SW Philly memories

[tr831]

My dad, who went to Lower Merion High in the '50s and lived on Haverford, recently passed away, and I am taking my teenage kids to Philadelphia for the first time in April. I'm not sure if that qualified as SW Philly (I live in CA), but I remember him talking about taking the bus to dances at (I think) a Catholic girls' high school, and sometimes missing them and needing to walk 10 miles back. He also talked about American Bandstand.


Thanks for sharing your memories!

[franniecamp]

I moved away in 68 was a member of transfiguration parish what a great time early 60's little beaver water ice mister softee sherwood field.sledding the hill at cobbs creek walking to chester ave and playing ball for little americans at 58th and kingsessing.We would sit on our porch at nite and drink hires rootbeer and tastycakes that was a treat and when it got hot in summer get the wrench and open the fire plugs cops would come wait till they left then open them up again.There was a italian bread company Amoroso's we would steal the bread right out of the parked trucks in the yard and give it to mom.Played on the tracks got chased alot by the cops ended up at woodland police station a couple of times cop cars were red and white.Got in alot of fights walking home from transy could nolonger play at sherwood had to go to yeadon to playball or walk over to MBS and fight with thoes guys but we all went too West Catholic another bus ride but that was a great school we all saw the kids we played basketball against from MBS Barny Clements St francis Numan Catholic Roman Catholic etc.went back when my aunt died she lived at 54th and Malcom scarey as hell took my little brother he was only 2 at the time in 68 he has a better idea of it now.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by franniecamp

I moved away in 68 was a member of transfiguration parish what a great time early 60's little beaver water ice mister softee sherwood field.sledding the hill at cobbs creek walking to chester ave and playing ball for little americans at 58th and kingsessing.We would sit on our porch at nite and drink hires rootbeer and tastycakes that was a treat and when it got hot in summer get the wrench and open the fire plugs cops would come wait till they left then open them up again.There was a italian bread company Amoroso's we would steal the bread right out of the parked trucks in the yard and give it to mom.Played on the tracks got chased alot by the cops ended up at woodland police station a couple of times cop cars were red and white.Got in alot of fights walking home from transy could nolonger play at sherwood had to go to yeadon to playball or walk over to MBS and fight with thoes guys but we all went too West Catholic another bus ride but that was a great school we all saw the kids we played basketball against from MBS Barny Clements St francis Numan Catholic Roman Catholic etc.went back when my aunt died she lived at 54th and Malcom scarey as hell took my little brother he was only 2 at the time in 68 he has a better idea of it now.

Are you aware that Transfiguration is gone? Misericordia(now Mercy) Hospital is still around though.

West Catholic is now a combined/coed school residing in the former WC girls school building. The boys school was torn down. The new W. Phila HS was built on the ground where WC boys used to be at 49th and Chestnut.

Amoroso's stayed on Woodland Ave for years. I think they just recently moved.

[franniecamp]

Amoroso's was on 56th street down from Matthews bakery which was on the corner of thomas ave.I know about transey and WC sad.I remmember going to the sunshine inn for subs and murphys butcher shop for my mom to pick up a roast. and walking to the Ben and Benson for movies walked everywhere Baltimore ave was getting rough around 65 went to chester ave to shop and woodlland ave Atlantic City was a treat but took forever to get there change under the boardwalk and $5.00 would last all day.Got to march in the mummers day parade in 67 or 68 when Transey won the southwest cyo in basketball.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by franniecamp

Amoroso's was on 56th street down from Matthews bakery which was on the corner of thomas ave.I know about transey and WC sad.I remmember going to the sunshine inn for subs and murphys butcher shop for my mom to pick up a roast. and walking to the Ben and Benson for movies walked everywhere Baltimore ave was getting rough around 65 went to chester ave to shop and woodlland ave Atlantic City was a treat but took forever to get there change under the boardwalk and $5.00 would last all day.Got to march in the mummers day parade in 67 or 68 when Transey won the southwest cyo in basketball.

I was wrong. At least some of Amoroso's still there. The rest is in Bellmawr, NJ.

The area east of 50th and Baltimore/Springfield/Chester/Kingsessing/Woodland Aves is still very much as it always was but it's better. The pharmacy school, which is now, University of the Sciences, expanded to where Breyers Ice Cream used to be at 43rd and Woodland.

Lots of parishes are gone or combined with others. Demographic changes. However Our Mother of Sorrows, at 48 th and Lancaster, is still around as is St Francis de Salles.

[mikechrisneal]

Originally Posted by 57thandMalcolm

I have a question, when exactly did Southwest change? The area below Woodland Ave except Penrose was practically off limits to minorities when I was growing up near Whitby Ave in the 80's. When I came back post 2000, it was af-am and african. The poster who mentioned the quick change should know it goes back further than that. My mother moved on Thomas Ave in 1962. Said it was paradise. She was one of a few blacks, they had no problems. But soon after that, if one black family moved on a block, within 3-5 years the whole block was practically one group (blockbusting perhaps?). By the end of the 60's SW between Baltimore and Woodland did a 180 demographic turn. Was that what happened with lower SWP? I'm not here to judge (no slurs please though lol), just want some insight.

Not sure about your timeline. We moved there in 1982. It was integrated (black and white) down to Lindbergh Blvd and in those sections. The only think I can think of to help you is...it was about "homeowners." The people on our blocks owned their homes. When "rentals" started, then less desirable folks moved in regardless of their color or background. I remember around the time The Terminator came out, "crack" was spreading like crazy. Lots of stories about Jamaican drug dealers living at the Korman Suits on 84th, etc. etc. People started getting robbed. Kids were getting hooked on drugs. And no more fist fights ... kids started carrying knives and then guns. I knew plenty of whites that lived on Woodland near 68-72nd as well in the 1980s and into the 1990s.

And then if you factor in the mild recession under the first Bush presidency, coupled with the lack of investment in that area for jobs, you have a recipe for decline.

[mikechrisneal]

Yeah, the section East of 51st near Baltimore (Dock Street), University of the Sciences, Penn, Spruce Hill, and Clark Park have houses selling for $400-800 K regularly. It's nice.

[beachspot0221]

Looking for pictures of a family Bakery, operated by the Mattera Family in SW Philadelphia.
Any pictures of MATTERA'S Bakery????