The Patch recently had an excerpt from a short article about the French Village: Look Up! The French Village in Mt. Airy | PlanPhilly: Planning Philadelphia's Future. The article is interesting on its own as well as for the links to related articles about other Philly neighborhoods (these are at the bottom of the page). The PlanPhilly site is a great resource for any one who wants ideas for places to explore in and near the city.

One tidbit not mentioned in the article was the engraving on the wall at the corner of Allens & Emlen. Apparently Woodward, the developer, had a sense of humor: "post no bills" (in French) is carved into the wall. The reason I know that and many other facts big & small about the area is because I took a walking tour offered by the Mt Airy Learning Tree (https://learningtree.ccwis.com/Cours...course=12STW07. It's a great way to learn more about the 'hood, and the instructor (David Schaaf, a planner for the city and a guy who knows and loves Mt Airy) is top-notch.