Francisville, Philadelphia
Street grid
Francisville's street grid is unique because some of it is parallel to Ridge Avenue, rather than being oriented north-south. This is because this section was settled before the uniform street grid of Philadelphia had extended that far north. The community was likely a small village on the Ridge Avenue route from Philadelphia proper (today's Center City) to East Falls.
Recent history
In recent years the community has become more activist, with the Francisville Neighborhood Development Corporation, Concerned Citizens of Francisville, and the United Francisville Civic Association representing the neighborhood in efforts to improve housing and cut down on crime. A city program called the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative has brought the wrecking ball to many properties, with the hopes that building some new structures in the region is a better solution than costly renovations to blighted historic buildings.
SEPTA service
The neighborhood is served by Broad Street subway stations at Fairmount and Girard, the SEPTA Route 15 trolley on Girard Avenue, in addition to the 2, 33, and 61 bus routes.
Notable people
- Lil Uzi Vert, rapper and singer
References
- ^ Blumgart, Jake (April 18, 2018). "Francisville is booming. The community is feuding". WHYY. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
- ^ Shallow, Grace E. (November 24, 2017). "How Francisville residents work together to feed their own neighborhood". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved June 22, 2019.
- ^ "FAQs". UFCA. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
- ^ Winberg, Michaela (July 6, 2018). "How 43 Philly neighborhoods got their names". Billy Penn at WHYY. Retrieved January 25, 2025.