Quote:
Originally Posted by allovertown
Hmm the National is interesting. I sort of can't help but love it though. I mean the base is historically preserved craziness, and the top kind of goes toe to toe with it. It's generally not how a project like these goes, (some might call it "disrespectful" to the preserved building) but here it just sort of works. I can't wait for this to get finished up and for that little park next to Elfreth's to be built. I hope they keep the midblock signaled crosswalk and make it permanent. Huge improvements in recent years to this stretch. It makes taking a visator who wants to check out the alley a far less embarrassing experience.
|
I don't know. I think the national is butt ugly in person. The fact that it's right next to elfreths makes it almost insulting. 218 race looks great and almost mocks the national.
This stretch has been stubbornly resistant to progress in terms of vacant storefront. We're finally seeing a huge shift though as most of the restaurant suppliers are closing shop, giving way to a broader, more diverse set of businesses. On just my block, there is a cool new florist in, a very cool new old-school barber shop under construction and, in the old Economy Restaurant supply shop (which takes up the corner and more) they are putting in a boutique hotel with a bar/restaurant on the ground floor. This is significant as it is the first liquor license allowed between market and race in old city in decades. I'm really psyched about it. This alone will change the vibe in this area. I think the owners are the recently closed DiNardos crab house. I just hope it's not a DiNardis reboot.
Also, there is a plan to put up a hotel/condo further up 2nd Street right across from the bridge building, though in fairness, there seems to be big questions whether this will actually happen. For one, they will need a variance and further, I feel like this particular expansion cycle might be a bit long in the tooth for this to get off the ground before economics make them hit the pause button.
At any rate, I think just a couple of months ago, I was bitching about how this stretch of old city had so far to go still. It seems like it's all changing overnight.