Wooden spools in Port Richmond

Riverfront industry and tight row-house blocks

Port Richmond takes its name from the river port that once shipped coal from the Reading Railroad's piers on the Delaware. The piers are long gone, but the riverfront between I-95 and the water is still working land: warehouses, distribution buildings, recycling yards, wholesale food businesses and light industry along Delaware Avenue and the streets that run down to it. West of I-95, the neighbourhood is dense row houses around Richmond Street, Allegheny Avenue and Aramingo Avenue, with corner shops, churches and the long-established Polish community that the area is known for. Empty reels come from both sides of the highway, in very different sizes.

Reels from the riverfront

Along Delaware Avenue, reels come from warehouse lighting and power upgrades, new dock equipment, refrigeration for food businesses, solar arrays on big flat roofs, and the occasional new building on a cleared lot. Those produce nailed reels from 30 to 60 inches, often a dozen or more at a time, left in a fenced yard or beside a dock. Contractors working along the I-95 corridor between Fishtown and Bridesburg also stage reels in yards here.

Reels from the row houses

West of I-95, it is the small-reel trade: plywood spools and the odd 24- or 30-inch reel from rewires, new services, heat pump and car charger installations, and renovations of older homes. The houses are narrow and the blocks tightly parked, so reels come out through the front door or a back alley. Say where the reels are, how many steps there are, and whether there is any space for a truck to stop.

Getting a truck here

I-95 runs right through Port Richmond, with access from Allegheny Avenue and from the interchange near the Betsy Ross Bridge in Bridesburg. Aramingo Avenue runs parallel to the highway on its west side and carries a lot of truck traffic to the shopping centres along it. Delaware Avenue serves the riverfront. The Betsy Ross Bridge, a short drive north, lands in Pennsauken on the New Jersey side, so pickups in Port Richmond and Pennsauken pair easily. The Ben Franklin Bridge is a little further south for loads heading to Camden.

Combining pickups along I-95

Port Richmond sits in the middle of a stretch of the I-95 corridor that also includes Fishtown, Kensington, Bridesburg and Tacony. A truck working one of those neighbourhoods can collect in the others on the same run, which is how small requests here get collected without a dedicated trip. If you have a single spool or two, they will wait for that run.

What to watch for on the riverfront

Riverfront yards can hold reels that have been there a long time. Check the bottom rims for rot, and check for stencils: utility and port-related contractors use returnable steel and stencilled reels more than house electricians do. If you have taken over a property and found reels on it, photograph any markings and ask before treating them as yours. The returnable or one-way guide has the signs.

Buying in Port Richmond

Makers and small businesses in Port Richmond, Fishtown and Kensington ask for table-size reels and small spools. Deliveries in 19134, 19125 and 19140 can ride along with I-95 corridor pickups. Measure the front door before asking for anything over 36 inches.

Recycling from older sites

Some Port Richmond pickups are mostly broken reels: reels that have stood in a yard through several winters, been run over, or been cut up for blocking. Those still go to recycling rather than a dumpster. Combined with sound reels or other pickups on the corridor, they are usually collected without charge.

Polish shops, churches and parish halls

Port Richmond is known for its Polish delis, bakeries and the landmark St. Adalbert Church on Allegheny Avenue. Churches, parish halls, social clubs and schools in the neighbourhood are old buildings with old wiring, and their upgrades, new lighting, fire alarm, kitchen circuits and sound, leave tidy piles of spools. Parish facilities managers can ask us to collect when contractors finish.

Coal piers to big boxes

Through the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the Reading Railroad's Port Richmond terminal shipped huge quantities of anthracite coal. After the coal trade declined, the land along the river was gradually turned to warehouses, shopping centres, recycling businesses and newer industrial uses. Excavation and building on that land sometimes uncovers old foundations, rails and cable, and occasionally decayed drums. Those go for recycling; the steel goes to scrap.

Bridesburg next door

Bridesburg, just north across Frankford Creek, has chemical and industrial plants by the river and a tight-knit residential core. Collections there join Port Richmond runs.

Frankford Avenue and Kensington

Fishtown and Kensington's old textile mills, many reborn as lofts, studios, breweries and offices, sit a short walk from the El along Frankford Avenue.

Cramp's shipyard memories

Kensington and Port Richmond's riverfront once launched warships at William Cramp & Sons, a celebrated nineteenth-century yard.

Questions

Is 19125 covered too?

Yes. Fishtown and the rest of the river wards are covered under Philadelphia; 19134 and 19140 are listed here because they are Port Richmond's main ZIP codes.

Can you pick up from a business on Aramingo Avenue during opening hours?

Yes, if there is somewhere to load without blocking the road. Early mornings are usually easiest.