East Oak Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
East Oak Lane is a neighborhood
in the upper Northern section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Many of the houses in the neighborhood are large single homes or twins built at a later period than much of central North Philadelphia. There is also a fair share of typical Philadelphia rowhouses.
This area of Philadelphia was first settled in 1683 as William Penn's
first neighborhood. In the late 19th century, this area was considered a resort. East Oak Lane is defined by the borders of Cheltenham Avenue at the north (the border between Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township
), Broad Street
on the west, Godfrey Avenue at the south, and North 5th Street on the east side.
A walk through the section between 65th Ave. and 69th Ave. East of Broad Street
will reveal a multitude of architectural styles, especially along Oak Lane itself. Artist Chuck Connelly has painted portraits of some of Oak Lane's admirable houses and posted pictures of his paintings on his web site. At 12th and Oak Lane is Ellwood School, present building built 1957 (in the shape of an "L", but the original schoolhouse was a hexagon). Farther east, the almost fantastic diversity of the homes is what makes this area so unique. Across the railroad, a row of shops, most built later, gives the impression of a small town "Main Street".
Today, East Oak Lane is known for being racially and ethnically diverse.
Linguist and political theorist Noam Chomsky
grew up in East Oak Lane in the 1930s and 40s at 6417 Fairhill Street, at the time "the only Jewish family in a mostly Irish
and German
Catholic
neighborhood."
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
in the upper Northern section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Many of the houses in the neighborhood are large single homes or twins built at a later period than much of central North Philadelphia. There is also a fair share of typical Philadelphia rowhouses.
This area of Philadelphia was first settled in 1683 as William Penn's
William Penn
William Penn was an English real estate entrepreneur, philosopher, and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, the English North American colony and the future Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He was an early champion of democracy and religious freedom, notable for his good relations and successful...
first neighborhood. In the late 19th century, this area was considered a resort. East Oak Lane is defined by the borders of Cheltenham Avenue at the north (the border between Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township
Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania
Cheltenham Township is a home rule municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Although it retains the word "Township" in its official name, it has been governed by a home rule charter since 1977 and is therefore not subject to the Pennsylvania Township Code. The population was...
), Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
on the west, Godfrey Avenue at the south, and North 5th Street on the east side.
A walk through the section between 65th Ave. and 69th Ave. East of Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
will reveal a multitude of architectural styles, especially along Oak Lane itself. Artist Chuck Connelly has painted portraits of some of Oak Lane's admirable houses and posted pictures of his paintings on his web site. At 12th and Oak Lane is Ellwood School, present building built 1957 (in the shape of an "L", but the original schoolhouse was a hexagon). Farther east, the almost fantastic diversity of the homes is what makes this area so unique. Across the railroad, a row of shops, most built later, gives the impression of a small town "Main Street".
Today, East Oak Lane is known for being racially and ethnically diverse.
Linguist and political theorist Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
grew up in East Oak Lane in the 1930s and 40s at 6417 Fairhill Street, at the time "the only Jewish family in a mostly Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
and German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
neighborhood."