Join us in October and November for a walking tour of West Philadelphia’s 52nd Street, aka “the Strip,” a historic commercial and cultural corridor. The 52nd Street Stroll will uncover the Strip’s forgotten past as an entertainment destination for African Americans.
Points of interest along the Strip include:
- Nightclub frequented by celebrities such as Muhammad Ali, Cab Calloway, Joe Frazier, Teddy Pendergrass and Stevie Wonder;
- Restaurant where President Bill Clinton ordered soul food;
- Historic landmark where then-candidate Barack Obama held a campaign rally;
- First-ever Walk of Fame memorializing African American artists of stage, screen and television;
- Jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan’s historical marker;
- Oldest Black-owned bookstore on the East Coast;
- Free Library branch designed by a Black architect who was also a jazz club proprietor;
- Sites featured in the 1972 Blaxploitation film “Trick Baby.”
The 52nd Street Stroll will be led by All That Philly Jazz Director Faye Anderson. The walking tour will begin at Malcolm X Memorial Park (52nd and Pine Streets) and end at the Nixon Theatre (.06 mile).
There will be a bonus stop at the jazz club where John Coltrane met McCoy Tyner.
The 52nd Street Stroll will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2024, 10am to 12pm. Tickets are $25 per person.