Philadelphia Badlands
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia Badlands is a section of North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States that in the 1980s and '90s became known for an abundance of open-air recreational drug markets and drug-related violence. It has amorphous and somewhat disputed boundaries, but is generally agreed to include the 25th police district.
One of the noisier spots in the Badlands is between Allegheny Avenue and Lehigh Avenue. The less noisy spots are on the south side of Lehigh Avenue and north side of Allegheny Avenue, but Hunting Park is another noisier spot which is located on the north side of Erie Avenue.
The term The Badlands was popularized, in part, by the novel Third and Indiana
by then Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Steve Lopez
. The neighborhood was also featured in several episodes of ABC's Nightline. The intersection of 3rd Street and Indiana Avenue was listed number two in a 2007 list of the city's top ten drug corners according to an article by Philadelphia Weekly
reporter Steve Volk.
At one time a center of heavy industry, much of the urban landscape is characterized by vacant warehouses and tightly-packed strips of brick rowhomes constructed for the working class of the neighborhood. Like most industrial cities, Philadelphia suffered economic decline following the deportation of industry to developing countries and has suffered as a result. The Philadelphia Badlands contain a diverse mix of ethnicities, including Irish Americans, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans
. The nickname "Badlands" may also refer to the high gang area of the Irish Mob
and/or for African American/Puerto Rican street gangs.
The area's dismal reputation has been countered by community activists and nonprofit organizations such as Centro Nueva Creación, which in 2010 conducted a summer children's program, "The Goodlands Photographers," aimed at helping young people to photograph and display positive images of their neighborhood.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States that in the 1980s and '90s became known for an abundance of open-air recreational drug markets and drug-related violence. It has amorphous and somewhat disputed boundaries, but is generally agreed to include the 25th police district.
One of the noisier spots in the Badlands is between Allegheny Avenue and Lehigh Avenue. The less noisy spots are on the south side of Lehigh Avenue and north side of Allegheny Avenue, but Hunting Park is another noisier spot which is located on the north side of Erie Avenue.
The term The Badlands was popularized, in part, by the novel Third and Indiana
Third and Indiana
Third and Indiana is a novel written by Steve Lopez. It is about the experiences of several people connected to 14 year old Gabriel Santoro, while living in the dangerous gang-controlled streets of the Badlands section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States...
by then Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Steve Lopez
Steve Lopez
Steven M. Lopez is an American journalist who has been a columnist for The Los Angeles Times since 2001. He is the son of Spanish and Italian immigrants.-Life and cars:...
. The neighborhood was also featured in several episodes of ABC's Nightline. The intersection of 3rd Street and Indiana Avenue was listed number two in a 2007 list of the city's top ten drug corners according to an article by Philadelphia Weekly
Philadelphia Weekly
Philadelphia Weekly , is an award-winning alternative newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, published every Wednesday.The paper was founded in 1971 as a sister publication to the South Philadelphia Press. In 1995, the paper became Philadelphia Weekly...
reporter Steve Volk.
At one time a center of heavy industry, much of the urban landscape is characterized by vacant warehouses and tightly-packed strips of brick rowhomes constructed for the working class of the neighborhood. Like most industrial cities, Philadelphia suffered economic decline following the deportation of industry to developing countries and has suffered as a result. The Philadelphia Badlands contain a diverse mix of ethnicities, including Irish Americans, African Americans, and Puerto Ricans
Puerto Rican people
A Puerto Rican is a person who was born in Puerto Rico.Puerto Ricans born and raised in the continental United States are also sometimes referred to as Puerto Ricans, although they were not born in Puerto Rico...
. The nickname "Badlands" may also refer to the high gang area of the Irish Mob
Irish Mob
The Irish Mob is one of the oldest organized crime groups in the United States, in existence since the early 19th century. Originating in Irish American street gangs of the 19th century — depicted in Herbert Asbury's 1928 book The Gangs of New York — the Irish Mob has appeared in most...
and/or for African American/Puerto Rican street gangs.
The area's dismal reputation has been countered by community activists and nonprofit organizations such as Centro Nueva Creación, which in 2010 conducted a summer children's program, "The Goodlands Photographers," aimed at helping young people to photograph and display positive images of their neighborhood.