[citation needed] Prior to the Act of Consolidation of 1854, Bella Vista was part of the Moyamensing.

The New York Tribune noted in 1848 that the districts of Moyamensing and nearby Southwark were composed of "the most graceless vagabonds and unmitigated ruffians" as well as "loafers" who were members of various gangs.

[2] In addition to Irish immigrants, it was also once home to a large portion of the city's population of African descent, many of whom were former slaves from the South.

In 1852, the Institute for Colored Youth, a school (and later college) for people of African descent, was established at 10th and Bainbridge.

During the late 1800s, Italian immigrants began settling the area in large numbers, which reshaped the neighborhood's character.

The planned construction of the South Street Expressway in the 1960s led to a drop in property values in the neighborhood.

As they did in adjacent Queen Village, developers and city planners attempted to rebrand the neighborhood and began referring to it as "Bella Vista" in the early 1970s.

In 1982, it was featured as a case study in Michael Lang's Gentrification Amid Urban Decline: Strategies for America's Older Cities.

During the same era, the neighborhood also experienced an influx of Vietnamese and Mexican immigrants, especially near Washington Ave.

The Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial, Institute for Colored Youth, Frances Ellen Watkins Harper House, George W. Nebinger School, and Washington Avenue Historic District are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[3] Bronze plaques installed in Bella Vista by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission that commemorate individuals, events, and landmarks.

[4] Frank Gasparro (1909-2001) - Designer of the reverse side of the Lincoln Penny and, with Gilroy Roberts, the Kennedy half-dollar.

Born and educated in classical art in Philadelphia, Gasparro was first employed as a junior engraver by the U.S. Mint in 1942.

Services to the needy included training programs for persons seeking work, designed to encourage their ultimate independence.

Mitchell, Keen, Morehouse, and others used electric current, drugs, and other experiments in pioneering treatment of nerve and related disorders.

Alumni include Frank Gasparro, former chief engraver for U.S. Mint, and Louis Kahn, renowned architect.

Bella Vista was voted 2016 best neighborhood to live in Philadelphia by Niche.com[5] and is undergoing a new residential construction housing boom to meet demand;[6] in some cases adaptively reusing,[7][8] in other cases replacing existing structures by destroying historic and culturally significant buildings including the Christian Street Baptist Church.

Prior to Halloween, La Calaca Flaca and Fleischer Art Memorial organize and present a Día de los Muertos Altar Celebration and Procession.

[21] The Free Library of Philadelphia operates the Charles Santore Branch, serving Bella Vista.

[27] The volunteer groups also produce public events in the parks such as summer concert series, yoga, and outdoor movies.