So what do we most commonly do when something goes awry within ourselves? We head to see a doctor, of course.

Whether our ailment takes us to the emergency room or our primary care physician, most people’s first thought is to visit someone who’s spent at least seven years and countless hours studying anatomy, psychology and microbiology earning a medical degree.

But when conventional medical practices fail us, where do people turn? According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control, 38 percent of American adults and 11.8 percent of American children used complementary and alternative medical practices in 2007. Although complementary techniques are used to supplement conventional Western medical practices, alternative medicine replaces Western techniques.

Alternative medicine is used as a healing mechanism for a slew of conditions. Most commonly, the modalities are used to heal chronic conditions like orthopedic impairments, hypertension, migraines or sinusitis. However, the techniques have also been known to help people with issues such as infertility, obesity, nicotine addiction and many others.

And the modalities themselves vary a great deal as well. Some of the more common alternative medical practices include acupuncture, diet-based therapies, massage or meditation. But lesser-known techniques and equally interesting practices are out there as well, like hypnosis, qi gong, naturopathy and guided imagery. Energy-healing therapy, like Reiki, and movement therapies, like Alexander technique and Pilates, both have a presence in Mount Airy and are also among these unique modalities.

Such practices differ from traditional western medicine because there is insufficient proof that they are safe and effective– meaning the modalities are not scientifically proven to work. But despite this, between 2002 and 2007, the CDC reported an increased use of methods like acupuncture, deep-breathing exercises, massage therapy, meditation and yoga in adults.

“For the past 150 years there’s been a big emphasis on science [having] the answers to everything and it turns out that’s not the case – there’s more going on,” said Elise Rivers, Community Acupuncture of Mount Airy founder. “But the marketing of the idea that only unless [something is] proven in a certain way does it have validity, that’s starting to go by the wayside.”

And as a result, Americans are increasingly interested in experimenting with, or even routinely practicing, alternative medicine techniques.

One of the most desirable elements of these modalities is that they practice health holistically. This means they work with the whole person – mind, body and spirit–in an effort to heal the individual and enhance his quality of life rather than focusing on specific symptoms.

“Because it’s mind, body, spirit medicine, people change not only on the physical level but on the emotional level and that’s some of the most exciting parts of the work,” Rivers said. “It goes all the way from the profound to the subtle.”

Often, those interested in alternative medicine are people who have had extensive medical tests but have not had satisfactory experiences, said Sharon Sherman, founder of Chestnut Hill’s Empirical Point Acupuncture. See the website at http://www.philadelphia-acupuncture.com/

And due to insurance constraints in western medicine, [doctors] have to specialize, she added.

“When you go to specialists they fulfill this role within these parameters and if it’s outside those parameters, you go to another specialist,” Sherman said. “What we do is we back it out a little bit so it’s not as micro in that sense and [we] look at the many symptoms being thrown off and to try to tease out those threads that go back to a root cause.”

In addition, with the American health insurance system often leaving people uncovered, alternative medicines become more attractive because they are often less costly than conventional methods.

“There’s not great insurance for everyone unless your employer can afford to pay for high-end insurance, so what I’ve tried to do is operate outside the insurance system and basically charge the same price as a co-pay for a complete office visit,” Rivers said.

For acupuncture, the federal government currently does not reimburse for treatments. On a state level, since there are so many insurance policies out there, some will reimburse but most do not, Sherman said.

However, affordability hasn’t always been characteristic of alternative medical practices. In fact, initially, and even still today, methods like acupuncture have been primarily upper class practices, Rivers said.

New ways of administering acupuncture, like community acupuncture, are trying to make it more accessible.

“It’s the whole mission and goal,” she said. “I think there’s slight variation in the types of [community acupuncture] offered but the concept is always to take it out of upper class and bring it down to the other classes.”

Another big reason people are turning to holistic medicine is the exhaustion of prescription drugs, often accompanied by damaging side effects. In fact, according to a study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, every year more than 100,000 deaths occur as a result of expected prescription drug side effects; over a decade, this amounts to more than one million deaths or more deaths than were reported in every American war and conflict over the last 100 years.

“[People] realize there’s a price to pay for using pharmaceuticals to address their problems,” Rivers said. “They’re realizing it’s not the magic bullet everyone hoped it would be and they’re seeing the side effects and want an alternative to that…It’s important for people to realize there’s a choice – you don’t just have to get the scrip and go fill it and then deal with the consequences.”

Ultimately, many alternative medicine techniques are geared toward bringing the power back to the practitioner so he can bring on his own healing.

“In contrast to some of the Western medicine, which is very symptomatic, [Reiki and Alexander] are coming from a place of going more into your wholeness and bringing to yourself that sense of what you need,” said Zoana Gepner-Mueller, founder of Mount Airy’s Cresheim Healing Arts Studio and Reiki/Alexander master. “Your wholeness is geared to bringing you back into balance, your wholeness brings you into the next steps that you need to be well and to learn to trust that.”

Rivers said: “My deepest wish is that people try something that they otherwise would have hesitated to do if they’re having health problems, or even if they’re just curious about a new experience. Open your mind and give yourself the opportunity of healing in a different way than you’ve tried before. There’s often more to pursuing things that aren’t mainstream than people think.”

Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine are at least 3,000 years old. Last year, the National Institute of Health’s monthly newsletter noted more than three million adults in the United States alone use acupuncture.

Until yesterday, I was not among them.

There is an old adage that says we should always write what we know. As a journalist, I rarely get to write from personal experience. When my partner and I decided to produce a package focusing on acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine and alternative medicine in the Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill neighborhoods, it occurred to me that I knew very little about acupuncture. I knew it involved needles and chi, the ancient Chinese concept of life energy, but that was it.

As I scoured the Web and the nearest library for information, it occurred to me that acupuncture is an inherently sensory practice. How could I write about what it feels like if I didn’t know first-hand? How could I write what I did not know?

After a brief description of my medical history, Rivers had me remove my vest and tie, unbutton my shirt, roll up my pant legs and lay on one of the beds. A heating lamp was placed over my stomach under which Rivers repeatedly warmed her hands over the course of the treatment. She examined my pulse and tongue and then rolled over a small cart with her supplies.

The first needle went just below one knee. There was a dull, heavy sort of pinch, not unlike what I’ve experienced during vaccinations, but this one was only briefly noticeable and was not nearly as prevalent. Rivers told me I may feel a prickle, heaviness or warmth afterward. There was some heaviness, but it was fleeting. There was no lingering sensation of “I have a needle in me.”

I was less tired after the treatment, but my ankle was still swollen and nothing about my stress level or persistent medical woes had changed. The experience was relaxing, but personally I feel that effect was contained within the treatment itself. In all fairness, having not had a proper recurring regimen, I can’t be too sure it’s fair to say whether or not it worked.

This is not to say my experience was typical, as there is no typical experience of acupuncture. My experience was unique. Each person experiences acupuncture differently from the next, and it is never the same experience from session to session. While it was not extraordinarily beneficial to me, there is no knowing how acupuncture could benefit someone else.

I say if interested, try it. It’s the only way to know whether it could work for you. For more information, go to this website at http://www.philadelphia-acupuncture.com/

These stories include the horrific fire in Kensington that left two firefighters dead and the Divine Lorraine, the historic eyesore that sits on North Broad Street.

But the stories also include ways in which neighborhoods throughout the city like Kensington, Hunting Park, North Central and others are trying to solve the problem of abandoned property when government fails to act.

See some of the stories at this website at http://bit.ly/KzgqEQ.

The recent removal of foliage from around electrical lines near a popular athletic field sent a strong shock through members of the Somerton Youth Organization because of a dangerous condition that removal created.

Work by a tree-cutting company to eliminate plant growth interfering with those power lines at the Somerton Youth Organization facility exposed once shrouded working railroad tracks near one of the the facility’s baseball fields.

Even worse, from the organization’s perspective, the foliage removal exposed the steep slope dropping down to those tracks just yards from where young players congregate while using the baseball field.

This removal of trees and bushes  caused a major issue for parents of children who play at the athletic facility and members of the volunteer youth organization, located on Southampton Road, that offers children in the area access to play in baseball, basketball and soccer leagues.

Somerton Youth Organization Athletic Director Fran Young  said this issue erupted because of the dangerous slope now exposed to the children who play on that field. “Once they removed everything and removed all the shrubbery and trees, it left a pretty dangerous situation for the kids,” Young said. “There is a pretty steep drop behind the bench of our players.”

Young said he had no idea about the trees being cut down nor was he given any notice about the removal work. “I was in the middle of practice with one of the baseball teams and I noticed these trucks driving up to our field,” Young said. “I had to stop practice and go over. I had to hear the news from one of the workers.”

Young said he had to cut down the amount of practice time he spent at the fields while the workers were cutting down the trees because they were taking up the whole field. “It was a mess when they were working here,” Young said. “It was so loud and the had the trucks parked on the field. The only good thing about it was that the workers had normal working hours.  They weren’t here too early and they always left around 5 p.m.”

As bad as that steep drop from the field to the tracks is, Young said the frequency in which freight trains use those tracks poses a even greater risk to the children playing on the field near that area. “Since the trees have been cut down, you can already notice how active the tracks are. I don’t even want to think about what would happen if a child goes after a ball and they fall as a train is coming through,” Young said.

Young said he believes the problem needs to be fixed immediately. ”A fence needed to be put up yesterday.”

Somerton Civic Association member Seth Kaplan contacted the owner of the train tracks to help resolve the issue. “We got in touch with [CSX] who is going to be assuming responsibility and will be making a contribution to Somerton Youth Organization to have a fence put up to protect the safety of the children. That is what this all comes down to.”

CSX spokesman Robert Sullivan said the company is fully aware of the danger resulting in the exposed area near the Somerton field. “[CSX] is cooperating with the Somerton Youth Organization and city officials to find an immediate solution to keep the Somerton Youth facility a safe environment for children,” Sullivan said.

CSX is one of the nation’s leading transportation suppliers. Overall, the CSX transportation network encompasses about 21,000 route miles of track in 23 states, the District of Columbia and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. CSX operates 2,000 miles of track in Pennsylvania.

Even though CSX owns the property adjacent to its tracks, the trees at the Somerton fields affected PECO-owned power lines and CSX decided to cut the trees down due to that interference.

“I think they cut it down a little too far, which ultimately resulted in this issue,” Kaplan of the civic association said.

Kaplan, who is also a coach for the Somerton Baseball League, explained the shock parents had after seeing the exposed area. “I think it was a shock overall to come out there one day and find all the trees cut down, showing a wide-open space. Immediately, as a parent, my thoughts go right to the safety of the children.”

Kaplan said the hazardous site poses a risk to the safe environment the children have while playing on the field. “We have a beautiful athletic facility and organization that does a great job in providing for the kids. The last thing we want to do, is put the life of a child in harm’s way.”

Pennsylvania State Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-170th) said all parties are working together to take responsibility in resolving this issue in a timely matter. “It has been fairly smooth working with all parties,” Boyle said. “[CSX] has taken full responsibility from the beginning of this problem. Working with Seth Kaplan and Fran Young has been easy because we all just want the children protected.”

A plan to quickly erected a fence along the exposed track area is now in place.

On Dec. 14, 2011, the ZBA granted University Realty seven different zoning code variances enabling University to proceed with its plan on to build two, three-story apartment buildings on a plot of land the firm purchased at 3506 Hamilton St. That planned multi-unit development contrasts sharply with the character of that block composed mainly of detached houses, structures that are rare in Philadelphia where most residential houses are rowhomes or duplexes.

Many of the variances the ZBA granted University deal with the dimensions of the building such as what percentage of the ground the structure will occupy, how big the back yard needs to be and how close to the sides of the property line the structure can be built.

These variances are of concern to the community, but the bigger concern for Powelton residents seems to be the amount of people who will occupy the development’s 18 bedrooms and the effects that density can have on the families who already live on that block.

“These students could have three cars to every apartment, so that’s 18 more cars on the street.  There are times when we come back at night and there are not parking spots on our block and we have to park a block or two over,” resident Nora Becker said.

Becker, whose home is directly adjacent to the lot slated for the new structures, said, “Eighteen more students on the block is going to make that so much more difficult to park.”

The street parking isn’t the only issue that has neighbors on alert. There are other issues such as noise and trash that they will also have to contend with if and when the structure is built.

“It’s one thing for a single family house where maybe there’s two or three people living there. We generate a normal amount of trash, maybe a couple cans per week.  But when you have 18 people living in a property, the amount of trash that can be generated is pretty staggering if there’s not private collection and that sort of thing,” Powelton Village Civic Association President George Poulin said.

The residents of Powelton Village care about their neighborhood. So when they had heard that the variances had been granted to University Realty and they were going to be allowed to build the structure they had proposed on the vacant lot, the civic organization and its members took action, mobilizing opposition.

There were two different ZBA hearings concerning the vacant lot in the 3500 block of Hamilton Street both of which the members of the community turned out to oppose the proposed construction. Powelton residents also had the support of District Councilperson Jannie Blackwell.

“For both hearings, we had between 50 and 60 people from the community come out.  And these are people who are leaving work early, taking time out of their day to go downtown to go to this hearing,” Becker said.

Becker has been involved with the opposition process from the beginning and attended both hearings that the ZBA convened concerning the requested variances for the lot.

Becker and the scores of other Powelton Village residents were shocked when the ZBA voted to approve the project twice. ZBA spokespersons declined to comment.

“It’s an outrage,” said Larry Biond, a member of the civic association’s zoning committee.

“We never thought that the ZBA would approve something like that and they did. I don’t think you’ll find anyone in the community who doesn’t oppose this,” Powelton resident Biond said.

The association has filed an appeal over that zoning decision to let University Realty develop the property as planned.  There have not been any hearings as of yet on the appeal. Drexel University has filed its own appeal concerning the property and variances that were allowed in this case.

It seems that one thing the Powelton Village residents are striving to save is the overall uniqueness of their neighborhood.  This concept is something that is ingrained in its residents and they are currently fighting to preserve it.

“Powelton Village is a completely unique place. There is no other place in the city like this and we’re proud of that. There are a lot of reasons that is the case.  It’s the architecture, the trees and the porches,” said Poulin, the civic association president.

“In the scheme of Philadelphia, there’s nothing like the 3500 block of Hamilton Street.”

In that sense, Poulin is right.  The houses on Hamilton Street all date back more than 100 years. One home on the 3500 block of Hamilton Street is actually registered as a historic structure. These concerns about unique residential character are why the community is fighting to fiber of the neighborhood intact.

University Realty declined to comment on this issue because of the nature of the legal proceedings.  A representative of University Realty did, however, express frustration with the opposition to the proposed structure and the legal proceedings that have stemmed from that opposition.

It is Sustainable 19125′s goal to make the 19125 ZIP code the greenest in Philadelphia, and community members are leading the way.

The program focuses on three particular aspects of the environment: The Big Green Block; Walk, Bike, Ride; and Green Blocks. Each category has various goals. The Big Green Block works to build green infrastructure, while Walk, Bike, Ride aims to limit personal car use.

“It’s never just one event, it always leads to other things,” said Angela Taurino, an Americorps VISTA and project coordinator for Sustainable 19125. “People love it. They’re really excited about it.”

But the on-the-ground efforts in Fishtown drive the program. Green Blocks focuses on easy, resident-driven actions. Through the leadership of green guides and block captains, local residents can participate in rain barrel workshops, recycling programs and purchase affordable, farm fresh foods, among numerous other opportunities.

“It’s very community focused and driven,” Taurino said. “One person on the block will act as a leader for green initiatives to get their block involved with environmentally friendly happenings.”

These community-based greening efforts have attracted the attention of city leaders. The work of Sustainable 19125 fits into Mayor Michael Nutter’s plan to make Philadelphia one of the greenest cities by 2015. Sarah Wu, the outreach and policy coordinator for the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, explained the recent success.

“Sustainable 19125 does a great job at using neighborhood-level champions to spread their message,” Wu said.” “Research shows people are much more willing to listen to a message that comes from someone they’ve known for years that lives down the block rather than someone like me.”

Taurino agreed.

“The green guides do what interests them,” Taurino said. “They really drive the program and refocus where it’s going.”

The Sustainable 19125 initiative is run by the New Kensington Community Development Corp. and funded primarily by the William Penn Foundation and Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.

With that funding, Sustainable 19215 also operates the New Kensington Community Development Corp. Garden Center, located at Frankford Avenue and Berks Street.

Even the land the garden center sits on has been recycled. It was once home to an actual business that operated as a garden center. Today, it’s been reclaimed and now anchors the community’s composting efforts, in addition to serving as a home base for some of the program’s sustainability workshops.

“Now this is where we have our Compost Coop, which is where the community gets together and drops off organic materials and in return gets fresh compost for the garden,” Taurino said.

Fishtown residents now have an opportunity to compost without having to run a composting operation in their own backyard thanks to the Compost Coop. The Coop is a collaboration between Philly Compost and the New Kensington Community Development Corp.

Lindsay Stokley said this easy access to compost is what drew her to the garden center and Compost Coop.

“It’s a natural process, and I feel like people forget that sometimes,” Stokley said. “We would love to have our own compost pile in our backyard, but it would be a project that someone has to build and maintain. So, having this as a resource here it makes it easy because other people are helping to keep it going.”

Even the process for composting is run with the help of community members and volunteers. The composting collaborative requires people to join and purchase either a working or non-working membership. The earth tub needs to be turned and emptied when it’s full, and then the compost material needs to be sifted; all  these steps are completed with the help of working Compost Coop members.

The New Kensington Community Development Corp. also sees the promotion of sustainability as a way to move the area’s revitalization forward. A study done by the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania concluded that street tree plantings in the area raised the value of adjacent properties by 10 to 20 percent in the 19125 ZIP code, according to documents provided by the New Kensington Community Development Corp.

This positive impact on Fishtown and the surrounding neighborhoods has drawn national attention.

“People from New York to Chicago email me and ask me for these materials to use in their own neighborhoods,” Taurino said. “It’s not only a Philadelphia initiative, other cities are interested in it, too.”

Through community engagement and simple approaches to going green, Sustainable 19125 acts as a symbol of positive sustainable practices.

“The purpose is to be a flagship model for other neighborhoods, so we never turn down a service for someone living in another ZIP code,” Taurino said. “It’s basically a way of saying, ‘Hey, we’re doing this, you can do it too, here’s how you can do it.”’

However, in the past century, the demographics changed as much of that original community moved out and a new one entered. The new mostly consisted of middle-class African-Americans whose religions are predominately Christian and Muslim. Despite the incoming religions and racial diversity the interesting ambiance of the neighborhood has remained.

As the area began to grow in population, the number of synagogues increased as well. During that time, the Jewish community was at its peak. There were at least six synagogues and only a couple of Catholic churches.

However, the 1960s came and turned the neighborhood around as it began to transition into a different demographic due more African-Americans moving into the area. Since then, not only has the dominate ethnicity changed, but more religious denominations have also moved into the area making, Wynnefield rich with various forms of Christianity, Muslim and other religious faiths.

Rabbi Amiel Novoseller, whose family had resided in the neighborhood for two generations, grew up in Wynnefield during the time when it was going through this transformation.

“Prior to my being born, it was indeed a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. The public schools at that time were 99 percent Jewish. The middle high school and Overbrook High also had a sizable amount of Jewish students. By the time I was born in the ’50s, the area I was living in here was not predominately Jewish. It was all white with a sizable Catholic population,” Novoseller said.

Novoseller’s parents, who were Russian immigrants, opened their home as a synagogue to the remaining Jewish community because members of many of the older synagogues had been moving out. As of today, Novoseller’s home is one of the only operating synagogues in Wynnefield. It’s called Beth Tovin and it opened in 1964.

There is an array of ideas as to why this demographic change occurred but no one seems to be able to pinpoint the exact reason.

Patrick Andrews, who is the deputy secretary at the Bawa Muhaiyaddeen Fellowship Mosque, said he believes that a major reason for the shift is the closing of the steam plant that used to provide heat for all of the mansions in Wynnefield.

“I think that when the old steam factory closed down, many of the people who lived here had to move out because it was very costly to install a new form of heat ventilation. Therefore, it was just easier to find a new place that already had the modern additions as opposed to having to completely remodel,” Andrews said.

Whatever the reason for why people started moving out, it allowed for varying religious congregations to start moving in. One of the main reasons why this was able to happen is because the property value was getting so cheap especially for the size and space that was available.

“It worked perfectly for us because we paid so little for a space that was able to fit our fellowship meetings and we were able to build a Mosque,” Andrews said.

Today the multireligious community has at least 15 different congregations that consist of Baptists, Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Pentecostals and many more.

Wynnefield was the site of the 2011 Philadelphia Interfaith Walk. This annual event was formulated after 9/11 to bring people of different faiths together to promote better comprehension of different religions.

Even though Wynnefield’s wide variation of religious organizations in such a small geographic area seems like it would be overwhelming, local residents and other local religious groups do not seem to mind.

“It doesn’t bother us that us we have so many other religious groups here. If you really think about it, we all celebrate almost the same thing. I think that as long as we try to live by good example, there is nothing wrong with having so many different religions,” said Sharon Albergotti, who is the parish manager at St. Barbara’s Catholic Church.

Even though Novoseller has seen his congregation grow smaller over the years, not even he seems to mind the expansion of religious views in Wynnefield.

“All of these religions are a way of life. We’re all together on this earth and we all feel good about helping one another in the ways to better the community so we have no problem with any of our other religious neighbors,” Novoseller said.

On a Friday evening in April, Taller Puertorriqueno kicked off its summer event series  with a live performance by Los Pleneros de la 21 right in North Kensington. The outcome of this event exceeded expectations.

“The event was just wonderful. We can give it a 10, and it went beyond our expectations in terms of audience,” said Executive Director of Taller Puertorriqueno Carmen Febo San Miguel.

This series of summer events are presented free to the community, funded with help from the Knight Foundation to market Taller’s new art center at 2621 N. Fifth St. By hosting a variety of events in a vacant parking lot located on Fifth and Huntingdon streets in Kensington, the staff at Taller Puertorriqueno said they hope to shed light on the expectations of what’s to come.

Café Under the Stars is the name of this series of seven, innovative performances, which, except for one event, will be staged on the lot of the site of Taller Puertorriqueno’s future $10.5 million state of the art facility.

Collaborating with Pregones Theater, Familia Rojas, Intercultural Journeys, AMLA, Casa de Venezuela and Feria del Barrio, the summer events began with Los Pleneros de la 21 concert and will end with the presentation of Merian Soto on Oct. 12.

“What we’re trying to do with this is to warm up the place so that people get familiar with our new space,” said Cynthia Hernandez, the marketing and communications director at Taller Puertorriqueno. “We are trying to engage the community and to get them to participate in their culture and Latino background.”

With about $4 million left to raise for the new facility, Febo San Miguel said he expects that this last chunk of funding will be the hardest to obtain.

“This is an effort that is going to involve all of the community’s involvement in order to make it a reality,” Febo San Miguel said about raising the rest of the money. “Afterwards, we can all celebrate together in our accomplishments. In the meantime, we all need to work very hard in order to get it done.”

When do they expect to get it done?

“This is still a very fluid process because there are still significant dollars that need to be identified,”  Febo San Miguel said.  “I think we have a path and within that path, if we are able to be successful in the goals that we have set for ourselves, we could be breaking ground by July of 2013. Now that would be a best-case scenario.”

Blending Latino talent and the community, award-winning work will be presented side-by-side with local and emerging talent.

The new Taller Puertorriqueno will contain classrooms with improved technology, dance and theater studios, and an outdoor patio. The new facility will aid the expansion of cultural outreach programs and cultural education programs.

As far as what people should expect from the new building, Febo San Miguel said, “It will be a beautiful structure that has all the comforts of a modern arts facility and people in the community will really enjoy it.”

The new facility will also include a multipurpose room for performances to take place and will be able to rent for events, meetings and even weddings.

The gallery at Taller Puertorriqueno is open and is located only a minute from the venue where the summer events are being held down no North Fifth Street.

Currently, the gallery is featuring an artist from New York. The “Take A Bite” exhibit spotlights David Antonio Cruz and his costumes, paintings and crops that he used throughout his most recent video.  After working on “Take a Bite” for almost a year, Cruz is now focusing solely on his painting.  He said h credits his friends for all his support, especially when it comes to his video projects.

“They put up with a lot,” Cruz said.  “They are very patient and they trust me, so they are in a lot of my work.”

This multifaceted exhibit includes sculptures, costumes, sounds, paintings and video. The exhibit will be available through June 2 at the Taller Puertorriqueno gallery.

“I am very flexible with my work,” Cruz said.  “I usually have one big grandiose idea, which eventually changes as I look for locations and start filming. But I don’t mind letting my plans stray off track a little in order to catch unexpected scenes. I love the surprises.”

Surprises are one thing that Executive Director Carmen Febo San Miguel and artist Cruz have in common. Both are building their communities through art; Cruz is already working on his next project and Febo San Miguel promises, “There is so much more to come.”

For more information about the upcoming summer events and the exhibit at the Taller Puertorriqueno Gallery, visit www.tallerpr.org/.

Whether it’s giving the kids a safe place to play after school or forcing thugs and drug dealers off the block, the residents are constantly battling negative elements to improve the quality of life in their area.

Yet for all their efforts, the presence of vacant or abandoned housing creates a problem that never ceases to disappear.

“These buildings here have been abandoned at least 10 years,” said Charles Langley, a pastor at Mt. Zion II. “You can see them falling apart, so if they start to crumble and fall that makes things even worse.”

Langley, who also works as a therapeutic aide for children with autism in local schools, has lived on Darien Street for 15 years. The buildings at 4052 and 4054 N. Darien St. that sit next to Langley’s home have been abandoned for more than a decade creating what he described as a “magnet of negativity” that not only creates an eyesore, but also a hazard to the health and wellness of residents his block.

“We were all afraid that if a fire started the whole block would go up,” Langley said. “One of the houses actually ended up having a fire about 10 years ago. But by the grace of God nothing happened to the rest of the houses. The whole street could be gone.”

Fears of abandoned building fires have escalated in recent weeks in light of the recent five-alarm fire that took place in an abandoned warehouse in Kensington that took the lives of two firemen.

Maura Kennedy, director of initiatives at the Department of Licenses and Inspections, said that it is always concerned with fire safety in abandoned properties. L&I had previously reached an agreement with the Homeowners Association of Philadelphia and the Tenant Union Representative Network on a certificate of rental stability in October 2011, which requires owners of properties to confirm fire safety guidelines before changing tenants.

“[Fire safety] is a constant and ongoing focus of the department,” Kennedy said.

Refuse in the backyard of the abandoned properties on Darien Street also has been an issue. The amount of trash was wildly out of control in recent years, Langley said. During one recent summer a foul odor coming from the houses was so bad Langley said his daughter could not even open her window on the back of his house.

“When we went back and looked to see where [the smell] was coming from, we found a dead pit bull,” Langley said.

Langley said he made repeated calls to city officials to do something about the vacant properties, but nothing was done for years.

“If you don’t make a lot of noise, which it shouldn’t take because we work hard here and pay taxes here, nothing really happens,” Langley said. “It’s disheartening when the city just doesn’t listen.

There are also several abandoned homes on the 3800 block of 10th Street that are completely desolate. The facades of the houses are destroyed, with the wooden framing exposed and trash strewn about. The structures have been abandoned for nearly 15 years and are scheduled to be demolished, said Denise Scott, 55, who has lived on the block her entire life.

Scott also said that a dead body was found in an abandoned building right next to her own home

“It’s horrible and I’m disgusted by [the lack of response],” Scott said. “A couple people came by a few years back and they said they owned it, but nothing ever got done.”

Mayra Camacho, 44, who also resides on the street, said she fears for pedestrians’ safety.

“You have kids running around here and playing in the summer and anything could fall on them,” Camacho said. “Even when I park my car here I worry about something collapsing and falling down.”

With 25,000 abandoned structures in Philadelphia, the problem is not unique to Hunting Park. But every resident in the area has an opinion about the dilapidated structures that plague property values and their quality of life, placing a problem that faces the whole city in perspective.

City Organizations Attempt to Resolve Issue

While these ignored structures are beyond a nuisance to residents, L&I is faced with the unenviable task of organizing all the vacant properties in the city, finding the appropriate owners and forcing them to either fix the buildings or finding the appropriate purchaser for the property.

Once a property has been reported and placed in violation, it is placed in one of three categories: unoccupied, unsafe or imminently dangerous, Kennedy said.

As soon as that first violation is cited, the property is fined $300 for each open window and door per day. The fines accrue for roughly three months, depending on the circumstance, and then the matter is taken to the courts.

If the owner takes care of the property and fixes the violations, some or all of the fines can be reduced.

“Our goal is compliance [with the property owners],” Kennedy said. “We would much rather have things taken care of with the properties, so if they work with us we can reduce the fines.”

In previous years, some property owners facing violations would simply take the fines. Since they do not live at the residence, they believe they can pay the money at a later date, Kennedy said.

To hold property owners more accountable, state legislators passed the Neighborhood Blight and Reclamation Act, or Act 90, in 2010. The act allows court action not only against the building, but also against the owner’s assets. Furthermore, the property owner can be denied certain permits and approvals for additional properties if another one of their structures is in serious violation, according to Pennsylvania Works.

“Previously, fines just sat with the properties,” Kennedy said. “If you didn’t live at the property, you could just leave the fine alone. Now, you can’t wait till down the road.

“[Property owners] are causing harm to the neighbors of these houses, so we are going to cause harm to their assets–to their bank account, their homes– something to hold them accountable.”

Kennedy stressed that any residents who are affected by vacant housing should call and let the department know, and if there are any other issues, alert the police immediately.

“Let us know where these abandoned houses are,” Kennedy said. “If you see the same building deteriorate more, call again, you have to let us know. And if you see squatters or anything like that, call 911. That is a police matter and they will deal with it appropriately.”

Hunting Park residents like Langley often become tired of waiting for city action. He said he believes prospective buyers could come in and make the properties livable again.

“Someone definitely would have purchased these buildings from the city [in my opinion] and fixed them up,” Langley said.

Jeanette Lopez, who also lives on Darien Street, said she has seen other houses on the block resurrected by their owners and said she wonders why the city doesn’t do the same.

“My neighbor across the street, his house used to be [awful],” Lopez said. “It used to be so bad, it smelled like urine, absolutely awful. Then the owners [of the building] came by with these big containers and cleaned out the whole house. We thought it had to be demolished. We thought it was unlivable. If they can do that, why can’t they do that with the other buildings?”

In reality, some of the abandoned properties in the area are already for sale, including the two properties next to Langley’s home.

But purchasing these properties becomes another matter all together.

Roughly half of the estimated vacant or abandoned building throughout Philadelphia are currently controlled by various city and private entities: the Philadelphia Housing Authority, Department of Public Property, Philadelphia Housing Development Corp. and the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority.

A list of all 12,749 properties controlled by the entities can be found on the redevelopment authority’s website found here.

However, the buyer must meet an array of qualifications that vary depending on what entity he or she is purchasing from, which makes buying one of the properties even more difficult.

According to the website, “Through a series of Request for Qualifications the [redevelopment authority] will select qualified developers (both for and non-profit) who will acquire the foreclosed homes, renovate and sell them to credit worthy owner occupants.” The purchase of general properties also must be approved by City Council and the City Planning Commission.

Paul Chrystie, director of communications in the Office of Housing and Community Development, said that he was not able to provide specific details on the properties on Darien Street, but they are for sale.

“In general, many city-owned properties are available for sale, including these two,” Chrystie said. “Currently, a prospective purchaser would apply to the public entity that owns the parcel. Shortly, a more comprehensive and transparent process will be implemented, which we expect will help bring properties back into productive use sooner.”

Cleaning Up Someone Else’s Mess

L&I recently cleaned out and boarded up the windows and doors of the two houses next to Langley’s residence on Darien Street. While it took almost a decade for something to be done with the properties, Langley said he is glad something finally happened.

“It’s a sense of relief that the city is addressing the problem,” Langley said. “I would much rather see someone living here then a squatter waiting to take the boards off. I’d much rather have a neighbor paying taxes than these eyesores.“

Rehabilitating thousands of abandoned properties across Philadelphia is not something that is going to happen over night, Kennedy said.

“I think this is a problem that is 70 years in the making,” Kennedy said. “In that time, we have lost half a million people in the city. A lot of people have left Philadelphia in the past. But our population is growing again. It’s a vibrant, growing city and we are doing what we can to manage all this. We are working diligently to make this city better. It’s not something that’s going to be fixed in two or three years. It is going to take a while.”

While the properties are still unoccupied, the residents of Darien Street decided they were tired of looking at the boarded-up properties. They painted the front of the abandoned homes and allow the children to put their own artwork where doors and windows should be.

The front of one of the abandoned properties reads, “We are the children of Darien Street.”

As a resident of Darien Street for 19 years, Lopez said she would do whatever it takes to make her street a better place to live.

“It was dirty on the block in front of those abandoned houses,” Lopez said. “We figured if we can’t do anything, we might as well make it look prettier.”

Soundslide: Residents Speak Up On Abandoned Properties