Philly Neighborhood Question (Philadelphia, York, Oxford: middle-class, neighborhoods, live)

[Golabki]

Originally Posted by kyb01

There have been white artistic types living around there for decades because it was close to Center City and cheap.

Director David Lynch lived there when he was a student , at the really nearby, PA Academy of the Fine Arts.
He had some brutally honest things to say about it, lol, but it didn't actually affect his, overall, attitude about the city because he says it gave him a lot inspiration in his work. He did end up moving from it to the Fairmount neighborhood. The neighborhood, in question, which is Poplar or Callowhill is , sometimes, affectionately called Eraserhead, in Lynch's honor.

I thought Lynch lived at 13th and Wood? Although, there is small mural of him North of Spring Garden (11th?), so maybe you're right this time.

[Mimidae]

Originally Posted by kyb01

. The neighborhood, in question, which is Poplar or Callowhill is , sometimes, affectionately called Eraserhead, in Lynch's honor.

Well, Eraserhood, but yeah. Developers have also been trying to call that the Loft District for a few years.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by Hallouise

Well, Eraserhood, but yeah. Developers have also been trying to call that the Loft District for a few years.

Hopefully they will settle on something! Lol

I think Poplar, though, is north of Spring Garden St. Callowhill/Loft District south of SG St. And Eraserhead/Eraserhood centers around where Ridge Ave crosses SG. A lot is influx around there including parts of Chinatown migrating north of Vine St.

[eden510]

Originally Posted by kyb01

There have been white artistic types living around there for decades because it was close to Center City and cheap.

Director David Lynch lived there when he was a student , at the really nearby, PA Academy of the Fine Arts.
He had some brutally honest things to say about it, lol, but it didn't actually affect his, overall, attitude about the city because he says it gave him a lot inspiration in his work. He did end up moving from it to the Fairmount neighborhood. The neighborhood, in question, which is Poplar or Callowhill is , sometimes, affectionately called Eraserhead, in Lynch's honor.

Has the location of the PA Academy of Fine Arts changed? Because it looks to be pretty far away from the neighborhood I'm wondering about. It's below 676 and this neighborhood looks to be 15 to 20 blocks north of there, very close to something called the "11th Street Family Health Services" and something called the "Current Street Community Center."

[eden510]

I found this "safety map" on line. The neighborhood looks to be called West Poplar according to this. Would you say the safety assessments here are accurate? Thanks.

Philadelphia Safety Map

[Golabki]

Originally Posted by kyb01

There have been white artistic types living around there for decades because it was close to Center City and cheap.

Director David Lynch lived there when he was a student , at the really nearby, PA Academy of the Fine Arts.
He had some brutally honest things to say about it, lol, but it didn't actually affect his, overall, attitude about the city because he says it gave him a lot inspiration in his work. He did end up moving from it to the Fairmount neighborhood. The neighborhood, in question, which is Poplar or Callowhill is , sometimes, affectionately called Eraserhead, in Lynch's honor.

Where David Lynch lived:
Philly Bricks: Nightmares at 13th and Wood
About a mile from where the op's son is moving.

[eden510]

Thanks for everyone's input. It looks like my son and his roommates have found a place they like and I don't think I'm going to be able to talk them out of it. So at this point, I'm probably looking for reassurances more than anything! They are all big guys (6'2" and over) but still, it's a huge concern for me.

[Golabki]

Originally Posted by eden510

Thanks for everyone's input. It looks like my son and his roommates have found a place they like and I don't think I'm going to be able to talk them out of it. So at this point, I'm probably looking for reassurances more than anything! They are all big guys (6'2" and over) but still, it's a huge concern for me.

Don't worry, they will be fine. It may take them a few months (or a year), but they'll eventually figure out they really don't want to be there.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by PhilliesPhan2013

The SEPTA Main Line extends from Lansdale, through Center City, and up to Zoo Junction, although 30th Street Station is the western extremity. All branch lines enter the Main Line at some point. This is a plus, especially at points north of Center City. Especially at Temple University and Wayne Junction (only the Manayunk/Norristown and Lansdale/Doylestown Lines serve North Broad), you will have subway-like headways at peak hours. You may see trains arrive and depart every 5-10 minutes between Temple and Glenside.

May I modify this to remove a source of confusion?

Most people I know, when they hear the term "Main Line" used hereabouts, immediately think of the string of connunities extending west-northwest from Center City Philadelphia along the former Main Line of the Pennsylvania Railroad (nee Main Line of Public Works, a state-sponsored system of canals, inclined plane railroads and regular railroads built in the 1840s to compete with New York's Erie Canal). The Main Line comprises the stations along the (former, and I fervently hope, future) R5 Regional Rail line from Overbrook to Paoli, inclusive; the SEPTA regional rail line now provides service as far west as Thorndale.

Usually, the 9th Street main line gets prefaced with "9th Street" (the street over which a good portion of it runs) or "Reading" (the railroad that built it), not "SEPTA," because both this trunk line that used to feed the Reading Terminal and the one that runs west toward Lancaster are SEPTA routes. It is true, however, that every former Reading Railroad commuter line runs over it, thus making it the busiest stretch of track on SEPTA's Regional Rail system.

The phrase "Main Line" is usually not used to refer to the stretch that includes the Commuter Tunnel, though it does accurately describe its function. It is used once again to describe the line that runs west, but not the one that runs northeast, from Zoo Interlocking.

That R followed by a number is part of the nomenclature developed by former Penn engineering professor Vukan Vuchic (who I knew) for the unified system created by the opening of the Commuter Tunnel. Each Reading-side line was paired with a Pennsylvania Railroad-side line and assigned a number. The longest and (I believe) most heavily patronized of the lines was the R5, which extends from Doylestown on the Reading side to Thorndale on the PRR side. A highly misguided SEPTA administrator pushed for the R-numbers' elimination two years ago, claiming they confused riders, deapite their widespread use and quick adoption by the general public, something Philadelphians usually do not do with new terms for old places. (What they did not do is reflect how SEPTA actually operated the trains.)

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Golabki

Don't worry, they will be fine. It may take them a few months (or a year), but they'll eventually figure out they really don't want to be there.

The transformation of the Richard Allen Homes housing project due north of this area into a little chunk of the Far Northeast plunked down in Lower North Philadelphia has done a good deal to make this general area less dangerous. Some of those projects PhilliesPhan2013 mentioned upthread would not be on their way to becoming reality now had that not happened.

It's still somewhat lacking in amenities, but here, I would hold my breath, for they're coming.