Grays Ferry

Grey’s Ferry is a neighborhood that exemplifies Philadelphia’s old reputation. Racial strife, gang bangers, and drug dealing still characterized the area. The only change is that high school girls are now on the corner as well as the boys. Suburbanites drive through the nearby freeways to quickly pick up their wares anonymously and travel home to safety.

Summertime when the heat is gritty can be the most dangerous time of year. Ethnic pride is high and the slightest insults can spark a flurry of gun fire. Strangers are viewed with suspicion. Numerous bars populate the corners.

Perhaps this is a fitting legacy as the area was born in war at the time of the Revolutionary War. To navigate the Schuylkill River a Floating Bridge was built by the British when they controlled the city. Eventually, George Gray took over the three ferry’s and in addition to his transportation business established both a tavern and an inn.

Recent city administrations have made a concerted effort to create peace in the area by tearing down the multi-story projects and paying significant attention to the local schools.

Grays Ferry is a neighborhood located in Southwest Philadelphia. It is bound by 25th Street on the east, Grays Ferry Avenue on the north, Vare Avenue on the south and the banks of the Schuylkill River on the west. The section of Grays Ferry located to the west of 34th Street is locally referred to as The Forgotten Bottom.
The area is home to mostly African Americans and Irish Catholics. It has mostly row homes and a few apartment complexes. The area has a median household sale price of $98,000. It is one of the more affordable neighborhoods to live in because pockets of Grays Ferry suffer from high crime rates and extreme racial tension.
Grays Ferry is not one of the most attractive areas of the city, but it does offer some great shopping and restaurant opportunities. There are many large chain stores, including supermarkets, located along Grays Ferry Avenue right before the Grays Ferry Bridge.
In recent years, there has been a surge to revive the neighborhood and Grays Ferry has become a more appealing place to live. Many of the abandoned homes were torn down to create new affordable housing projects for the residents to live in.

Grays Ferry is another one of those neighborhoods that you just pass through and avoid getting out the car if you can. It has a history of racial tension and a reputation of being of a crime riddled area. On more than one occasion friends of mine have been chased or threatened while passing through on their bikes.
Though there has been a recent surge in renovations, with many people moving in from the Graduate Hospital area, most of the buildings are still very run down or abandoned. And a majority of residents are considered lower class or below the poverty line.
If you like cats Grays Ferry would be the place for you, the streets are overrun with strays But if you’re not into seeing dead cats then avoid the area at all cost, every time I pass through I see at least one in the streets.
The Schuylkill Expressway runs right through the neighborhood so it’s also pretty noisy with traffic during peak times. As far as public transportation there are a few bus routes that stop at designated areas. If you’re looking to shop or eat out your options are Pathmark, corner stores or The McDonald’s where rap superstar Ol’ Dirty Bastard was arrested in late 2000. Other than that I suggest you go elsewhere.