Carroll Park

Travelling westward midway in West Philadelphia is an area known as Carroll Park.

The neighborhood is not known for making news headlines and prefers to be a quiet enclave of row house and single family dwellings. It has borders with three main avenues: Lancaster, Lansdowne, and Girard. Lancaster and Girard Avenues have trolleys serving the area.

Primarily African American, it has a strong work ethic and strives for the betterment of its children. There are a number of barber and beauty shops where residents catch up on the latest “chit chat.”

Most appropriately, Carroll Park Neighbors, the community association, has hung banners proclaiming: “Where Neighbors Become Friends.”

The famous astronaut Guion Bluford grew up in the area and has a school named in his honor. He was the first African American to enter into space exploration. Mr. Bluford often returns to the area to give speeches that inspire young people to reach for their dreams.

Other schools in the area include: The Mastery Charter School – Shoemaker Campus and St. Rose of Lima School, a Roman Catholic parochial school.

The further west you go into West Philadelphia the sketchier it gets until eventually you just end up in the suburbs. Carroll Park is no exception to rule when it comes to neighborhoods that are neglected and consistently being consumed with crime.

Most of the residents of Carroll Park are working class to low income African-Americans. Most people who live in the area utilize public transportation which is easily accessible in this neighborhood. It is also automobile friendly with off street parking available.

There are several parks in the area include the park of the same name. Though many of the parks show signs of vandalism and are covered in trash in some areas. Because of the high crime there isn’t much of nightlife in this area either, you would have to leave Carroll Park for other parts of the city. And even though it’s located in West Philadelphia it’s still kind of a commute for students and thus not ideal.

Overall Carroll Park is a cheap neighborhood to live in if you can get past the crime and general poor aesthetic of the area. Otherwise you’re better off looking at another neighborhood in West Philadelphia. It's not short on them.

Carroll Park is a neighborhood located in the West section of Philadelphia. It is bordered by Lansdowne Avenue to the North, North 63rd Street to the west, West Girard Avenue to the south and North 52nd Street to the east. It is one of the last neighborhoods you will travel through before you leave the city limits and reach Delaware County.
Carroll Park is a very close knit community and it shows in the banners that they display throughout the town reading “Carroll Park: Where our neighbors become friends.” One of the biggest draws of the neighborhood is Carroll Park, which is located between North 58th Street and North 59th Street and West Thompson Street and West Girard Avenue.
There is plenty of public transportation throughout Carroll Park including the 10 trolley that runs along Lansdowne Avenue and the 15 trolley that runs on Girard Avenue.
Carroll Park’s residents are primarily working class and low income African American families, however, many college students who attend Penn University have moved to the area since housing is very affordable.
There are many large and beautiful houses located in Carroll Park that have been renovated into spacious apartments. Carroll Park is a moderately safe neighborhood and affordable to live in.