Category graduate hospital

Is Washington Avenue West the key to South Philadelphia’s growth?

One of the new businesses along Wash Ave West | Kermit’s

 
In short, yes.

There has been significant residential growth, both north/south of Wash Ave West, over the last 10 years. So much so that the buyer demand to live in Graduate Hospital has literally spilled over into the northern part of Point Breeze. Which in turn, seems to slowly be heading west toward Grays Ferry.

That is a story for a different day, and one that I have blogged about before; so feel free to check out some past posts (here and here) before moving forward with this one.

If you read regularly, you know that I like to break things down to keep it simple. So, here’s how I would look at all of this:

1. The Missing Link: That’s what I classify Wash Ave West as, the commercial presence needed to properly join NoWa (North of Washington Ave, aka Graduate Hospital) and SoWa (South of Washington Ave, aka Point Breeze and Grays Ferry). When Graduate Hospital really started to come into its own as a neighborhood reborn, what happened? South Street West took off. So much so, that South Street West has the same, if not more, energy as South Street East. It has literally connected Rittenhouse Square & Fitler Square with Graduate Hospital; forming one cohesive, consistent part of Philadelphia.

2. Spruce It Up: Easier said than done, but as this article states, plans are already being discussed. The dilemma for an area like Wash Ave West is nothing new for historic commercial corridors in Philadelphia; long-time residents and business owners are typically resistant to change. And for good reason, it’s their livelihood. Who would want that taken from them; answer … nobody. But resisting change, just because, is not a good strategy. There are lots of new businesses moving in, whether long-timers like it or not, and those businesses mostly cater to the area’s new residents. In order for this corridor to grow and move in the right direction, the boulevard needs to be cleaned up (i.e. trash, sidewalks, street configuration, etc.) so that both businesses and patrons can thrive with it. If done right, it can help both long-timers and newbies alike; slippery, but doable.

3. Embrace The Culture: In order to make Wash Ave West new, some of the “old” needs to be recognized. One idea in this article is to turn the area into a Design District. Keep all of the mom-and-pop home improvement shops, and fill in the gaps with new commercial and residential. With the changes that have already taken place both in NoWa and in SoWa, there is too much commercial as it stands today; which means a mixed-use approach should do the trick. Think large residential anchor projects, surrounded by the existing businesses and smaller/new businesses.

Anyway, that’s my take.

When faced with a situation like this, I don’t think the goal should be to just go in and change everything. On the flip side, not doing anything and resisting the changing demographic won’t help either.

No matter how this all plays out, you can be rest assured that Wash Ave West will look different in the years to come.

Welcome to Philadelphia! The “City of … Makers?”

NextFab Studio | Graduate Hospital, Philadelphia

 
I bet you thought I was going to say City of Brotherly Love, right? Or maybe, City of Awesomeness … I kid, I kid.

Nope, “City of Makers.”

I found this article to be super-interesting for a few reasons. First, I always enjoy reading about older cities that are reinventing themselves and finding new life through creative jobs/economies. Second, it’s a solid article about Philadelphia and it highlights our small business manufacturing culture. And third, it talks about cool neighborhoods with unique things to do.

All very helpful and insightful, which is why I’m sharing it with all of you readers out there.

Here is one part that really caught my attention:

“In the early 1700s, immigrants sought their fortunes in the one colony that didn’t require a tithe to the Church — Pennsylvania. By 1740, Philadelphia was the largest city in the colonies — an engine of industry. One German observer wrote in 1754: “Pennsylvania is heaven for farmers, paradise for artisans and hell for officials and preachers.” This “paradise for artisans” has gone through a rebirth in recent years, revitalizing Philadelphia’s flagging neighborhoods and bringing a distinctive creative energy to each.”

Some of the neighborhoods discussed include Graduate Hospital, Fishtown, and Old City. Not only are these 3 areas attractive and popular places to live, but they each have a unique, forward-thinking, localized culture. For those looking to live in cities these days, who wouldn’t want the option to have their own business, walk to work (and also to restaurants, grocery stores, etc), enjoy a car-free lifestyle, and have the potential to get involved and be a voice within your own neighborhood.

These are all reasons why urban populations are rising once again.

It’s articles like this one that define why I enjoy blogging so much. That, and the fact that I like bringing positive press to local readers in Philadelphia and its surrounding towns.

New development has really put Graduate Hospital on the map

 
If you’re familiar with Philadelphia and its many neighborhoods, then you are definitely familiar with Graduate Hospital; a tiny, well-defined neighborhood in South Philadelphia (or Southwest Center City, it just depends who you ask).

G-Ho, Grad Hosp, and South-of-South are all common names for this nabe, but the real success of Graduate Hospital was kickstarted by Naval Square almost 10 years ago. Toll Brothers purchased this abandoned Naval Academy, which also happened to be the country’s first, back in 1988 as a portfolio project. But it wasn’t until 2005 that the first new homes were built and sold in this gated community.

Fred Glick and I created some informative videos on Graduate not too long ago, so if you haven’t seen them before I’ve posted the links below for you:

Graduate Hospital – Part 1

Graduate Hospital – Part 2

Graduate Hospital – Part 3

Although Naval Square ignited G-Ho’s real estate success, it was the efforts of individual investors/developers who really moved it forward. Philadelphia’s older neighborhoods consist of rowhomes, twin homes, and the like. Which means there are many more homes/parcels on 1 city block than on 1 suburban block. Which also means that you need a lot of like-minded people on board if you want to turn things around. They banded together, and now South-of-South is also known as one of Philadelphia’s top family-friendly neighborhoods.

What was once known as an undesirable place to live due to the threat of a new expressway cutting across its core, has since become one of the most popular neighborhoods in the city.

This article is a great place to start if you are unfamiliar with G-Ho.