Category local

“Foodie Paradise” is coming to Chestnut Hill

New look for the Chestnut Hill Farmers’ Market

Well, not exactly.

It will actually be a major overhaul of the existing Chestnut Hill Farmers’ Market.

The 7,000 square foot space is going to get a sleek, modern look and go from a system of alleyways to a more modern grid (think Reading Terminal Market).

I have always been of the opinion that Philadelphia has enough demand to support a few more RTM-esque locations throughout the city, so it looks like Chestnut Hill will be the first to go that same, successful route.

More details and pictures here.

Philadelphia finally gets a 21st century zoning code

Center City, Philadelphia

Woo hoo!

There are many things to celebrate about the new zoning code, like Philadelphia finally updating their development process to make things simpler, but I think the biggest accomplishment is that our local politicians are finally starting to see the potential in our great city. Hence, spending some bucks to make life easier for those who want to invest in Philadelphia.

Without going into full detail (which you can do here), here are a few things the new zoning code will accomplish:

  • Reduced number of zoning classifications
  • Robust civic design review process
  • Role of Philadelphians in the zoning approval process

In other words, the new code will take us out of our stale, archaic process we’ve relied on since the 1960s and give us a more fair, sensible way of decision making.

Here are some other links to help you out:

“First-Time Buyer” post on Curbed Philly

Last week, I spoke to Liz Spikol over at Curbed Philly about contributing something to their “Rookie Roosts Week” that would help promote the week-long event. She asked me to write about my experiences working with first-time buyers, so that’s what I focused my efforts on.

Since a good portion of my work week is spent helping out first-time buyers, it was easy for me to put together a general “To-Do List” for people who are looking to buy a home for the first time. I laid it out in a sort-of Q&A format to help break down the different concerns that most first-time buyers face.

Enjoy!