Strawberry Mansion, Neighborhood by the Park
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. 3 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.
Humanities Consultant: Rickie Sanders, Ph. D.
Production Facilitator: Ben Kalina
Film Summary:
Living adjacent to 9200 acres of parkland has its advantages. “I have the biggest backyard,” says Strawberry Mansion resident Hillary Briscoe, “and it’s right across the street, and I don’t have to take care of it.” Strawberry Mansion, the neighborhood that sits along the eastern side of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, is a mixture of city and country. With vast acres of parkland, a reservoir, imposing 19th century mansions and a well-used neighborhood riding stable, the neighborhood is not what most people think of when they think “urban.” 92 species of birds thrive in the tranquil woods and fields of the park, and an historic children’s playground is still open for use.
While the neighborhood is not completely insulated from larger urban patterns like street crime and blight, its residents take pride in the lush ambiance of their setting. Strawberry Mansion, Neighborhood by the Park traces the community’s history through the recollections of its residents. It demonstrates the value of open greenspaces to the vitality of urban neighborhoods, and depicts the unique blend of cityscape and parkland that lends so much to the lives of Strawberry Mansion’s residents.
East Park Revitalization Alliance seeks to revitalize the East Park neighborhood through community greening, public art and education. Their video traces the story of jazz in Strawberry Mansion, using North 33rd Street as the central element to show what makes this neighborhood unique.
Film Stills:
