Books in Bella Vista

Philadelphia is one of the oldest and most populous cities in The United States of America. It is a rich melting pot of culture brought about by the immigrants who settled there. Molly’s Books and Records nestled in on S 9th Street in the Bella Vista neighborhood of South Philly is right in the center of this melting pot. Being from the Greater Philadelphia Area, I was vaguely familiar with the name “Bella Vista,” being the name of the “Italian section” of Philly. I decided to talk to my Dad, who grew up in the Northeast and works in the city in the electrician’s union, about the area. He confirmed my minimal knowledge, that Bella Vista is, or at least was, a neighborhood settled by Italian immigrants, though nowadays it has “different demographics,” but its Italian roots still hold a strong influence on the neighborhood. With this knowledge as my frame of reference, I eagerly began my research into the area. 

As stated previously, Bella Vista was primarily settled by Italian immigrants in the late 19th-early 20th century. Like many of its kind, the 9th street Market was a result of the cultural habits brought over by the masses of immigrants. Shopkeepers lived above their shops, which themselves were family businesses run by generation after generation. I found that this is still marginally true, as Molly’s and many of its neighboring businesses are family-run, and many of them (like Talluto’s and Fante’s) are generational with a rich history in the neighborhood. In fact, founders and owners of Molly’s Books and Records Molly Russakoff and Joe Ankenbrand live above their store, just like how the immigrants who populated the Italian Market lived above their stalls. 

In terms of the demographics, I found that my Dad wasn’t entirely right. Yes, there are a good number of Hispanic and Asian businesses in the area that probably weren’t there when he was growing up, but the area is still vastly dominated by Italian restaurants and businesses. The current population of the area is 36,228, and about 69% of that population is white. Though I’m not entirely sure how much of that 69% is actually Italian, I’m sure they still account for the vast majority. However, I noticed that the majority of households in the Bella Vista area are childless, with about 82% being without children. It is also a young neighborhood, the median population age is 34. This means that though the race demographics are still largely the same, the age and household demographics are certainly different. 
It was immediately noticeable to me how Molly’s location in the city of Philadelphia impacts its very existence. As noted by journalist Abigail Weil for the website Eater, Molly’s is home to a massive collection of cookbooks. When you account the store’s position close to the Italian Market, and such neighboring stores as Fante’s Kitchen Shop, Darigo’s Fish & Seafood Market, Cappuccio’s Meats, and Mexican Restaurant Alma del Mar, the collection of hundreds of used cookbooks from a myriad of backgrounds is the clearest influence that place has on the store.

Citations:

“PRIZM® PREMIER.” Claritas, claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

ExplorePAHistory.Com, explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-3E1. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

“ZIP Code 19147 Map, Demographics, More for Philadelphia, PA.” United States Zip Codes, www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/19147/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

“Explore the Bella Vista Neighborhood of Philadelphia.” Visit Philadelphia, 18 May 2021, www.visitphilly.com/areas/philadelphia-neighborhoods/bella-vista/.

Weil, Abigail. “There’s No Place in Philly Quite Like Molly’s Books & Records.” Eater Philly, Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks.

DeMuro, Catherine. “Italian Market Q & A: Joe Ankenbrand, Co-Owner of Molly’s Books and Records on 9th Street.” The 9th Street Beat, 8 Mar. 2015, 9thstreetbeat.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/italian-market-q-a-joe-ankenbrand-co-owner-of-mollys-books-and-records-on-9th-street/.