Lawncrest, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lawncrest is a neighborhood in the Near Northeast portion of the Northeast Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The name "Lawncrest" is an amalgam of Crescentville and Lawndale. Crescentville extends from Godfrey Avenue to Comly Avenue, where the Lawncrest Recreation Center is. Lawndale runs from about Levick Street to Tyson Street, while others say it goes all the way to Cottman Avenue (Pennsylvania Route 73). Neighborhoods nearby include Burholme to the north, Oxford Circle to the east, and Olney to the south and southwest. Lawncrest borders Montgomery county to the west, which lies Cheltenham Township. The divider between Lawncrest and Montgomery county are Tookany Creek and train tracks that run parallel with it. To the west is also where Lawndale Station is located and where the SEPTA R8 Regional Rail goes by. To the east, the United States Naval Aviation Depot is located. To the northeast begins the rest of Northeast-Philadelphia.

Rising Sun Avenue is usually identified as the main artery through Lawncrest. This area along "the Avenue" is commonly know for its numerous pizza parlors, including Pronto Uno Pizza, Larry's Famous Steaks & Hoagies, Quality Pizza, Salerno's Pizza, Fanti's Pizza, Rising Sun Pizza, and New Station Pizza as well as its many Chinese Take-Out places, Resturants and Bars/Taverns.

The area between Levick and Comly Streets can just be called Lawncrest in itself. Despite all of this, the entire area in itself can be called Lawncrest. Lawncrest roughly covers the area of St. William's Parish, while Lawndale approximately covers the area of Presentation B.V.M. Parish. The ambiguity of the neighborhood name is one of its many charms. There is also Ben Franklin Public School for grades K to 8.

In the heart of Lawncrest is the Recreation center and fields. The recreation area includes fields to play sports and other activities. There are street hockey rinks, tennis and basketball courts. Inside the actual Recreation center there is a basketball court, gym, pool, and small banquet area. Aside from Lawncrest Recreation Center, Gibbons P.A.L., is located just off the intersection of Longshore and Rising Sun Avenues. The gym is open during the day and is free for use. There is a field at Gibbons for baseball and two basketball courts. Sadly, the Lawncrest Athletic Association recently just closed. The LCAA was a non-profit organization. They were a group of volunteers who conducted leagues for children aged 6 and up to play sports over the vast playing fields for a nominal fee. The LCAA offered baseball, softball, soccer, and early in its history football. Recent White Flight from the neighborhood over the last two decades from the early 1990's contributed to the closing of the LCAA. Incoming neighbors did not sign their children up to the play the sports that were offered to them from the LCAA, instead, most new neighbors took advantage of the fledgling basketball program offered by the City of Philadelphia.

Most teens who live in Lawncrest attend either Cardinal Dougherty High School (Catholic-private) or Northeast High School, Samuel Fels High School (public). Those who do not usually attend many of the region's others private schools and public magnet schools. The neighborhood is especially known for its annual 4th of July celebration which includes a parade down Rising Sun Ave., festivities at the Lawncrest Recreation Center all day, and fireworks at night.

The neighborhood's crime rate has increased since the early 1990s, White Flight became an outcome of this like most neighborhoods of the lower Northeast Philadelphia.

Residents and natives of note