There have been a lot of questions lately about specific areas in our community of East Falls/Roxborough/Manayunk.

I thought it might be helpful for us to reference where we each live on a more specific note (you don't have to give your actual address, but give us some blocks/cross streets) and give the "scoop" on the area. Thanks!

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I'll go first. I live in Wissahickon, which is bordered by Ridge Avenue on the west, Fairmount Park on the south and east and Ridge/Hermit on the north (more or less). I live on Rochelle, near what's commonly referred to as the "100 Steps" which is a set of granite steps leading down to Wissahickon Creek in the park.

Our neighborhood is great. It's really close to the R6 train station (21 mins to CC) and the Wissahickon Transportation Center, where you can get a bus almost anywhere. For the first couple of years we were here, I never drove anywhere. We finally broke down and got a car that I could drive (the old Fiat Spyder doesn't count) when we had the kiddies.

The biggest issues we tend to have on our block are trashy neighbors, which is becoming more of a nonissue as new folks move in and when L&I occasionally decides to enforce zoning and other rules in the neighborhood.

Parking can be a problem, which I directly attribute to the abundance of illegal conversions from single family homes to multifamily apartments. I think those are slowing down, too, but again, L&I isn't great at enforcement. I think as property values continue to rise, there is less of an incentive to convert to apartments.

There are a number of ill-behaved kids in my neighborhood, who live in a stretch of homes referred to on the block as "8 Mile". I was initially really concerned about raising children on the same block as the hooligan children but as I get to know more and more families in the area, I tend to believe that there are more families that share my parenting style than not. I also figure those horrid kids will all be in jail by the time mine are older anyway... :twisted:

There are two playgrounds within easy walking distance, La Noce ad Daisy Field.

Main Street is about a 15-20 minute walk.

Ridge Avenue business district is also about a 15-20 minute walk.

What about you?

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www.lawmummy.com
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leverington between ridge and henry is great!!...wonderful homes with fantastic neighbors....college professors, medical professionals, students, retirees as well as plumbers and cops!...all here on this 2 block stretch....there is a house or 2 that is shabby (definitely minority)...completely safe and quiet (except for the bus)...walk to ridge....20 min walk to main.....LOVE it!....really a great area to walk around........the homes are HUGE!......everyone says hi, and there is a cop on the corner at dunkin donuts at all hours!

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This is a great idea, thanks! I hope more people post....

I'm actually in Germantown, but I live just across Wissahickon Ave. from East Falls, and am pretty familiar with the area bounded by Lincoln Dr. on the N, Queen Lane on the S, Wissahickon Ave. on the E and Henry Ave. on the W. Most of the area is either apartments or part of Philadelphia University, with some large houses on some blocks. A lot of college students live in the area, given the proximity to Phila U., St. Joe's, LaSalle and Temple.

Queen Lane and Chelten Stations (R8 CH West) are on the G'Town side of Wissahickon Ave. From Chelten to Center City is roughly 20 minutes. East Falls Station (R6 Norristown) is on Midvale between Warden and Ridge next to St. Bridget's, and is also a 20 minute ride to Center City. The J bus makes its way west from Bridesburg via Arrott Terminal, Olney and Logan, and ends its run at Chelten and Wissahickon Aves. The K starts at Arrott Terminal, and travels through Olney and East Oak Lane before heading through Germantown, ending its run at Ridge and Midvale Aves. Other buses that run through the area are the R (Wissahickon Xfer Center to Frankford), the 26 (Chelten Station to Frankford) and the 32 (Roxborough to South Philly).

There isn't a whole lot in the area as far as businesses. There is a cafe and a dry cleaner in School Lane House, and that's about it, though Chelten Ave. and Ridge Ave. aren't too far away (15-20 min. on foot). It's a nice area...I walk through the neighborhood at night frequently, and don't fear for my safety.

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I'm in Upper Roxborough near Palairet and Henry Ave. It's a pretty nice area. Nice, but boring. The neighbors are very polite and nice. There's no trash, no crime (I don't even bother locking my car around here). But it's a little generic. It has it's good points though. It's a short walk to casselli's, Ade's and T&J's deli. and a stones throw from valley Green. I just wish the area was a little more diverse. Everyone seems to be either a senior citizen, or a married, late thirties, mini-van driving white guy/woman with kids. It's like living in suburbia, but still having to pay city wage tax.

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I live on Green Lane in Roxborough, right up the hill from Manayunk Ave. It's mostly families and young professionals (not yuppies, just that they're young and professionals :razz: ). The homes are nice and you can tell that 85% of people on the block really care about where they live and have invested a lot of time in it. Even the one home on the block that is an eyesore isn't too much of an eyesore, because despite the fact that it's falling down and completely overgrown, you can tell it was once a gorgeous home.

The parking has become a bit difficult, as the renters' girlfriends have all been coming over to their home en masse as of late, but we just pull into their parking lot behind their house and use one of their spots since they take all of ours! :razz:

It's less than 5 minutes to Ridge Ave and about 10 minutes downhill to Main St (walking uphill is the horrible part). I don't even know what buses come by, except that they do - I walk down the the Manayunk train station and catch the R6.

I really love the landscaping - my neighbor next door especially has a beautiful garden in the front and back yards. I grew up with a beautiful garden, courtesy of my mother, and I just love looking at all of the different flowers and plants everyone has. A couple of the neighbors have even invited me to join their informal gardening club.

Everyone is just so nice and friendly. We've been invited over neighbors' houses for holidays, random dinners, and get togethers. We've been out to dinner as a large group. They've welcomed us so warmly, and I just love my neighborhood!

So interesting. This is only 5 blocks from the Roxborough/Monastary area, right? The same area that folks described as having drug activity. Do you walk around at night? The thing about Philly neighborhoods I am learning is how different they can feel from block to block. Seems overall like folks really do like Manayunk though. Thanks for sharing.

I meant to say folks seem to like Manayunk and ALL the surrounding areas. Not trying to leave anyone out.

I have lived in the "scary" section of Manayunk for about twenty years, the area bounded by Manayunk Ave on the east, Lyceum Ave on the north, Terrace or Boone on the west and Roxborough on the south. I chose this area because it was affordable but also because it was racially and economically mixed. I was not looking for a place where everyone would be the same because I honestly don't know what the same is for me. I don't identify with any particular group. What I found here were a lot of families who had been here since before the Civil War as well as artists who were attracted to the area for some of the same reasons as I was. It wasn't until the last three-five years or so that this area started gentrifying in earnest, mainly because many of the upstanding elders have passed on during that time. I have always felt safe here even if I haven't felt totally accepted. It's kind of a live and let live environment which can be both good and bad. The young men in the hood seem lost, as many young men do, and their options seem limited mostly by their own imaginations. It's a shame. When I first moved in here, the annoyance level was high. It has improved significantly. I honestly don't see a huge difference between the drug dealers in their cars with their cell phones and the new young professionals who rent in the area with their cars and cell phones. Just the same sense of entitlement coming from a slightly different economic background. Aside from my editorializing, I believe this is a good place to live -- convenient to everything (a walker's paradise and public trans up the wazoo), the park, the canal and car access to anything in about fifteen minutes. Are other parts of Manayunk/Roxborough better than this area? Some may be, some may not be -- sometimes white trash can be far more onerous than black trash. Things do vary block by block and it takes a critical mass of solid citizens to help a neighborhood. If more owners of houses would move into this area, rather than speculators just using houses as income, we would all benefit from the changes.