Port Richmond

Port Richmond

Type	Neighborhood
Location	River Wards
ZIP code(s)	19134
Named for	Richmond, Virginia (Civil War connection)
Boundaries	North: Allegheny Avenue, South: Lehigh Avenue, East: Delaware River, West: Front Street
Adjacent	Fishtown, Bridesburg, Kensington
Major streets	Allegheny Avenue, Richmond Street, Aramingo Avenue
Transit	Market-Frankford Line (Allegheny Station), Bus Routes
Landmarks	Polish-American cultural institutions, Aramingo Avenue shopping

Port Richmond is a neighborhood in the River Wards section of Philadelphia, historically home to the city's Polish-American community. The neighborhood maintains a working-class character with strong community ties, Polish cultural institutions, and the commercial corridor along Aramingo Avenue. While adjacent Fishtown has gentrified rapidly, Port Richmond has experienced slower change.

History

Polish Immigration

Port Richmond developed as Philadelphia's primary Polish-American neighborhood in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Polish immigrants established:

• Catholic churches (St. Adalbert's, St. Anne's)
• Polish cultural organizations
• Businesses and social clubs
• Tight-knit community networks

Industrial Base

The neighborhood's location along the Delaware River and railroad lines made it an industrial center:

• Factories and warehouses
• Shipping facilities
• Working-class employment

Modern Era

Port Richmond remains more working-class than gentrifying Fishtown:

• Polish institutions continue operating
• Long-term residents remain
• Slower pace of change
• Rising interest from spillover gentrification

Polish Heritage

Polish-American culture remains visible:

Churches

• St. Adalbert's Church - Polish Catholic parish
• St. Anne's Church*** - Historic parish

Organizations

• Polish-American social clubs
• Cultural organizations
• Polish National Alliance chapters

Businesses

• Polish bakeries and delis
• Eastern European specialty shops
• Polish restaurants

Aramingo Avenue

Aramingo Avenue serves as the commercial spine:

• Big-box retail stores
• Shopping centers
• Chain restaurants
• Auto dealerships
• Major commercial corridor

Unlike traditional neighborhood main streets, Aramingo Avenue is car-oriented.

Character

Architecture

• Philadelphia rowhouses
• Some larger single-family homes
• Industrial buildings (some converted)
• Working-class housing stock

Community

• Strong neighborhood identity
• Long-term residents
• Multi-generational families
• Blue-collar character

Getting There

Public Transit

• Market-Frankford Line (The L): Allegheny Station
• SEPTA Bus Routes: 54, 60, 89

Driving

• I-95 (Allegheny Avenue exit)
• Aramingo Avenue corridor

Living in Port Richmond

Housing

• Rowhouses (predominant)
• More affordable than Fishtown
• Mix of rentals and owner-occupied
• Prices rising (spillover from Fishtown)

Demographics

• Polish-American families (traditionally)
• Working-class residents
• Some newcomers attracted by affordability
• More diverse than historically

Concerns

• Gentrification pressure from Fishtown
• Affordability preservation
• Industrial traffic and uses

See Also

• Fishtown
• Bridesburg
• Kensington
• River Wards