Pennsport

Pennsport is a South Philadelphia neighborhood located just east of Bella Vista, which spans down to the Delaware River waterfront. The area is home to a large Irish American population, brought together by the local Pennsport Civic Association. Pennsport is also home to one of the most well known groups in Philadelphia: the Mummers.

The Mummers are one of Philadelphia’s livelier groups, known for ringing in the New Year. Since 1901, the Mummers Parade is hosted on January 1st on Broad Street, featuring elaborate costumes and jovial music. There are four types of Mummers: comics, fancies, string bands and fancy brigades. Pennsport is where the Mummers assemble, managing various clubhouses and The Mummers Museum, located at 2nd and Washington. There are a variety of Irish pubs and corner bars where Mummers and other residents congregate on nights and weekends.

Pennsport has easy access to Columbus Boulevard, where you will find many big chains like Target, Walmart, IKEA and Home Depot. However, these stores result in heavy traffic, even on residential streets. The area is not close to the subway, but buses are very accessible. Most Pennsport residents are older, established families, with very fewer renters. Real estate prices are very reasonable. If you are looking for a low-key area to settle with strong community roots, Pennsport is a good choice.

Pennsport is considered to be one of the oldest sections of Philadelphia. The area is also said to be one of the first English settlements. These days it is predominantly populated by Irish Americans.

Many of the homes' architecture consists of Federal- and Colonial-styles. New homes built over recent years sport one car garages and porch fronts. New or old, one of the things that remains is the beautiful bay windows you see on most houses. All are single family homes with a few apartments scattered around the vicinity.

Pennsport has four schools in the area. Two of these schools, Furness High School and Abigail Vare School, are listed on the National Register of Historical Places. There are also three parks and a few recreational centers.

New Year's Day brings upon it a wonderful day for a family outing - The legendary Mummer's Parade. The Mummer's Museum is in Pennsport. Many of the Mummers clubs are located in the area as well.

Along the Delaware River, Pier 70 and Columbus Commons are Pennsport's retail district. There are large retailers such as BestBuy, Wal-mart, and Target. There are also retailers such as Forman Mills, Jomar's, and Bare Feet. There are fast food places, as well as eat-in restaurants. A portion of Pennsport's nightlife is along this strip of commerce too.

Pennsport is close to the expressway for those who drive. Due to the amount of lots, there is tons of parking. If using public transportation there are plenty of buses to get you where you need to go. The neighborhood is also biker friendly.

This part of Philadelphia is steadily improving while it bring in tons of business to the neighborhood. Don't let the hustle and bustle fool you though. This community in very close-knit and friendly. It is a perfect place to be - beautiful homes and close to shopping.

Southwark East is one of the original neighborhoods of Philadelphia. It borders the Delaware River and served as a landing point for settlers making their way to the new land. Its stature in the history of this country as one of the first English Settlements in Philadelphia has been placed on the National Historical Registry which took effect on May 19, 1972.

The community is diverse and one where the generations stick-and-stay. Thus the row homes are populated by close-knit extended families. It is primarily Caucasian.

At every holiday and festival gathering the area is filled with merriment. Particularly in the spring, summer, and fall people make their way through Southwark East toward destinations such as Penns Landing and Festival Pier. Needless to say on these days of carnival both parking and litter, particularly beer cans, can be a severe problem. The Mummers prepare to stage their events in this area and after the parades return to Two Street for late night parties.

Recently, the area has been charged with hosting call girls after hours. Because of closeness to I-95, it is frequented by drug pick-ups and is listed as one of the top ten drug pick ups in the City of Philadelphia.

Southwark, also known as Pennsport, is a neighborhood located in the southeastsection of Philadelphia. It’s named after the borough of Southwark in London and is situated between Columbus Ave, Washington Avenue, 6th Street and Queen Street.
Southwark is a predominantly middleclass white neighborhood but a lot of African Americans have moved into the area, mainly around the west side of the neighborhood where brand new low-income housing units were built.
The neighborhood offers some of the most stunning architecture found in the city. A lot of the row homes feature large bay windows and ornate decorative accents with brightly colored paint. If you look closely you will also be able to observe the glass mosaics on the side of some buildings done by local artist Isaiah Zagar.
Southwark offers many bar and restaurant opportunities that draw in a large crowd on the weekends. This can make parking difficult but since everything is located so close together, you can easily walk or bike wherever you need to go.
Other draws to the area is Washington Square Park and Dickinson Square Park. These are both great places to walk your dogs.
The area is quite lovely but some parts can get a bit filthy because of all of the people that live there. If you want to experience everything South Philly has to offer, Southwark is definitely the place to be.