Powelton Village

The thing I love about Powelton most is the location - it's in Philly, yet still outside it. It's easy to access the downtown or University City, yet you can get away from all the hustle and bustle being in Powelton. There are lots of young families here, it's relatively quiet at night, does not have much traffic, it's very safe, has great schools, and has great public transportation options. I guess the biggest negative would be the lack of nightlife options in Powelton itself. This is actually a plus to me, as it's quieter at night, and yet there are bars less than 10 minutes away.

In the seventeenth and eighteenth century, the Welsh colonist Powel family established Powelton Village, which encompassed rolling estates and industrial leaders. Now, Powelton Village is a national historic district known for its unique Victorian and twin homes, with trees and community gardens adding aesthetic appeal. Located in West Philadelphia near University City, the area is home to long-time, politically active residents united by the Powelton Village Civic Associations, as well as local college students.

With large universities nearby, like Drexel and University of Pennsylvania, students add vibrancy to the otherwise quiet neighborhood. Many students, primarily from Drexel, live in the row homes and apartments in Powelton Village. While it adds diversity to the area, it is also a source of conflict; the Powelton Village Civic Association has voiced complaints to authorities and criticized local landlords, as they find students to be loud, rambunctious and dirty. However, the university drives a lot of commercial activity in the area, causing views on the issue to be spilt 50/50.

The majority of shops, restaurants and retail stores are concentrated on Lancaster Avenue. Local businesses and chains alike line the street, with constant activity from local residents and college students.

Powelton Village is accessible by subway, train, trolley and car. There are two subway stops on the Market-Frankford Line, at 34th and Market and 40th and Market. 30th Street Station is a few additional blocks away, which services both Regional Rail and Amtrak trains, allowing for easy trips to the suburbs, New York and other stops along the Northeast Corridor. The trolley runs along 36th Street and Lancaster Avenue. For those traveling outside the city by car, I-76 is conveniently located.

Overall, Powelton Village is a unique combination of liveliness and down-home comfort due to the two distinct sets of inhabitants: settled residents and college students. Although there is a struggle between these two groups, they overall live together nicely in this safe West Philadelphia community.

Powelton Village is part of the acclaimed University City in Philadelphia. It was named after the Powel's, a Welsh colonialist family who owned much of the land in the area during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The neighborhood is actually a Historical District considering many of the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Powelton Village consists of beautiful Victorian, twin houses. Many have been turned into apartments, but others still function as traditional family homes. The blocks are not only lined by these lovely homes. The streets hold a plethora of trees and gardens, some of which are historic.

The property values are rising gradually due to allure of being near retailers, medical facilities and educational institutions. Accessible by vehicle or public transportation to other parts of the city makes Powelton Village ideal for both families and students.

The commercial portion of Powelton Village lies mainly on Lancaster Avenue. Many of the shops and galleries in the area participate in "Second Fridays". Occurring on the second Friday of every month, stores remain open late, offer various specials and sometimes there is live music.

Powelton Village has an okay nightlife. There are a few bars and restaurants around the area. However, the neighborhood is best known for its many pizza shops - perfect for a quick bite to eat during a late study night.

The School District of Philadelphia zones to three schools for children in K-12. Higher learning options are right at the neighborhood's front door. Truly perfect for growing families or those in the transitional period between high school and college.

Powelton Village is true to its name. It is honestly a perfectly sized village while being a part of one of Philadelphia's busiest portions of town. It is always nice to take a walk through and breathe in the neighborly spirit.

When living in University City while attending college in Philadelphia, I was always somewhat jealous of those living in Powelton Village, as it seemed to be an actual neighborhood just outside of the raucous that is University City. Powelton Village is definitely the nicer part of West Philadelphia, and while it once seemed that this area was relatively student-free, that seems to have changed in the past few years.

The old, Victorian homes in Powelton Village are attractive to most, especially those going to graduate school at Drexel or Penn, or working in the Penn Hospital. You get a lot of rooms in each property, and some great architecture. Most of the streets are lined with trees, and parking is much easier than a few streets to the south where Drexel's campus takes over.

Powelton Village has more of a community feel than University City proper, which can seen disjointed since residents are always moving in and out. Residents of Powelton Village genuinely seem to care about the neighborhood and how changes to the neighborhood will affect their community.

Overall, Powelton Village is a great place for those attending one of the nearby universities to live if they want to be a little bit further removed from the college atmosphere of University City. It's also a nice place for families. While property value is still low compared to areas within Center City, prices will continue to rise as this area gains popularity.

One of Philadelphia more “exclusive” neighborhoods, Powelton Village has had many iterations in its lengthy history. Named after Samuel Powel, Philadelphia’s Mayor under both the British and American Flags, it was the first westward suburb of the city. Crossing the river, it was home to the first Quaker Meeting along the banks of the Schuylhill River. Quaker traditions remain a part of the culture today.

In the 60s, it was home to the “hippies” and housed one of the first food coops in the area. The radical group MOVE made residence and the efforts to remove them, during the 1970s, caused quite an upheaval.

Today, Powelton Village is a quiet community of expensive Victorian homes whose residents are members of the Powelton Village Civic Association (PVCA). It publishes a monthly newsletter and maintains a website. The PVCA closely monitors zoning requests. Staving off encroachment by Drexel University is a constant struggle. Drexel Park, a block wide green space, is a recent addition.

The elementary school is named for Samuel Powel and the Community Education Center (CEC), the former West Philadelphia Meetinghouse was one of five centers in the country to win the Drops of Good, a $50,000 renovation from Maxwell House.

Powelton Village is a neighborhood located in the University City section of Philadelphia. It is bound by Market Street to the south, Spring Garden Street to the north, 32nd Street to the east and 40th Street to the west.
Powelton Village is an extremely pretty residential neighborhood and features a lot of Victorian style twin-family homes. It has a large population of younger residents due to its close proximity to Drexel University. The area also has many African American and Hispanic residents.
There are a lot of nightlife and dining opportunities in Powelton Village that are very affordable. Some of the key restaurants include Powelton Pizza, Mad Greeks, Stan Deli, Green Line Café, Village Pizza and California Pizza.
The area is a national historic district and offers some of the most scenic architecture in Philadelphia. The houses are beautifully maintained and the tree-lined streets create a charming ambiance.
It is fairly easy to get around Powelton Village thanks to public trans including the Market-Frankford Line and easily accessible trolleys. You can also you a bike to get you from place to place since everything is located close together in the neighborhood.
Powelton Village is a cute area to live and is ideal for young people.

When I first mentioned moving from South Philadelphia to West Philadelphia I had several older friends suggest Powelton Village because the houses were wonderful and it was close enough to University City without being consumed by students. My friends obviously lived there at another time because students have moved further west. But the Victorian houses are definitely beautiful, at least the ones that have been maintained and not turned into frat houses.

One thing that Powelton Village still has that it did during the time that my older friends lived there is a sense of community. The residents of the neighborhood are very active in social and political movements. It’s a very diverse, open community where people strive for change and it is definitely home to many of the eclectic individuals that those who don’t live in West Philly always like to talk about.

The property value in Powelton Village has gone up considerably over the years because of its location to schools and businesses. Drexel University actually owns property in the neighborhood which is where many Drexel students live. It’s also accessible by car and public transportation which makes it appealing to those who want to live in Philadelphia but still feel like they are outside of the city in some ways.