Editing Callowhill

{{Infobox Neighborhood
| name = Callowhill
| type = Neighborhood
| location = Center City / North Philadelphia border
| zip_codes = 19123, 19130
| named_for = Hannah Callowhill Penn
| boundaries = Roughly Spring Garden Street to Vine Street, Broad Street to 6th Street
| adjacent_neighborhoods = [[Spring Garden]], [[Chinatown]], [[Northern Liberties]], [[Logan Square]]
| major_streets = Callowhill Street, Spring Garden Street, Vine Street, Broad Street
| transit = Broad Street Line, Spring Garden Station (PATCO adjacent)
| notable_landmarks = Rail Park, Eraserhood, former industrial sites
}}

'''Callowhill''' is a transitional neighborhood on the northern edge of [[Center City]], named for Hannah Callowhill Penn, William Penn's second wife. Once an industrial zone dominated by rail yards and manufacturing, the neighborhood is transforming through projects like the Rail Park and creative reuse of industrial buildings.

== History ==

Callowhill developed around railroad infrastructure serving Philadelphia's industrial economy. The Reading Railroad's elevated viaduct and freight yards dominated the area. By the late 20th century, industrial decline left the neighborhood largely vacant and underutilized.

The area gained cultural notoriety as the "Eraserhood" — the blighted industrial landscape that inspired David Lynch, who lived nearby while attending the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and creating his film ''Eraserhead''.

== Rail Park ==

The '''Rail Park''' is transforming Callowhill:
* First phase opened 2018
* Elevated park on former Reading Viaduct
* Part of larger planned trail system
* Green space and public gathering area
* Connects to neighborhood revitalization

The project aims to eventually create a 3-mile linear park through North Philadelphia.

== Character ==

=== Industrial Legacy ===
* Former factories and warehouses
* Rail infrastructure remnants
* Large-scale redevelopment potential
* Creative reuse of historic structures

=== Current Transition ===
* New residential construction
* Artist studios and creative spaces
* Emerging restaurants and bars
* Proximity to Center City driving development

== Living in Callowhill ==

* New construction apartments
* Converted loft spaces
* Industrial character
* Rapidly changing

== Getting There ==

* '''Broad Street Line:''' Spring Garden Station
* '''Walking:''' Adjacent to Center City
* '''I-676:''' Vine Street Expressway access

{{FAQ
| q1 = What is Callowhill named after?
| a1 = Callowhill is named for Hannah Callowhill Penn, William Penn's second wife, who helped manage the Pennsylvania colony after Penn's death.
| q2 = What is the Rail Park?
| a2 = The Rail Park is an elevated public park built on the former Reading Railroad viaduct. Phase 1 opened in 2018 as part of the neighborhood's transformation from industrial zone to urban green space, similar to New York's High Line.
| q3 = What is the Eraserhood?
| a3 = The "Eraserhood" refers to the blighted industrial landscape of Callowhill that inspired filmmaker David Lynch while he was a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. The area's desolate atmosphere influenced his surreal 1977 film "Eraserhead."
}}

== See Also ==

* [[Spring Garden]]
* [[Northern Liberties]]
* [[Chinatown]]
* [[Center City]]

{{#seo:
|title=Callowhill Philadelphia - Rail Park Neighborhood Guide
|description=Guide to Callowhill, the transitional Philadelphia neighborhood featuring the Rail Park and transforming from industrial past to urban destination.
|keywords=Callowhill Philadelphia, Rail Park, Eraserhood, Reading Viaduct, Philadelphia neighborhoods
|type=Article
}}

[[Category:Neighborhoods]]
[[Category:Center City]]