Academy Gardens is a neighborhood located in the The Northeast section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located on the eastern side of the Far Northeast. Originally farm land, it was part of the holdings of Thomas Holme, surveyor for Pennsylvania's founder, William Penn. Academy Gardens was settled in earnest by veterans of World War II during the dramatic expansion of the Northeast. Many of the homes were inexpensive "starter homes" that were largely unfinished to constrain cost. These homes have been extensively remodeled over the years and now largely belie their humble origins. Penn-Academy and Crispin Gardens are the local youth sports organizations. There is little industry but a fair amount of retail trade in the neighborhood, predominantly clustered along Willits Road, Holme Avenue, and Frankford Avenue. info provided by Wikipedia