Holmesburg, Somerton get citywide spotlight

NEast Philly reports on neighborhoods like Holmesburg and Somerton every day.

But it’s a much rarer occasion to see Northeast Philly neighborhoods get citywide attention. But both got the chance this weekend when the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Inquirer, respectively, reported on stories in those neighborhoods.

The Daily News featured a story about Holmesburg Civic Association President Rich Frizell on Saturday in response to Frizell’s testimony at a Philadelphia City Council budget hearing last month about the attention (or lack thereof) being paid to the slice of Pennypack Park near Frankford and Solly avenues. You can read NEast Philly’s continuing coverage of that area of the park here.

Sunday’s Inquirer had a real estate story about Somerton and its “suburban feel in the city.” Citing Somerton Civic Association zoning officer Seth Kaplan and others, the report focuses on the demand for housing there and speculates about the affect the city’s actual value initiative for property tax reassessments might have.

It doesn’t matter if these reports make Northeast Philly neighborhoods look good or bad. What matters is that the rest of the city understands what’s going in the Northeast.

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