Southwest Center City Philadelphia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Southwest Center City
Graduate Hospital South of South |
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| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  Pennsylvania |
| County |  Philadelphia |
| City | Philadelphia |
| Area | |
| • Total | 0.391 sq mi (1.01 km2) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 14,919 |
| • Density | 38,130/sq mi (14,720/km2) |
| ZIP Code |
19146
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Southwest Center City (SWCC) is a fun and busy neighborhood in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It's right next to Center City Philadelphia, which is the main downtown area.
This neighborhood is bordered by South Street to the north and Washington Avenue to the south. To the west, you'll find the Schuylkill River, and to the east, Broad Street.
SWCC is close to other neighborhoods like Fitler Square and Rittenhouse Square. It's a place with many community groups, restaurants, churches, shops, and even some small factories.
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What's in a Name?
This neighborhood has many different names! The city planners call it Southwest Center City.
Since the 1980s, people often called it Graduate Hospital. This name came from a hospital that used to be on the north side of the neighborhood. Even though the hospital closed in 2007, the name is still used. Sometimes, people even shorten it to G-Ho.
You might also hear it called South of South or So-So. A tiny part of the area is sometimes known as Devil's Pocket.
What the Neighborhood Looks Like
Southwest Center City is mostly filled with old rowhouses from the 1800s and 1900s. You'll also see small corner stores, 22 churches, and a few bigger, important buildings.
On the east side, there's a large affordable housing complex called the Scottish Rite. It has two tall apartment buildings, mostly for older people and those with lower incomes. The old Graduate Hospital buildings are on South Street, the northern border of the neighborhood.
Along Grays Ferry Avenue, you can find the former Philadelphia Naval Asylum, also known as the Naval Home. This building was designed in 1826 by William Strickland. It's a National Historic Landmark that opened in 1833 but closed in 1976. Now, it's been turned into apartments and is called Naval Square. The Schuylkill Arsenal, an old military factory, used to be here but was torn down.
A Look Back in Time
Before 1854, this area was part of Moyamensing Township. The Dutch governor Alexander d'Hinoyossa first set up Moyamensing. Later, in 1684, William Penn officially recognized it.
The neighborhood really started to grow after the American Civil War. In 1870, many people living here were Irish American. But by 1920, most residents were African Americans. More people moved here from the southern United States before, during, and after World War II. For much of the early 1900s, it was a strong working-class neighborhood.
In the 1960s, there were plans to build a big highway along South Street. This highway would have cut off Center City from the neighborhoods to the south. Because of this plan, many buildings in SWCC were left empty and started to fall apart. The loss of jobs and people caused the neighborhood to decline.
Several important buildings in the area are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These include the Marian Anderson House, Franklin Hose Company No. 28, William S. Peirce School, Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad Freight Shed, Royal Theater, St. Anthony de Padua Parish School, Edwin M. Stanton School, and Tindley Temple United Methodist Church.
Modern Changes and Growth
In recent years, Southwest Center City has been growing and changing. Many new homes and apartments have been built or fixed up. Because the neighborhood is so close to Center City, it's become a popular place to live. This has led to many new businesses opening up. Even with all the improvements, some old, empty buildings can still be found, especially towards the south.
Kenneth Gamble, a famous musician who lives in the area, started Universal Companies. His goal was to help improve the neighborhood. In the 1990s, his company began the Universal Court housing project. At first, there was some disagreement with the local neighborhood group, but they worked it out. The project was a success! Since then, Universal Companies has opened small local businesses, affordable housing, and even a charter school.
Children's Hospital Expansion
The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) is expanding in the western part of the neighborhood. Their first new building opened in 2017 along the Schuylkill River. To make space, they tore down the Springfield Beer Distributor and the old JFK Vocational Center.
Newspaper reports suggest that this area will change so much that it might not even be called "Devil's Pocket" anymore. This expansion is expected to bring a lot of money into Philadelphia's economy and create many jobs. CHOP has hired experts to plan how traffic will flow around the new buildings. The plan includes building three tall towers, each about 26 stories high, along Schuylkill Avenue. These plans are part of a bigger city effort to improve the area from University City all the way to the Philadelphia International Airport.
The three new towers proposed by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia will replace the Springfield Beer Distributor and the former JFK Vocational School. Each tower is planned to be 26 stories tall.
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CHOP plans to build on these two properties. The JFK Vocational School is in the back, and Springfield Beer Distributor is in the front.
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This is a prototype of the building's outside design.
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The Marine Corps Depot of Supplies, Schuylkill Warehouse, was an important building in the area.
Local Culture
Every year since 1975, Southwest Center City hosts the Odunde Festival. This is a one-day festival and a big street market that celebrates African-American culture and the African diaspora. It comes from the traditions of the Yoruba people of Nigeria and celebrates the new year. The festival takes place mainly at the corner of Grays Ferry Avenue and South Street.
