Rhawnhurst, Philadelphia

Rhawnhurst
Neighborhood of Philadelphia
The intersection of Rhawn Street and Castor Avenue in Rhawnhurst
Country	United States
State	Pennsylvania
County	Philadelphia County
City	Philadelphia
ZIP code	19111
Area code(s)	Area code 215

Rhawnhurst is a residential neighborhood in the Northeast section of Philadelphia, named for George and William Rhawn by area real estate developers. Roughly bordered by Cottman Avenue to the south, Pennway Street to the west, the Pennypack Creek to the north, and Roosevelt Boulevard to the east, Rhawnhurst encompasses zip codes 19152 and part of zip code 19111. The geographic center of Rhawnhurst is at the intersection of Castor Avenue and Rhawn Street. Mail to Rhawnhurst residents is delivered by Fox Chase Station for 19111 and by Bustleton Station for 19152.

By 1940, development in Philadelphia had almost reached Cottman Avenue, but large areas of the Northeast, including Rhawnhurst, were still farmland. Though much development had taken place in neighboring Mayfair, the area between Pennypack Park and Cottman Avenue west of the Roosevelt Boulevard had not been subdivided. The baby boom after World War II caused a demand for housing that continued into the 1960s. The new housing stock was built in the open areas of Northeast Philadelphia. Most homes in Rhawnhurst are twins, along with some ranchers and duplexes, largely built by local home builder A.P. Orleans.

The two major modes of transportation in Rhawnhurst are private car and public transportation. Major roads include Cottman Avenue (PA 73), Bustleton Avenue (PA 532), Castor Avenue, Rhawn Street, and the Roosevelt Boulevard (U.S. 1). The intersection of Cottman Avenue and the Roosevelt Boulevard is one of the most dangerous in the city; recently red light cameras were installed there to reduce traffic violations. (In a ranking done by State Farm Insurance in 2001, 2 of the 10 most dangerous intersections in the U.S. were on the Roosevelt Boulevard.) Several SEPTA bus lines serve Rhawnhurst, with connections to the Market-Frankford Line elevated train (the "El"), the Broad Street Subway, and regional rail lines.