46559
South Street District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Located between Front Street and Seventh Street is a neighbourhood known for its "bohemian", "punk", and generally "alternative" atmosphere and its diverse urban mix of shops, bars, and eateries. It is one of Philadelphia's largest tourist attractions.
South Street had been originally the centre of local Swedish and Dutch populations, then Irish in the early to mid-1800s, and many decades later, Jewish and Italian immigrant culture as well as a vibrant African-American neighbourhood. Because Quaker doctrine opposed live performances within the city limits, the first permanent theatre in the United States was built on the south side of the street at Leithgow Street, giving birth to a tradition of Philadelphians seeking out entertainment on South Street that continues today.
Until the 1950s, South Street was known mainly as a multi-ethnic garment district, with stores for men's suits and other clothing, while the more western areas around South Street served as a cultural and commercial center for South Philadelphia's African American community. Real estate values plummeted after city planner Edmund Bacon and others proposed the Crosstown Expressway that would have required the demolition of many buildings on South Street and Bainbridge Street. The suddenly cheap property attracted artists and counterculture-types. The proposed expressway was never built due to public opposition.
The resulting drop in rent and property prices, South Street served as an artists' haven and a hub of Beat subculture and, later, 1960s counterculture, bohemianism, and the hippie movement in Philadelphia, establishing a lasting association of South Street with avant-garde and alternative subcultures. Starting mainly in the early 1960s to the 1970s, South Street was filled with clubs and bars that fostered a live local music community.
Information Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Street_(Philadelphia)
46559
South Street District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Located between Front Street and Seventh Street is a neighbourhood known for its "bohemian", "punk", and generally "alternative" atmosphere and its diverse urban mix of shops, bars, and eateries. It is one of Philadelphia's largest tourist attractions.
South Street had been originally the centre of local Swedish and Dutch populations, then Irish in the early to mid-1800s, and many decades later, Jewish and Italian immigrant culture as well as a vibrant African-American neighbourhood. Because Quaker doctrine opposed live performances within the city limits, the first permanent theatre in the United States was built on the south side of the street at Leithgow Street, giving birth to a tradition of Philadelphians seeking out entertainment on South Street that continues today.
Until the 1950s, South Street was known mainly as a multi-ethnic garment district, with stores for men's suits and other clothing, while the more western areas around South Street served as a cultural and commercial center for South Philadelphia's African American community. Real estate values plummeted after city planner Edmund Bacon and others proposed the Crosstown Expressway that would have required the demolition of many buildings on South Street and Bainbridge Street. The suddenly cheap property attracted artists and counterculture-types. The proposed expressway was never built due to public opposition.
The resulting drop in rent and property prices, South Street served as an artists' haven and a hub of Beat subculture and, later, 1960s counterculture, bohemianism, and the hippie movement in Philadelphia, establishing a lasting association of South Street with avant-garde and alternative subcultures. Starting mainly in the early 1960s to the 1970s, South Street was filled with clubs and bars that fostered a live local music community.
Information Source:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Street_(Philadelphia)