PHILADELPHIA | Lowrise/General Developments Thread

[McBane]

Speaking of Girard Estates...for shits and giggles, I looked to see what's for sale (I know those homes rarely hit the market) and damn.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by McBane

Speaking of Girard Estates...for shits and giggles, I looked to see what's for sale (I know those homes rarely hit the market) and damn.

Time to move back to town McBane!

[DocAwesome]

While Google Maps may say otherwise and colloquial literature has subsequently followed, and even though there is some (limited) historical support for the plural, I still stand behind that it is "Girard Estate". As in, the original farmhouse estate of Stephen Girard.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by docawesome

while google maps may say otherwise and colloquial literature has subsequently followed, and even though there is some (limited) historical support for the plural, i still stand behind that it is "girard estate". As in, the original farmhouse estate of stephen girard.

+1.

[tsarstruck]

[Dranoff] is a driving force behind the Avenue of the Arts rejuvenation effort. To that end, the Avenue of the Arts Inc. has hired the Philadelphia architectural consulting firm Gensler to draft a plan for the future of the area.

The goal is to modernize some of the placemaking touches of the Rendell administration, such as the lamps with their decorative illuminated A’s, add trees, and eliminate street parking on parts of South Broad Street.

But they also want to bring in new features, especially on the southern end of the Avenue of the Arts, where car-centric gas stations and drive-through fast-food restaurants are still prominent.

“Public realm improvements related to physical planning are on top of our list,” said Oliver Schaper, design director and a principal at Gensler. “Greenery through the avenue will be incorporated into a plan. As far as traffic calming, there’s an overall perception that there are spaces within the avenue that are perhaps too valuable to be used for cars.”

No decisions have been made. Gensler will present its findings to the public in November, when it releases a plan for the avenue’s future. City Council buy-in would be needed to make any dramatic streetscape changes, and Broad Street boosters hope a new mayor could be a champion for the area, too.

https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20221020.html

[Mtphilly]

I really hope they do improvements to South Broad. Just some greenery or planters in the medians would make such a massive difference.

[nemesisinphilly]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

It's a completely hypothetical conversation. It's based on the working theory that eventually, the privately owned housing in West Poplar will be replaced by something else...and what else could that be? I'm just saying, given the larger lot sizes (which frankly are wider than a typical rowhome but not wide enough for 2 (i.e. for subdivision)), I'd like to see another housing typology that we don't really have here.

And that's large single family estate styled homes but close to downtown. This is literally the only place that could accomodate it.

And not for nothing, the whole of North Philadelphia was exactly just that in one of Philadelphia's previous gilded ages...so it's not actually out of keeping with the area.

Also. There's nothing gritty about Ditmas Park anymore.

Another location where larger homes are possible is the area around 4th and Wharton. These are all privately owned now and are selling in the 600k+ range

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...67363835_zpid/

[McBane]

Originally Posted by Mtphilly

I really hope they do improvements to South Broad. Just some greenery or planters in the medians would make such a massive difference.

They should add new lighting. The lights on N. Broad are really, really cool!

[McBane]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Time to move back to town McBane!

Haha, I wish. That particular house is a solid 50% more than what our modest townhome would sell for.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by Mtphilly

I really hope they do improvements to South Broad. Just some greenery or planters in the medians would make such a massive difference.

Let's hope! Many of us have lamented the lack of streetscape beauty on Philadelphia's premiere streets for years! It's really not a groundbreaking concept either. Just take notes from Park Avenue (NYC) and Michigan Avenue (Chicago), and voila... a pretty street.

Originally Posted by McBane

They should add new lighting. The lights on N. Broad are really, really cool!

Yea, so cool... and the weeds and trash in the median add that extra pizazz. https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9607...7i16384!8i8192

In all seriousness, these light poles look cool at night (and only from the top), but they were a colossal waste of money and added nothing to the street.

For $13M, the city could have done so much more to actually beauty and pedestrianize North Broad. I hope to the the design Gods that this mistake is not made again on South Broad.

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by tsarstruck

https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20221020.html

They're massively downplaying the crap that happens on that stretch. I don't blame them.

People have to realize the dire straights the PPD is in. We simply don't have the policing resources to actively fight the crime that is happening in this town. Of the cops that ARE on the payroll, half of them are claiming disability. The other half are so stretched thin, they're totally spent. I don't blame them for not wanting to work as a cop in this town - the criminals are young, violent, armed, impulsive and have no regard for human life. But quit if you don't want to be a cop. Release the resources so the city can hire someone who WILL work. I've spoken to a few cops recently and I feel terrible for them.

My daughter had a night-shift gig across from the Kimmel Center this summer and said that the stuff she saw during the wee hours was out of a "Dawn of the Living Dead" movie. Until we can get boots on the ground, these armed kid gangs are gonna have their way with this town. And maybe we can relocate the several homeless shelters and methadone clinics to an area that isn't totally vital to the most important economic engine in all of PA.

I have empathy for those groups - the homeless and the addicted. But do we have to feature them on the Philadelphia Tourism Billboard? I gotta think redeveloping the CC real estate that these clinics and shelters are on would fund a state-of-the-art addiction and homeless facility that could actually help someone suffering with these challenges.

Cue the "you're just a CC d-bag who doesn't want the problem in your face" responses. I'm just saying, the city/region relies on Center City and the revenues it generates. Do whatever you can to protect that.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by Mtphilly

I really hope they do improvements to South Broad. Just some greenery or planters in the medians would make such a massive difference.

Totally agree. I can't believe there's not more momentum from residents/businesses along the stretch as well. Things move soooo slowly in this town. This is insanely long overdue. The streetscape improvements that we see now were from HW Bush era. Like, it's time. We're not talking about a multi-mile endeavor either. It's 1 measly mile: re-pave the sidewalks, repaint/install the crosswalks, and put up some planters in the median. We're paying Gensler how much $$ to accomplish this?

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by Redddog

They're massively downplaying the crap that happens on that stretch. I don't blame them.

People have to realize the dire straights the PPD is in. We simply don't have the policing resources to actively fight the crime that is happening in this town. Of the cops that ARE on the payroll, half of them are claiming disability. The other half are so stretched thin, they're totally spent. I don't blame them for not wanting to work as a cop in this town - the criminals are young, violent, armed, impulsive and have no regard for human life. But quit if you don't want to be a cop. Release the resources so the city can hire someone who WILL work. I've spoken to a few cops recently and I feel terrible for them.

My daughter had a night-shift gig across from the Kimmel Center this summer and said that the stuff she saw during the wee hours was out of a "Dawn of the Living Dead" movie. Until we can get boots on the ground, these armed kid gangs are gonna have their way with this town. And maybe we can relocate the several homeless shelters and methadone clinics to an area that isn't totally vital to the most important economic engine in all of PA.

I have empathy for those groups - the homeless and the addicted. But do we have to feature them on the Philadelphia Tourism Billboard? I gotta think redeveloping the CC real estate that these clinics and shelters are on would fund a state-of-the-art addiction and homeless facility that could actually help someone suffering with these challenges.

Cue the "you're just a CC d-bag who doesn't want the problem in your face" responses. I'm just saying, the city/region relies on Center City and the revenues it generates. Do whatever you can to protect that.

I'm losing patience with the Heroin addicts everywhere. Compassion is necessary but come on. Just force them into some sort of treatment facility.

If it makes anyone feel any better (it shouldn't), I watched two cops watch and walk by a homeless man yesterday in the Oculus in NYC (a super busy commuting station) who pulled his pants down in front of a bunch of strangers (literally in front of a Kate Spade store) and they (the cops) just kept walking. Like, if that's not a scenario to force that man into treatment or some sort of shelter, then what is? His pants were at his knees and he was not wearing underwear.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by Redddog

They're massively downplaying the crap that happens on that stretch. I don't blame them.

People have to realize the dire straights the PPD is in. We simply don't have the policing resources to actively fight the crime that is happening in this town. Of the cops that ARE on the payroll, half of them are claiming disability. The other half are so stretched thin, they're totally spent. I don't blame them for not wanting to work as a cop in this town - the criminals are young, violent, armed, impulsive and have no regard for human life. But quit if you don't want to be a cop. Release the resources so the city can hire someone who WILL work. I've spoken to a few cops recently and I feel terrible for them.

One of the issues with the PPD that's been spelled out before is that there's a huge % of sworn officers who aren't working patrols/beats. They do menial tasks at the precincts. Like, human resources, filing, paper work, they work the phones, do inter-office message runs, etc.

Instead of, ya know, hiring skilled secretaries or Human Resource people or operations folks who are citizens, presumably at a lower cost/premium and freeing up more officers to hit the streets. Unfortunately, the Police Union needs to OK this type of workforce restructuring and I don't think their constituents would want to give up their cushy desk job.

[PHLtoNYC]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Totally agree. I can't believe there's not more momentum from residents/businesses along the stretch as well. Things move soooo slowly in this town. This is insanely long overdue. The streetscape improvements that we see now were from HW Bush era. Like, it's time. We're not talking about a multi-mile endeavor either. It's 1 measly mile: re-pave the sidewalks, repaint/install the crosswalks, and put up some planters in the median. We're paying Gensler how much $$ to accomplish this?

You would think. A organization similar to the Friends of Rittenhouse but for S. Broad. Or a joint effort between neighbors/businesses and the city.

But yea, not a complicated goal, but this is Philadelphia after all. As soon as I read the below line from the article, I knew this would be a years long ridiculous process for simple beautification efforts...

Gensler will present its findings to the public in November, when it releases a plan for the avenue’s future. City Council buy-in would be needed to make any dramatic streetscape changes, and Broad Street boosters hope a new mayor could be a champion for the area, too.

[Urbanthusiat]

I think the South Broad median would look really nice if we put a bunch of large metal poles up the length /s

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by Londonee

Totally agree. I can't believe there's not more momentum from residents/businesses along the stretch as well. Things move soooo slowly in this town. This is insanely long overdue. The streetscape improvements that we see now were from HW Bush era. Like, it's time. We're not talking about a multi-mile endeavor either. It's 1 measly mile: re-pave the sidewalks, repaint/install the crosswalks, and put up some planters in the median. We're paying Gensler how much $$ to accomplish this?

Rest assured. Philly will pay 10 times the amount of money this should cost, at 10 times the amount of time it should take.

[BroadandMarket]

Originally Posted by Mtphilly

I really hope they do improvements to South Broad. Just some greenery or planters in the medians would make such a massive difference.

In the past the city has used an excuse that the Broad Street medians are needed for emergency vehicles to do a U turn which is obviously bullshit. They can still landscape portions of the median and have other spots for vehicle turn arounds. I was in DC this weekend and noticed a bunch of nice elevated landscaped medians. If DC, Chicago, NYC etc can all have landscaped medians, I'm sure Philly can have it on Broad, Spring Garden, Washington, Columbus and Girard. I also think an elevated landscaped median would help tame the dirt bike / ATV crew who recklessly crosses back and forth.

[jaysb]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

I think the South Broad median would look really nice if we put a bunch of large metal poles up the length /s

Where would people park then?? /s

[jaysb]

Originally Posted by Redddog

They're massively downplaying the crap that happens on that stretch. I don't blame them.

People have to realize the dire straights the PPD is in. We simply don't have the policing resources to actively fight the crime that is happening in this town. Of the cops that ARE on the payroll, half of them are claiming disability. The other half are so stretched thin, they're totally spent. I don't blame them for not wanting to work as a cop in this town - the criminals are young, violent, armed, impulsive and have no regard for human life. But quit if you don't want to be a cop. Release the resources so the city can hire someone who WILL work. I've spoken to a few cops recently and I feel terrible for them.

My daughter had a night-shift gig across from the Kimmel Center this summer and said that the stuff she saw during the wee hours was out of a "Dawn of the Living Dead" movie. Until we can get boots on the ground, these armed kid gangs are gonna have their way with this town. And maybe we can relocate the several homeless shelters and methadone clinics to an area that isn't totally vital to the most important economic engine in all of PA.

I have empathy for those groups - the homeless and the addicted. But do we have to feature them on the Philadelphia Tourism Billboard? I gotta think redeveloping the CC real estate that these clinics and shelters are on would fund a state-of-the-art addiction and homeless facility that could actually help someone suffering with these challenges.

Cue the "you're just a CC d-bag who doesn't want the problem in your face" responses. I'm just saying, the city/region relies on Center City and the revenues it generates. Do whatever you can to protect that.

Good post. Walking home from the EPL Fan Fest Saturday (fantastic event btw) I can't help but notice the striking juxtaposition between the ArtHaus and the Broad St Ministries next door with a few ppl camped out in front. The plastic barrier between then is still up and I'm guessing will probably be up longer than it's intended for.

I'm all for turning over landscaping to PHS, I know some have qualms with that organization but they do a fantastic job on Columbus and other areas.