South Philadelphia: Bringing Back the Neighborhood
Some may say there’s a certain magic that can be felt in South Philadelphia. From the deep cultural history, energetic sports arenas and every nook and cranny in between, residents of all ages described the neighborhood as just that; a familiar, neighborhood aura with the perfect mix of the hustle and bustle of the city. Michelle Sobel and Dalton Gilgore described why they loved where they lived.
“What we love about it most is the neighborhood feel. Like, you’re still downtown…but it still feels like a small town, in the big city,” they said. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!”
However despite this description, surveys completed by community members in the area showed little awareness of local issues throughout the neighborhood and little knowledge of where to go in the community to learn about local news. Some simply accepted how neighborhoods were covered by the media without any energy invested to change or question it. One woman, who declined to give her name, worked in the building and gave an example of how she felt in regards to how Philadelphia neighborhoods were represented, before ending her smoke break outside of the South Philadelphia Library.
“Well you already know what’s all happening in the news about Kensington,” she said. “It’s all they talk about now.”
Of those who completed this survey regarding their local news interests and habits, many went in-depth in their descriptions of local issues that interested and concerned them. The most popular topics residents wanted to learn more about included improving education and crime rates, activities of local government, and spotlights on lifestyle, health and culture. One resident, Stacy, wrote she felt passionately about stories of local excellence and wished local media highlighted it more often. Resident Joe Conte of East Falls said he usually gets his news from work and even local bars. Another South Philly resident, named Martha, expressed great concern over the continued housing inflation due to gentrification in the area, and was uncertain how local government was handling this complex issue. Gentrification in particular affected one resident, who also declined to give his name, as he was priced out of the neighborhood, lost much of his money and had to move elsewhere; he also had to change his news habits, and his concerns in news shifted as well.
“I used to have the Philadelphia Inquirer delivered to my house everyday,” he said. “Now I read the South Philly Review and wish it covered more crime statistics instead of so many advertisements.”
In addition, the most popular means of news consumption were found from NBC10, 6ABC, newspapers such as the Philadelphia Inquirer and South Philly Review, and Facebook. Older generations noted that they preferred finding out information through social connections, in-person from neighbors and friends or in community events held at churches, parks and community centers. Younger generations described mostly gathering their news digitally, through Facebook, online local news outlets or texting friends. On Facebook, there are many ways in which residents can stay connected with their communities in South Philly; organizations like South of South Neighborhood Association and South Philadelphia Library have both in-person and online groups where community members can hold meetings about local issues, highlight small businesses and generally become more aware of what’s happening in the neighborhood. There is also the South Philadelphia Community Radio where listeners can tune in from Mondays at midnight to Wednesdays at noon to stay up to date about the latest news in the community. In-person communication hotspots also included community centers such as the Old Pine Community Center, William Way LGBT Community Center and other public spaces where residents could organize and hold meetings on local issues.
Despite the multitude of resources available to community members, it was surprising to learn that many residents had at least one concern about a local issue but did not know where to go to learn more about it or other issues. Whether it was a lack of awareness or simply a lack of interest, the magic of that neighborhood connection and communication may need to revisit South Philadelphia.
