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Cecil B. Moore
Montgomery Avenue at 18th Street in the Cecil B. Moore neighborhood
Montgomery Avenue at 18th Street in the Cecil B. Moore neighborhood
Country  United States
State Pennsylvania
County Philadelphia County
City Philadelphia
ZIP code
19121
Area code(s) Area code 215

Cecil B. Moore is a lively neighborhood in the North Philadelphia area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It's often called "Templetown" because it's built around the main campus of Temple University. This name, however, isn't always popular with the community or the university. The area is changing quickly as more Temple students move in. The name "Templetown" was first used by a former Temple president, but it became more common when a real estate company started using it.

Exploring the Cecil B. Moore Neighborhood

This section helps you understand where the Cecil B. Moore neighborhood is located and who lives there.

Where is Cecil B. Moore?

The Cecil B. Moore neighborhood stretches from 6th Street in the east to 17th Street in the west. To the north, it reaches York Street, and to the south, it goes down to Girard Avenue.

Who Lives in Cecil B. Moore?

Most of the people who have lived here for a long time are African Americans and Puerto Ricans. However, many students from Temple University are now moving into the area. These students come from all backgrounds, and many live off-campus within the Cecil B. Moore community.

How Temple University Helps the Area

The growth of Temple University has brought new life to the area. For example, the Progress Plaza shopping center has seen a big comeback, thanks to the money students spend there. Temple University is also expanding its campus. It bought the old William Penn High School. Once it's redeveloped, Temple's presence will extend even further south towards Girard Avenue.

Understanding the Names of the Region

The neighborhood has two main names, each with its own story.

Who Was Cecil B. Moore?

WTP B07 Audrey 2
The Liacouras Center

The area is named after Cecil B. Moore (1915–1979). He was a famous lawyer and activist in Philadelphia. Moore was a key leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He fought for important changes, like helping to end segregation at Girard College. He also served as president of the local NAACP chapter. Later, he became a member of Philadelphia's City Council.

Moore is best known for leading protests that helped desegregate Girard College. He also championed many other causes for civil rights. These included making sure schools and trade unions were open to everyone. He also worked to give African Americans more political and economic power. Moore helped bring calm after a difficult period in 1964. During his time, the local NAACP chapter grew from 7,000 members to over 50,000 in just a few years.

Why "Templetown" is Used and Debated

Morgan Hall Under Construction in 2013
The Mitchell and Hilarie Morgan Hall (corner of North Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue in Philadelphia) under construction in 2013.

The nickname "Templetown" became popular because of the strong influence of Temple University. However, neither the university nor the local community officially approved this name. In 2014, many long-time residents began to push back against the "Templetown" name. They felt that their community had not seen much economic growth for 60 years.

The large number of students moving in has brought new investments to the area. This has led to changes that some residents find difficult. The complaints were so strong that Google eventually removed "Templetown" from its maps. It now uses the official "Cecil B. Moore" name instead.

Important Places in the Neighborhood

This section highlights key institutions in the Cecil B. Moore area.

Education Centers

  • Temple University: A large university with about 39,515 students.
  • Girard College (Prep): A historic boarding school with about 300 students.

Getting Around Cecil B. Moore

Public Transportation

The main way to get around the Cecil B. Moore neighborhood using public transport is the Cecil B. Moore transit station. This station helps people travel easily throughout the city.

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