Oswaldo Gonzalez walks outside of his family owned appliance shop in the Kensington, neighborhood in North Philadelphia just two weeks before the Democratic National Convention.

Jimmy Allen is a former gang leader who has become a community organizer in the Mantua neighborhood in West Philadelphia. The University of Drexel is next door to Mantua and brings in a lot of money. Allen wants Drexel to help give people in the neighborhood jobs at the University instead of outsourcing them to others. Mantua is a low income neighborhood with higher crime rates than many other places in the city. While driving around with Allen, he sang Vanessa William's song "Colors of the Wind" while pointing out who dealt drugs in the neighborhood and which houses had been crime scenes. 

Melissa Pagan stands outside of an antique thrift shop belonging to her friend Pedro Falu, in the Kensington Neighborhood. Falu once dealt drugs on the corner down from where he owns his shop but after being shot five times and serving in prison for several years turned his life around. He wants to make Pagan a co-owner because she helps him with decorating the shop and bringing in customers. 

There are several neighborhoods in North Philadelphia that are in transition. Many are being gentrified while others are becoming more blighted. City Councilwoman Cherelle Parker believes that the best way to help a neighborhood is to bring in business where people would want to spend more time. She thinks that stores like this Chinese restaurant which also sells tobacco products is a part of the problem. She also comments on how signs like the one above adds to the racist nature of many establishments, saying that predominantly black neighborhoods, there should be more black shop owners. 

On a hot summer day, a young man tries to cool down in one of many open fire hydrants in the Fairhill neighborhood in North Philadelphia. Fairhill has one of the highest crime rates in the city, "most white folks who come to his area are here to buy drugs, our houses or are cops," said one of his friends who did not wish to give his name. 

Wearing an Iron Man costume, Zayden Campbell, 3, stretches his legs out while hugging his mother, Carol Campbell outside of their home in the Brewerytown. This is a neighborhood in the northwest part of the city that is lower income but is starting to see (and in many cases fear) development.

A home in Mantua that has been abandoned and left alone. Mantua is less than a mile from the popular Philadelphia Zoo. 

Marie Adilah Hameen is one of the Muslim leaders in the Northern Philadelphia community. She works with other religious leaders to try to give youth after school activities and keep them busy so they'll be less likely to engage in illegal or destructive behavior. 

A playground in the Mantua Neighborhood in West Philly. "Kids just run around here without supervision," said Mr. Allen.

Kevin Smith stands under his friend, Sharyl Glass’s tent in the Brewerytown neighborhood and says “The reason people hate each other is because they hate themselves. If you hate yourself, you're never going to get along with anyone. I spent six years upstate [in prison]… the thing I’ve learned is that self hatred is the cause of all this aggression between the people and the police."

A memorial painted on the side of a building in Fairhill. It is not uncommon to see more than one memorial or vigil for someone on a single block in this neighborhood. 

 A mother pushes her child in a residential neighborhood in downtown Philadelphia, two weeks before the Democratic National Convention came to town. 

Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk in downtown Philadelphia.

This Boardwalk is well developed and brings many tourists and residents. 

An upscale residential neighborhood in downtown.

Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk’s dog park. The city spent a lot of money developing the area.

 Well developed and maintained downtown.

View of the Schuylkill River from the South Street bridge in an upscale residential neighborhood.