History
In 1682, William Penn referred to the area north of Philadelphia as the “Liberties” because it consisted “liberty land or free lots“ – additional land that was given away for free with a land purchase. The subsequent Northern Liberties township, which once contained the areas of Northern Liberties, Spring Garden, Kensington, Bridesburg, Penn, Richmond, and Aramingo before being whittled down to its current size, became one of America’s largest cities. Situated on the waterfront, Northern Liberties was a thriving hub of trade, featuring lumber yards, farmer’s markets, and other wholesale and retail shops. In 1854, the Township officially became part of Philadelphia.
What today’s current residents are saying…
We moved from Rittenhouse to Northern Liberties to accommodate our growing family. I knew I would like it but I did not expect to love it as much as I do. We have parking, a yard, a huge open floor plan and room to grow. The neighborhood is extremely family oriented. There is weird and some times violent crime in the early morning hours. The bordering neighborhoods have not see the revival that Northern Liberties has and that does seem to cause a problem at times. We need more shops and more restaurants but the community is growing all the time.
-Sibyl, 32, mom of 2
