Girard Avenue – A New Destination

Produced by: 
West Girard Community Council with Scribe Video Center
Year: 
2005
Duration: 
00:09:35

Individual Film Price:

Higher Education Institutions & Government Agency DVD | $49.95
K-12 & Public Libraries DVD | $49.95
Home Video DVD License – Restrictions Apply | $5.95

 


Precious Places Compilation Price:

This video is available for purchase as part of a Precious Places Community History Project Vol.1 compilation DVD.
 
Higher Education Institutions & Government Agency DVD | $139.00
K-12 & Public Libraries DVD | $79.00
Home Video DVD License – Restrictions Apply | $20.00

 

 


Scribe Video Center Program:

The Precious Places Community History Project is a community oral history project inviting members of the Philadelphia region's many neighborhoods to document the buildings, public spaces, parks, landmarks and other sites that hold the memories of our communities and define where we live. Precious Places teaches the video production process to participating groups, fostering projects authored by those who intimately know the featured neighborhoods.

 


Videomaking Consultant: Rini Keagy
Humanities Consultant: Renee Hobbs
Post Production: Sara Leavitt

 


Film Summary:

Girard Avenue at 27th Street is a vibrant neighborhood shopping district featuring a plethora of small, locally-owned businesses. The third-generation-owned Young's Candies has been using many of the same recipes for over a century. Diverse eateries and specialty businesses including Soul Food to Go, The Hat Shoppe, and Rose's Deli enjoy a dedicated clientele of locals. A well-supported community garden and a farmers market make wholesome additions to this busy, pedestrian-friendly area. So it was no surprise that neighbors banded together to oppose the planned building of a McDonalds fast food joint in 2002. The neighbors argued that they wanted to buy local, and that what the community really needed was a supermarket. They were partially successful: although still awaiting a supermarket, today no McDonald's imposes on the rich local flavors. Girard Avenue – A New Destination documents the multifaceted businesses and community life of this Brewerytown and West Girard neighborhood through the voices of its many business owners, local shoppers, and community organizations.

 


Press:

November 11, 2007 | “A thoughtful, thankful chronicler” by Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

 


Public Screenings, Broadcasts and Festivals: 

November 16, 2007 | Broadcast on WHYY-TV
February 28, 2017 | Broadcast on WHYY-TV

 


Film Stills: