Comments by Priscilla Woods
Executive Director
Yorktown Community Development Corporation

Yorktown comprises 635 privately owned homes. Started in the late 1950s, Yorktown has been a strong presence in North Philadelphia, especially as the rest of the area declined through the years. Today, as progress is being made in North Philadelphia, Yorktown continues to lend itself to neighborhood stabilization, and to promoting the long-term attractiveness of the area.

When a lot of displacement occurred all around us, Yorktown's special design gave us immunity from these problems. The result was a strong neighborhood. In this community, residents interacted with each other and formed bonds. In 1963, this commitment led to the formation of the Yorktown Community Organization. Nearly 30 years later, the covenant to maintain a beautiful and vibrant neighborhood has been true to its promise. When Yorktown formed, some called it urban homesteading. Whatever the term, it has been a success. Blue collar workers have invested in the area and have stayed here for most of their lives.

Although we take great pride in Yorktown, our work is far from done. In 1997, we completed Yorktown Arms, which is a retirement community for older residents. The land was originally blighted. After failed attempts (by several outside developers and by the redevelopments authority) to build conventional housing, the community came together and decided on a project that would serve the whole neighborhood. Many of the residents were getting older, and they wanted a place to go if their health started to fail. Although conceived to serve Yorktown residents, Yorktown Arms now also serves people who once lived in other sections of the city.

Besides this type of project, the Yorktown Community Development Corporation is engaged in other methods of strengthening the area, including setting up home-maintenance and job-training programs. We will continue to search for the right services to provide for the people of our community. Yorktown is doing very well, considering that we have an aging population. But Yorktown is going to be here. With our present work, we are ensuring that the area will remain strong for the next 30 to 40 years.