Allegheny West

Nestled along West River Drive, Allegheny West has been a housing community for workers at the Tasty Baking Company, a Philadelphia institution as well as Pep Boys. For more than 30 years the Allegheny West Foundation has served as a stabilizing entity to keep the area livable.

Most residents are African American in the working class. It is bounded by the Roosevelt Blvd and Schuylkill Expressway which made the area so convenient for manufacturing to move materials and finished goods.

Because of the loss of manufacturing, property values have dropped by 39 percent over the past 6 years according to a recent Philadelphia Inquirer survey. However, most residents are homeowners numbering over 70 percent. The housing stock is basically urban row homes.

Supporting institutions include: 22nd Street Commercial Corridor, the Allegheny West Industrial Corridor, and Temple University and Health Science Center. A number of civic groups operate in the area including: Chalmers Park Gardeners, Forgotten Blocks, Community Action Group, and RAH Civic Association.

The A. Philip Randolph Skills Center and Dobbins Technical High School service the youth.

Public transportation is plentiful with bus routes crisscrossing the neighborhood to points west and north. And, there are Regional Rail stops in close proximity.

Falling yet again into the stereotypes of North Philadelphia is the neighborhood of Allegheny West. Located on Westside of Broad street, Allegheny West reportedly suffered the largest population loss of any neighborhood in Philadelphia between 1990 and 2000.

Allegheny West is a predominantly African American community that is noticeably neglected. Most of the residents fall in the lower income bracket. The area is also known for being considerably dangerous with numerous instances of crime occurring regularly.

The cost of living in Allegheny West is very affordable, having the lowest median sale price of any other neighborhood in Philadelphia. Members of the Allegheny West Foundation hope to increase the low population and help the community thrive though currently the process is slow.

Public Transportation is readily available in Allegheny West with several bus routes and regional rail lines running through the area. The Broad street line is also within walking distance. If you are more of the driving type parking is easy to come by as well.

For the most part, Allegheny West should probably be your last choice for a place to live. And there definitely isn’t a reason to visit there as a tourist, unless you’re researching urban decay, then this is an excellent place for that.

Allegheny West, located in North Philadelphia, is named after an association formed by Pep Boys and Tasty Baking Company. It is situated in between Allegheny Avenue and Broad Street. The community borders Strawberry Mansion, East Falls and Germantown.
Allegheny West is made up of mostly low income African American families. In the 1990s, it faced one of the largest population losses of any neighborhood in Philadelphia.
It is extremely affordable to live in Allegheny West. In 2005, a median home sale price in that neighborhood was $26,450. This was the lowest median price of any neighborhood in Philadelphia.
Allegheny West was formerly known as Swampoodle. This now archaic name referred to the section of the neighborhood where three railroad lines, including the Swampoodle Connection, came together at Leigh Avenue and 22nd Street.
If you are thinking about moving to Allegheny West, be sure to move into a secure apartment or house. There is a lot of crime that takes place in the neighborhood and a high level of robberies occur here. Be sure to bar your windows and include deadbolt locks on all of your doors to ensure that your home remains secure and safe.
There are many little neighborhood restaurants and bars that can be found in Allegheny West that offers good fare and drinks at decent prices.