EXPLORE SOUTHWEST PHILADELPHIA

Southwest Philadelphia is a section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The section can be described as extending from the western side of the Schuylkill River to the city line, with the SEPTA Media/Elwyn Line serving as the northern border. The northern border is also defined by the Philadelphia City Planning Commission as east from the city line along Baltimore Avenue moving south along 51st Street to Springfield Ave. It follows the train tracks until 49th Street. From 49th and Kingsessing Ave the line moves east along Kingsessing Ave. The line then moves south along 46th St to Paschall Ave where it jogs to join Grays Ferry where the line runs to the Schuylkill River.

Southwest Philadelphia is also described by the city as being the area south of Baltimore Avenue; this definition has historical merit as Baltimore Avenue between 49th and 52nd Streets was known as “The Hub of Southwest Philadelphia” at the turn of the 20th century. Today however the Media/Elwyn tracks are the more common reference dividing Southwest from West Philadelphia.The Philadelphia Police Department patrols two districts located within Southwest Philadelphia. The two patrol districts serving Southwest Philadelphia are the 12th and 77th districts.

Population

More than 80,000 people live in Southwest Philadelphia. It is approximately 36% white and 60% black. Philadelphia’s African immigrant population is most concentrated in Southwest Philadelphia, as of 2008.

Transport

A number of SEPTA Subway-Surface Trolley Lines traverse the area along Chester, Woodland, and Elmwood Avenues, providing easy access to Center City through the 40th Street Portal. These also extend to Darby and Yeadon.

Southwest Philly is served by 4 of the 5 Subway-Surface Lines (Trolleys) 11, 13, 34, and 36. It is also served by bus routes 12, 37, 52, 64, 108, G, and also with the Airport and Media / Elwyn Regional Rail lines.

• Airport Line-Eastwick Station & Terminus at the Airport
• Media / Elwyn Line-49th St, and Angora Station.
• Route 11 runs along Woodland Avenue to Darby
• Route 13 runs along Chester Avenue to Yeadon and with some scheduled trips to Darby with route 11.
• Route 34 runs along Baltimore Avenue to Angora
• Route 36 runs along Elmwood Avenue to Eastwick near the Philadelphia Int’l Airport.

Philadelphia International Airport, a number of oil refineries, and many heavy industrial uses are located in the Southwest section. The housing stock is diverse with ornate Queen Anne style twin mansions in the neighborhoods bordering Cedar Park, plainer and simpler styles of twins predominating closer to the airport, and newer rowhouses, many with porches, filling in many neighborhoods. The sports complex is very close to Southwest Philadelphia

Less than 1% of Southwest is covered by trees, giving it one of the lowest ratios of shade tree cover in the city.

Courtesy of Wikipedia