Every neighborhood has stories to share, from histories and legends to the characters and characteristics that define them.

But how familiar is the everyday Philadelphian with stories of neighborhoods they don’t live in, let alone the ones they rarely visit?

That’s the divide Mt. Airy USA and the John Bartram Association (JBA) are hoping to bridge with Neighborhood Exchange Box, a Civic Commons initiative aimed at connecting Mt. Airy and Bartam’s Garden.

This past fall, residents in both neighborhoods shared their favorite stories and memories of the places they call home. A number of those contributions were candidly captured by PWPvideo with support from the Free Library of Philadelphia and shared on YouTube.

Folks from Mt. Airy love parks, block parties, Trolley Car ice cream, “layer upon layer upon layer of history” and racial diversity.

Diversity is also a pride point for the Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood, along a love for community, agriculture, open green spaces and a collective affinity for calling the area “Bartram Gardens.”

Pending positive feedback, Neighborhood Box Exchange could scale to other neighborhoods.