Category investor

The skinny on SEPTA in 2012

 

 

If you have not heard already, SEPTA was recently named the “Best Transit System in North America.”

Really?!?

I mean, I’m not totally shocked … but really?

Stop and think about how big and convenient SEPTA is as a whole. Some people only take the train, so that’s all they know. Some take the bus, some take the subway, and so on and so forth.

To put it in perspective, this is how extensive SEPTA is:

  • 144 Total Routes
  • 117 Bus Routes
  • 13 Regional Rail Lines
  • 9 Light Rail Lines
  • 2 Subways
  • Much, much more.

That’s a pretty extensive system when compared to other US cities; big or small. Sometimes it’s good to know that what we have is considered to be the best.

Market West is changing for the better

Market West, which is basically the short business stretch between City Hall and the Schuylkill River, is really starting to change … for the better.

This area has always been utilized as a 9-5, business by day / home by night type of scene. Now, savvy investors are starting to follow a trend that is prominent throughout Center City Philadelphia: “Live, Work, & Play.”

Part of the reason why Center City has done so well over the last 20 years is because it is a functional, urban core. It has plenty of places to work, live, eat, and shop; more than most people even know what to do with. To top it off, Center City is very walkable, bikeable, and cabable (“cabable” is not actually a word, but it sounded appropriate).

Most of Philadelphia’s more prominent jobs are located in Center City, it’s where all of the public transportation meets, and it’s the lifeblood of our city’s social and creative scenes. In other words, Center City works very well for someone looking to enjoy an urban lifestyle.

When the last boom busted, a lot of projects died with it. But just because the bubble burst, does not mean that real estate stops moving; enter the rental market. Lots of building cranes are starting to appear across the city skyline again, but they’re not constructing condos; they’re building apartments. And the best part is, they are filling up fast.

Read on to see why this well known business stretch is now relying on full-time residents to make it go.

Will Manayunk/Roxborough get its own food co-op?

 

 
It’s starting to look like the Manayunk/Roxborough food co-op will happen over the next few years.

When the idea was presented back in April at a community meeting, the attendance was beyond anyone’s expectations. There are a lot of people in this part of Philadelphia that want to get involved in starting/running their own food co-op (similar to Weavers Way in Mt Airy & Chestnut Hill).

So what is a food co-op exactly?

“Food Co-Op” is short for “Food Cooperative,” and is based on the concept of a community run grocery store owned by its members. To keep costs down, not only operational costs but also the cost of food for its members, co-ops are built on work from volunteers. They select the products, put in hours of volunteer work each month, and try to keep everything fresh, natural, and local.

Why would a neighborhood want to start one?

Not only for the positive reasons I already cited above, but it also helps improve overall food quality and strengthens the surrounding community. Food has always been something that brings people together, so it’s only natural that a community based food store would accomplish the same thing. It’s already been tested (right here in Philadelphia), and it works.

I will be sharing more news with all of you as it comes to me.