Whitman, Philadelphia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Whitman is a neighborhood in the South Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is bounded on the west by Sixth Street, on the east by Front Street, on the south by Bigler Street, and on the north by Snyder Avenue. The name "Whitman" was adopted when the nearby Walt Whitman Bridge was being constructed in the 1950s.^[1] Coordinates: 39°55′03″N 75°09′13″W / 39.91757°N 75.15365°W / 39.91757; -75.15365

Demographics

According to the 2000 Census, Whitman has 26,300 inhabitants (combined with Queen Village and Southwark). The racial makeup of the community is White, 60 percent; Black, 27 percent; Asian, 8 percent; Latino, 5 percent. About 40 percent of the population is under 18. It has a large Catholic Italian American population and very large Irish American population as well.

Origin of the name

When the neighborhood was declared an urban-renewal area in the mid-1950s, the nearby Walt Whitman Bridge also was being constructed. It was only logical, then, to lend the poet's name to the neighborhood as well.

Famous residents

Joey Coyle, who stole $1.2 million that fell from an armored truck. His story was developed into a 1993 movie, Money for Nothing, starring John Cusack.

Major landmarks

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 2329 S. Third St., which is more than 100 years old.
Mifflin Square, Fifth and Wolf Streets.
Whitman Library, 200 Snyder Ave.
Whitman Plaza shopping center, Fourth Street and Oregon Avenue.

The George Sharswood School and SS United States are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[2]

Architecture

Mostly two-bedroom rowhomes that later were expanded to include extra rooms; most are constructed from brick.

State Senate district

First, Larry Farnese (D)

State House district

184th, William Keller (D)

City Council district

First, Mark Squilla (D)

Ward

39th

Police district

Third

Civic groups and townwatches

Whitman Town Watch, Whitman Council

Education

Schools

The School District of Philadelphia operates public schools.

George Sharswood Elementary, 2300 S. Second St.
John H. Taggart Elementary, 400 Porter St.

Public libraries

Whitman Branch

The Free Library of Philadelphia Whitman Branch serves the community.^[3]

References

↑ The place where you live: Whitman
↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-07-09.
↑ "Whitman Branch." Free Library of Philadelphia. Retrieved on October 19, 2012.

Municipalities and communities of the City and County of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Sections and
Neighborhoods

Center City	Avenue of the Arts Chinatown Eakins Oval Elfreth's Alley Fitler Square Franklintown French Quarter Independence Mall Jewelers' Row Logan Square Market East Museum District Naval Square Old City Penn Center Penn's Landing Rittenhouse Square Schuylkill Avenue Society Hill South Street Washington Square West

South	Bella Vista Central South Philadelphia Devil's Pocket Dickinson Narrows East Passyunk Crossing FDR Park Girard Estate Grays Ferry Greenwich Hawthorne Italian Market Little Saigon Lower Moyamensing Marconi Plaza Moyamensing Newbold Packer Park Passyunk Square Pennsport Point Breeze Queen Village Schuykill Southwark Southwest Center City Sports Complex Tasker West Passyunk Wharton Whitman Wilson Park

Southwest	Angora Bartram Village Clearview Eastwick Elmwood Park Hedgerow Hog Island Kingsessing Mount Moriah Paschall Penrose PHL Southwest Schuylkill

West	Avenue of Technology Belmont Village Carroll Park Cathedral Park Centennial District Cedar Park Cobbs Creek Dunlap Garden Court Haddington Haverford North Mantua Mill Creek Overbrook Overbrook Farms Overbrook Park Parkside Powelton Village Saunders Park Spruce Hill Squirrel Hill University City Walnut Hill Woodland Terrace Wynnefield Wynnefield Heights

Lower North	Belfield Brewerytown Cabot Callowhill Fairhill Fairmount Francisville Hartranft Ivy Hill Ludlow North Central Northern Liberties Poplar Sharswood South Lehigh Spring Garden Stanton Strawberry Mansion Templetown Yorktown (also see North Philadelphia)

Upper North	Allegheny West Franklinville Glenwood Hunting Park Nicetown-Tioga Olde Kensington West Kensington

River Wards	Bridesburg Fishtown Harrowgate Kensington Port Richmond

Lower Northwest	Andorra East Falls Manayunk Roxborough Wissahickon (also see Northwest Philadelphia)

Upper Northwest	Beggarstown Chestnut Hill Germantown Morton Mount Airy Wister Cedarbrook (also see Northwest Philadelphia)

Olney-Oak Lane	East Oak Lane Feltonville Fern Rock Koreatown Logan Ogontz Olney West Oak Lane

Near Northeast	Burholme Castor Gardens Crescentville Fox Chase Frankford Holme Circle Holmesburg Juniata Lawndale Lexington Park Mayfair Oxford Circle Rhawnhurst Ryers Tacony Wissinoming (also see Northeast Philadelphia)

Far Northeast	Academy Gardens Ashton-Woodenbridge Bustleton Byberry Crestmont Farms Millbrook Modena Park Morrell Park Normandy Parkwood Pennypack Somerton Torresdale Upper Holmesburg Winchester Park

Former
Municipalities

City	Philadelphia (Center City)

Boroughs	Aramingo Bridesburg Frankford Germantown Manayunk West Philadelphia Whitehall

Districts	Belmont Kensington Moyamensing Northern Liberties Penn Richmond Southwark Spring Garden

Townships	Blockley Bristol Byberry Delaware Germantown Kingsessing Lower Dublin Moreland Northern Liberties Oxford Passyunk Penn Roxborough

Footnotes

As a consolidated city-county Philadelphia is its own county seat.

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