Walking down West Monmouth Street today reveals a stark contrast between vibrant, colorful row homes and a disheartening landscape filled with empty lots.
These vacant spaces are cluttered with trash, abandoned cars, and remnants of children’s toys, a reflection of the area’s ongoing struggles.
Since 2007, this stretch of West Monmouth has been designated as the most demolished street in Philadelphia, with city data showing that 15 of the 39 lots have had their houses torn down due to safety concerns.
Lawrence West, a 70-year-old Democratic committeeperson who has lived on the street for approximately 65 years, reminisces about a time when the neighborhood was bustling and lively.
He recalls that West Monmouth and Germantown Avenue were once paved with cobblestones, a far cry from the current state of neglect.
Looking down the street, he reflects on the decline: “It was nothing like this,” West said, pointing down the street with one hand while gripping his wooden walking stick shaped like a fist with the other.
The transformation of the neighborhood began notably in the 1980s and ‘90s when it earned the unfortunate title of the “Badlands,” primarily due to rampant drug use and the subsequent use of vacant housing for drug-related activities.
This led to a series of demolitions, including the elimination of an entire block of row houses just two streets over from Monmouth in an effort to combat the rampant issues affecting the area.
Shemeka Moore, a spokeswoman for the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I), explained the process for dealing with unsafe properties.
If a building is declared unsafe and the corresponding violations go unaddressed, the L&I team can pursue enforcement actions, potentially leading to demolition.
West has been a proactive advocate for safety on his street, reporting hazardous and vacant homes to the Department of L&I.
“In my block, I had 13 houses tore down,” he said proudly, highlighting his efforts to improve the living conditions in his community.
City data shows that on February 7, 2013, 12 houses were demolished, with additional buildings coming down in the following months.
The last demolition on West Monmouth occurred in October 2016, leaving behind a collection of empty lots that have since become repositories for trash and abandoned vehicles.
Even after the city has stepped in to tear down dangerous structures, the problem of neglected lots remains unresolved.
“Before anything is built, they need to clean the goddamned trash,” West asserted, indicating the ongoing battle against litter and neglect.
The fate of undeveloped and abandoned properties hangs in the balance, as Moore elaborated on the ownership of these lots.
Even after demolition, the property remains in the ownership of the original building owner, bringing with it the responsibility to obtain a vacant lot permit and maintain the area.
Should an owner neglect their property, the city can call upon the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) to intervene.
PHS assists in maintaining roughly 12,000 of the city’s 40,000 vacant lots by engaging local businesses and nonprofits to keep them clean.
Keith Green, vice president of the PHS’s Healthy Neighborhoods program, explained, “We actually bid this work out.
That money is used for small local businesses and nonprofits in the neighborhood that will clean those lots,” which occurs approximately twice a month.
Although the city passes the costs to the property owner, if payment is not made, a lien is placed against the property.
This has been the case for some properties on West Monmouth Street, including 1030 W. Monmouth St., which has been marked with signage and a wooden fence.
However, the fence does little to deter unwelcome activities, as gaps in the structure allow access to the lot, which still sees trash accumulate despite the bi-monthly cleanings from PHS volunteers.
Unfortunately, even with these efforts, trash continues to resurface in the area, further complicating recovery and revitalization efforts in the neighborhood.
Residents express a dire need for concrete action on the vacant lots that once housed numerous homes.
Their message is clear: “Either rebuild them, or keep them clean,” West asserted, highlighting the prevalent frustration felt by those still living among the remnants of past neglect.
As time passes, the empty lots have not only stripped the neighborhood of its homes but have also become hotspots for garbage and derelict vehicles, including a rainbow-colored van covered in graffiti that seems to have been immobilized for years.
The struggles on West Monmouth Street are emblematic of broader issues facing many neighborhoods in Philadelphia, revealing the pressing need for action and community engagement to restore pride and safety in these areas.
image source from：whyy
