No one could argue that Olney, in upper North Philadelphia, is gentrifying. But that doesn’t mean the neighborhood isn’t revitalizing. In the afternoon when schools let out, kids weighed down with colorful backpacks fill the sidewalks of tidy rowhome blocks. The neighborhood’s North 5th Street shopping district bustles with Colombian cafes, Jamaican bakeries, and Korean restaurants. (Read More …)
March 16, 2018
Trash may be worthless, but the effect garbage-littered streets can have on businesses and residents is not.
“You don’t think cleaning is a big thing, but it’s huge. It transforms the vibe that people feel in the community,” Stephanie Michel said as she stood along the bustling business district along N. 5th Street in Olney at West Chew Avenue recently. (Read More …)
March 20, 2018
Not all that long ago, many Philadelphians would have scoffed at the thought of visiting Olney, situated six miles north of the glitz and glam of Center City. Some might still dismiss the idea of a day trip to the neighborhood today (Read More …)
June 24, 2016
Seven blocks east of the bustling intersection at Broad and Olney, the second busiest transit stop in the city, lies a vibrant stretch of commercial storefronts on North 5th Street. Sometimes referred to as “Koreatown,” there is as much celebrated diversity in the area’s demographics as there is in the goods and services offered (Read More …)
September 9, 2015
Drive up one of Philadelphia’s most historic main streets and you will see longtime residents walking amongst new and vibrant residents, flashes of a city heading for the future. Stephanie Michel’s job begins at the meeting point of these two sides and it ends where they come together for the good of the community. (Read More …)
October 7, 2014
Facing a $304 million budget deficit last June, the School District of Philadelphia laid off 3,800 employees, including 127 assistant principals, 676 teachers, 283 counselors, 1,202 aides, 307 secretaries and 769 service assistants. (Read More …)
April 16, 2014
Green serves as the director of the North 5th Street Revitalization Project, an organization founded in 2005 as a reinvestment into one of Philadelphia’s most historic main streets. (Read More …)
February 25, 2014
Over the next few years, PennDOT will work to improve safety along Olney Ave. through a series of traffic signal and pedestrian environment upgrades. PennDOT held a meeting at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School Tuesday to bring the public up to speed. (Read More …)
June 12, 2013
The stretch of North 5th Street that runs through Olney is brimming with over 200 businesses and situated in the heart of one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods. For business owners there, it’s imperative to stand out in the crowd. (Read More …)
May 07, 2013