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Our local Forgotten Bottom sexual assault attorneys have sponsored this article on the neighborhood of Forgotten Bottom, a small area of south west Philadelphia. We hope you enjoy reading more about your local community.
Forgotten Bottom, while it sits as part of Grays Ferry, straddles being in West Philadelphia versus Southwest Philadelphia. Forgotten Bottom sits west of 34th Street and north of Reed Street. Along the top edge, the neighborhood is bounded by the Schuylkill River. Because of the little corner or the city, the area has been quiet over the years despite having a rich history and being surrounded by racial tension in other parts of Southwest Philadelphia. The neighborhood is 23-acres and is home to a few hundred residential homes.
The industrial and research hub dates back to the mid 1860s where the Harrison Brothers' Grays Ferry Chemical Company had a production company. The chemical company produced paints and sulfuric acid, employing up to 500 people who all worked along the Schuylkill River. DuPont Chemical Company bought out the brothers in 1917 demolishing the original structures and adding new warehouses.
DuPont closed the facility in 2009 in the middle of the financial crisis, leaving a large amount of land and buildings empty. Fortunately, the University of Pennsylvania is just over the river and quickly jumped at the opportunity to purchase the DuPont land.
In keeping with tradition of business of the area, UPenn transformed part of an old DuPont warehouse into a space perfect for scientists, designers and a co-working area for entrepreneurs. The building has been labeled Pennovation and is an incubator for technological and industrial developments. The building officially opened in late October, 2016 and was quickly filled with Biomakers, the Penn Engineering Research and Collaboration Hub among others.
University of Pennsylvania has plans to redevelop many of the other buildings in the area to create a thriving environment for innovation and growth. The University also offers a mortgage assistance program for employees which includes the Forgotten Bottom neighborhood, encouraging employees to live in the area.
Part in thanks to the mortgage assistance program, and part in thanks to being an affordable area, there have been many redevelopments of the housing community. Homes are being rehabbed and new developments are being built on empty plots of land. A mixed-use development at 25th an Washington Avenue was designed to increase the walk-ability of the neighborhood.
In 2018, SEPTA proposed the creation of a new bus line that would link Forgotten Bottom to Grays Ferry but most importantly, up to University City more easily.
Home values have raised over the last few years, in 2015, prices were up 26% compared to 2014 values. This is due to the redevelopment of the area and associated with University of Pennsylvania building new research properties. Residents of the neighborhood live south of Grays Ferry Avenue.
While Forgotten Bottom is surrounded by the Schuylkill River on 2 sides, the neighborhood has access to the Grays Ferry Crescent Trail Park. This park is apart of the Schuylkill Banks development and this segment wraps across the north and west sides of the neighborhood, from 34th Street to Wharton Street, behind the Pennovation building, a Waste Management facility and a distribution center for FedEx. While the segment is currently standalone from other parts of the Schuylkill banks trail, it will eventually connect.
The Grays Ferry Crescent was opened in June 2012 and quickly became a destination for Forgotten Bottom residents as well as other residents from across the city looking for a new view. There is a children's play area, bike trail, picnic area and even skate park and fishing pier. It could be easy to think that the area is not safe due to the industrial beginning of the neighborhood, but the Schuylkill Banks development team remediated the area meeting DEP standards. This involved disposing of hazardous soil, paving and general clearing. New soil and grass were all filled in to create the now thriving area and ensuring a safe place for children and residents to enjoy.
Ready to learn more about the area? Discover the neighborhood of Mantua, Philadelphia.
Justice Guardians has local Forgotten Bottom sexual abuse lawyers standing by to provide a free consultation. If you are unsure your legal rights after suffering sexual abuse or another personal injury accident, call today to speak with an attorney. Our compassionate team understands how assault and injuries can affect daily life.
Justice Guardians
5327 Walnut St #201
Philadelphia, PA 19139
(267) 313-5200