Philly War on Graffiti

Sunday, February 21, 2016

I go after graffiti on 6 days and rest on the 7th.

Todays post is honor of the number 6. G-d created the world in six days. It's also a perfect number (1x2x3 = 1+2+3). Hence, 6th St. was perfect for my latest assault on graffiti in Philadelphia. Read all about the number here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6_(number)

I chose 6th because it's near my synagogue and I drive south of it on the way to I95 to work in the morning. I pass lots of obvious graffiti driving but on a closer walk, I saw much more. 6th - Lombard to Catharine.

Hillary pickup truck. "Secretary Clinton, what would you say about all of the graffiti in downtown Philly... home of the 2016 Democratic Convention?"

All politics is local right? So I see the Hillary pickup truck and then a block later on 6th and Fitzwater is the home of the 2nd Ward Democratic leader. The parking signs around his home and the house across the street were covered in graffiti. Edward Nesmith - I can't find his e-mail and his website is not available. I found him on Facebook. I am tempted to message him... Okay, I did:

Mr. Nesmith: I am a resident of the graduate hospital area of Philadelphia but attend synagogue near your ward. I have been trying to report as much of the city's graffiti that I come across lately and I chose to walk down 6th St earlier today. I saw a lot of graffiti in the area particularly around 6th Fitzwater - on your corner and the corner directly across the street from your home with your ward leader sign. I reported it and my experience has been the city has been extraordinarily responsive in removing (reported) graffiti. Ideally, by the end of the week it will be removed. I am writing you with hope that city leaders such as yourself can report and encourage others to do so as well some of this blight to make our city more beautiful. This is especially true considering your party's convention will be here in a few months. Thank you for your time.

Seriously, this is across the street from your house and you have run for State Representative in the past? Clean up your neighborhood first!

Wednesday February 17

Morris St. off Columbus Blvd on way to I95 South. On the dumpster. I reported this weeks back and it was cleaned. Now back. <sigh>

I wanted to get some 6th St. things early in the week.

Coming home from work, I parked on Christian St. I don't normally walk on that street so this was an opportunity to get some of the graffiti in the 18th-21st St area.

Not graffiti, but someone left their mattress off my block on 18th. Trash pickup didn't get it on Tuesday. It was gone a day or two later.

Thursday February 18

More Christian that I missed the night before but got on the way to the car Thursday morning.

Friday February 19

16th and Chestnut on traffic control box. Taking wifey to the train station saw this at a red light. Strangely, Philly311 marked this as complete a minute after I submitted it. Weird.

Sunday February 21

In addition to 6th St, there was a building on Broad and Bainbridge that had a lot of graffiti and we went to CVS on 22nd and South and passed some stuff along the way.

Across the street from my synagogue on Lombard between 5th and 6th.

Bainbridge between 13th and Broad. I pass by this building a lot. I got gas... for the car... right by there and decided to make a quick stop to get pics and submit. It's an old government building.

And the CVS run. If I wasn't with the wife, I would have stopped for more.

Monday, February 15, 2016

Presidents' Day and Catharine the Great

The weather and Sunday weddings are impacting my ability to submit graffiti. Yesterday's wedding was in New York and I saw graffiti that I so wanted to report (http://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/service/1114/graffiti-report). Unfortunately, I had no clue where I was. Fortunately, Presidents Day allowed me to do a little bit of work reporting graffiti - in Philadelphia - but the cold weather limits my desire to take my hands out of my gloves. And next Sunday? Visiting the mother-in-law.

I decided to hit a couple more blocks of Catharine since a couple of rabbis and their families live on the street. The 1600 and 1700 blocks seemed relatively clear since stuff got cleaned up. 1400-1500 were a little bit of a different story. I tried to find out who Catharine was. Catharine Street's original name was Kansas but was renamed in 1898. (http://www.phillyhistory.org/historicstreets/default.aspx) Irwin Catharine, architect for Philly schools, would have been too young at the time. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irwin_T._Catharine) Any ideas loyal readers?

For Presidents' Day, here's an article on the snow graffiti at Broad and Washington. http://www.passyunkpost.com/2016/02/15/broad-and-washington-snow-pile-gets-a-graffiti-makeover/

I also hit up some more things on 18th. Graffiti right by Rittenhouse.

First from another graffiti reporter on Philly 311. Does the person not know that people from the Republic of Niger are called Nigeriens? (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niger)

Monday February 8

4th and Christian

18th and Spruce by the Starbucks we always go to. I missed this since it's on the side I don't see. Cleared up now!

Tuesday February 9

Not quite graffiti, but a disgusting lot with overgrown vegetation and litter around 34th and Grays Ferry. I submitted this for the city to take a look at.