Garden Court

Garden Court sits to the west of University City and therefore is populated with university related faculty and staff. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 5, 1984.

The neighborhood was the vision of Clarence Siegel who began amassing property in order to actualize this community.
Siegel started building after World War I and reached into Britain for many of the architectural touches that grace the neighborhood. As a type of center square, the Garden Court Plaza serves as a nucleus. An article from the Philadelphia Inquirer in the 1920s identified Garden Court as one of “the most exclusive locations in West Philadelphia.”
The placement of single family homes with driveways and back alleyways helped facility the use of the automobile in the 1920s. Trees and green plants are plentiful. Regrettably, the Great Depression served to halt progress.

As a testament to diversity, the area is home for two parks: The Garden Court and Malcolm X Park. Both host festivals and music events especially in the summer.

The boundaries include: Spruce Street, Locust Street, Cedar Avenue, 46th to 52nd Streets. Transportation is frequent with a bus route along Spruce Street and trolleys along Cedar Avenue.

One of the things I find interesting about living in West Philadelphia is that you can walk from one street to the next and feel like you changed locations altogether. Nearly every street is different, let alone neighborhood. In the case of Garden Court, it’s an entire neighborhood that feels different from all other neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

Located West of Spruce Hill, Garden Court was once referred to as “the most exclusive location in West Philadelphia” and is today one of the most expensive neighborhoods in this part of West Philadelphia. There are a variety of housing types from large brick homes built in the 1920s to condominiums most of which are kept in great condition.

The streets in Garden Court are noted as being design for automobiles. When Clarence Siegel planned the neighborhood in the 1920s he did so with the automobile in mind as opposed to the trolley that was so popular at the time.
Garden Court is a racially diverse area and most of its residents fall into the higher income bracket. With property value being one of the highest in West Philadelphia it’s relatively expensive to live in this neighborhood. Though it is worth walking through and admiring the well maintained yards and the community garden.