Talk:Point Breeze, Philadelphia

Article
The place where you live http://southphillyreview.com Point Breeze October 7, 2004

Boundaries: Alter (near Washington Avenue) to McKean streets, Broad to 27th streets Population: 25,000

Demographics: Black, 78 percent; white, 8 percent; Asian, 11 percent; Latino, 2 percent; other, 1 percent. About 30 percent of the population is under 18.

Origin of name: The earliest references to Point Breeze date to 1895.

Brief history: Prior to World War II, Point Breeze was tidy and well-maintained. Its thriving business district -- Point Breeze Avenue -- was filled with restaurants and stores. But over the years, the businesses suffered from neglect, setting the tone for the entire neighborhood. Drugs, blight and crime crept in, seemingly for good.

The area took more hits as its population dropped. Point Breeze lost 10 percent of its residents between 1990 and 2000. Lacking in enrollment, St. Charles Borromeo School, 2019 Montrose St., closed last year, leaving the neighborhood without a Catholic school.

Point Breeze has not been without its believers, however. The Point Breeze Performing Arts Center opened at 1717-21 Point Breeze Ave. 20 years ago and has professionally trained scores of dancers.

Universal Companies, based at 15th and Catharine streets, took on the mission of revitalizing South Philly's blighted areas in the mid-'90s. Portions of Point Breeze will be aided by Universal founder Kenny Gamble's $100-million plan to build and renovate 400 homes between South and Federal streets west of Broad to 19th. The nonprofit company envisions eventually constructing about 2,000 homes in the area surrounding its headquarters.

Universal is also in the education business, running William S. Peirce Middle School, 24th and Christian streets, and Edwin M. Stanton Elementary, 17th and Christian, for the School District of Philadelphia. Edwin H. Vare Middle School, 24th Street and Snyder Avenue, has been converted to a charter, also under the company's operation. The organization also has its own charter school, Universal Institute, 801 S. 15th St.

Famous residents: Miami Heat forward Rasual Butler, from 20th and Manton streets; Anthony Burrell, 22nd and Dickinson streets, is a product of the Point Breeze Performing Arts Center and now is a backup dancer for Beyoncé; legendary jazz musicians the Heath Brothers -- tenor saxophonist Jimmy, drummer Albert and bass player Percy; Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter, lead vocalist/rapper of Grammy Award-winning band The Roots, from 23rd and Watkins streets; H. Patrick Swygert, president of Howard University, from 15th and Wharton streets

Major landmarks: The Point Breeze Performing Arts Center and the avenue itself, once a major shopping district.

Architecture: Rowhouses and townhouses

Median home sale price: $55,000

State Senate district: First, Vincent Fumo (D); Eighth, Anthony Williams (D)

State House district: 186th, Harold James (D)

City Council district: Second, Council President Anna Verna (D)

Ward: Second

Police district: 17th

Civic groups and townwatches: Point Breeze Civic Association, Point Breeze Community Development Coalition

Schools: George W. Childs Elementary, 17th and Tasker; Delaplaine McDaniel Elementary, 22nd and Moore; W.G. Smith Elementary, 19th and Wharton; Edwin M. Stanton Elementary, 17th and Christian; Norris S. Barratt Middle School, 16th and Wharton; William S. Peirce Middle School, 24th and Christian

Rec centers: Chew Playground, 19th Street and Washington Avenue

Highlights of living there: Active community organizations represent the best hope for the neighborhood, so it's no surprise that their members are the most positive about what Point Breeze has to offer.

Tiffany Green, of the Point Breeze Civic Association, notes that her area around 22nd and Tasker streets is family-oriented and close to Center City. "It's a little neighborhood in a big city."

Reputation: The badlands. Longstanding problems of vacant, blighted homes and violent crime seem insurmountable.

Major concerns/issues: Above all, residents fear they or their children will fall victim to the streets. The Point Breeze Civic Association takes a proactive approach to gang violence by giving youths alternatives. Boys' basketball programs, after school activities and summer camp are part of a year-round roster. "We want to deter kids from gang violence," Green says. "We need them to become men, get jobs and take care of their families."

Improving the reading and math levels of local elementary students is another major concern, as a large percentage of the students are earning below-average grades.

The future: Point Breeze's dilapidated business district is about to receive a much-needed facelift, as James and Gov. Rendell are teaming up to renovate the area and offer incentives to new merchants. James wrote to Rendell in June to request that $800,000 be released toward the Point Breeze Revitalization Project, a $2.5-million plan that was included in the state's capital budget in 1999.

The funds will be used to assist Diversified Community Services in moving its administrative and social-service building -- and more than 100 employees -- from 1210 S. Broad St. to 22nd and Tasker. The agency will face Point Breeze Avenue.

"There is going to be a new hub for business in Point Breeze," James says. "There are going to be more jobs and more businesses are going to come. It's going to be fantastic."

--by Bill Gelman and Sheri Brenner

Comin' from where I'm from

You never know from where inspiration will come.

I was listening to my Anthony Hamilton CD, Comin From Where I'm From, while the 11 o'clock highlights (aka the local news broadcast) displayed yet another senseless slaying "around my way" -- Point Breeze. It made me really think about where I come from.

And though the news might not tout them, there are quite a few positives about the neighborhood.

We have a first-class performing-arts school right in our own backyard. The Point Breeze Performing Arts Center, 1717 Point Breeze Ave., has become a pillar of the community. Since 1984, PBPAC has been achieving its mission statement: "To use the performing arts as a social action strategy that cultivates talent and revitalizes communities."

Activities such as SummerFest showcase the talent that the school has nurtured during the annual PBPAC summer camp. All the campers have a role in this original show. The festival also shows off the Point Breeze Dance Company. Each year, more than 1,000 people enroll in PBPAC classes and workshops, and more than 70,000 people attend their performances and community events.

World-class dancer Anthony Burrell is a product of the Point Breeze Dance Company. These days, he can be seen "steppin'" on tour with pop diva Beyoncé. Burrell, who hails from 22nd and Dickinson streets, discovered his nimbleness on the dance floor at age 12 while attending PBPAC. Executive director Donna Nolan Brown and senior vice president Al Brown quickly recognized and encouraged his talent. Burrell's abilities afforded him the opportunity to perform with the Philadelphia Dance Company and the world-renowned Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.

Have you ever wondered who those three jazz musicians are on the mural at 22nd and Tasker? They're the Heath Brothers -- tenor saxophonist Jimmy, drummer Albert, aka Tootie, and bass player Percy, who, at 81, is the only surviving member.

The brothers enjoyed both individual and group success, beginning in the 1950s. Percy was a key member of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Tootie developed into a top-notch freelance trap drummer and percussionist, keeping the pace for J.J. Johnson, the Jazztet and the Herbie Hancock ensemble. Jimmy made a name for himself with his arrangement and composing skills.

The Heath Brothers' legacy of live instrumentation has been passed on to Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and The Roots.

Trotter, who grew up around 23rd and Watkins streets, is the lead vocalist/rapper for the band, whose trademark "live sound" earned the members a Grammy.

The group's distinct sound doesn't fit a casual hip-hop listener's perception of today's music.

That misconception also extends to the streets of Point Breeze and South Philly in general. Scores of our neighbors exemplify the premise of The Roots song What They Do. The track illustrates the group's efforts to avoid hip-hop stereotypes by not rapping about expensive cars, clothes, violence and sex.

There are plenty of other examples of South Philadelphians who don't make the front page, or whose good deeds are buried behind the police report.

They are not just Grammy Award-winning stars. They are Review Youth Appreciation Award winners, business owners who set up shop in the community in which they live and teachers who dedicate their lives to the children at McDaniel Elementary (R.I.P., Ms. Morris).

--by Kevin Cannady