Port Richmond is a neighborhood in the Near Northeast section of the United States city Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is notable for its large Polish, Irish, and Italian communities. The neighborhood is bounded by Frankford Creek on the north, York Street on the south, I-95 and the Delaware River to the east, and Trenton Avenue on the west In colonial times, most of today's Port Richmond was owned by Anthony Palmer, the founder of Philadelphia's Kensington neighborhood. Palmer put together various parcels of land starting around 1704. He named the estate he built "Hope Farm," and in 1729 sold this estate to William Ball. Palmer then purchased the old Fairman Mansion estate which bordered on the south of "Hope Farm" and built his town of Kensington. Over time some manufacturing began at the southern end of "Hope Farm" and this area became known as Balltown. There were glass and textile concerns located there during the later part of the 18th century. The two main thoroughfares of Port Richmond are Allegheny Avenue, running east/west, and Aramingo Avenue running north/south. Port Richmond was known throughout its history for its old fashioned bakeries and mom-and-pop stores. Italian and Polish bakeries bake fresh bread and various traditional pastries and meats. A small luncheon called "Kitty's" (formerly "Rats") features a collage of pictures that splash the walls with the history of the neighborhood. It is located on the corner of Salmon and Somerset streets. Port Richmond is also historically noted for the trolley tracks that run across Richmond street along the Delaware River. The trolleys have recently been restored and are running again, bringing back that historic look for which Philadelphia and Port Richmond are well-known. During the late 1800s and early 1900s when immigration was at its peak in Philadelphia, Polish people settled on farms in Port Richmond. Later, when Irish and Italian immigrants flooded the area, rowhomes became more popular. info provided by Wikipedia