Even before moving in to my current home a couple years ago, I got the impression that this is a friendly block. All, or perhaps I should say almost all, of my interactions with the people who live here have been at the least cordial, and usually more than that. I met one of my … Continue reading A Friendly Block
Neighborhood
Do We Really Need a Little Christmas?
Walking over to 9th Street (aka the Italian Market) I came across Kimball Street. While the photos pretty much speak for themselves, I have so many questions. Nearly all of the households on the block seem to be participating. Does each household purchase those inflatables themselves, or is it a group thing? Who inflates them? … Continue reading Do We Really Need a Little Christmas?
Behind the Facade
At 1314 Locust Street sits the Ridgway Building that houses The Library Company of Philadelphia. Not to be confused with the Free Library of Philadelphia, which is a traditional lending library, the Library Company, according to its website, “is an independent research library concentrating on American society and culture from the 17th through the 19th … Continue reading Behind the Facade
Wissahickon’s Hundred Steps
Here are some historical photos and architect's drawings of the Hundred Steps that connect a residential area of Wissahickon with a path in Fairmount Park. This photo of the Hundred Steps dates from 1901. It shows the dam at the bottom in the Wissahickon Creek, the steep bank, and then the Hundred Steps themselves. The … Continue reading Wissahickon’s Hundred Steps