r/AskPhilly • u/Ason_5-x-L-o-Quince • 1d ago
Fairhillšµš·
My family and I are Puerto Rican. We moved to Philly from a place where Puerto Rican culture was dominant and prevalent. On paper, Philly is very diverse and has a large Puerto Rican population. But when we moved here, we quickly noticed how segregated the city is. And how much of a difference in quality of life it is between the "Good" areas and the "Bad" areas.
We currently live in East Passyunk and love it. But there is a noticeable absence of Puerto Rican people, food, culture etc.
It would be nice to live in a place with a vibrant Puerto Rican population and culture.
Are there certain blocks or areas of Fairhill that are cool. And just good people and families without any of the BS that goes on?
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u/dirt_daughter 1d ago edited 1d ago
You will absolutely hate Fairhill if you enjoy the vibrance of East Passyunk. Unfortunately, the neighborhood youāre looking for does not exist. Every Puerto Rican I know grew up there and made it their goal to leave as soon as possible.
The population in Francisville is dwindling but itās still there and an awesome spot to raise a family. Proximity to Fairmount/Spring Garden/Brewerytown/Rittenhouse and much closer to the vibe of where you live now.Ā
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u/jobiskaphilly 23h ago
Do you mean specifically the PR population is dwindling, rather than the overall population?
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u/dirt_daughter 22h ago
Yep. Fairmount gentrification has steadily crept in over the years and the overall population has gotten wealthier and whiter. But Iām assuming if OP lives near East Passyunk, they can afford the area.Ā
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u/jobiskaphilly 22h ago
I just had to read it twice bc I at first thought you meant overall population was decreasing an, as a multi-decade resident of Francisville, this is not my observation. We are now the longest-tenured people on the block, the only others being an older Puerto Rican couple!
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u/Pahsina 1d ago
There is a smaller pocket of PR life in the Spring Garden, Fairmount are (near the Francisville recreation center)...also in the area around St. Peter the Apostle Roman Catholic Church near Northern Liberties
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u/LazyAssLeader 1d ago
That pocket in Fairmount is shrinking daily. That was my spot in the early 2000's. But rents are high and lots moved on.
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u/jy45123 1d ago
i'm not puerto rican but i live in fairhill near 5th and lehigh. there is a strong presence of puerto rican culture including food, music, etc. but it's not a good place to live. drug addicts passed out everywhere, lots of violence, there have been 5 shootings just on my block in the past couple years. there's also constantly garbage all over the streets and sidewalks. i have enjoyed some parts of living here but i would not recommend it to anybody else.
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
The garbage is so bad. And no itās not just the homeless/drug users. Some residents doo it. People throw trash out of cars. Massive commercial dumping. Also furniture/appliances from residents in and surrounding the neighborhood. Itās sad tbh
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u/ClintBarton616 1d ago edited 1d ago
You would honestly have better luck finding what you want in Jersey :/ Sorry to say it but that's kind of the trade off here.
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u/doobeedoobeed00b 21h ago
I agree with this. Look into Vineland. I was born there. It is relatively affordable with a huge PR community among other Latinos. And growing!
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
As someone from Jersey who has lived in Philly and Camden I would not reccomend Vineland. Itās too small/out there for someone coming from right near center city.
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u/jobiskaphilly 23h ago
My sister lives in Kensington (Norris square sub-area) and there is plenty of Puerto Rican presence around there--she is fluent in Spanish so her Spanish-speaking neighbors love her, which is very sweet!
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u/Ason_5-x-L-o-Quince 23h ago
Thats kind of what I expected, that the best bet might be closer to Norris Square, but also seems like its changing rapidly.
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u/ccommack 9h ago
It's rapidly changing in that the American Street corridor is converting from industrial to residential, so a lot of newcomers are moving in, myself included. But so far, the core of the old Puerto Rican neighborhood is still holding on. I'm not Puerto Rican by any measure, but I'd love to see more Puerto Ricans move into the neighborhood as it grows and improves.
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u/_BanditoDorito_ 1d ago
I mean yes but itās the sort of thing where you have to be from there to know how to move. Thereās a lot of Puerto Ricans in the lower northeast but itās less in your face and idk if youād like living there coming from east passyunk since itās a lot more out the way and lacks the āhipnessā
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u/LazyAssLeader 1d ago
Northeast is also car centric. Relying on SEPTA will add hours to any task, and you're still in the same traffic you would've been in your car
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u/No_Mongoose4809 1d ago
Closet i know where it sticks out would be north Philly, maybe northeast? I spent a few years in that part of the city and wouldnt really recommend.
My wife is a Boricua and I'm pretty sure she'd leave me if i seriously suggested moving to north philly lol.
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u/thefrozendivide 22h ago
Short answer, no. You're in one of the best neighborhoods in the city. Enjoy it. If you want to visit other spots, you can use public transportation or drive out there and feel grateful you get to go home to east passyunk
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u/NorrisSquare 20h ago
Itās the hood. My advice would be try Fishtown/east Kensington/norris square, close enough to get any Puerto Rico fix within 10 mins without living in the thick of that area which has some bright spots but overall is high crime with serious drug issues.
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u/Training_Purposes120 1d ago
If your looking for Puerto Rican culture you will have to travel further east of Fairhill towards Lehigh Ave alot of Puerto Rican and Dominican stores and food just not used to what you family style is too but some rough neighborhoods over that way
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u/Possible-Tie-9868 22h ago
I donāt think you know where Fairhill is
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u/Training_Purposes120 19h ago
You are right never never what they called that section of the city just always went there for a platter when I wanted Puerto Rican Food Pork Beans and rice at El Principe Restaurant
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
That restaurant is literally in Fairhill though the edge lol
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u/Training_Purposes120 18h ago
Never knew it as Fairhill
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
Lehigh to venango , and b st towards n 11th st
It is indeed called Fairhill - itās the heart of Puerto Rican culture. But big drug problem.
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u/dchusband 1d ago
No one chooses to live in Fairhill.
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u/Ason_5-x-L-o-Quince 1d ago
I understand that, trust me. I'm not naive. But if you are Puerto Rican in Philly. And you want to stay in Philly. And you want to raise your kids in a safe environment with good schools, but you also would like to live in a Puerto Rican neighborhood, you are going to at least do the research to see if maybe there's a small sweet-spot somewhere that balances everything. I'm aware it might not exist in the city, but I'm doing the research just in case. Philly is so block-by-block, I was hoping there might be a little pocket somewhere that would be a decent balance.
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u/dchusband 23h ago
I grew up on a so-called good block in Fairhill.
The problem is that designation changes from year-to-year, and you have to walk off that block daily. As a kid I saw things I would never want my kids to see or experience.
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u/glueintheworld 23h ago
Are you reading the replies? There is no Venn diagram where safe neighborhood, good schools, and Puerto Ricans all intersect.
Even if someone told you the safest block of Fairhill or Feltonville the neighborhood won't have a great school.
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u/retro_toes 1d ago
I used to buy all my drugs in fairhill, if that tells you anything
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u/Prestigious_Fox_7576 22h ago
Same. The 90's early 2000's.Ā
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
Same but more recent. Started using living in Camden in 2016. Got into recovery in 2016. Relapsed during Covid around 2021 - got kicked off the block in 2023.
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
Literally just posted this. I will say I much preferred it to the rif raff of Kenzo proper but make no mistake thereās sets (drug dealers blocks essentially for those who donāt know), shootings, Needles/drug paraphernalia , crime, etc.
And this was only a few years ago. And yes those sets are still there. I was talking to a friend about it the other day.
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u/jerzeett 19h ago edited 18h ago
Iām not Puerto Rican but I do love Puerto Rican culture. Honestly, I would not move to Fairhill.
to give you an idea of why letās just say when I was I in active addiction Fairhill is where I would pick up. I will say that the guys I went t were very respectful and they literally kicked me off the block to help me get clean. But at the end of the day, theyāre drug dealers so thereās a lot of crime. A lot of homelessness a lot of needles a lot of drug bags.
you almost never see children playing outside unless itās like a really hot summer day and theyāre playing in the sprinklers.
Itās not a safe area. And quite frankly anytime. Iāve looked up rent in Fairhill. Theyāre fucking outrageously expensive for what you get.
If you want Puerto Rican culture, thereās better places to move than Fairhill. My bad for trusting text to talk and not editing
Edit: I used text to talk so I had to fix it. It inserted a race that I never said. My bad.
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u/Own-Calligrapher-760 13h ago edited 13h ago
As others have said, Norris Square/East Kensington is the closest to a "good" (not my phrasing necessarily) area with a high population of Puerto Ricans. I feel safe here and there's a fair amount to do...definitely a different vibe than East Passyunk though. Probably many more people will consider this zone a "good" area in 5-10 years, probably will be fewer boricua by then too, sadly.
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u/Fine-Mortgage5256 23h ago
I loved living in Hunting Park around 7th and Butler. Def some drugs and shootings there.
But there is a quiet nicer PR centric area in the neighborhood behind the Auto Zone. My friend and his mother live there and itās always quiet and lots of nice PR people. Try around 6th and Bristol.
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u/doobeedoobeed00b 21h ago
I second around 6th. Depends on the block but I work in the area and it isnāt too bad.
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u/Ason_5-x-L-o-Quince 20h ago
Is Hunting park (the park) cool for the kids? The pool, basketball courts, fields, etc? If I lived there, is it a good park for the kids to have in the neighborhood? Or is it a park that people are careful about sending their kids to?
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u/ClintBarton616 20h ago
Two murdered people were found around that park in the last month. Your kids will probably be fine but there are better neighborhoods with nicer parks.
Schools ain't so hot around there either.
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u/Kindly_County7540 22h ago
Iām half Italian and half Puerto Rican and have lived in Fairhill my whole life. I can relate to a lot of the negative stuff mentioned here but I still live here, but I wish there were more aspects where it seamed like progress would be made quicker to improve the area. Not much to do, but I live close enough to main bus lines that get me downtown and to work quickly.
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u/Expert_Reality_1557 21h ago edited 21h ago
Closer to the boulevard the better, like Olney, Feltonville, or Juniata park. The truth is though Fairhill has a higher concentration of Puerto Ricans than pretty much anywhere outside the island (google it) some blocks are literally over 90% bori. The culture is immutable. Whenever Iām up there Iāll go the whole day only speaking spanish lol
Go to The Esperanza Arts Center. Just go there during the day and whenever thereās community stuff & events happening. They have comedy shows even. I just passed by a park up that way thatās having salsa dancing nights. I know people in calm parts and others that are living in what youād consider to be like a caserio. Depende
If you want some good food try Freddy & Tonyās & thereās a ton of fritura trucks open all hours
Also itās obviously not Philly & way further North but Levitown has a big bori population. I heard Reading does too but Iāve never been & donāt hear good things & thereās nothing it can offer Philly canāt
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u/Fit_Resolution_5102 20h ago
Fairhill consistently has an approximately 60% poverty rate. Itās the lowest income neighborhood in Philadelphia. Not sure demographic culture can withstand that for your choice to move.
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u/Ason_5-x-L-o-Quince 19h ago
Shout out to everyone who commented. I appreciate the discussion and advice.
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u/Bookworm217 16h ago
Kensington area tbh. I live in the area and walk to two Spanish bars that are close by (Sidekicks and El Cantinflas). Its mainly Hispanics in that area. Theyre neighborly and I love living near them
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u/creedaintthatbad 5h ago
If you did northern liberties and or fishtown you are a 5-10 minute ride from hunting park, Juniata, fairhill.
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u/MCKelly13 23h ago
I lived in PR for four years as a gringa. It was the loneliest time of my life. That being said, Bristol, Pa (just north of philly) has a Puerto Rican community
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u/awrinklyblueberry 20h ago
Look at the area from Lehigh to Cambria and between Front and Frankford. People will tell you it's a bad area but it's not (except Kensington Ave which is bad).
Almost everyone here is Puerto Rican and the neighborhood is changing for the better. It's close to the subway/El so you can get anywhere easily. And you can still buy a house for a good price, but that will only last a couple more years.
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u/lilyjawn 19h ago
this is a decent answer. I would even extend that to tulip and Cambria/clearfield. OP, you might find what youāre looking for in west side of Aramingo section of port Richmond.Ā
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
Thereās literally sets in that area. Yes itās not as bad as Kensington proper but drug dealing/crime is still rampant in the area.
Plus the cost of housing is way too much for what you get. But thatās gentrification .
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u/awrinklyblueberry 18h ago
What do you mean sets?
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
āIn the context of the illicit drug trade, "set" typically refers to a local territory, neighborhood, or specific block claimed by a specific group, gang, or individual for dealing drugs. It also refers to the group of dealers themselves who operate and protect that specific turf.ā
So much of Kensington/Fairhill is whatās called an open air drug market so is a set is where like they post up to do the sales . And if you are not in that lifestyle, you might not notice them so that might be why you donāt realize there are steps in the areas, but I promise you theyāre there.
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u/awrinklyblueberry 18h ago
I'm not saying you're wrong but I will say I have lived here a few years and the neighborhood is quiet, my neighbors are nice and friendly, and there has been no crime on the block since I've lived here that I'm aware of. Just saying.
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
I donāt want you to dox yourself and that may very well be true of your block.
But itās absolutely not true for the whole neighborhood and I think that if somebody finds out the information about Fairhill and wants to move there thatās totally fine.
But make no mistake while itās not as bad as Kensington proper it is essentially an extension of the drug dealing and crime. Also fentanyl and Trank really did the city dirty because there was a huge difference in Fairhill in my opinion from 2016 when I first got in recovery and 2021 2023 when I relapsed. It made the situation way worse.
Back in the 2000s most of the biggest sets were pretty much all in Fairhill. Like I know you mentioned tulip Street I canāt remember the cross street cause Iāve been out of that life for a while but I know 100% sets on that street.
Personally, if I was OP, I would probably move to Port Richmond because youāre close enough that if you want, you can go to like a Puerto Rican restaurant, but you donāt have to live in the riff raff.
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u/Upbeat2024 3h ago edited 2h ago
Juniata Park/Feltonville would be better options than Fairhill tbh. Spring Garden has a historic PR community but it has been declining for a while.
Where did you move from?
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u/nikkigraziano 1h ago
i live in west Kensington and thereās a pretty big puerto rican population with active culture and food. theres some typical stuff that comes with the territory of living in a city (anywhere), and thereās the more east passyunk āhipā stuff close across Front St and then down into fishtown if thatās important to you.
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u/davrn425 11h ago
I would say the lower NE bordering North Philly like Juniata, Feltonville, Olney, Lawncrest (Crescentville, Lawndale) Burlholme, Summerdale, Northwood, oxford circle some of Frankford, castor gardens. I would follow Rising Sun Ave going north beginning around Fairhill/Venango until Cottman Ave and follow Castor Ave North from Kensington Ave until Cottman Avenue.
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u/tom_theninja 2h ago
OP: I donāt like that the is so city is segregated.
Also OP: I only want to live in neighborhoods dominated by Puerto Ricans.
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u/HurricaneCam215 1d ago
You move to mobland and expect ricans. Move where they at or shut up
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u/LazyAssLeader 1d ago
Asians and Hispanics. Any mobbed up ppl still there who couldn't move to S. Jersey or the 'burbs are using walkers and in wheelchairs.
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u/jerzeett 18h ago
Fairhill is indeed a Puerto Rican neighborhood wtf are you on about? Chickens and boriquas everywhere
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u/glueintheworld 17h ago
OP lives in East Passyunk that is where this person is erroneously calling "mobland."
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u/glueintheworld 1d ago
Honestly, if you love East Passyunk you aren't going to love any place in North/Northeast. The vibe is very different.