Olney, Philadelphia

Up until the late nineteenth century, Olney was a vast, hilly farmland in the hinterland of Philadelphia County. Until then, the population consisted mainly of farmers and wealthy Philadelphians who could afford to live away from the city.

As the city of Philadelphia grew northwards, the area became more urbanized. People seeking to escape the growing population density towards the center moved to Olney. Soon thereafter, businesses began appearing, largely centered at 5th Street and Olney Avenue. Industry was also attracted and companies such as Heintz Manufacturing Company, Proctor and Schwartz, and Brown Instrument Division built factories in the neighborhood. But this took second place to the strong commercial district, led by the Olney Businessmans' Association.

The population grew even more after the construction of the Broad Street subway which had its original terminal at Olney Avenue (Olney Transportation Center). It promised to get riders from Olney to City Hall in less than twenty minutes for fifteen cents. In addition to trolley lines that traveled east and west, this made Olney Philadelphia's northern transportation hub and gave Olneyites easy access to the entire city and beyond.

In 1925, Colney Theatre was constructed which then had the largest one-floor seating capacity in the world with room for almost 2000 people. In 1931, Olney High School graduated its first class and for a time had the largest enrollment in the city with 3600 students. Olney High School's alumni include Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Del Ennis (1942), comedy writer Barry S. Waronker (1965), local news reporter Sheila Washington (1982), and former Feltonville historian Dennis Dalbey (1994).

Olneyites lobbied the city intensely for the constructions of playgrounds and the library at 5th Street and Tabor Road. Community members put together an amateur Olney Symphony Orchestra (which continues to give concerts) and started their own newspaper, the Olney Times (which is no longer in circulation as of 2010).

Portuguese immigrants between the 1970's through the 1990's heavily impacted a section of North 5th street, primarily between Lindley Avenue and West Rockland Street. Affectionately known as Rua Cinco (5th Street), it was common to hear people speaking Portuguese on the street and in stores. It was the area to find a Portuguese-speaking tailor, insurance agent,lawyer,travel agent or real estate agent. In 1987 the area boasted a Portuguese Businesses Association, five Portuguese travel agencies, three groceries (most notable, A Caravela and Girassol), two real estate offices, an insurance office, an electric-appliance store, a gift shop, a furniture store, several restaurants (Berlengas Island Restaurant, Cafe Portugal) bars, a bakery and cafes. Not far from Rua Cinco was also the Philadelphia Portuguese Club (founded in 1935)that at the time had an estimated 700 members.

Between the 1960s and 1980s, Olney began experiencing demographic change, as European-American residents moved out of the neighborhood in a process sometimes described as "white flight". As part of the deindustrialization of Philadelphia, industry closed factories and moved from the area. During this time there was an increase in crime in Olney.

The receding population was quickly supplemented by a new wave of residents, including African Americans from elsewhere in the city, and immigrants from Asia (Korea, mainly, as well as Vietnam, China, Cambodia and Laos) and Latin America (Puerto Rico, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba and Dominican Republic). This new population quickly filled the vacancies left behind in the commercial district. These groups created organizations such as the Korean Community Development Services Center.

By the mid-1980s Koreans began moving out of Logan and into Olney and other communities. By 1986 up to 5,000 Koreans lived in Olney, and many Korean businesses were situated along North Fifth Street. Many Korean area residents referred to the area as "Koreatown."[2]

The Olney station of the Broad Street subway, while no longer the terminal, is the second most used (next to City Hall). There are thriving business districts at 5th and Olney, Broad and Olney, and Front and Olney.

The Adams Avenue Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[3]

Olney was originally settled by German Americans, and maintained an homogeneous population throughout the first half of the 20th century. Today, Olney is one of the most diverse middle class neighborhoods in Philadelphia, with the 2nd largest Mexican population only behind South Philadelphia. It is also home to large Colombians, Salvadorans, Guatemalans, Cambodians, African Americans, Koreans, Sub-Saharan Africans, West Indians, Hispanics, and Arab Americans communities as well as other smaller groups representing other nationalities and ethnic groups.

As of the census[6] of 2010, the racial makeup of Olney was 49.5% African American, 26.3% Hispanic or Latino, 13.9% Asian, 6.9% White, and roughly 3% Multiracial.

After growing modestly during the 1990s, the population of Olney decreased by 2.3% between 2000 and 2010 (from 37,366 to 36,474). Olney is located in the 19120 postal zip code, which it shares with Feltonville and Lawncrest. Its geographical coordinates are 40.034254 degrees North and 75.121256 degrees West.

In 2005, the median home sale price in the 19120 zip code was $79,950. This was an increase of 20% over the median price for 2004.

The majority of M. K. Asante's bestselling memoir Buck takes place in Olney.

• Clair Blank, novelist

• Olney Transportation Center

The North 5th Street Revitalization Project www.shopnorth5th.com

• Broad and Olney in Philly.com
• Olney: Fifth St & Lindley Ave (Virtual Earth aerial perspective)
• Olney: Fifth St & Tabor Ave (Virtual Earth aerial perspective)
• Olney: odd-numbered side of 5500 N Fifth Street (Virtual Earth aerial perspective)
• Korean Community Development Services Center
• Historic Photographs of Olney, PhillyHistory.org