Philadelphia Rail Park: From Photoshop to reality

Emily Cohen

June 14, 2018

Philadelphians of all ages gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Philadelphians of all ages gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Integral members of the team that brought the rail park to life, including Sarah McEneaney (center) and John Struble (center left), cut the “green” ribbon, officially opening the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Members of the Philadelphia Suns inaugurate the rail park with a traditional lion dance June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Philadelphians of all ages gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Philadelphians of all ages gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Philadelphians of all ages and species gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Philadelphians of all ages gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Philadelphians of all ages gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Construction is ongoing for the Philadelphia Rail Park even as Phase 1 is unveiled and opened to the public on June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
An overgrown rail line, and future part of the park, is visible from the competed first quarter of the Philadelphia Rail Park. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Children from the Fike and Ryan families enjoy one of the swings that have been installed in the park. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Industrial styled swings sit at the end of the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Benches and greenery populate the new park giving Philadelphians and visitors a new place to view the city from. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Philadelphians of all ages gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Giuseppe Giambanco (left) and James Postiglione, of AP Construction, make some final touches on the park they helped build June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Philadelphians of all ages gather to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
Cecilia Norris, 3, takes a peek through the cutouts in the iron picture map of the city of Philadelphia that greets visitors as they enter the first phase of the Philadelphia Rail Park June 14th 2018. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)
The first phase of the Philadelphia Rail Park stretches from 13th and Noble to 12th and Broad. (Emily Cohen for WHYY)

On a breezy, beautiful morning close to one thousand Philadelphians gathered together to inaugurate the first quarter mile of the Philadelphia Rail Park. Located just past Callowhill at 13th and Noble streets, the once-abandoned rail line has been reclaimed “for Callowhill, for Chinatown, and for the whole region” as Director of Center City Districts, Paul Levy, put it.

The rail park, once complete, will link Chinatown to Brewerytown, a total of three miles of green space for all of Philadelphia to enjoy. “It will connect neighborhoods during a time when our country needs to be connected and that’s the great power of parks,” explained Philadelphia Parks and Rec commissioner, Kathryn Ott Lovell.

The new park gives explorers a new, and legal, view of the city from above, offering a plethora of benches, swings, and greenery. Programming and arts will continue to be introduced and offered as the summer kicks off and the park expands.