SOUTH STREET BEAT
Strategy for Survival With the world turned upside down, the South Street Headhouse District has been forming partnerships to ensure the safety and quality of life in Queen Village. By Martha Morowitz
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he combined events of COVID-19 and social unrest this past spring and summer created an atmosphere that encompassed robust civic engagement and entrepreneurial ingenuity as well as growing safety concerns and pointed frustration. On South Street, pandemic-restricted life, compounded by an uptick in illegal activities, put many on edge and created problems requiring strategic and coordinated action. In the South Street Headhouse District (SSHD), just such a coordinated effort brought pressure to bear. Led by SSHD Executive Director Mike Harris, multiple city agencies, politicians, business owners, and civic organizations responded to the challenges with moxie, creativity, and sensitivity to the needs of our diverse community. To address illegal tailgating, SSHD is restricting late-night parking Thursday through Sunday, with help from Street Department signage and Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) tow trucks to enforce the new regulations. The police department continues to work hard to provide effective enforce-
ment and a safe environment for residents and visitors of South Street. Districts 3 & 6 helped enforce weekend closures after SSHD was able to have some feeder blocks shut to disrupt dirtbikes and ATVs from continually and dangerously cruising South Street. But there have been unintended consequences; neighbors to our north have concerns of increased traffic routed through surrounding streets resulting from the closures. As restaurants were permitted to extend dining into street parking spaces and “streeteries” were born, SSHD worked to support restaurants and cafés by closing various blocks of South Street, allowing streeteries to expand from curb to curb. Summer and fall evenings, the Headhouse Shambles had five restaurants sharing the covered space and, when closed to traffic, the cobblestone street. In anticipation of colder weather, a collaboration between the food delivery service DoorDash and the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association have been making grants available to install tents, coverings, and heaters to extend the season as far as possible.
Photos by Jenny Lynn. During the pandemic, “streeteries” blossomed as Banh Mi & Bottles (712-14 South Street), Twisted Tail (509 South Second Street), and the Shambles opened for fine dining.
