Category growth

“The Oval” is just one small example of how Philadelphia is embracing its public spaces

 
As stated by Harris Steinberg in this article, Philadelphia has a sense of “renewed urbanity.” That’s a great way of putting it, but it requires more reading to fully understand it.

The Oval is a great example of Philadelphia’s new found embrace of its public spaces, but it’s definitely not the only one. Sister Cities Park and the Race Street Pier are other relevant examples or reusing what we have.

In the last 10 years or so, Center City has truly taken off. Not only from a real estate agent’s perspective, but from a resident’s perspective as well.

Back during my undergrad days at La Salle University (that’s right, the recent NCAA “Sweet 16 Cinderella”), from 1997-2001, Center City was almost an afterthought for people my age. Unless you went to Penn or Drexel, you really didn’t venture down there that often; unless there was a specific reason to (e.g. museums, famous sandwiches, etc.). In other words, people in their late-teens/early-twenties were more focused on Manayunk. Don’t get me wrong, there was definitely a lot of development going on in Center City during the last boom, but it was different than it is today.

It’s interesting how things change so fast. That was only 15 years ago.

Now, Center City is booming. So much so that it has inspired University City to get up and form solid working relationships with their local universities and hospitals, while also breaking borders with their own neighborhoods in/around Center City. These days, when people refer to Center City, they are thinking beyond 19103, 19102, 19107, and 19106. They are talking about Fairmount, Graduate Hospital, Bella Vista, among others.

That is what has been happening since my undergrad days.

Center City is no longer a place to either work or party, it has become a way of life; a true urban lifestyle. Whether you go to school, go to work, or raise a family, there are almost too many things to do on a daily basis. Bike lanes have started to slow down cars, new parks (as well as skate parks, pop-up gardens, and parklets) host weekly events, and the Ben Franklin Parkway is now pedestrian friendly.

Really?

Who would have thought this was all possible in 15 years, and today it’s moving faster than it ever has. Which means there is a lot more to come, especially on the back of a new real estate boom.

Manayunk is still an awesome place to be (as I live in the area, and know it well), but even that has changed. When I frequented Main Street in 2000, almost every bar catered to a college crowd. Now we have Han Dynasty, Cooper’s, and the highly-anticipated spots Rubb and Taqueria Feliz. On top of all that, a new state-of-the-art charter school is being built just off of Ridge Ave in Roxborough.

Things are changing for the better.

Why am I even talking about all of this, and what does it mean? It means that living within Philadelphia’s city limits has gone beyond its gimmicky reasons for visiting and/or hanging out just 15 years ago.

It means that being a Philadelphian today (whether you are a student, young professional, family, or empty nester), makes you a part of something special.

CHOP marches east with 2,000,000 sq ft of new development

Aerial shot of both University City and Center City, Philadelphia

 
CHOP’s plan to go across the river on to the “Center City Side” of the Schuylkill, has been in the works for quite some time now.

The good news is that their latest meeting was the 4th installment highlighting CHOP’s plans for growth in Graduate Hospital. It will bring jobs, new commercial space, and additional green space to the neighborhood; all to a semi-industrial area that is not producing any economic output right now.

Awesome news!

Here are some of the details:

  • All new development on 9 acres of Schuylkill River waterfront
  • Over 2,000,000 sq ft of new office space (commercial, and possibly retail as well)
  • 4 phases (estimated to go from 2014/2015 – 2022)
  • Multiple buildings
  • Parking
  • Green space
  • Schuylkill River Trail extension (down to Christian St)

Wow, that’s a pretty big project for Graduate Hospital, and it should help with real estate values in this already bursting-at-the-seams neighborhood.

What I really like about this project is that it will most likely become an anchor for even more growth in the neighborhoods surrounding it, such as Point Breeze and Grays Ferry. PB has already seen steady growth in its northern section (just below Washington Ave) due to the overflow of demand from G-Ho, and the need for more similar housing (rehabbed rows, and/or new construction townhomes).

Please bear in mind that G-Ho’s/PB’s current growth up to now has really all been due to its location (just south of Rittenhouse Square); with close access to Center City, public transportation, major highways, etc.

Grays Ferry, on the other hand, has not seen the same growth from G-Ho spillover that PB has. Probably because PB is a huge neighborhood (with lots of available housing), and can support the current demand from interested buyers and renters; GF is a little further west. But when you add another 2,000,000 sq ft of office space with high-paying, white collar jobs to G-Ho’s back yard, what you will most likely get is more of the same type of housing. Hence, GF may also become a spillover neighborhood from G-Ho in the near future.

It will be interesting to see how this one plays out, from the start of construction to local neighborhood support (and/or opposition). If all of the medical related, new construction office space in University City wasn’t enough for CHOP already, they are now integrating their organization with Center City; which I think is great for this part of Philadelphia.

All positive news.

University City … meet “Drexification”

Long-term details for Drexel’s “Campus Master Plan.”

 
Back in 2009, Philadelphia Weekly did a story on the changing residential/commercial/educational scene in University City.

They called it “Penntrification.”

But isn’t new development, with additional retail, a good thing for Philadelphia? My answer would be yes, but this one has layers.

New development, good.

New commercial, good.

More jobs, good.

More students coming to Philadelphia for a first class education, good.

Small businesses suffering at the hands of larger corporations, bad.

Now, we can argue this subject all day, but I do believe that smaller business are typically on the losing end when larger, franchise-y businesses move in. Just look at Walmart, if you need a good, widely known example.

Again, my personal opinion.

On the flip side, I’m also a firm believer in “if it ain’t broker, break it.” Businesses that choose not to change, just for the sake of fearing change, typically have a hard time surviving these days. Today, the level of change needed to keep a small business healthy will vary from one to the next, but overall all small businesses should constantly be looking at ways to improve their general business model. Whether that’s new sales revenue, higher customer service, or better curb appeal, having a fresh look for a small business is critical to keeping today’s customer loyal. That’s because the common expectation is, “What have you done for me lately?”

Drexel is now taking a page from Penn’s book and planning ahead with an updated “Campus Master Plan.” Most of what they are planning over the next few years seems very reasonable, and it should improve the neighborhood (i.e. new planters/benches, upgrades to existing buildings, etc).

But if Penntrification was any lesson to the University of Pennsylvania, Drexification will need to plan a little better for the long haul if they want to see their plans through; without interference.