The neighborhood of Overbrook Park is located in the area of West Philadelphia, which is part of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a small residential area that has been around since the 1940's. This neighborhood is surrounded by the nearby neighborhoods of Overlook and Penn Wynne, Indian Creek, and a golf course. The neighborhood is around four city blocks long from west to east and ten small blocks north to south and the main street is Haverford Avenue, which is also the primary shopping district in the neighborhood.
Overbrook Park has an interesting demographic history. In 1990, there were 7.271 residents in the neighborhood. These people were mostly of Jewish, Italian and Irish whites and made up 90% of the population. However, during the 90's the whites began to move out of Overbrook Park and blacks started moving in, resulting in a population that was 60% black by 2000. Within those ten years, the population only increased by a couple hundred. Given the fact that over 60,000 residents of Philadelphia left the city in the 1900's, such a dramatic demographic shift isn't that surprising. Many other areas of Philadelphia have also undergone similar shifts.
The shift in Overbrook Park has not had any negative effects on the neighborhood - residents still describe Overlook Park as a safe, good neighborhood where you kids can play outside. Real estate prices have risen within the past few years, with the average house going for around $70,000.
The Orthodox Jewish community in Overlook Park has been around since the 1950's, when the area was 90% Jewish. Today, however, most of the Jews have moved to the nearby Penn Wynne community. The community in Penn Wynne and the community in Overlook Park are connected by an eruv. So few Jews are left in the area that synagogues have been forced to downsize or merge with others to survive. Despite the mass move of the Jews, there are still a few kosher restaurants and shops left in the area, and several other choices available in neighboring Philadelphia neighborhoods. For those interested in checking out this lovely neighborhood and possibly helping reverse the negative Jewish population growth, there are several hotels in neighboring areas to stay at.
Overbrook Park has an interesting demographic history. In 1990, there were 7.271 residents in the neighborhood. These people were mostly of Jewish, Italian and Irish whites and made up 90% of the population. However, during the 90's the whites began to move out of Overbrook Park and blacks started moving in, resulting in a population that was 60% black by 2000. Within those ten years, the population only increased by a couple hundred. Given the fact that over 60,000 residents of Philadelphia left the city in the 1900's, such a dramatic demographic shift isn't that surprising. Many other areas of Philadelphia have also undergone similar shifts.
The shift in Overbrook Park has not had any negative effects on the neighborhood - residents still describe Overlook Park as a safe, good neighborhood where you kids can play outside. Real estate prices have risen within the past few years, with the average house going for around $70,000.
The Orthodox Jewish community in Overlook Park has been around since the 1950's, when the area was 90% Jewish. Today, however, most of the Jews have moved to the nearby Penn Wynne community. The community in Penn Wynne and the community in Overlook Park are connected by an eruv. So few Jews are left in the area that synagogues have been forced to downsize or merge with others to survive. Despite the mass move of the Jews, there are still a few kosher restaurants and shops left in the area, and several other choices available in neighboring Philadelphia neighborhoods. For those interested in checking out this lovely neighborhood and possibly helping reverse the negative Jewish population growth, there are several hotels in neighboring areas to stay at.
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