Walking along the border of ‘Greater Center City’
Most Philadelphians believe that Center City goes no farther than South Street. But according to a new report from the Center City District, parts of South Philly are also included in what is being called the “Greater Center City.”
The report says that this “Greater Center City” area continues south beyond South Street to Tasker Street and the 19146 and 19147 zip codes.
According to this report, the bounds of Center City have been expanding for the past 25 years. This new definition of Center City’s bounds now make Center City Philadelphia’s downtown population the second largest in the country.
More from The Inquirer:
In light of the report, take a walk down Tasker Street, the southern boundary of Greater Center City or whatever you want to call it. (We’ll visit the northern line next week.) You’ll see all the unmistakable signs of the change transforming the city and all the things that come with it. The beauty, the energy, the awkwardness, and the pain.
You can see the full report from the Center City District here.
What do you think of the changing bounds of Center City?
I love seeing the Walk! Philadelphia signs in the Passyunk neighborhood (not sure if they’re showing up elsewhere in SP). I do believe that tourism, real estate prices and other changes will continue with East Passyunk being such a strong corridor, but there’s no way anything south of Washington could be considered Center City (or downtown). East Passyunk is in the heart of South Philly…
Agree.
The core of the city is changing, but there is no reason to re-label part of south philly as Center City, even if the qualifier of “greater” is used. CCD should be simply taking some credit for spurring revitalization in adjacent neighborhoods.
Yup. What happens when LoMo continues to “revitalize”? Then I guess it would also be considered Greater Greater Center City. In that case, would just the Navy Yard be considered South Philly?
Note: I really do appreciate the Center City District. They’ve done some truly great things. So, no grind on them, I just think they need to establish how they’re going to interact with the hoods that are not within their bounds.
Totally agree Ant. Whats been good for them has been food for the rest of our neighborhoods.
To your point about interaction, it some times sucks to see those green machine employees stop at a certain point and not clean up trash thats right on the other side of the border streets… I’m a firm believer that those types of cleanup approaches are far and away thousands of times better than big elephant like diesel polluter trucks that clean the streets only to dirty the air…
Perhaps Center City can work with its surrounding neighborhoods to maybe extend the green machine once in a while?? Not the regular attention that Center City areas usually get.. But once in a while some timely help would be nice.
Good* not food… LoL
Yup, completely agree!
Take a walk up 18th from Tasker to Market. G’head – and tell me that where you started and where you ended are the same hood. Or walk into Shamrock on Reed and announce to the patrons that this is Extended Center City, thank you, and have they been to Barclay Prime lately? Seems like unrealistic CCD grabby attempt to claim anywhere that white professional types happen to crop up. I suspect that some of it may be fueled by realtors running out of actual CC spots to sell and hoping to dupe buyers from the burbs into thinking that 17th and Tasker is part of Rittenhouse Square.
Got me worked up. Not sure why.
HaHa.. Great points though Liam…
I remember the “good old days” when we would receive the South Philly phone book, which started from South Street to the Navy Yard. See, South Street was the cut-off point for CC and the start of SP, which I still consider that to be the case today with the split between CC and SP. Though how is it that the CCD and the real estate developers get away with constantly expanding its CC borders and shrinking SP’s, baffels me. So maybe it’s time for “us” South Philadelphians; including all the newcomers, to start questioning this border change before our community disappears all-together.
As a resident living on Washington Ave, greater center city extends no further south than Washington ave. Maybe 15 years from now it will include Washington thru Tasker too, but a smart person wouldn’t walk by himself at night down there. Not yet. As long as that’s the sad reality it simply cannot be an extension of CC.
@SR: you don’t live on Washington Ave. (or probably anywhere in Philly) or you wouldn’t make such a patently retarded comment. Stick with NJ.com.
Its perfectly fine at night. Just don’t be stumbling around drunk at 2am or someone will kick your ass and steal your phone and you’ll deserve it. Swashington ain’t no college dorm, people.