Glenwood

Some neighborhoods are across the tracks however Glenwood is right smack in middle of them. Glenwood is the stop for Amtrak's Northeast Regional Rail's North Philadelphia Station. For many years, Glenwood served as the railroad lines that brought materials into the manufacturing plants of North Philadelphia and finished goods out to all points north, south, and west. It was a bustling terminal that kept the masses working with solid, income jobs. Regrettably, with the move of manufacturing work overseas, this is no longer the case.

As a result, the working class neighborhood destabilized with drugs and crime moving in. There are few if any services in the neighborhood. Schools, libraries, shopping and health care do not exist.

The area is bounded by West Glenwood Avenue, North Broad Street and 23rd Street to the west. Property values have declined by 39 percent with many homes abandoned. It is not an inviting environment.

Right in the heart of North Broad Street is Joe Frazier's Gym where young boxers looking for a way out are trained. Further up Broad Street is a settlement of Muslims with a regional Mosque.

If you are not comfortable in a lower class African American and/or Puerto Rican neighborhood, this is not the spot for you.

Not all of North Philadelphia is bad, there are some good neighborhoods but unfortunately Glenwood is not falling currently falling into the category of “places you should check out.” Unless the kind of places you want to check out are looking crumbling to the ground and dangerous.

A lot of the row homes in Glenwood have been neglected, windows are boarded up, porches have caved in and the grounds around them are covered with trash. Most of the residents that inhabit these homes are African-American or Puerto Rican.

Despite claims that the area will be renovated, there is yet to be any noticeable changes. It is still very much a wasteland over run by drug dealers and stray cats. Obviously these conditions make the area inexpensive when it comes to buying a home, which will most likely need a lot of repairs.

Glenwood pretty much fits the stereotypes people tell newcomers and outsiders about North Philly. It’s not a tourist attraction and the only reason you would need to go there is because you want to buy drugs, but then you can get drugs anywhere in this city so why risk your wallet going all the way to Glenwood? Avoid it.

Glenwood is a neighborhood located in the North section of Philadelphia. It is bound by Broad Street to the west, 6th Street to the east, Glenwood Avenue to the north and York Street to the south. The neighborhood is predominantly African American and Puerto Rican.
Glenwood is not one of the most desirable areas in the city to live in due to its high crime rate and dilapidated appearance. There is a large drug presence in this area of the city as well as a lot of robberies and other crimes. There are also many abandoned homes in Glenwood as well as vacant lots, garbage and stray cats. Because of these factors, it is very affordable to live in Glenwood and even buy a home there. The median home sale price is $52,000.
The neighborhood mainly offers classic Philadelphia styled row homes as well as a few apartment complexes.
In recent years, there has been an increase in interest to clean up the neighborhood. Glenwood does have pockets where its residents have come together to beautify the area and make it cleaner. In time, this movement may move across the neighborhood and make Glenwood a more pleasant place to call home.