Strawberry Mansion, Philadelphia

The Jewish community started in the late 1890s, as the community migrated from Northern Liberties and Fairmount. After the turn of the century, many Jews living in South Philadelphia moved to then greener neighborhoods of the city.

The first synagogue in the neighborhood was Beth Israel, which moved in 1909 from Eighth and Jefferson to 32nd and Montgomery. In 1913, a real estate broker placed an ad in the Philadelphia Jewish Herald encouraging Jews to leave South Philadelphia's Jewish quarter and move to the “fresh air” and “beautiful country landscape” of Strawberry Mansion.[2] At its height, about one-fifth of the Jewish population in the city lived in the enclave between Lehigh and Oxford streets, and 29th and 33rd streets.[3] The Jews built a community, and eventually left for Oxford Circle, Overbrook Park, and West Oak Lane-Mt. Airy. There were at least 21 synagogues in the neighborhood, built for the most part in the first quarter of the 20th century. By 2015, six of the buildings remained and had been transformed into churches.[4]

The 1950s and 1960s brought an economic decline and urban decay.

In 2000, the neighborhood had the lowest average home price in the city. Modern Strawberry Mansion has acquired a reputation as one of the most dangerous areas of Philadelphia. The neighborhood is quite large in area and in population and has been grossly neglected by police. A number of stately park-side homes in varying states of disrepair can be found in what was once one of the wealthiest areas in Philadelphia.

Strawberry Mansion has also been home to horses and urban cowboys for generations. One local group, the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, provides activities and support to neighborhood children in the struggling area. A notable mural, "A Tribute to Urban Horsemen," can be viewed from the community garden on Montgomery Avenue near 33rd st.

In 2015, it was announced that public access would be restored to the perimeter of a fallow basin of the East Park Reservoir in the first phase of a program to expand youth programs within the park. Then-Mayor Michael Nutter was quoted in ceremony, "What's demonstrated here today is that Strawberry Mansion will become the melting pot of the City of Philadelphia." Neighborhood residents eagerly await removal of the chain-link fence and barbed wire. The change is a significant expansion of the park side amenities afforded to neighborhood residents and the city, reflecting the wave of redevelopment in the area and renewed efforts to improve Fairmount Park.