Residents work to sell University City area

Last Saturday, the residents and businesses of University City had one message: welcome to the come-back neighborhood. Organizers of the fourth annual University City Saturday said that the area is bustling with diversity and has maintained a high quality of living, despite recent hardships and criticism. University City Saturday -- sponsored by the University City Promotions Group -- was designed to promote positive aspects of the neighborhoods immediately west of the University. The most prominent feature of the event was the University City Open House, which showcased more than 100 homes in the area. "We're trying to project a continuous profile," University City Promotions Group member David Hochman said. "The atmosphere has been positive." The festivities began with a community fair of local civic groups and real estate agencies held at the Calvary United Methodist Church at 48th Street and Baltimore Avenue. Among those in attendance were the University Arts League, the University City Historical Society, the Spruce Hill Community Association, the Friends of Clark Park and the Annenberg Center. City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell and State Representative Jim Roebuck also made appearances. "It is a good event for the community to showcase their neighborhood," Roebuck said. Many realtors highlighted the area's diverse environment and moderate real estate prices. "It is a great, diversified place to live," Jackson-Cross realtor John Portland said. He also pointed out that his company has participated in the past three University City Saturdays with considerable success. "It is good to get people into the neighborhood and see how enthusiastic the community is," he added. In addition to sponsoring the event, the University had booths representing the University's Center for Community Partnerships and the University Mortgage Plan. The University Mortgage Plan provides guaranteed loans for University employees who decide to live in the area, and has helped more than 1,400 people buy property since its inception in 1965. According to the program's organizer, University Associate Treasurer D-L Wormley, the University needs to improve in its role as a part of its immediate environment. "We have to work more as neighbors," she said. Wormley also pointed out how easy it is to break down stereotypes about the community. "They saw inside these homes and have had a feeling for them," she said. According to Hochman, the event began as a means to promote the area in the face of a recession, and to deal with several other factors, among them addressing the issue of the city funding cuts. "The event is aimed at potential residents," Hochman said. "We're looking at everyone in the city." To that end, the University City Promotion Group placed advertisements in several city publications in an effort to "pull racial and economic diversity." University City Saturday is the main event of the University City Promotions Group. It usually uses its leftover funds to hold a party in the fall for new residents. According to Hochman, University City is a large area that includes much of the eastern part of West Philadelphia. It includes the neighborhoods of Spruce Hill, Cedar Park, Garden Court, Walnut Hill, Squirrel Hill and Powelton.