Olney, Philadelphia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Olney
Neighborhood of Philadelphia
Olney Transportation Center in 1984
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Philadelphia
City	Philadelphia
Area code(s)	215, 267, and 445

Olney is a lively neighborhood in North Philadelphia. It's known for its mix of homes and busy shopping areas. You can find it bordered by Roosevelt Boulevard to the south and Godfrey Avenue to the north.

Olney is mostly a quiet place to live. But some parts are big centers for businesses. For example, there's a Korean-American business area at 5th Street and Olney Avenue. You can also find many Hispanic businesses in southern Olney.

Fisher Park is a great spot in Olney. It's a 23-acre public park. Joseph Wharton created it and gave it to the City of Philadelphia in 1908. He was the founder of Swarthmore College. The park has a football field, basketball courts, and tennis courts. It also has a wooded area for hiking.

Olney got its name from the estate of Alexander Wilson. He lived on Rising Sun Avenue. Wilson loved the poet William Cowper. Cowper lived in Olney, England. So, Wilson named his home "Olney." The mansion was torn down in 1924. But the name stuck for the growing village nearby.

Olney's Story: How It Grew

Early Days in the 19th Century

Back in the 1800s, Olney was mostly farmland. It had many hills and was outside of Philadelphia. Farmers lived here, along with wealthy Philadelphians. These rich families wanted to live away from the busy city.

As Philadelphia grew, more people moved north. They wanted to escape the crowded city center. So, Olney started to become more urban.

Soon, businesses began to open. Many of them were around 5th Street and Olney Avenue. Factories also came to the area. Companies like Heintz Manufacturing and Proctor and Schwartz built plants here. But the shopping areas became even more important. The Olney Businessmans' Association helped them grow.

The population grew even faster after the Broad Street subway was built. Its first stop was at the Olney Transportation Center. This subway made it easy to get to Philadelphia City Hall. It took less than twenty minutes. This, along with trolley lines, made Olney a major transportation hub. People in Olney could easily travel all over the city.

Changes in the 20th Century

In 1925, the Colney Theatre was built. It was huge! It had the largest one-floor seating capacity in the world. Almost 2,000 people could sit there.

Olney High School opened in 1931. Its first class graduated that year. For a while, it had the most students in the city. About 3,600 students attended. Famous alumni include baseball player Del Ennis.

People in Olney worked hard for their community. They asked the city to build playgrounds. They also wanted a library at 5th Street and Tabor Road. Community members even started their own Olney Symphony Orchestra. They also had a newspaper, the Olney Times. It stopped printing in 2010.

Many Portuguese immigrants moved to North 5th Street. This happened from the 1970s to the 1990s. This area was often called "Rua Cinco" (5th Street). You would hear people speaking Portuguese there. You could find Portuguese-speaking tailors, lawyers, and travel agents.

By 1987, the area had many Portuguese businesses. There were travel agencies, grocery stores, and restaurants. The Philadelphia Portuguese Club was also nearby. It was founded in 1935.

Between the 1960s and 1980s, Olney's population changed. Many European-American residents moved out. At the same time, factories closed down. This led to some challenges in the area.

New residents quickly moved into Olney. These included African Americans from other parts of the city. Immigrants also came from Asia (like Korea, Vietnam, China) and Latin America (like Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico). These new groups helped fill the empty stores. They also created new community groups. For example, the Korean Community Development Services Center was formed.

By the mid-1980s, many Koreans moved to Olney. Up to 5,000 Koreans lived there by 1986. Many Korean businesses opened on North Fifth Street. Some people called this area "Koreatown."

Today, the Olney station is still very busy. It's the second most used subway station after City Hall. Olney has thriving business areas. You can find them at 5th and Olney, Broad and Olney, and Front and Olney.

The Adams Avenue Bridge is an important landmark. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Learning in Olney

Public Schools

Olney is part of the School District of Philadelphia.

There are two public high schools in Olney. Olney High School is in southern Olney. Samuel Fels High School is in northern Olney.

Other high schools near Olney include Central High School and the Philadelphia High School for Girls.

Olney has six public elementary schools:

• Lowell
• Finletter
• Morrison
• Grover Washington, Jr.
• Marshall
• Olney

Private Schools

Private elementary schools in Olney include Saint Helena-Incarnation Regional Elementary School. Olney Christian School opened in 2012.

Public Libraries

The Free Library of Philadelphia has a branch in Olney. It's called the Greater Olney Branch.

Higher Education

La Salle University is a college that borders Olney.

Olney's Diverse Community

Olney was first settled by German Americans. For a long time, most people in Olney were from similar backgrounds.

Today, Olney is one of Philadelphia's most diverse neighborhoods. It has many different cultures living together. It has the second-largest Mexican population in Philadelphia. You can also find large communities of Colombians, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Cambodians, African Americans, Koreans, and Arab Americans.

In 2010, the people living in Olney were:

• 49.5% African American
• 26.3% Hispanic or Latino
• 13.9% Asian
• 6.9% White
• About 3% Multiracial

The population of Olney was 36,474 in 2010. The average home price in the 19120 zip code was $79,950 in 2005.

Olney in Pop Culture

• A book called Buck: A Memoir by M. K. Asante takes place mostly in Olney.

Famous People from Olney

• Clair Blank, a novelist