South Philadelphia, nicknameA nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name of a person, place or thing. It can also be the familiar or truncated form of the proper name, which may sometimes be used simply for convenience A nickname (also spelled "nick name") is a descriptive name...
d
South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the
Delaware RiverThe Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.The Delaware was explored by Adriaen Block as part of the New Netherlands Colony, and was named the South River to mark the southernmost reach of that colony....
to the east and south, and the
Schuylkill RiverThe Schuylkill River, most often , is a river in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River....
to the west.
History
South Philadelphia began as a satellite town of Philadelphia, with small townships such as
MoyamensingMoyamensing was originally a township on the fast land of the Neck, lying between Passyunk and Wicaco. It was incorporated into the Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania and is today primarily a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.-History:The...
and
SouthwarkSouthwark was originally the Southwark District, a municipality in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania and is today primarily a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
.
During the
Industrial RevolutionThe Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and transport had a profound effect on the socioeconomic and cultural conditions in the United Kingdom. The changes subsequently spread throughout Europe, North...
, the area saw rapid growth, in part due to mass immigration from
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
, and eventually saw its urbanization border that of Philadelphia. Along with all other jurisdictions in the county, South Philadelphia became part of the City of Philadelphia proper with passage of the city/county Act of Consolidation of 1854. The area continued to grow, becoming a vital part of Philadelphia's large industrial base and attracting immigrants from
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
,
PolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, and many other countries, as well as Black American migrants from the southern United States, in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These immigrants and migrants became the basis of South Philadelphia's unique and vibrant culture that would develop over the next several decades. Even with this dramatic growth in population, the low funding of education by the city resulted in the first
high schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
not being formed in South Philadelphia until 1934. Monsignor James F. Connelly, the pastor of the Stella Maris Catholic Church and an editor of the 1976 work
The History of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, stated in a 2005
Philadelphia Inquirer article that each parish church "offer the immigrants the faith they were familiar with."
Many of South Philadelphia's communities are largely
Italian AmericanAn Italian American is an American of Italian ancestry, and/or may also refer to someone possessing Italian/American dual citizenship. Italian Americans are the fourth largest European ethnic group in the United States.-History:...
. An increase in immigration has given South Philadelphia significant populations from
VietnamVietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east...
,
CambodiaThe Kingdom of Cambodia , formerly known as Kampuchea , is a country in South East Asia with a population of over 14 million people. The kingdom's capital and largest city is Phnom Penh...
,
ThailandThe Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia.It is bordered to the north by Laos and Burma, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Burma...
,
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
,
RussiaRussia , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia . It is a semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, and
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, as well as smaller populations from dozens of nations across the world. The recent revitalization of
Center City PhiladelphiaCenter City is the "downtown" and Central Business District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Its 2005 population of 88,000 makes it the third most populous downtown in the United States.-Boundaries:...
has led to
gentrificationGentrification and urban gentrification denote the socio-economic, commercial, and demographic change in an urban area resulting from wealthier people buying housing property in a poor community...
in
Fitler SquareFitler Square is a city park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, bounded on the east by 23rd Street, on the west by 24th Street, on the north by Panama Street, and on the south by Pine Street...
, Graduate Hospital/Southwest Center City, which led to skyrocketing prices of housing in Queen Village, and Bella Vista, and some other parts of South Philadelphia. These events have resulted in perhaps the largest change in South Philadelphia's culture in nearly a hundred years. Many of the clubs that make up the annual
Mummers ParadeThe Mummers Parade is held each New Year's Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Local clubs compete in one of four categories . They prepare elaborate costumes and moveable scenery, which take months to complete...
every New Year's Day are from South Philadelphia. Many are located on the largely
Irish AmericanIrish Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,495,800 Americans reported Irish ancestry in the 2006 American Community Survey. The only self-reported ancestral group larger than Irish Americans are German Americans...
2nd street (Two Street).
Government and infrastructure
Portions of South Philadelphia are within
Philadelphia City CouncilThe Philadelphia City Council, the legislative body of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consists of ten members elected by district and seven members elected at-large. The council president is elected by the members from among their number...
Districts 1 and 2. As of 2008 Council President Anna C. Verna and Councilman Frank DiCicco represent the two districts.
Philadelphia Fire DepartmentThe Philadelphia Fire Department provides firefighting service within the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.One of the oldest fire departments in the United States, the PFD began as the volunteer Union Fire Company on December 7, 1736. After 134 years, the City Council decided the growing city...
operates nine fire stations serving South Philadelphia. Most of South Philadelphia resides in Fire Battalion 1, headquartered at 711 South Broad Street. Portions of South Philadelphia reside in Battalion 4, headquartered at North 4th Street and Arch Street, and Battalion 11, headquartered at 43rd Street and Market Street.
South Philadelphia is traditionally working-class and highly unionized. This has resulted in a heavily Democratic populace.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, South Philadelphia has an area of 9.7 sq. miles, of which none is water. South Philadelphia is located at .
Demographics
In 2000, the area's population was 162,683. It is home to a diverse population of
Italian AmericanAn Italian American is an American of Italian ancestry, and/or may also refer to someone possessing Italian/American dual citizenship. Italian Americans are the fourth largest European ethnic group in the United States.-History:...
s,
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
s, Mexican Americans, and Irish Americans, as well as many newer immigrants. Many residents have lived in the neighborhood for decades. Many family-owned businesses are found in South Philadelphia. The
Philadelphia Police DepartmentThe Philadelphia Police Department is the police agency responsible for law enforcement and investigations within the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
patrols four districts located within South Philadelphia. The four patrol districts serving South Philadelphia are the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 17th districts.
As of the 2000 Census, there are 162,683 people in 78,440 housing units. The population density is 16,771 people per square mile. 46.6% of the population is male, and 53.4% is female.The vast majority of Philadelphia's Italian and Mexican community live in South Philadelphia. The South Philadelphia area comprises the zip codes of 19145, 19146, 19147, and 19148. Data for the zip codes that make up South Philadelphia as of the Census 2000 Summary File:
Transportation
I-95Interstate 95 is a Interstate highway running from Miami, Florida north to Houlton, Maine. In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the route is known by many as the Delaware Expressway, but is officilaly named The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. and locally known as "95"...
runs north and south through South Philadelphia and, in this area, provides commuters with access to
Philadelphia International AirportPhiladelphia International Airport is an airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is the largest airport in the Delaware Valley region and in Pennsylvania. As of 2008 it is the 11th busiest airport in the world in terms of aircraft activity...
,
I-76This article is about the eastern Interstate 76. For the other Interstate 76, see Interstate 76 Interstate 76 is an Interstate Highway in the United States, running 435 miles from an interchange with Interstate 71 west of Akron, Ohio, east to Interstate 295 near Camden, New Jersey.East of Akron,...
, the
South Philadelphia Sports ComplexThe South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the current home to Philadelphia's sports teams...
, and the
Walt Whitman BridgeThe Walt Whitman Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Gloucester City, New Jersey. Named after the poet Walt Whitman, who resided in nearby Camden toward the end of his life, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of the larger bridges on the east coast of the...
. The Girard Point Bridge section of I-95 crosses over the mouth of the
Schuylkill RiverThe Schuylkill River, most often , is a river in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River....
, where it merges with the
Delaware RiverThe Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.The Delaware was explored by Adriaen Block as part of the New Netherlands Colony, and was named the South River to mark the southernmost reach of that colony....
.
I-76This article is about the eastern Interstate 76. For the other Interstate 76, see Interstate 76 Interstate 76 is an Interstate Highway in the United States, running 435 miles from an interchange with Interstate 71 west of Akron, Ohio, east to Interstate 295 near Camden, New Jersey.East of Akron,...
becomes the
Schuylkill ExpresswayThe Schuylkill Expressway, locally known simply as the Schuylkill,, is a freeway through southeastern Montgomery County and the city of Philadelphia, and the easternmost segment of Interstate 76 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania...
at Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia and allows access between this section of the city and University City, Center City Philadelphia, 30th Street Station, and the western suburbs.
In addition, PA Route 291 serves as a major artery between the area and
Delaware CountyDelaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 550,864, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
, crossing the
Schuylkill RiverThe Schuylkill River, most often , is a river in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River....
via the Platt Bridge (named for Medal of Honor recipient George C. Platt). Broad Street (Philadelphia's equivalent of 14th St.) is also known as PA Route 611.
A number of SEPTA bus routes serve South Philadelphia, ferrying commuters to and from Center City Philadelphia and its immediate suburbs, mostly those in
Delaware CountyDelaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 550,864, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
. In addition, the transit system's
Broad Street LineThe Broad Street Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority that runs from Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Pattison Avenue in South Philadelphia...
gives subway riders quick access to downtown and North Philadelphia destinations.
Crime
In a 2007
Philadelphia WeeklyPhiladelphia Weekly , is an award-winning alternative newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, published every Wednesday.The paper was founded in 1971 as a sister publication to the South Philadelphia Press. In 1995, the paper became Philadelphia Weekly...
article journalist Steve Volk states that anti-drug activists said that South Philadelphia has secretive recreational drug dealing because more of the neighborhoods in the region are mixed-income than neighborhoods in some other regions. Therefore many drug dealers hide their activities.
Public schools
Residents are with the
School District of PhiladelphiaThe School District of Philadelphia is a school district based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that includes all public schools in the city of Philadelphia. Established in 1818, it is the tenth largest school district in the nation....
's South District. Zoned public high schools in South Philadelphia include
South Philadelphia High SchoolSouth Philadelphia High School also known as Southern High is a public secondary high school located in the south section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Broad Street and Snyder Avenue, just north of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex residential neighborhood, Marconi...
, Audenried High School, and
Furness High SchoolHorace Howard Furness High School is a secondary school in the South Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the School District of Philadelphia....
.
Parochial schools
The
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of PhiladelphiaThe Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia covers theCity and County of Philadelphia as well as Bucks, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania....
operates Roman Catholic private schools in the area. Catholic elementary and middle schools include Annunciation BVM, Epiphany of Our Lord, Holy Spirit, St. Monica, St. Nicholas of Tolentine, Our Lady of Angels, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, St. Richard School, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Stella Maris, and St. Thomas Aquinas. Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School is in South Philadelphia. The school is a 2004 consolidation of the male
St. John Neumann High SchoolSaint John Neumann High School was an all-male Roman Catholic high school located in the South Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
, established in 1934, and the all-female
St. Maria Goretti High SchoolSaint Maria Goretti High School is a private, Roman Catholic day school located in Hagerstown, MD. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, within the tri-state areas of the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, Western Maryland, and Southern Pennsylvania.- Who and where :Saint...
, established in 1955. The former Neumann campus became the St. John Neumann Place, a housing development for senior citizens. Martha Woodall of the
Philadelphia Inquirer said "for generations, South Philadelphia was the heart of Roman Catholic education in the five-county Archdiocese of Philadelphia." In the early 1970s thirty South Philadelphia area elementary and middle schools had a combined population of 19,000 students. By the 2000s many Catholic families moved to
South JerseySouth Jersey is a colloquial term, with no consensus definition, covering the southern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean....
,
Delaware County, PennsylvaniaDelaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of 2000, the population was 550,864, making it Pennsylvania's fifth most populous county, behind Philadelphia, Allegheny, Montgomery, and Bucks counties....
, and other areas, leading to the closure of several Roman Catholic elementary schools and the merger of Neumann and Goretti. In 2005 4,300 students combined attended 13 parish elementary and middle schools in South Philadelphia.
Public libraries
Free Library of PhiladelphiaThe Free Library of Philadelphia is the public library system serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-History:In 1890, George S. Pepper, , at the suggestion of Dr...
operates six branches in South Philadelphia: Charles Santore, Fumo Family, Queen Memorial, South Philadelphia, Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. and Whitman. Prior to its 1999 reopening in a new building, the Fumo Branch was known as the Ritner Children's Branch.
Places of note
Perhaps the most famous landmark in South Philadelphia is the
South Philadelphia Sports ComplexThe South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the current home to Philadelphia's sports teams...
at the corner of
Broad StreetBroad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is Pennsylvania Route 611 beginning at City Hall and north. The north-south street lies between 13th Street and 15th Street, in lieu of 14th Street...
and Pattison Avenue. Here, the
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
(professional football),
Philadelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are the defending World Series champions. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern...
(professional baseball),
Philadelphia 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association .-Syracuse Nationals:...
(professional basketball),
Philadelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . Part of the 1967 NHL Expansion, the Flyers were the first non-Original Six to win the Stanley Cup,...
(professional hockey),
Philadelphia WingsThe Philadelphia Wings are a member of the National Lacrosse League, a professional box lacrosse league in North America. They play at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(lacrosse),
Philadelphia SoulThe Philadelphia Soul were a professional arena football team in the Arena Football League. They began play in as an expansion team. The team played in the Eastern Division of the National Conference. They won their first ArenaBowl in 2008, defeating the San Jose SaberCats 59-56 in ArenaBowl XXII...
(arena football),
Temple OwlsThe Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference . Temple is a football only affiliate of the MAC because their primary conference, the Atlantic Ten Conference, does not currently sponsor a...
(NCAA football) and the annual
Wing BowlWing Bowl is an annual eating contest founded in 1993 by Philadelphia talk-radio hosts Al Morganti and Angelo Cataldi as a celebration of gluttony. The contest was first broadcast on WIP ....
(an event sponsored by the sports talk radio station, 610-WIP) make their home in the massive state-of-the-art sports arenas surrounding the well-known intersection:
Citizens Bank ParkCitizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004 and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
,
Lincoln Financial FieldLincoln Financial Field, familiarly known as "The Linc", is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532...
, the soon-to-be-closed
Wachovia SpectrumThe Wachovia Spectrum The Wachovia Spectrum The Wachovia Spectrum (formerly known as the Spectrum (1967–1994), CoreStates Spectrum (1994–1998) and First Union Spectrum (1998–2003) is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as part of the South Philadelphia Sports...
, and the
Wachovia CenterThe Wachovia Center, formerly known as the Spectrum II , CoreStates Center, and the First Union Center, is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
.
The sports complex was once home to
Veterans Stadium (The Vet)Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
which stood from 1971 to 2004, and
JFK StadiumJohn F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
which stood from 1925 to 1992. The NovaCare Complex, located on Pattison Avenue just west of the stadium area, serves as the practice facility of the
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. They now play at Lincoln Financial Field.
The intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue is home to the regionally famous
Geno's SteaksGeno's Steaks is a Philadelphia restaurant specializing in cheesesteaks, founded in 1966 by Joe Vento. Geno's is located in the South Philadelphia neighborhood at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue, directly across the street from rival Pat's King of Steaks, which claims to have...
and Pat's King of Steaks cheesesteak shops, fierce competitors in the local delicacy market for decades. Also, nearby is the city's open-air
Italian MarketThe Italian Market is the popular name for the South 9th Street Curb Market, an area of Philadelphia featuring many grocery shops, cafes, restaurants, bakeries, cheese shops, butcher shops, etc., many with an Italian influence. It is generally considered to extend along 9th Street from Fitzwater...
, specializing in fresh produce, meats, and other foods, which is known from several famous scenes from the film
RockyRocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Balboa is also a club fighter who gets a shot at the...
and its sequels.
South StreetSouth Street is an east-west street in the Center City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The stretch of South Street between Front Street and Seventh Street is known for its "bohemian" atmosphere and its diverse and urban mix of shops, bars, and eateries...
, serving as a border between South Philadelphia proper and Center City Philadelphia, runs east and west (although traffic is forced to travel east one-way). Many bars, nightspots, shops,
tattooA tattoo is a marking made by inserting ink into the layers of skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on animals are most commonly used for identification or branding.Tattooing has been practiced...
parlors, and restaurants are located along this
neonNeon is the chemical element that has the symbol Ne and atomic number 10. Although a very common element in the universe, it is rare on Earth. A colorless, inert noble gas under standard conditions, neon gives a distinct reddish-orange glow when used in discharge tubes and neon lamps...
-lit hotspot, with occasional live music venues (including the the TLA) hidden along the way.
The
American Swedish Historical MuseumThe American Swedish Historical Museum is the oldest Swedish-American museum in the United States. It is located in Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park in the South Philadelphia neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on part of a historic 17th-century land grant originally provided by Queen...
is located in
Franklin Delano Roosevelt ParkFranklin Delano Roosevelt Park is a park located along the Delaware River in the southern most point of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising some which includes a golf course, about of buildings,managed landscapes, recreation areas and about of natural lands including ponds and...
.
The
Philadelphia Naval ShipyardThe Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on 30 September 1995...
, location of the alleged
Philadelphia ExperimentThe Philadelphia Experiment was an alleged naval military experiment at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, sometime around October 28, 1943, in which the U.S. Navy destroyer escort USS Eldridge was to be rendered invisible to human observers for a brief period of time...
, is located in this section of town along the
Delaware RiverThe Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.The Delaware was explored by Adriaen Block as part of the New Netherlands Colony, and was named the South River to mark the southernmost reach of that colony....
.
The
SunocoSunoco Inc. is an American petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, formerly known as Sun Company Inc. and Sun Oil Co. ....
oil corporation bases its headquarters along South Philadelphia's Passyunk Avenue, located a short drive from the wide collection of car dealerships known as the "Philadelphia Auto Mall".
A refurbished area of South Philadelphia alongside Columbus Boulevard/Delaware Avenue (near the
Walt Whitman BridgeThe Walt Whitman Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Gloucester City, New Jersey. Named after the poet Walt Whitman, who resided in nearby Camden toward the end of his life, the Walt Whitman Bridge is one of the larger bridges on the east coast of the...
) provides shopping at a
Best BuyBest Buy Co., Inc. is a specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Canada, Mexico, and China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates under both the Best...
and an
IkeaIKEA is a privately-held, international home products retailer that sells flat pack furniture, accessories, and bathroom and kitchen items in their retail stores around the world...
for thousands of shoppers. There are also many new chain restaurants and fast food establishments along this stretch including Longhorn Steakhouse, Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que Pit, and Chick-Fil-A just to name a few. This new shopping area goes by the name Columbus Commons.
Washington Avenue, between 16th St. on the west and Front St. on the east, is home to many Asian businesses, including Vietnamese, Chinese and Korean. Among these are restaurants of all types, two large Asian supermarkets, jewelers and a wide variety of specialty shops.
Passyunk AvenuePassyunk Square is a neighborhood in South Philadelphia bounded by Broad Street to the west, 6th Street to the east, Tasker Street to the south and Washington Avenue to the north. Passyunk Square is bordered by the Bella Vista, Hawthorne, Central South Philadelphia, Wharton and Point Breeze...
, running on a diagonal from Broad Street to South Street, is a formerly thriving consumer district currently undergoing revitalization efforts. Within the past few years, several coffeeshops, restaurants and bars have opened appealing to the young population begin in inhabit the area around 11th and Passyunk.
The Arena at the corner of Swanson Street and Ritner Street is a venue known for hosting boxing and professional wrestling events.
Famous residents
- Al Alberts
Al Alberts was a popular singer and composer.Born Al Albertini in Chester, Pennsylvania, he went to South Philadelphia High School, whose alumni included many others who would become famous in show business, such as Joey Bishop, Buddy Greco, Al Martino, Mario Lanza, Chubby Checker, Jack Klugman,...
, singer and composer
- Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was an American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century. Music critic Alan Blyth said "Her voice was a rich, vibrant contralto of intrinsic beauty." Most of her singing career was spent performing in concert and recital in major music venues and...
, opera singers and Congressional Gold Medal recipient
- Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon is an American actor, singer, sex symbol, and former teen idol.-Career:...
, actor, singer, teen idol
- Joey Bishop
Joey Bishop was an American entertainer who was perhaps best known for being a member of the "Rat Pack" with Frank Sinatra, Peter Lawford, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin...
, actor, comedian, member of the "Rat PackThe Rat Pack was a group of popular entertainers originally centered on Humphrey Bogart. In the mid-1960s it was the name used by the press and the general public to refer to a group that called itself "the summit" or "the clan," featuring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Peter...
"
- Black Thought
Tariq Trotter , better known as Black Thought, is an American hip-hop artist who is the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group The Roots and occasional actor...
, MC and co-founder of The RootsThe Roots is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals. Their debut album was released in 1993 and they have collaborated with a wide range of artists from...
- Danny Cedrone
Danny Cedrone was an American guitarist and bandleader, best known for his work with Bill Haley & His Comets on their epochal "Rock Around the Clock" in 1954.-Biography:...
, bandleader, guitarist for "Rock Around the Clock"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952...
"
- Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter best known for popularizing the The Twist with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...
, singer of The Twist"The Twist" is a twelve bar blues song that gave birth to the Twistdance craze. The song was written and originally released in 1959 by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters as a B-side but his version was only a moderate 1960 hit, peaking at 28 on the Billboard Hot 100...
- Stanley Cowell
Stanley Cowell is an American jazz pianist and founder of the Strata-East Records label. He played with Roland Kirk while studying at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and later with Marion Brown, Max Roach, Bobby Hutcherson, Clifford Jordan, Harold Land, and Stan Getz...
, jazz pianist, founder of Strata-East RecordsStrata-East Records is an American record label of jazz music, founded in 1971 by Stanley Cowell and Charles Tolliver.Gil Scott-Heron recorded his 1974 album Winter in America with Brian Jackson for Strata-East. "The Bottle" featured on the album, was a popular single...
, member of the Heath BrothersThe Heath Brothers was a jazz group formed in 1975 by brothers Jimmy , Percy , and Albert "Tootie" Heath and pianist Stanley Cowell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tony Purrone and Jimmy's son Mtume joined the group later. Tootie left in 1978 and was replaced by Akira Tana for a short period of...
- Joey DeFrancesco
Joey DeFrancesco is an American jazz organist, trumpeter, and vocalist. Down Beat's Critics and Readers Poll selected him as the top jazz organist every year since 2003.DeFrancesco was born in Springfield, Pennsylvania...
, jazz organist, trumpeter, vocalist
- Buddy DeFranco
Boniface Ferdinand Leonard "Buddy" DeFranco is a jazz clarinet player.DeFranco began his professional career just as swing music and big bands — many of which were led by clarinetists like Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman and Woody Herman — were fading in popularity...
, jazz clarinet player
- James DePreist
James Anderson DePreist is an American conductor. He is currently the director of conducting and orchestral studies at the Juilliard School and laureate music director of the Oregon Symphony.-Biography:...
, conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony OrchestraThe , also known as Tokyō , is one of the representative symphony orchestras of Japan. The Orchestra was founded in 1965 by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to commemorate the Tokyo Olympics ....
, director at the Juilliard SchoolThe Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory...
, laureate music director of the Oregon SymphonyThe Oregon Symphony is an American orchestra based in Portland, Oregon. Founded as the Portland Symphony Society in 1896, it is the sixth oldest orchestra in the United States, and oldest in the Western United States...
- Fred Diodati
Fred Diodati is the lead singer of The Four Aces. He has been lead singer since 1956, when he replaced Al Alberts.Diodati was born in Chester, Pennsylvania and attended South Philadelphia High School....
, lead singer of The Four AcesThe Four Aces is an American male quartet popular since the '50s. Over the last half-century, the group amassed many gold records. Its million-selling signature tunes include "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing," "Three Coins in the Fountain," "Stranger in Paradise," "Dream," "Tell Me Why," "Its No...
- Charles Earland
Charles Earland was an American jazz composer, organist, and saxophonist in the soul jazz idiom.-History:...
, jazz composer, organist, saxophonist
- Fabian
Fabiano Anthony Forte better known as Fabian, is an American teen idol of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He rose to national prominence after performing several times on American Bandstand. In total, he charted 11 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100.-Early life:Fabian was born the son of...
1950s teen idol
- Wilhelmenia Fernandez
Wilhelmenia Fernandez, sometimes billed as Wilhelmenia Wiggins Fernandez, is an American soprano, born in Philadelphia in 1949, who became famous as the star of the film Diva by French director Jean-Jacques Beineix....
, soprano, star of the film DivaDiva is a 1981 film directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix, adapted from a novel of the same name by Daniel Odier . It is one of the first French films to let go of the realist, harsh mood of 1970s French cinema and return to a colourful, melodic style, called "Cinema du look"...
- Larry Fine
Larry Fine may be:* Larry Fine , American actor best known for being one of the Three Stooges* Larry Fine , American technician, consultant, and author...
, member of the comedy act The Three Stooges
- Linda Fiorentino
Linda Fiorentino is an American actress. She is known for her roles in films such as Dogma, Vision Quest, Men in Black, After Hours and The Last Seduction.-Personal life:...
, actress (DogmaDogma is a American adventure-comedy-fantasy film, written and directed by Kevin Smith; he also co-stars in the film along with an ensemble cast that includes Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Linda Fiorentino, Alan Rickman, Bud Cort, Salma Hayek, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, Jason Mewes, George Carlin, Janeane...
, Men in BlackMen in Black is a 1997 science fiction-comedy-action film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Tommy Lee Jones, Will Smith and Vincent D'Onofrio. The film was based on the Men in Black comic book series by Lowell Cunningham, originally published by Aircel Comics. The film featured the creature...
, The Last SeductionThe Last Seduction is a neo-noir 1994 film directed by John Dahl.The movie features Linda Fiorentino as the femme fatale, Peter Berg as a small town man whose one night affair turns into more than he wanted, and Bill Pullman as Fiorentino's husband who is chasing her and running from loan sharks at...
)
- Al Fisher
Al Fisher is a guard for the Kent State Golden Flashes. He led the team to the NCAA tournament while averaging 14 points per game. The Mid-American Conference Player of the Year, Fisher made several big shots during the Flashes' run to the tournament.Fisher played for Pennsauken High School...
, guard for the Kent State Golden FlashesKent State University's intercollegiate athletic teams are known as the Golden Flashes or simply as the Flashes. The university fields sixteen varsity athletic teams, all of whom play in the Mid-American Conference and in the NCAA's Division I...
- Eddie Fisher
Edwin Jack Fisher is an American singer and entertainer. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered unwelcome publicity at the time.-Early life:...
, singer, entertainer
- Edwin Forrest
Edwin Forrest was an American actor. Forrest was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania of Scottish and German descent.-Acting career:...
, 19th century stage actor
- Kenny Gamble, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, dedicated to recording the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, and other people who have in some major way influenced the music...
songwriting and record production team Gamble and HuffKenneth Gamble and Leon Huff are an American songwriting and record production team that have written and produced over 170 gold and platinum records. They were pioneers of Philadelphia soul and the in-house creative team for the Philadelphia International record label...
- Dusolina Giannini
Dusolina Giannini was an Italian-American soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory....
, soprano (Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager. The music director is James Levine....
)
- Vittorio Giannini
Vittorio Giannini was a neoromantic American composer of operas, songs, symphonies, and band works.-Life and work:...
, composer of operas, symphonies, and band music
- Charlie Gracie
Charlie Gracie is an American rock pioneer and singer.His father encouraged him to play the guitar. Gracie's musical career started at the age of 14 when he appeared on the Paul Whiteman television show.-Career:Gracie performed at weddings, local restaurants, and parties, and on local radio and...
, rock pioneer and singer
- Isadore Granoff, founder of the Granoff School of Music
The Granoff School of Music is a music school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded by Isadore Granoff , a Ukrainian immigrant.Alumni of Granoff include Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Fortune, and John Coltrane...
- Buddy Greco
Buddy Greco is an American singer and pianist.Greco began playing piano at the age of four. His first professional work was playing with Benny Goodman's band....
, singer ("The Lady is a Tramp"The Lady Is a Tramp" is a show tune from the 1937 Rodgers and Hart musical Babes In Arms. This song is a sophisticated and witty spoof of New York high society and its strict etiquette . It has become a classic song in the pop standards/vocal genre...
") and pianist
- William Guarnere
Staff Sergeant William J. "Wild Bill" Guarnere is a former non-commissioned officer with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army during World War II. Guarnere was portrayed in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by...
, nicknamed "Wild Bill", member of 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment E, "Easy CompanyEasy Company may refer to:*Easy Company, an informal name for a military company*E Company, 502nd PIR, the famed "Widowmakers" which took part in the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Market Garden during World War II...
"
- Frank Guarrera
Frank Guarrera was an Italian-American lyric baritone who enjoyed a long and distinguished career at the Metropolitan Opera, singing with the company for a total of 680 performances. He performed 35 different roles at the Met, mostly from the Italian and French repertories, from 1948 through 1976...
, baritone (Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager. The music director is James Levine....
)
- Albert "Tootie" Heath
Albert "Tootie" Heath is an American jazz hard bop drummer, the brother of tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath and double-bassist Percy Heath.He first recorded in 1957 with John Coltrane. From 1958 to 1974 he worked with, among others, J. J...
jazz drummer, member of the Heath BrothersThe Heath Brothers was a jazz group formed in 1975 by brothers Jimmy , Percy , and Albert "Tootie" Heath and pianist Stanley Cowell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tony Purrone and Jimmy's son Mtume joined the group later. Tootie left in 1978 and was replaced by Akira Tana for a short period of...
- Jimmy Heath
James Edward Heath , nicknamed Little Bird, is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger. He is the brother of bassist Percy Heath and drummer Albert Heath.-Biography:...
jazz tenor saxophonist, member of the Heath BrothersThe Heath Brothers was a jazz group formed in 1975 by brothers Jimmy , Percy , and Albert "Tootie" Heath and pianist Stanley Cowell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tony Purrone and Jimmy's son Mtume joined the group later. Tootie left in 1978 and was replaced by Akira Tana for a short period of...
- Percy Heath
Percy Heath, , was a jazz musician, famous for position as double bass player for the Modern Jazz Quartet....
double bass player for the Modern Jazz QuartetThe Modern Jazz Quartet was established in 1952 by Milt Jackson , John Lewis , Percy Heath , and Kenny Clarke . Connie Kay replaced Clarke in 1955...
, member of the Heath BrothersThe Heath Brothers was a jazz group formed in 1975 by brothers Jimmy , Percy , and Albert "Tootie" Heath and pianist Stanley Cowell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tony Purrone and Jimmy's son Mtume joined the group later. Tootie left in 1978 and was replaced by Akira Tana for a short period of...
- Edward "Babe" Heffron, member of 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment E, "Easy Company
Easy Company may refer to:*Easy Company, an informal name for a military company*E Company, 502nd PIR, the famed "Widowmakers" which took part in the Battle of the Bulge and Operation Market Garden during World War II...
"
- Sherman Hemsley
Sherman Alexander Hemsley is an American actor, most famous for his role as George Jefferson on the CBS television series All in the Family and The Jeffersons and as Deacon Ernest Frye on Amen. He also played Earl Sinclair's horrifying boss, a Triceratops named B.P...
, actor (All in the FamilyAll in the Family is an American situation comedy that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971 to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, the show was revamped, and given a new title, Archie Bunker's Place...
, The JeffersonsThe Jeffersons is an American sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, through June 25, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes produced by T.AT. Communications Company from 1975-1982 and Embassy Television from 1982-1985...
, AmenAmen is an American television sitcom produced by Carson Productions that ran from September 27, 1986 to May 11, 1991 on NBC. Amen, starring Sherman Hemsley as the deacon of a Philadelphia church, was part of a wave of successful African American sitcoms on NBC in the 1980s which featured entirely...
)
- Dom Ierra, comedian
- Albert Innaurato
Albert Innaurato is an American playwright, theatre director, and writer.Innaurato was born in Philadelphia in 1947. After graduating from California Institute of the Arts, Innaurato attended the Yale School of Drama...
, playwright, theatre director, and writer
- Jerry Jaye
Jerry Jaye is an American country/rockabilly singer.Jaye grew up on a sharecropper's farm and did a stint in the Navy from 1954 to 1958. After his return he started a band with bassist Tommy Baker and drummer Carl Fry, who began playing the local Arkansas circuits...
, country/rockabilly singer ("My Girl Josephine")
- Kitty Kallen
Kitty Kallen is an American popular singer who sang with a number of big bands in the 1940s, coming back in the 1950s to score her biggest hit, "Little Things Mean a Lot" in 1954.-Career:...
, singer ("Little Things Mean a Lot"Little Things Mean a Lot" is a popular song written by Edith Lindeman and Carl Stutz, published in 1953. Lindeman was the leisure editor of the Richmond Times-Despatch and Stutz a disc jockey from Richmond, Virginia....
")
- Irvin Kershner
Irvin "Kersh" Kershner , is an American film director and occasional actor, best known for directing Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Never Say Never Again and RoboCop 2....
, director (Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes BackStar Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is a 1980 space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner. The screenplay, based on a story by George Lucas, was written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan...
, RoboCop 2RoboCop 2 is a 1990 cyberpunk film set in the near future in a dystopian metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. It is the sequel to the 1987 film RoboCop.-Plot:...
)
- Jack Klugman
Jacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman is an American stage, film and television actor, known for his roles in sitcoms, movies, television and on Broadway. He is best-known for his role as Tony Randall's sloppy roommate, Oscar Madison, in The Odd Couple shown on American television during the 1970s, and for...
, actor (The Odd CoupleThe Odd Couple is a television situation comedy broadcast from September 24, 1970 to Independence Day, 1975 on ABC. It starred Tony Randall as Felix Unger and Jack Klugman as Oscar Madison. It was based upon the play of the same name, which was written by Neil Simon.Felix and Oscar are two divorced...
, Quincy, M.E.Quincy, M.E. is a United States television series from Universal Studios that aired from October 3, 1976, to September 5, 1983, on NBC. It stars Jack Klugman in the title role, a Los Angeles County medical examiner...
, 12 Angry Men)
- Joseph Kramm
Joseph A. Kramm was an American playwright, actor, and director. He received Pulitzer Prize for Drama in in 1951 for his play The Shrike, later adapted into a motion picture of the same title in 1955....
, playwright (Pulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by Hungarian-American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City....
for The ShrikeThe Shrike is a play written by American dramatist Joseph Kramm. It debuted on Broadway at the Cort Theater, on January 15, 1952, with Jose Ferrer as the producer, director and star...
), actor, and director
- Eddie Lang
Eddie Lang was an American Jazz guitarist, regarded as the most important Chicago jazz guitarist and the Father of the Jazz Guitar...
, jazz guitarist
- Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza was an Italian American tenor and Hollywood movie star who enjoyed success in the late 1940s and 1950s....
, tenor and actor (The Great CarusoThe Great Caruso is a 1951 biographical film made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Joe Pasternak with Jesse L. Lasky as associate producer from a screenplay by Sonya Levien and William Ludwig. The original music was by Johnny Green and the cinematography by...
)
- Hy Lit
Hyman Aaron Lit, was an American DJ based in the Philadelphia area from the 1950s until 2005. In his 50 year career, Hy Lit broadcast from WIBG-AM, WDAS/WDAS-FM, WKBS-TV, WIFI, WSNI/WPGR, KPOL, WKXW, among many others...
, Philadelphia-area DJ from the 1950s until 2005
- George Litto
George Litto is an American film producer. His credits include Robert Altman's Thieves Like Us , Jonathan Kaplan's cult film Over the Edge , and three Brian De Palma thrillers, Obsession , Dressed to Kill and Blow Out ....
, film producer (Thieves Like UsThieves Like Us is a 1974 film directed by Robert Altman, starring Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall. The film was based on the novel Thieves Like Us by Edward Anderson...
, Dressed to Kill and Blow OutBlow Out is a 1981 thriller film, written and directed by Brian De Palma. The film stars John Travolta as Jack Terry, a movie sound effects technician from Philadelphia who, while recording sounds for a low-budget horror film, serendipitously captures audio evidence of a possible assassination...
)
- Bernie Lowe
Bernie Lowe was an American songwriter / record producer / arranger / pianist and bandleader.Born Bernard Lowenthal in Philadelphia, Lowe started Teen Records and in 1955 was working with Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. He asked Freddie Bell to rewrite the lyrics of "Hound Dog" to appeal to a...
, songwriter, producer, arranger, founder of Cameo RecordsCameo was a USA based record label, first flourishing in the 1920s, not connected with a later record label of the same name which was active in the 1950s and 1960s.The Cameo Record Company was based in Manhattan, New York...
, launched careers of Chubby CheckerChubby Checker is an American singer-songwriter best known for popularizing the The Twist with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard's R&B hit "The Twist"...
, Charlie GracieCharlie Gracie is an American rock pioneer and singer.His father encouraged him to play the guitar. Gracie's musical career started at the age of 14 when he appeared on the Paul Whiteman television show.-Career:Gracie performed at weddings, local restaurants, and parties, and on local radio and...
, Dee Dee SharpDee Dee Sharp is an American R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961.-Career:...
, Bobby RydellBobby Rydell is an American teen idol from the early 1960s era of rock and roll. According to Allmusic music journalist, Kim Summers, "Rydell is one of the most sought-after nightclub and concert acts in the U.S., and his interest in show business began at the age of four...
, The OrlonsThe Orlons were an R&B group from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that formed in 1960.-Career:The quartet consisted of lead singer Rosetta Hightower, Shirley Brickley, Marlena Davis and Stephen Caldwell ....
- Man Ray
Man Ray, born Emmanuel Radnitzky , was an American artist who spent most of his career in Paris, France. Perhaps best described simply as a modernist, he was a significant contributor to both the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal...
, modernist/Dada/Surrealist artist
- Gloria Mann
Gloria Mann was an American pop singer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mann scored two hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1955. The first was a version of "Earth Angel", which reached #18. Later that year, "Teen Age Prayer" peaked at #19; this featured Sid Bass leading the backing orchestra...
, pop singer ("Earth Angel"Earth Angel " is an American Doo Wop song, originally released by The Penguins in 1954 on the Dootone label , as the B-side to "Hey Señorita". The song became a major hit for The Crew-Cuts in 1955, reaching the Billboard charts on January 29, 1955...
")
- Guy Marks
Guy Marks was an American comedian and impressionist.He was born Mario Scarpa in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...
, actor, singer, comedian and impressionist
- Al Martino
Al Martino was an American singer and actor. Allmusic journalist Steve Huey states, "Martino was one of the great Italian American pop crooners, boasting a string of hit singles and albums that stretched from the early 1950s all the way into the mid 1970s...
, singer ("Here in My Heart"Here in My Heart" is a popular song, written by Pat Genaro, Lou Levinson, and Bill Borrelli, and published in 1952.A recording of the song by Al Martino was a #1 hit single on the United States pop chart. The Martino version also made history as the first number one on the UK Singles Chart, on 14...
", "Volare"Nel blu dipinto di blu" , popularly known as "Volare" , is Domenico Modugno's signature song. It is the only song that originated in Italy to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.Modugno's recording became the first Grammy winner for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1958...
") and actor (The GodfatherThe Godfather is a 1972 American drama film based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola, and Robert Towne . It stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard S...
, The Godfather Part IIIThe Godfather Part III is a 1990 American thriller film written by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola, and directed by Coppola. It completes the story of Michael Corleone, a Mafia kingpin who tries to legitimize his criminal empire...
)
- Pat Martino
Pat Martino is an Italian-American jazz guitarist and composer within the post bop, soul jazz, mainstream jazz and hard bop idioms.-Biography:...
, jazz guitarist and composer
- N. Richard Nash
N. Richard Nash was a writer and dramatist best known for writing Broadway shows, including The Rainmaker.-Early life:...
, writer and dramatist (The RainmakerThe Rainmaker was a play written by N. Richard Nash in the early 1950s. The play opened on October 28 1954 at the Cort Theatre in New York and ran for 125 performances. It was directed by Joseph Anthony and produced by Ethel Linder Reiner....
)
- Fayard Nicholas
Fayard Antonio Nicholas was an American choreographer, dancer and actor. He, along with his brother Harold, made up The Nicholas Brothers tap-dance duo who starred in the MGM musicals An All-Colored Vaudeville Show , The Pirate , The Five Heartbeats and Hard Four...
, dancer (Nicholas BrothersThe Nicholas Brothers were a famous African-American team of dancing brothers, Fayard and Harold Nicholas . With their highly acrobatic technique , high level of artistry and daring innovations, they were considered by many the greatest tap dancers of their day...
)
- Harold Nicholas
Harold Lloyd Nicholas was an American dancer specializing in tap, the younger half of the world famous tap dancing pair The Nicholas Brothers, known as two of the world's greatest dancers, together with his brother, Fayard Nicholas...
, dancer (Nicholas BrothersThe Nicholas Brothers were a famous African-American team of dancing brothers, Fayard and Harold Nicholas . With their highly acrobatic technique , high level of artistry and daring innovations, they were considered by many the greatest tap dancers of their day...
)
- Harry Olivieri
Harry M. Olivieri was an Italian-American restaurateur. He is credited, along with his brother, Pat Olivieri, as the co-creator of the Philly Cheesesteak in 1933...
, co-inventor of the cheesesteakA cheesesteak, also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak or steak and cheese, is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese on a long roll...
- Pat Olivieri
Pat Olivieri was an Italian-American restaurateur. He is credited, along with his brother, Harry Olivieri, as the 1933 co-creator of the Philly Cheesesteak...
, co-inventor of the cheesesteakA cheesesteak, also known as a Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak or steak and cheese, is a sandwich made from thinly sliced pieces of steak and melted cheese on a long roll...
- Frank Palumbo
Frank Palumbo was a restaurateur, local celebrity, humanitarian and power broker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.He is best known as the owner of Palumbo’s, an entertainment complex in South Philadelphia, Nostalgia’s Restaurant and the legendary Click Club...
, restaurateur, humanitarian and power broker; owner of Palumbo's"
- Lisa Peluso
Lisa Peluso is an American soap opera actress.-Biography:Peluso was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Mary Peluso. Her first big break came at the age of nine, when she starred in the Broadway production of Gypsy with Angela Lansbury...
, actress (Saturday Night FeverSaturday Night Fever is a 1977 film starring John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young man, coming of age, whose weekend activities are visits to a local Brooklyn discothèque and Karen Lynn Gorney as his dance partner and eventual girlfriend...
, Search for TomorrowSearch for Tomorrow is a TV soap opera which started airing on Monday, September 3, 1951 on CBS. The show was moved from CBS, its original broadcaster, on Friday, March 26, 1982, with NBC picking it up on the following Monday, March 29, 1982. It continued on NBC until the final episode was aired on...
, Loving-Places:* Loving, New Mexico, a village located in Eddy County, New Mexico.* Loving County, Texas, the least populous county in the U.S.-Things:* Love, a range of human emotions* Loving , a 1945 novel by Henry Green....
, Another WorldAnother World is a television soap opera that ran on the NBC network from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
, One Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which has been broadcast on the ABC television network since July 15, 1968. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
)
- Vincent Persichetti
Vincent Ludwig Persichetti was an American composer, teacher, and pianist. An important musical educator and writer, Persichetti was a native of Philadelphia. He was known for his integration of various new ideas in musical composition into his own work and teaching, and for training many noted...
, composer, pianist, teacher at the Juilliard SchoolThe Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory...
(students included Philip GlassPhilip Morris Glass is an American music composer. He is considered one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .Although his music is often, though controversially, described as...
, Hall OvertonHall Franklin Overton was an American jazz pianist and music teacher. He was born in Bangor, Michigan. He was the first of three sons born to Stanford and Ruth Overton and grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan....
, Kenneth FuchsKenneth Fuchs is an American composer, conductor, and educator. He is currently Professor of Composition at the University of Connecticut.Fuchs has composed music for orchestra, band, chorus, and various chamber ensembles...
and Thelonious MonkThelonious Monk was an American jazz pianist and composer who, according to The Penguin Guide to Jazz, was "one of the giants of American music"...
)
- Questlove, drummer
A drummer is a person who plays drums, particularly a drum kit , marching percussion or hand drums. The term percussionist applies to a musician performing on any percussion instrument, but usually refers to one who plays classical or Latin percussion. Most bands for Rock, Pop, Jazz, R&B etc...
and co-founder of The RootsThe Roots is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals. Their debut album was released in 1993 and they have collaborated with a wide range of artists from...
- Florence Quivar
Florence Quivar is an American operatic mezzo-soprano who is considered to be "one of the most prominent singers of her generation." She has variously been described as having a "rich, earthy sound and communicative presence" as "always reliable" and as "a distinguished singer, with a warm, rich...
, mezzo-soprano (Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. Peter Gelb is the company's general manager. The music director is James Levine....
, Grammy AwardThe Grammy Awards —or Grammys—are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States for outstanding achievements in the music industry...
for Porgy and BessPorgy and Bess an opera, first performed in 1935, with music by George Gershwin, libretto by DuBose Heyward, and lyrics by Ira Gershwin and DuBose Heyward. It was based on DuBose Heyward's novel Porgy and the play of the same name which he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy Heyward...
)
- Peter Mark Richman
Peter Mark Richman is an American actor who has starred in films and on television. He was frequently credited as Mark Richman....
, actor (Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara is an American decade-long and award-winning television soap opera, first broadcast in United States on NBC on July 30, 1984, and last aired on January 15, 1993. The show covered the exciting, eventful lives of the wealthy Capwell family of Santa Barbara, California...
, DynastyDynasty is an American prime time television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 12, 1981 to May 11, 1989. It was created by Richard and Esther Shapiro and produced by Aaron Spelling, and revolved around the Carringtons, a wealthy oil family living in Denver, Colorado...
, Three's CompanyThree's Company is an American sitcom that aired from 1977 to 1984 on ABC. It is a remake of the British sitcom Man About the House....
, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes ManhattanFriday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan is a slasher film released on July 28, 1989. It is the eighth film in the Friday the 13th film series and the last film in the series to have been distributed by Paramount...
)
- Frank Rizzo
Francis Lazarro "Frank" Rizzo, Sr. was an American police officer and politician. He served two terms as mayor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from January 1972 to January 1980; he was Police Commissioner for four years prior to that.-Police Commissioner:Rizzo joined the Philadelphia Police...
, mayor of Philadelphia (1972-1980)
- LaVaughn Robinson
LaVaughn Robinson was an American tap dancer, choreographer, and teacher....
, tap dancer, choreographer (a National Endowment of the Arts "Living National Treasure" and NEANEA or nea may refer to:* Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs * The National Education Association, the largest labor union in the USA* National Endowment for the Arts* New Enterprise Associates* New Epoch Art...
National Heritage FellowshipThe National Heritage Fellowship is a lifetime honor presented to master folk and traditional artists by the National Endowment for the Arts. Similar to Japan's Living National Treasure award, the Fellowship is the United States' highest honor in the folk and traditional arts...
award)
- Bobby Rydell
Bobby Rydell is an American teen idol from the early 1960s era of rock and roll. According to Allmusic music journalist, Kim Summers, "Rydell is one of the most sought-after nightclub and concert acts in the U.S., and his interest in show business began at the age of four...
, singer ("Wild One", "Volaire"Nel blu dipinto di blu" , popularly known as "Volare" , is Domenico Modugno's signature song. It is the only song that originated in Italy to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100.Modugno's recording became the first Grammy winner for the Grammy Award for Record of the Year in 1958...
"), actor (Bye Bye BirdieThe stage musical Bye Bye Birdie was first adapted to film in 1963. The screenplay was written by Michael Stewart and Irving Brecher, with music by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams. It was directed by George Sidney and starred Dick Van Dyke as Albert Peterson, Maureen Stapleton as Mama Mae Peterson,...
), teen idol
- Jodie Sands
Jodie Sands was an American popular singer, who hailed from Philadelphia.She had only one major hit, "With All My Heart," which reached #15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1957...
, singer ("With All My Heart"With All My Heart" is a popular song, based on an originally French and Italian language song called "Gondolier." It was written by Peter De Angelis and Bob Marcucci....
", "Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)"Someday " is a popular song. It was written by Jimmie Hodges and was published in 1944.The song has become a standard, recorded by many pop and country music singers.-Charting versions:...
")
- Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp is an American R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961.-Career:...
, singer ("Slow Twistin'" (with Chubby Checker), "Mashed Potato Time")
- Beanie Siegel, rapper
- Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. One of the biggest box office draws in the world from the 1970s to the 1990s, Stallone is an icon of machismo and Hollywood action heroism...
(briefly), actor (RockyRocky is a 1976 film written by and starring Sylvester Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. It tells the rags-to-riches American Dream story of Rocky Balboa, an uneducated but good-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in Philadelphia. Balboa is also a club fighter who gets a shot at the...
and Rambo franchises)
- Joseph Stefano
Joseph Stefano was an American screenwriter.As a teenager, Stefano was so keen to become an actor that he dropped out of high school two weeks before graduation and went to New York City...
, Edgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
winning screenwriter (PsychoPsycho is an American suspense/horror movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock, from the screenplay by Joseph Stefano. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, which was in turn inspired by the crimes of Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein....
)
- George Tunnell
George "Bon Bon" Tunnell was an American vocalist. Born in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was one of the first African American vocalists to perform with a white band, that of Jan Savitt and his band, The Top Hatters....
, vocalist (Jan Savitt and the Top Hatters)
- Charlie Ventura
Charlie Ventura was a tenor saxophonist and bandleader.Ventura was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He had his first successes working with Gene Krupa. In 1945 he won the Down Beat readers' poll in the tenor saxophone division...
, tenor saxophonist and bandleader
- Joe Venuti, the father of jazz violin
- Stanley Weintraub
Stanley Weintraub is a professor, historian, and biographer. He is an expert on George Bernard Shaw. Weintraub was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the eldest child of Benjamin and Ray Segal Weintraub, followed by siblings Herbert and Gladys...
, professor, historian, and biographer
- Ed Wynn
Ed Wynn was a popular American comedian and actor noted for his Perfect Fool comedy character, his pioneering radio show of the 1930s, and his later career as a dramatic actor....
, Emmy AwardThe Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards , Grammy Awards and Tony Awards .They are presented in various...
winning (The Ed Wynn Show) and Academy Award nominated (The Diary of Anne FrankThe Diary of Anne Frank is a 1959 motion picture based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, which was based on the diary of Anne Frank. It was directed by George Stevens, with a screenplay by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett...
) actor (Ziegfeld FolliesThe Ziegfeld Follies were a series of elaborate theatrical productions on Broadway in New York City from 1907 through 1931. They became a radio program in 1932 and 1936 as The Ziegfeld Follies of the Air....
, The Great ManThe Great Man is a 1956 drama film directed by José Ferrer and based on a novel by Al Morgan. It was loosely based on the controversial career of Arthur Godfrey, the beloved TV and radio host whose image had been tarnished by a number of cast firings and Godfrey's contentious battles with the...
, Mary PoppinsMary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
)
See also
- Aquarama Aquarium Theater of the Sea
Aquarama Aquarium Theater of the Sea also known as Aquarama was a unique 1960s aquarium attraction located in the south section of Philadelphia known as South Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Broad Street and Hartranft Street, just west of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex ,...
- Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge , originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey...
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park
Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park is a park located along the Delaware River in the southern most point of South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, comprising some which includes a golf course, about of buildings,managed landscapes, recreation areas and about of natural lands including ponds and...
- Sesquicentennial Exposition
The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition of 1926 was a world's fair hosted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the 50th anniversary of the 1876 Centennial ExpositionThe honor of hosting this...
- South Philadelphia High School
South Philadelphia High School also known as Southern High is a public secondary high school located in the south section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of Broad Street and Snyder Avenue, just north of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex residential neighborhood, Marconi...
- South Philadelphia Sports Complex
The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the current home to Philadelphia's sports teams...
- Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004 and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
- John F. Kennedy Stadium
John F. Kennedy Stadium was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
- Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field, familiarly known as "The Linc", is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532...
- Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
- Wachovia Center
The Wachovia Center, formerly known as the Spectrum II , CoreStates Center, and the First Union Center, is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
- Wachovia Spectrum
The Wachovia Spectrum The Wachovia Spectrum The Wachovia Spectrum (formerly known as the Spectrum (1967–1994), CoreStates Spectrum (1994–1998) and First Union Spectrum (1998–2003) is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as part of the South Philadelphia Sports...