Whitman Philadelphia

July 22, 2018

Plant a Free Street Tree in Whitman

A tree-lined block provides shade and beauty and help manage stormwater and improve water quality. Philadelphians often cite that trees make their blocks more attractive, and welcome the birds and other animals the trees attract.

Learn more about street trees in Whitman in the South Philadelphia and Whitman street tree survey.

Request a free street tree in front of your house at no cost. The city will inspect, plant, and be responsible for pruning and care of the tree.

Request a street tree online or use this printable form. After Philadelphia Parks & Recreation receives this request an arborist will inspect the location to determine whether it is an appropriate and safe location for a tree to be planted. The arborist will determine which species of tree is best suited for the location. After the site inspection is done, a Planting Permission Form will be left for the property owner to fill out and send back to Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. When they receive the form, the location is then placed on a "future planting" list. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation will not plant a street tree without a signed permission form on file.

July 09, 2018

Neighborhood

Local Businesses in Whitman, Philadelphia

Help our neighbors support our local, independently owned businesses! Name some of your favorites. Some of our current favorites are listed below:

Wander Inn

The Wander Inn at 3rd and Porter is the newest bar to open in the Whitman neighborhood! Wander Inn was the name of a famous jazz club in Point Breeze that closed after 70 years in 2003. This new location pays homage to that famous name in a space occupied by a beloved neighborhood bar in the wonderful Whitman section of South Philly.

This neighborhood gastropub featuring homemade comfort food, draught beer, wine, and cocktails. Happy Hour: M-F 4pm-7pm with 1/2 price draughts, $5 wines & cocktails. Brunch from 11am-3pm Sat & Sun. Kitchen open until 1am every night; takeout beer available until 1:45am! 2nd floor features a dining room and pool table; outdoor seating is available seasonally.

Wander Inn
2500 S 3rd St
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 800-1264

Baker Brothers

Baker Brothers (formerly Hier's) is a local bakery with original recipes from over 50 years. All baking is done on premises daily and you can call ahead for any special orders.

The cream-filled donuts are a must try! Call ahead to have them prepare something special for you.

Baker Brothers
2300 S 3rd St
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
(215) 468-8095

Lipkin's Bakery

Lipkin’s started their kosher bakery at 4th and McKean in South Philly nearly 50 years ago. The famous bakery then relocated to Rhawnhurst, where it became a staple for breads, pastries, cakes, and knishes. Now, Lipkin’s is back home in South Philadelphia!

Lipkin's Bakery
2153 S. Hancock St
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 342-3005

March 09, 2017

Green

Free Yard Trees Spring

Registration is now open for the Spring Yard Tree Giveaways! Click here to see the list of events and to register.

Each spring and fall, our Tree Philly's Yard Tree Giveaway program provides free trees for city dwellers to plant on private property. Trees provided through this program must be planted in the ground on private property in Philadelphia.

Giveaway Events and Registration

Giveaway events are held at various locations across the city each spring and fall. Registration opens approximately one month prior to the events and allows participants to select their preferred pick-up event and species. Registration is strongly encouraged, but they will generally accept walk-ins at the end of each event while supplies last. At each event you will learn how to plant and care for your new tree, and you will take it home with free mulch.

Saturday, April 1st, 2017, 10am-12pm

Congreso de Latinos Unidos courtyard
216 W. Somerset St., 19133
Register here

Sunday, April 2nd, 2017, 12pm-2pm

South Philadelphia High School
2101 South Broad St., 19148
Register here

Saturday, April 8th, 2017, 10am-12pm

Roxborough TD Bank Store
5501 Ridge Ave., 19128
Register here

Sunday, April 9th, 2017, 12pm-2pm

Frankford Avenue TD Bank Store
6635 Frankford Ave., 19135
Register here

November 06, 2016

elections

Presidential Election 2016: South Philly Polling Place and Ballot

Philadelphians, please do not forget to vote on election day. If you are not sure where your polling place is, check out the Philadelphia votes website. Your vote and voice matters, regardless of your political affiliation.

We hope the Septa strike will stop or be halted for election day, but if not, you can reach out for different methods to get to your polling place on November 8th.

Sample election ballot for Philadelphia county for the 2016 election.

October 10, 2016

Neighborhood

Work in Navy Yard, live in Whitman

Whitman is a proud neighborhood. We boast strong neighborhood associations and parks, safe streets, and the number one neighborhood spot in Philadelphia. Our fellow Whitman residents and Navy Yard employees have again and again coined the term, work in Navy Yard, live in Whitman. We are proud and loud!

Green

TreePhilly gives free trees to Whitman neighbors this Fall

Whitman neighbors can get up to 2 free trees to plant in their yard this Fall. TreePhilly is giving out trees this coming Saturday, October 29th at Whitman TD Bank located at 2653 S 5th St from 10am-12pm. Register for your trees ahead of time or come by after 12pm to pick up any remaining trees that have not been picked up. Visit treephilly.com to learn more about the free tree programs available for Philadelphia residents.

More about TreePhilly and the local free street tree program per Philly.com:

TreePhilly, a joint Parks and Recreation Department and Fairmount Park Conservancy Program, is partnering with other organizations to hold tree giveaways around Philadelphia this fall. Property owners pick up one or two trees each, along with free mulch and planting and care instructions, at designated locations.

Tree giveaway locations this fall are at the Whitman TD Bank (2653 S. 5th St.) on Oct. 29; Roxborough TD Bank (5501 Ridge Ave.) on Oct. 30; and Aramingo TD Bank (2267 E. Butler St.) on Nov. 5.

Yard tree varieties being given away this fall include willow oak, hackberry, bald cypress, yellowwood, pagoda dogwood, American smoketree, red buckeye, sourwood, Asian pear, fig, nectarine and paw paw.

The program says fall is a good time to plant trees because the following months of cool weather give young trees time to spread out and establish roots before summer's heat.

To date, TreePhilly has provided more than 15,000 free trees, according to the program's website.

The initiative began in 2012. Since then, the program has sought to add greenery to barren neighborhoods, though it has sometimes had a hard time convincing residents to plant trees.

"A lot of people, my family included, are tree skeptics," Kathryn Ott Lovell, Philly's parks and recreation commissioner, said earlier this year. "They think that trees cause more problems than the value they add."

For those concerned about putting a problematic tree in their yard, she said: "We have arborists who identify the right tree to be put in your yard, trees that don't grow too high or too deep."

Whitman Plaza

Whitman Cat Colony

The Whitman Cat Colony refers to a colony of about 100 stray and feral cats located in the back parking ground of Whitman Plaza. The Whitman Cat Colony began as a dumping ground for unwanted cats, but grew into a cat colony maintained by local South Philadelphian volunteers. Caretakers of the colony provide food, water, and shelter for these cats. Volunteers also organize a Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) program, in which unaltered cats are taken to low-cost vets or clinics to get altered and vaccinated then returned to the colony. The vet doing the surgery will usually snip a small piece of skin from the cat’s ear to indicate that the cat has been altered so as to signify who has been altered in the colony and who has not (signaling who are the resident cats and who are the new drop offs).^1,2

Facebook Post 1. Whitman cat colony images shared by Support Whitman Share Babies

Facebook Post 2. Support Whitman's Fur Babies asks for community help

"Whitman Cats." Two Pugs Photography. July 14, 2016. Accessed October 10, 2016. https://twopugsphotography.com/portfolio/whitman-cats/.
Zalot, M. "Women race to save South Philly cat colony from harsh winter." Philly.com. Nov 24, 2014. Accessed 5 Oct 2016. http://articles.philly.com/2014-11-24/news/56459760_1_feral-cats-dead-cats-stray-cats.