Patrick’s Story

At my old apartment, I’d never met anyone.  I lived there for 8 years. At my new house, after returning the moving trunk, covered in dust and sweat, the welcome wagon arrived.  Two hours in and I knew all my neighbors.  Invited from house to house, meet...

Zac Shaffer

So, I’m a criminal defense attorney and I’m an advocate for criminal justice. I bought in Point Breeze 11 years ago and I’ve seen a lot of change in the neighborhood… some things good, some things bad. I recently moved to the Graduate Hospital neighborhood,...

My name is Dan Gasiewski. I am 42 years old and I’m the director of production at First Person Arts. I live at 18th and Tasker Sts. in Point Breeze.

One of the first – of many - people to welcome my partner Patrick and I to our block was this middle-aged man named Larr...

When I relocated in 2007 from Verona, Italy to Philadelphia, I moved into my sister’s house in Wynnfield with my three children.

In 2011 my church, Arch Street United Methodist, graciously offered my family the chance to live in a house that they owned on Gratz Street...

Ilene’s Story

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The Look

I am who I am because I grew up on Fitzwater St.  We were sitting on the stoop one night with my neighbors, old, young, black and white, everyone was there, and that evening they taught m...

Mike Bell

A lifetime resident of Point Breeze and a volunteer for neighbors in action and a block captain.

To me, gentrification isn’t really the problem, but affordable housing is really the main issue.   A few years ago, a first-time home buyer could buy a property fo...

Greg Giovanni

I moved to 22nd and Snyder in 2010, ahead of the gentrification curve. I just didn’t realize gentrification would be happening so quickly—I should have, because it happened so quickly everywhere I’ve moved in my life. I think when you see a punk house aro...

I was 25 and searching.  And then 911 shook my foundation. I was looking for my space and my place. I had a new desperation to do what I loved.

I decided to go to graduate school.  Away from home. Far from family. I challenged myself to do what was scary.

Moved to Mt....

Irene Barnes - Resident of the 2100 block of Fitzwater St. for 53 years.

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I’ve seen a lot of change.  When we first moved on this block there were a lot of Black families living here. Now, there are...

If a mirror was a time machine.

If a mirror could function as a time machine

I could whisper in my younger ear

I would hope to be wise enough to advise

That me to soak up as much of my childhood

As I possibly could, before it totally disappears.

If my mirror was a time mach...