Let’s Remember Logan

Logan is a neighborhood in upper North Philadelphia. Infamous now for the “sinking homes” in its “triangle” section, Logan was once a vibrant and bustling predominantly Jewish community. Rita Rosen Poley shares her story about landmark “Rosen’s Famous Bakery” and other memories that made Logan a vital part of “Lost Philly”…

 

41 thoughts on “Let’s Remember Logan”

  1. Thank you for the memories. I grew up at 4751 N. Franklin St. Are house was one of the sinking homes. So many great memories from the old neighborhood.

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  2. grew up in Logan, used to go into Rosen’s get my number, go next door to THOMAS and GORMAN, get the deli or fish and go back to Rosen’s and get the bread and mini bagel for my sister. Was in the Boy Scouts with Mary and knew Rita and Mary’s mom and dad they were wonderful people. Like my second parents. Grew up in Logan was special, I was brought up to never forget where I was from. Visit Suffolk and the Boardwalk in Ventnor. This a bench to prove that message. Everything I learned that is important, I learned there.

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  4. Thanks for the memories. I grew up in Logan and as a kid worked at Rosen’s bakery and the White Palace. Growing up was a ball played stick ball wire ball box ball buck buck chink etc never a dull moment. AZA and great friends. No cell phones no internet just the neighborhood. Went to Birney Cooke and Central. Thanks again and hi Rita

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  5. Thank you…I used to visit my two Aunts, who lived in Logan, one at 4608 N. 11th st and the other at 719 Wyoming Ave..I remember going to Rosens, the White Palace, Rubes, and R&W…It was quite a treat, because I lived in Reading, Pa…we didn’t have all of these great Jewish bakeries and food stores….again, thanks for the memories.

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  6. My house at 4742 N Hutchinson is gone but my memories of growing up in Logan will live in my heart forever. I went to Cooke Junior High but for elementary school I went to Logan Demonstration and for high school Girls High. I went to Temple but after I went to grad school in New York and never came back to Philly. My parents retired to Margate and then Florida. I’m on a Facebook site where all the old Loganites and Olneyites reminisce about our wonderful childhoods in the 50s and 60s. Watching this video made me cry.

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  7. Thank you for this retrospective. One point for historical accuracy: Rabbi Lipschultz, OB”M, had a Shtibel – Geulas Yisrael -at the corner of Lindley and Warnock. The Tolna Shtibel, was Rabbi Twersky, OB”M. The Tolna Shtibel was located at the corner of 8th and Rockland. Thanks for the memories!

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      2. There was a store named Gocial on Castor Avenue, around Glendale, I think? Not sure what it was, but I used to drive by and note the name. Any relation to your family?

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  8. Grew up at 5255 Sydenham St. Went to Logan Demonstration School, and Cooke Jr. High. My mother also went to Cooke in the early 1920’s. Loved living in Logan. In 1953 when my parents bought a home in Cheltenham, I never went to that house until the day we moved. Didn’t want to leave all my friends in Logan.
    Years later, I worked for PSFS, at the corners of Broad and Ruscomb. The bakery next door had wonderful doughnuts. Does anyone remember the name of that bakery?

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    1. I grew up on the 51 hundred block of 16th st. The bakerys name was Eberhearts, not sure of the
      spelling. My family went there alot.

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  9. I lived in Logan 5010 n 8th street. The best place to live as a child. I have special memories that I hold in my heart. My friends from Logan are still in my life. My aunt and uncle owned new Logan bakery.
    That’s for the video.

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  10. I spent the first 18 years of my life living in Logan. First at 4958 Franklin St. and later at 4720 Hutchinson Street. The friends I made in Logan are my friends for life. I don’t ever remember being bored or asking my parents what to do. Every day was a new adventure. As I’ve texted before, every Thursday, six or seven Logan guys breakfast together. One guy has been my friend 75 years.

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    1. Barry, sorry so long to get back to you…I lost your comment in WordPress, glad I was able to retrieve. Your comments are are so appreciated by Rita and me. Would you and your Logan guys be interested in a “zoom” breakfast, with Rita and me (as we’re still in COVID).? I’d be happy to coordinate. Look forward to hearing from you. Regards, Rick

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      1. Once again, thank you very much Rick for your awesome video narrated by Rita. I just watched it again and reminisced about my childhood in the late 70s visiting my grandmother on 4532 North Warnock Street for Christmases and summer vacations. I vividly recall those lovely sycamore trees lining the street; the children playing in the street as the lights turned on; the Lipshultz Pharmacy with the big German Shepherd on the corner of Courtland and N. 10th Street; the big stone Baptist Church on the corner of Wingohocking and North Warnock Streets; and Hunting Park. Do you know when that church was built? Are you also aware that a famous crime noir author by the name of David Goodis was from The Logan area? He lived on 6305 N. 11th Street. His life story is quite fascinating.

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      3. hello Alexander, thx for writing and being a fan of the Logan video. Sorry I don’t know when this church was built, but
        interestingly, my father in law told me he went to community dances there, probably 1930’s- 40’s . Yes , I know about Mr. Giddis!.

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    2. I lived on that same block – 4747! I remember the “huckster” who used to drive down the street with a horse and buggy calling out “Watermelons! Apples, Pears, Fresh vegetables!”. This was in the late 60’s early 70’s. Then we moved to the 5100 block of 10th. I remember watching as they tore down a city block to expand Birney School. At that young age, the notion that an actual house could be destroyed (not to mention a whole block of them!) was slightly traumatic, but fascinating nonetheless. Growing up in Philly was a formative experience that just cannot be duplicated anywhere else!

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  11. Hi Mr. Specter I’m blown away to see others that have the love of Logan as I do. I grew up on the 1600 block of mentor st. My neighbors were Mr Jesus Ribot owner of Ribot Sunoco on 16th belfield my mom was the committee person/ community liaison for two separate city council members. I have fond memories of Jewish restaurants on broad Street the movie theater. And one of my favorite neighbors was a elderly woman Mrs Unruh who charged me to keep the kids off her grass. In Wich I did. My payment was her delicious cookies

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  12. Man you put in a lot of work to produce these bits. Bravo! I was a Logan kid from the west side of Broad Street. I was one of the little brats who would show up on 11th Street as a nuisance in the late 60s/ early 70s. Nevertheless the merchants and neighbors tolerated our antics and treated us as legit customers when we bought bagels or ice cream or corned beef specials. I left the area in 72 for military service, your vid brings back good memories. Thank you.

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  13. This movie just popped up on my screen. I’m Marlyn Wiater Harris from 5017 N. Franklin St. I just hope I can save this fantastic/memorable movie to share with family and friends. Two very important statements:
    1. I’m married to Herb Harris from Feltonville. He would go to Rosens Bakery on State Business. He loved Mrs. Rosen so much. He felt she just radiated with love and warmth. When he shared with her our upcoming marriage on April 10, 1965 = Mrs. Rosen insisted on presenting a gorgeous and delicious wedding cake as a present from her.
    2. My Bubbie rented a room on 4800 N. 13th Street (?). She always talked about the wonderful young couple living next door. We could not stop her from bragging about their baby who she thought was the cutest and smartest baby. I think the baby might have been Mrs. Rosen’s grandchild.
    Thanks for the movie production

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  15. My memories of logan consist.of Cooke Jr high 1year sin e i livedin north philly. Columbia ave. Laterworked at a hardware store onbroad st. Dated a girl from old york rd. Ate at the chinese restaurant on broad st
    . Had many friends in logan.

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  16. Stumbled across this video by accident and it was really fun to watch. As an Irish Catholic girl who grew up at 4724 Hutchinson St. in the 50s to the 70s, it never really occurred to me that I lived in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. It was just where I lived and if you didn’t go to Catholic school, you were just a “public”. But Rita’s memories are so much like my own, especially of the activities like the Hunting Park Merry Go Round (and the swimming pool), the back driveways, and the three movie theaters on Broad Street. Even your commercial reminded me of my mother’s coffee pot. Most importantly, Rita’s narration jogged my memory of my next door neighbor, Mrs. Fischer, who absolutely did have numbers on her arm, which I recall asking about and nobody telling me. I was so sad when the neighborhood was demolished as I felt my happy little childhood was demolished as well. I am very appreciative to see videos like this. Thank you so much for taking the time.

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  17. I’m so glad I found this tribute to Logan. It brought back memories of the stories my father, Barry Friedman, used to tell us. He went to the Tolner’s shtibel, played stickball and took trips to Atlantic City. He was so sorry that he couldn’t show us the house, sunk, he lived in with his mother, aunt, uncle, grandmother and grandfather and 3 cousins.

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