PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future

Ridge/Allegheny/Hunting Park, once home to the Hunting Park race track, is a neighborhood in Upper North Philadelphia. This area extends from Glenwood Avenue to Wingohocking Street and from G Street to Old York Road. The area is best known for its park, called “Hunting Park,” which was once home to William Penn's secretary, James Logan. Logan's estate, built in 1795, still partially stands today on the south- west corner of the park behind an oak tree that can be dated back far past the Logan estate. In 1815, 45 acres of the park were sold to make a race course which was used for horse trotting and racing. However the race track was short lived.By 1854, betting on horses was outlawed in Philadelphia, which left the land abandoned. Residents at the time fought to preserve the race track and by 1871 they received permission to turn the area into a community park. Later a roadway was built connecting Fairmount park and Hunting Park. The road was named Hunting Park Avenue and is still in service today. Today the community celebrates the multicultural heritage of its Latino, Puerto Rican, and African American residents, who make up the majority of this neighborhood's population. Like many Philadelphian neighborhoods, Hunting Park has recently seen a local increase in drug abuse and crime, but organizations like the “Friends of Hunting Park” and police cooperation have helped to deter criminal activities.