Field report: Healthscapes

The geography of health was an important theme for our class this year. While on my field exercise in Northern Liberties on April 16, 2006, I broke down 5 themes related to health: fitness, food, medical facilities, general community health, and environment. After I went out multiple times, I thought to include spiritual health, but did not document it in this exercise. There are numerous churches in the neighborhood, as well as a yoga and Capoeira studio, and parkland, which for some, provides spiritual uplifting and solace. I will talk about some of these spiritual locations in other themes, such as fitness or food. The streets that I focus on are Fairmount, 2nd, Poplar, 3rd, Girard and 6th.

Fitness:

• Northern Liberties Recreation Center – on Fairmount between 4th and 5th – an athletic facility providing boxing, swimming, basketball, a playground, etc.
• Studio B – on Fairmount between American and 2nd – yoga, Pilates, nutrition, and Capoeira, a type of Afro-Brazilian martial art.
• Iron Works and Soy Café – on 2nd between Brown and Poplar – this is a weight gym.
• J. P. Sneed – Personal Fitness Studio – personal fitness training.
• The School at 6th and Fairmount – Basketball courts.
  
  

Food:

• Palm Tree Market – on 2nd between Fairmount and Brown – fresh vegetables and other conveniences… this is an upscale convenience store and deli.
• Bakery – 3rd and Poplar – breads and pastries.
• Liberty Deli – Orianna and Poplar – regular convenience store.
• Almanac Market – 4th and Poplar – specialty food cache, gourmet, organic, macrobiotic (local).
• Liberty Lands Park – bound by East Laurel, Bodine, 3rd and Wildey – farmers’ market in the summer.
• Multiple BYOBs and Taprooms – usually freshly made food.
• Girard Supermarket on Girard – regular convenience store.

Medical Facilities:

• Philadelphia Department of Public Health, District Health Center #6 – on Girard between Orianna and 3rd – Who goes here? Who is served? What kind of cost is associated with this place? Do you need insurance? Where are the other numbered centers?
• Engine 29 – on Girard and 4th – medic and rescue.
• Medical Office of Nasira Y. Majid – Girard and 5th – general and child fractioned, sign in English and Spanish.
• Dental Office and Pharmacy of Joly Jacob – Girard and 5th – dentist, sign in English and Spanish. Do these doctors or their staff speak Spanish? Or are they just trying to attract Spanish clientele from the neighborhood?
• Pharmacy – Girard and 6th.

General Community Health:

• Women’s Community Revitalization Project – Fairmount between 4th and 5th – Is this for victims of Domestic Violence? Is it something else?
• Orianna Hill Dog Park – Orianna and Poplar – pets often contribute to human health and this is a place for them to be healthy. There is also a kennel called Doggie Daycare on Poplar and 3rd.
• Philadelphia Free Library – Girard and 6th – resources and education
  
  Environmental:
• Liberty Lands Park – bound by East Laurel, Bodine, 3rd and Wildey – Penn State Cooperative Extension has planting beds here. This is a “green space” with grass, trees, plants, playground, etc.
• Philadelphia Street Cleaners – I’ve seen these guys working especially on Girard picking up trash.
• Garbage Can at 6th and Girard – filled to the brim with someone’s personal trash even though the sign on the bin says that it is illegal to dump your trash there (In Spanish too).

Basically, I found a lot of signs of good health for all classes in the area. Yes, there are gyms that you have to pay at, but there are also free and cheap facilities to get exercise, including sidewalks and basketball courts and parks. As compared to our field experience at Temple on Cecil B. Moore, the health services, availability to fresh fruits and vegetables, and environmental quality seem to be a lot better. However, this isn’t the healthiest place in the world. There is still a monoculture of trees, and as Dr. Masucci says, just because a place is “green” doesn’t mean it’s really of good environmental quality. There could be brownfields lurking in every corner for all I know. Just because street cleaners pick up the trash doesn’t mean that it isn’t there, going into storm sewers. There is a lot of traffic, adding to air pollution. In addition, not everyone can afford the luxury of health. I did not research how much a membership to some of the fitness places costs, but I do know that a lot of the food is more expensive here than at McDonalds or at a regular grocery store.

All photos by Bri Crowley. Map courtesy of Google Earth.