Category roxborough

Will Manayunk/Roxborough get its own food co-op?

 

 
It’s starting to look like the Manayunk/Roxborough food co-op will happen over the next few years.

When the idea was presented back in April at a community meeting, the attendance was beyond anyone’s expectations. There are a lot of people in this part of Philadelphia that want to get involved in starting/running their own food co-op (similar to Weavers Way in Mt Airy & Chestnut Hill).

So what is a food co-op exactly?

“Food Co-Op” is short for “Food Cooperative,” and is based on the concept of a community run grocery store owned by its members. To keep costs down, not only operational costs but also the cost of food for its members, co-ops are built on work from volunteers. They select the products, put in hours of volunteer work each month, and try to keep everything fresh, natural, and local.

Why would a neighborhood want to start one?

Not only for the positive reasons I already cited above, but it also helps improve overall food quality and strengthens the surrounding community. Food has always been something that brings people together, so it’s only natural that a community based food store would accomplish the same thing. It’s already been tested (right here in Philadelphia), and it works.

I will be sharing more news with all of you as it comes to me.

New businesses are seeing value on Ridge Ave in Roxborough

Feel free to call this one “Part II” of the Roxborough Series. Honestly, it’s hard for me not to blog about my own neighborhood when I find a great article from my sources.

Since the 1980s, Manayunk and Chestnut Hill have been known as the Main Street hubs for most of Northwest Philadelphia, but things are starting to change ( … for the better). Not only are Manayunk and Chestnut Hill still thriving, but Mount Airy, East Falls, and Roxborough now all have successful neighborhood development groups of their own and they’re getting things done. Things like streetscape improvements, trash/litter patrolling, and sidewalk planters all help create an inviting environment for those who want to walk along their neighborhood’s avenue (i.e. shoppers, diners, tourists, etc.). It may seem trivial, but it works.

Roxborough has been catching steam over the last 5 years, and new businesses have been building/developing new storefronts and setting up shop in existing retail spots along Ridge Ave; anywhere from Port Royal Ave all the way down to Terrace St. Antique stores, restaurants, pharmacies, and architecture/design firms are taking advantage of Roxborough’s central business location in NW Philadelphia, as well as its close proximity to the Montgomery County suburbs.

If you haven’t been to our neighborhood for a while, take a drive down Ridge Ave and see all of the positive changes that are taking place for yourself.

RDC moves Roxborough forward

 
For generations, Roxborough has held strong to its core beliefs that made it a thriving community back in the late 1600s.

Given that was over 300 years ago, communities do change; for better, and for worse. Change is never a bad thing, but strong communities must adjust to change if they want to survive over the long haul; and Roxborough is a community that’s always looking to improve life in the neighborhood.

Back in 1992, the Roxborough Development Corporation was formed by both civic associations and neighborhood volunteers to accomplish one major goal: “To put residents and businesses together for the good of the community.” To this day, that’s still the RDC’s main goal and it’s being pursued by their Executive Director, Bernard Guet.

Bernard signed on as the RDC’s new ambassador back in 2007; he and his team have achieved a lot in their almost 5 years together. They helped get facade grants for local businesses to improve storefronts, they found funding for street scape improvements when money was scarce, and they have brought in new businesses to keep the central business corridor strong. To say the least, all of these accomplishments have improved the quality of life along Ridge Ave and I’m of the opinion that it’s only going to get better in the years ahead.

Learn more about Roxborough and the RDC and see what their plans are for the foreseeable future.