Poplar, Philadelphia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Poplar
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John F. Street Community Center, 1100 Poplar Street
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 Poplar
Location in Philadelphia
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| Country |  United States |
| State | Pennsylvania |
| County | Philadelphia |
| City | Philadelphia |
| Area code(s) | 215, 267 and 445 |
Poplar is a neighborhood in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It's found in North Philadelphia, with its borders roughly set by Girard Avenue to the north, Broad Street to the west, Spring Garden Street to the south, and 5th Street to the east. Poplar is mostly a place where people live, with shops and businesses along Broad Street and Girard Avenue.
Contents
A Look Back: Poplar's History
Poplar started out with many single-family homes called row houses. There were also some factories. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, many homes fell apart. The city then tore them down.
Building New Homes
In the late 1930s, the city built the Richard Allen Homes. This was a large public housing project. It helped replace old, damaged areas. It also gave homes to new workers who came to the city for jobs during wartime. The Richard Allen Homes were a very important part of Poplar for many years.
Another housing project was Cambridge Plaza. It had two tall buildings and many smaller townhouses. Cambridge Plaza was built in 1957. It was taken down in 2001. After that, new suburban-style homes were built. Today, some of the original row houses still stand, especially south of Fairmount Avenue.
Friends Housing Cooperative
The Friends Housing Cooperative (FHC) is a group of homes. It's located between Fairmount Avenue, Franklin Street, Brown Street, and North 8th Street. These homes were built around 1850. In the 1950s, they became a gated apartment community. After some time, these homes were fixed up and improved.
Getting Around: Transportation in Poplar
Several bus routes help people travel through Poplar.
- The 23 bus goes north on 11th Street and south on 12th Street.
- The 61 bus travels north and south on Ridge Avenue.
- The 47 bus runs north on Seventh Street and south on Eighth Street.
Some regional train lines also pass through Poplar, but they do not stop in the neighborhood.
Important Places: Poplar's Landmarks
Even though many of Poplar's first homes are gone, some important buildings still stand out. You can see them from different parts of the neighborhood and the city.
Historic Buildings
- The beautiful, old Divine Lorraine Hotel is on North Broad Street.
- A very large former Strawbridge & Clothier warehouse is at 9th and Poplar Streets.
- Two public school buildings from the 1920s and 1930s are on 12th Street. These are Spring Garden School No. 1 and Spring Garden School. They were designed by a famous architect named Irwin Catharine.
Most of these older buildings are empty now, except for one of the schools. The Divine Lorraine Hotel and the two schools are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other places on this list include the Thaddeus Stevens School of Observation, Rodeph Shalom Synagogue, and Mary Channing Wister School.
Religious Sites
The Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is at 830 North Franklin Street. It was built in 1966 and designed by Julian K. Jastremsky.
Learning in Poplar: Education
Students in Poplar attend schools run by the School District of Philadelphia.
- For younger students (Kindergarten to 8th grade), some schools include:
- Harrison School
- Spring Garden School
- For high school, students attend Benjamin Franklin High School.
