Harrowgate

In 1784, Captain George Esterly founded an area in which he called Harrowgate. Within this section he discovered a natural spring which was deemed as healthy. He started a spa, complete with gardens and room & board. This spa is now the location of the Harrowgate Park, which covers a whole city block.

Harrowgate is in the lower Northeast section of Philadelphia above Kensington. It's borders are Alleghany Avenue to the south, Aramingo Avenue to the east, Front Street to the west and Erie Avenue and Frankford Creek (aka Tacony Creek) to the north.

Once a historically working class Irish American neighborhood, Harrowgate has transformed into a melting pot of diversity. Aside from Irish Americans, the neighborhood is also home to a flourishing Dominican, Puerto Rican and African-American community.

Harrowgate consists of rowhomes and apartment complexes, all of which are reasonably priced Many of the residents are elderly but there are numerous young families as well.

The area has many schools run by the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Harrowgate also has some awesome programs and recreational alternatives to keep kids off the streets such as the PAL Center and the Harrowgate Boxing Club. Also, there is, of course, Harrowgate Park, McKinnley Playground and Scanlon Playground for families to go and enjoy the outdoors.

Public transportation is readily accessible in the form of buses, trolleys and train. These options help you get to the different sections of Philadelphia without the hassle of traffic. However, if you enjoy to drive there are plenty of major roadways in the vicinity which lead to the expressway.

Harrowgate is not a premiere neighborhood but it has a lot of potential if you allow your imagination to wander. The neighbors are nicer than most areas of the city and its generally safe to live. This neighborhood is affordable and well worth exploration.

Let’s hear it for another North Philadelphia neighborhood that has flourishing past only to have crumbled over the years into a dangerous, neglected area. Tucked between neighboring areas like Port Richmond and Kensington, Harrowgate was once a nice little neighborhood with a natural spring running through it. Of course that spring dried up in 1800 but it’s still part of the history as is Cedar Grove, the estate of the Paschall and Morris families.

Eventually the mansion was moved to Fairmount Park and Harrowgate was left as a low-income neighborhood with empty lots and neglected buildings. While some say the predominantly Puerto Rican community is safe, it depends on what you’re comparing it to, other parts of North Philly, then yes, it’s safer than most. There is still a high volume of theft and assault. It’s still very much a neglected neighborhood but the cost of living is cheap, which can be attractive.

There is access to public transportation in Harrowgate that having a car is a plus in this neighborhood as it makes it easier to get to other parts of the city and off street parking is readily available. Plus the neighborhood is in reach of major highways making it easy to get around as well.

Harrowgate is a neighborhood located in the Northeast section of Philadelphia. It is bound Glenwood Avenue to the west, Kensington Avenue to the east, Tusculum Street to the south and Venango Street to the north. Harrowgate is an ethnically diverse neighborhood and has a significantly large population of Puerto Ricans, African Americans, Irish Americans and Dominicans.
Harrowgate is one of the more affordable sections of Philadelphia to live in and has a median household income of $83,000. The area is made up mostly of row homes and apartment complexes.
There is a relatively low crime rate in Harrowgate which makes it one of the better neighborhood in North Philadelphia to live in. It has a very neighborhood-y feel to it where residents say hello to each other and support one another.
There are many corner pubs and small restaurants in Harrowgate that are worth checking out. Thanks to its rich ethnic culture, Harrowgate offers a wide variety of different kinds of dining opportunities including Hispanic food and Irish cuisine.
If you want to enjoy a neighborhood that is both safe and reasonably priced with a lot to offer, Harrowgate is worth taking a look at. There are a lot of elderly residents and families who live here.