In the Fairhill neighborhood, along Fifth Avenue and at the corners of Lehigh, Somerset, and Cambria, you’ll find a snaking yellow trail that leads you through El Centro de Oro, the center of Philadelphia’s Latino community.
Also known as El Bloque de Oro, the Golden Block, the media has painted this neighborhood as “exotic” for decades. But in a city where 15.1% of the population identifies as Latino, this corridor is not foreign or unusual, but rather “the heart of Philadelphia,” says Reinaldo Meléndez, owner of Centro Musical. “And just like the human body, without the heart, the body stops.”
Once known for thriving Latino businesses and commerce, the neighborhood has seen many changes driven by economic downturns, the opioid epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic. But for over 50 years, El Bloque de Oro has drawn Philadelphians with parades like the Fiesta del Barrio and the stories you’ll find around every corner.
“A lot of shops closed, we lost the beloved community business, but this is still the best neighborhood in the city,” says 75-year-old resident María Torres.
In the span of 30 minutes, you can walk around this corridor and enjoy commissioned art from Taller Puertorriqueño, listen to live Latin music at Casa Musical, play dominoes with community elders in the park, find a natural pain reliever of the belly at Botanica la Milagrosa. eat some questions at Delicias Bakery and indulge stylist Virginia Villanueva as you update your look.
» READ MORE: Where to find a taste of Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean in Philly
Along bus route 47, behind the 5th and Lehigh stop, is This is where the Golden Block begins murals. For María Torres – who has lived here since 1990 – the golden charms and the phrase “Do you need money? We have it here” evoke the story behind the name of the block. “There used to be many shops where people came to pawn their valuables [made out of gold] out of necessity,” says Torres.
Puerto Rican artist Danny Torres (no relation) likes María’s explanation, but says the origin of the name has nothing to do with pawn shops. In 2011, the former owner of Gold Buyers of Philadelphia commissioned Torres to paint this piece. Since the mural is on the wall of the money-for-gold business, the idea was to welcome people to the block and showcase the precious metal. The phrase was not included in the original art, but the flags became a staple to remind passersby of the Latino influence in the area. In María’s case, it serves as a reminder that “what makes it the Golden Block is the good people we have.”
Next to the mural, you’ll find Centro Musical, a Latino-owned music store serving the community since 1959. If you’re ever in need of Latin music CDs, instruments, or domino tables, this is the place to go.
As salsa plays in the background, owner Reinaldo Meléndez welcomes customers and visitors. On one visit, “Lápiz De Carmín” by singer Tommy Olivencia plays over the top. Decorating the walls are maracas and Puerto Rican flags. To the left, guitars, congas, drums and guiras are lined up on a small platform for those who wish to play.
Meléndez bought the store in 2014 from the Gonzales family, which had owned it for three generations. But despite the change in administration, Centro Musical has managed to maintain its place at the heart of the community.
Neighbor Genoveva Torres attributes this to Meléndez’s philosophy: “Customers are just friends you haven’t met yet.” In her 18 years of going to the store, “the people, the traditions and that we can just come in and play music together” is what makes it her favorite place on the block.
In addition to keeping the music in the neighborhood, the store’s charm lies in the help it has been able to give to the community. Since its inception, the store has inadvertently become a place where Philly Latinos call with questions — from where to get recycling bins to how to apply for a passport — and the previous owner helped them connect with local resources. It’s a job that Meléndez has continued. “At this point, we might as well be an information center,” he said with a laugh.
📍464 W. Lehigh Ave., 📞 215-425-7050, 🌐centro-musical.poi.place, 🕑 Monday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. 18:30
Just steps from Centro Musical, Fairhill Square Park offers jungle gyms, games and, depending on the day, live music and bouncy houses. But if there’s one thing that’s a permanent part of the landscape, it’s the domino players who set up their tables in the left corner of the park.
“El Domino” is more than a generational strategy game for the Puerto Rican people. It’s a way to build relationships with the community and a space to talk about what’s going on in the neighborhood.
As over 10 people gather to enjoy a game, concerns about the life of the city are raised. “Somebody tell the mayor we need bathrooms in this park!” says 55-year-old Tomas Molón.
“Have you seen the garbage collection problem?” answers Miguel Bonet. “Once you decide [politicians] on duty, they forget the working people.”
For them, the park provides a much-needed space to socialize. “Anyone is welcome to come and play,” says Molón. “As long as you wait your turn.”
📍2601 North Lawrence St.
If there is one place that can stimulate all your senses at once, it is Botánica la Milagrosa, even as the aromas of rompe saraguey, guava and citrus leaves fill the room. No matter where you look, something will catch your eye.
Look for a contrasting view of Native and Christian deities side by side. Healing oils, perfumes and balms are on the right. Candles with Catholic saints, flowers, prayers and wishes for love and money are placed on the back. And you can’t miss the huge variety of crystals – chalcedony, amethyst, jasper and more – dried herbs, Yoruba dolls and Catrina figurines.
“Sometimes people hang out [Santeria] by magic, but it’s not like that at all,” says Francisku, the owner, who asked not to give his last name, citing spiritual reasons. “It is the way of the saints and it is my way of keeping alive the religious beliefs of my Yoruba ancestors.”
For Marcelina Rosario, La Milagrosa feels like a safe haven where she can find healing herbs for any aches and pains “of body and soul.” After being a customer for over a decade, Rosario has developed a friendship with Francis. “I suffered so much when it almost closed,” Rosario said.
Personal reasons forced Francis to move from El Bloqué de Oro to New Jersey. But the community’s reaction before the potential closure changed her mind about closing. “I couldn’t do it, every neighborhood should have a place of healing like this,” she explains. Now, she and her husband drive 30 minutes a day to operate the store.
📍2826 N. Fifth St., 📞 267-3129-905, 🕑 Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Neighborhood favorite Puerto Rican pastries are baked by a Mexican chef in a Brazilian-owned bakery.
If you take a walk at 5 a.m. along Fifth and Cambria, you might catch Marcos Toso coming from Bensalem to open his store. In the back, Adrian Zamora is preparing quesito, pan sobao, pastelillos, sandwiches, bizcochos, flanes, pastelillo de guayaba, tornillos and pan de agua. Soon, people like Cristian Cruz, whose abuela sent him to get some bread, will start lining up.
“She loves this bread, she remembers what she has [Puerto Rico],” Cruz says, which Toso and Zamora find meaningful.
“We have been closed for four months [due to the pandemic], now we are surviving”, explains Toso. But he is not backing down and already has plans to modernize the bakery facility to continue serving his neighbors. Because as Zamora says, “without the bakery, people would lose part of their roots.”
📍2861 N. Fifth St., 📞 215-427-9599, 🕑 Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday from 6 am to 3 pm
As if written by Lin-Manuel Miranda himself, the scene in Virgen Villanueva’s salon is full of laughter and conversation over the sound of hair dryers. “I come to get my hair done and dress up,” says 54-year-old regular Nilda Lopez. Although she comes to be “pretty”, she stays for the conversation.
“Here you can cry and laugh, we talk about everything,” López said with a laugh. “For Latinos, salons are very important. We work while talking and listening to everyone’s problems. It’s like therapy,” adds Villanueva.
For the past 30 years, Virgen Beauty Salon has become a safe haven for Latina women from across the state, with customers coming from Norristown and even Pottstown for the affordable haircuts and sense of community. “If you want a fabulous day, just come. We can all pick some music and sometimes we have birthday parties with my little cat,” says Villanueva as they all reminisce about the last party.
📍2928 N. Fifth St., 📞 215-494-6092
Since 1974, the neighborhood’s cultural heart—as the community calls it—has become a center for arts, culture, human rights, and social advocacy programs.
Community member Emanuel Andújar grew up just two blocks from the nonprofit’s original location on Huntingdon Street. “I took classes here in the 90s,” says Andajúr. “It really helped me embrace my culture. That’s why, as soon as my children were old enough, I brought them here to take art classes.” His children were among the more than 300 children the nonprofit teaches through youth programs each year — including after-school activities and summer programs.
Today, Taller is the largest Latino arts organization in Pennsylvania. Don’t miss the chance to visit the Lorenzo Homar Gallery, the book collection at the Eugenio María de Hostos Archive, and the bilingual Julia de Burgos book and gift shop.
📍2600 N. Fifth St., 📞 215-4263-311, 🌐tallerpr.org, 🕑 Tuesday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: 30 and Monday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m
