Byberry
Byberry
| Type | Neighborhood |
|---|---|
| Location | Far Northeast Philadelphia |
| ZIP code(s) | 19116, 19154 |
| Named for | Historic Byberry township |
| Boundaries | Roughly Byberry Road area, near Bucks County line |
| Adjacent | Somerton, Millbrook, Bucks County |
| Major streets | Byberry Road, Roosevelt Boulevard |
| Transit | SEPTA bus routes |
| Landmarks | Former Philadelphia State Hospital site |
Byberry is a neighborhood in the Far Northeast, historically significant as the site of the Philadelphia State Hospital, a large psychiatric facility that operated for most of the 20th century.
History
[edit | edit source]Philadelphia State Hospital
[edit | edit source]The Philadelphia State Hospital at Byberry dominated the area's history:
- Opened 1907
- Large psychiatric hospital campus
- Notorious for overcrowding and poor conditions
- Subject of exposés and investigations
- Closed 1990
- Buildings demolished
- Site redeveloped for residential use
Byberry Township
[edit | edit source]Before consolidation with Philadelphia, Byberry was an independent township, one of the last rural areas absorbed into the city.
Character
[edit | edit source]Housing
[edit | edit source]- Newer residential development on hospital site
- Single-family homes
- Townhouses
- Suburban character
Community
[edit | edit source]- Middle-class families
- Newer residents
- Near city boundary
Living in Byberry
[edit | edit source]- Newer homes on redeveloped land
- Suburban feel
- Near Bucks County
- Car necessary
Getting There
[edit | edit source]- SEPTA buses: 14, 58
- Roosevelt Boulevard: Major arterial
- Near: PA Turnpike