South Street (Philadelphia)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
South 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 wide variety of shops and eateries of many different styles. The street is comparable to a large outdoor mall, with the occasional bar and club providing live music. It is one of Philadelphia's largest tourist attractions, and today is mostly frequented by people from outside the city[citation needed] as well as tourists from other states and/or countries.
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[edit] History
Originally named Cedar Street in William Penn's plan of Philadelphia, South Street was the traditional southern boundary of Philadelphia's city limits before the townships of Passyunk and Moyamensing were annexed to the city.
Prior to and until the 1950s, South Street was known mainly as a garment district, featuring a number of men's suit stores and other clothing stores. At approximately that time, city planner Edmund Bacon and others proposed the construction of the "Crosstown Expressway"- a short limited-access expressway connecting the Schuylkill Expressway and I-95 by cutting a swath along South Street. Although that project never got further than the planning stage, the drop in real estate values that resulted from the uncertainty attracted artists and counterculture-types.
South Street was very different in the 1960s-1970s than it is today. Back then, it was filled with clubs and bars, most of them promoting live local music. It was on South Street that the Philadelphia local music community began. Most people who frequented South Street actually lived in South Philadelphia, unlike today where it is populated by the inhabitants of North/West Philadelphia, suburban Philadelphia and New Jersey.
The 1960s and 1970s saw South Street grow to become a huge clubbing and live music area for Philadelphia. It was not uncommon to see South Philadelphians go "bar-hopping" across the clubs, listening to live bands along the way. It was this time when many artists, including Kenn Kweder (revered as the "bard of South Street"), George Thorogood and Robert Hazard got signed because of this community of fans on South Street.
However, towards the 1980s South Street began getting more famous, quickly becoming one of Philly's tourist attractions. Tourists flocked to the nocturnal community that South Street had accumulated over the years, and the "neighborhood" community aspect was stripped from it. Many of the South Street clubs closed, replaced by chain stores and shops to cater to the tourists who came down.
[edit] South Street in popular culture
The Orlons, a music group from Philadelphia, released a 1963 song based on (and entitled) South Street.
The Dead Milkmen's 1988 song, "Punk Rock Girl" makes references to Zipperhead (a punk rock/alternative clothing and acessories store) and The Philly Pizza Company, both of which were located on South Street before going out of business. Portions of the video for this song were filmed on South Street.
Boyz II Men's debut song and video "Motown Philly" was filmed on location and, in his song "Gettin' Jiggy Wit It", Philadelphia native Will Smith mentions South Street (in the lyric "...rockin' South Street to one-two-fifth")
The HBO comedy special The Diceman Cometh, starring comedian Andrew Dice Clay, was recorded at South Street's Theater of the Living Arts (and was mentioned in the special by Clay).
During Mardi Gras in 2001, celebrations at South Street restaurant/bar Fat Tuesday got out of hand, eventually resulting in drunken partiers spilling out onto the street. Stores and other businesses, including the Tower Records location, were broken into and looted before Philadelphia police had a chance to quell the ruckus.
The incident painted a negative image of Philadelphia and was the subject of ridicule on many late-night TV talk shows. Subsequent years have seen not only an increased police presence on South Street on Mardi Gras, but also a general avoidance by partiers due to said presence.
Today, South Street remains a very popular hangout and commercial hub for teens and twentysomethings alike. South Street, while once popular with many consumers who preferred shopping at small unique shops and boutiques, is increasingly becoming an outdoor mall, complete with The Gap and Auntie Anne's Pretzel Stand. Longtime South Street icons such as Zipperhead have moved elsewhere, making way for commercial giants to move in and help to turn what used to be an original cultural experience in to a urban strip-mall.
[edit] Popular destinations
Bars & Dining
- The Artful Dodger
- Black Door
- Blarney South
- Bridget Foy's
- Cheers to You
- Copabanana
- The Dark Horse
- Downey's
- Fat Tuesday
- Filo's Restaurant And Bar
- Ishkabibbles
- Jim's Steaks
- Johnny Rockets
- Jon's Bar And Grille
- The Latest Dish
- Lorenzo & Son Pizza
- Mako's Bar & Grill
- Manny Browns
- Maoz
- Ms. Tootsies (Soul Food)
- Mustone Anthony's
- Nola
- Philadelphia Java Company
- Pietro's Coal Oven Pizzeria
- Pontiac Grille
- Rita's Water Ice (seasonal)
- South Street Diner
- South Street Souvlaki
- Starbucks
- Subway
- Tattooed Mom
Clubs
- Abilene
- Reef
- Fluid
Shopping
- 611 Records
- Adidas
- Dr. Denim
- Condom Kingdom- Specializing in adult "novelties"
- Coogi- Men's clothing
- Cranky's Handbags
- Crash Bang Boom(formerly Zipperhead) - Specializing in punk rock, psychobilly, gothic, and metal clothing
- Erogenous Zone- Specializing in adult "novelties"
- Ethnics Jewelry
- Foot Locker
- Hocus Pocus Magic Store
- Imagine
- Mineralistic
- The Gap
- The Mood - Specializing in adult "novelties"
- Reebok
- Repo Records
- Relapse Records - Specializing in heavy metal/grindcore/punk rock CDs & Vinyl
- Samsun Footwear
- Showcase Comics
- Spaceboy Music
- Urban Tees
- Unica - Men's and women's clothing
- University of Cards
- Wooden Shoe Books & Records
Tattoos and Body Piercings
- Philadelphia Eddie's Tattoo
- Moo Tattoo
- Body Graphix Tattoo (2 locations: 4th Street between South & Bainbridge, and on South between 6th & 7th)
- Warrior Body Piercing
- Infinite Body Piercing
- No Ka Oi Tattoos and Body Piercing
Live Entertainment
- Laff House Comedy Club
- Theatre of Living Arts
Misc
- Allstate Insurance
- Blockbuster Video
- CVS/pharmacy
- Commerce Bank
- Eckerd Drugs
- Verizon Wireless
- Wachovia Bank
- Wawa
[edit] External links
| Neighborhoods of the Center City section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
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Avenue of the Arts - Callowhill - Chinatown - Elfreth's Alley - Fitler Square - Franklintown - Logan Square - Market East - Old City - Museum District - Penn Center - Penn's Landing - Rittenhouse Square - Society Hill - South Street - Washington Square West |
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Center City - North Philadelphia - Northwest Philadelphia - The Northeast - South Philadelphia - Southwest Philadelphia - West Philadelphia |
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