Fairhill

Fairhill, despite the name, is in a rough and tumble section of North Philadelphia. Living here is not for the faint of heart. Fairhill was the estate of the Norris Family who settled here in 1682, shortly after William Penn. German Immigrants built row homes when the land was divided into parcels in the 1880s. Those row homes iremain today in a densely populated neighbor of folks who “stick-and-stay.” Most of the manufacturing plants that employed the residents left in the 1970s.

Bounded by Kensington Avenue, 6th Street and York Street to Gurney Street/Clearfield Street, it is home to a large number of Hispanics who comprise 82 percent of the population and it has taken on the name of El Centro de Oro.

Thomas Alva Edison High School is renowned for a large concentration of military enlists has the highest number of casualties in the United States from the Vietnam War.

The Fairhill cemetery is on the National Historic Registry with Lucretia Coffin Mott and Robert Purvis, two noted abolitionist buried there.. Recently in 2000, Quakers from the region began to restore it. Markers now detail the historical significance of many who are buried there. However, because of the small headstones, the cemetery once took on the nickname of “the pet cemetery.”

This predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood was once the Norris Family’s Fair Hill Estate. It is also the location of Fair Hill Burial Ground, a cemetery that was established by Quakers in 1702. Like many neighborhoods, Fairhill has undergone a lot of changes throughout its history. During the 1950s the German-American population that was once lived in the area began to move. The parish that they established during their time there is now empty and abandoned.

Unfortunately the parish isn’t the only building that has been neglected in Fairhill. The North Philadelphia neighborhood has plenty of abandoned or crumbling properties along its dirty streets. The low income neighborhood also has a high crime rate. The intersection on Third Street and Indiana Avenue had a novel written about it. The area is known as the “Badlands” because of its reputation of gang violence and drug activity. The intersection was also ranked number two on the city’s list of recreational drug corners.

Fairhill consists primarily of row homes, most of which are owned by the people who live in them. Property value is low so the area is relatively inexpensive to live in. This is also due to the high crime and poor schools in the area.

Fairhill is a neighborhood located in the Northeast section of Philadelphia. It is situated between Kensington Avenue, North 6th Street, York Street and Gurney Street. Fairhill’s population is made up of mostly Hispanic residents, 82% to be exact, including Puerto Ricans, Columbians and Dominicans. The neighborhood is locally known as “El Centro de Oro” which translates to “Center of God.”
The neighborhood is known for its high crime rate. The intersection of 3rd Street and Indiana was listed second in a 2007 list of Philadelphia’s top ten creational drug dealing corners.
Because of Fairhill’s high crime rate, housing in the area is extremely affordable because it is not a desirable location to live. The neighborhood is mostly made up of apartments and row homes but does offer a few single-family houses.
Parking spaces are plentiful in this neighborhood due to the fact that many of Fairhill’s residents use public transportation.
It is fairly easy to travel in Fairhill via public transportation. The El serves as the main source of transportation but there is also numerous SEPTA bus stops and cabs.
Due to its rich Hispanic culture, Fairhill offers a lot of Mexican and other Hispanic inspired restaurants. So if you have a crazing for tacos, margaritas, or burritos, pay a stop to Fairhill.