphia City Councilmember *
Bobby Henon Bobby Henon is an American former politician. He was a Democratic member of the Philadelphia City Council from 2012 until 2022. Political career Henon, an electrician by trade, has worked as a steward, sub-foreman, and foreman. John "Johnny Do ...
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Bil Keane William Aloysius Keane (October 5, 1922 – November 8, 2011) was an American cartoonist best known for the newspaper comic strip ''The Family Circus''. He began it in 1960 and his son Jeff Keane continues to produce it. Early life and edu ...
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Rich Gannon Richard Joseph Gannon (born December 20, 1965) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Subsequently, he was a sports commentator with CBS Sports for 16 years. Ga ...
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Jonathan Loughran Jonathan Loughran is an American actor who is in most Happy Madison films with his friend and actor Adam Sandler. He is Sandler's long-time friend and assistant, the two having worked together at least 40 times. He is also known for appearing ...
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Chris Matthews Christopher John Matthews (born December 17, 1945) is an American political commentator, retired talk show host, and author. Matthews hosted his weeknight hour-long talk show, ''Hardball with Chris Matthews'', on America's Talking and later on M ...
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Andrea McArdle Andrea McArdle (born November 5, 1963) is an American singer and actress best known for originating the role of Annie in the Broadway musical '' Annie''. Career McArdle appeared on '' Al Alberts Showcase'', a local televised talent show in Phila ...
, singer and actress * Kathleen McGinty, 2016 US Senate Candidate * Patrick Murphy, former Secretary of the Army * Chris McKendry, ESPN anchor * Chris Mooney, coach at the
University of Richmond The University of Richmond (UR or U of R) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Richmond, Virginia, United States. It is a primarily undergraduate, residential institution with approxim ...
*
Bob Saget Robert Lane Saget (May 17, 1956 – January 9, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, director, and television host. He portrayed Danny Tanner on the sitcom ''Full House'' (1987–1995) and its sequel '' Fuller House'' (2016–2020). ...
, actor *
Sylvester Stallone Sylvester Gardenzio "Sly" Stallone (; born July 6, 1946) is an American actor and filmmaker. In a Sylvester Stallone filmography, film career spanning more than fifty years, Stallone has received List of awards and nominations received by Syl ...
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Frank Wycheck Frank John Wycheck (October 14, 1971 – December 9, 2023) was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Maryland Terrapins. As a professional, Wycheck ...
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See also

* Historical Society of Frankford, founded 1905 * National Register of Historic Places listings in Northeast Philadelphia * Philadelphia Prison System


References


External links

{{Coord, 40.0873, -74.9616, display=title Irish-American culture in Philadelphia Irish-American history Irish-American neighborhoods Neighborhoods in Philadelphia