Category northwest

Comprehensive planning is taking place in Northwest Philadelphia

Image courtesy of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission

 
That’s right, my home-sweet-home.

Please bear in mind that Northwest Philadelphia is a large area (East Falls, Manayunk, Roxborough, Chestnut Hill, Mt Airy, and Germantown), which is why the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (aka PCPC) has separated NW Philadelphia into 2 sections: Upper Northwest and Lower Northwest.

The name of PCPC’s comprehensive plan is called “Philadelphia 2035.” It’s pretty cool, so check it out when you have time.

As for these two “districts,” Upper Northwest is basically any/all neighborhoods north of the Wissahickon Valley area (e.g. Chestnut Hill, Mt Airy, and Germantown), and the Lower Northwest district is any/all neighborhoods below it (e.g. East Falls, Manayunk, and Roxborough). Now if you really want to get technical, the Lower Northwest also includes smaller sections like Andorra, Shawmont Valley, and Wissahickon, but they are referred to as “enclaves” and are all part of Roxborough anyway (aka 19128).

Okay, so there’s our foundation. Now let’s chat about what’s going on.

From a resident’s standpoint, as I am one, there has been a lot of pressure from the neighborhood to stop and/or slow down some of the new construction development that has taken place over the last 10 years.

Why?

Well, there are a few reasons.

First, development in Manayunk/Roxborough (aka 19127 + 19128) has been a hotbed of activity in relation to the overall number of permits issued for the entire City of Philadelphia (see this article for more details). Second, some of the older/larger homes in Myk/Rox sit on large parcels of land. If the property needs a lot of work, it usually makes more financial sense to tear down and build multiple homes (which developers have already done, and without much/any community dialogue). Lastly, there is no comprehensive plan currently in place for developers to follow. Which basically means they can do whatever they want once the permit has been issued.

Hence, pressure from the local neighborhood.

From a real estate agent’s standpoint, as I am one as well, I have a front row seat. Meaning that my daily job is to help both buyers and sellers find what it is they’re looking for (a home, a rental, an investment), and explain either how it will benefit them to purchase it or not. So as both a resident and a real estate agent, I can see both sides.

How so?

Well, there are a few reasons.

First, the neighborhoods of Manayunk and Roxborough are great places to live. Biased? Maybe, but you can read more stats here that help support my opinion. Second, there is a lot of opportunity to buy Myk/Rox homes/land to live in, rent out, or rehab/build and resell. Lastly, when real estate developers look for spots to put their money (in the hopes of creating a return on their investment), there is a lot of opportunity to build new and rent/sell in both Manayunk and Roxborough.

Hence, there is opportunity in local real estate.

So as you can see, there are two sides to every story as well as pros/cons to both sides. I happen to see why both sides are doing what they’re doing, which is why I choose to remain neutral on the subject.

On the one hand, I want to see my local neighborhood thrive, improve, and remain one of the best neighborhoods in all of Philadelphia. On the other hand, I don’t want to see history/culture erased because money can be made.

It’s a tough subject to discuss, and I welcome any/all readers to chime in with comments. I’m also always happy to answer your questions as best I can.

Once more, here is the article that inspired this post.

Manayunk has high hopes for The Transfer Station

 
Coworking is what I would like to call an unpredictable phenomenon for Philadelphia. The concept is simple and logical, yet unbelievably creative. I’m just not sure where it’s going, at this point, in the City of Brotherly Love.

Personally, I am a big fan of coworking and I believe that Philadelphia can support a whole lot of it; especially with our creative class on the rise, and our ever evolving tech scene (which is highly conducive to the coworking environment).

I wrote an in-depth post on Indy Hall back in 2012, and I even worked at a coworking space myself for a few months. Needless to say, I think the concept works and I’m a big fan!

The only issue I see with coworking, in general (as there are many different spots/types in Philadelphia), is that I’m not sure when the supply will exceed the demand. How many coworking spaces should Philadelphia have? How many coworking spaces can Philadelphia support? How many coworking spaces does Philadelphia need?

The concept is new (to our area, at least) and very cool, but it’s moving at the speed of light here in Philadelphia. Indy Hall, Culture Works, 3rd Ward, Benjamin’s Desk, and Venturef0rth are just a few worth mentioning. All of these have been formed within the last 5 years or so, with Indy Hall being the Philly pioneer, so it’s hard to say who’s in it for the long-term.

But enough about coworking in general, let’s talk about The Transfer Station.

I think this place would work very well in Manayunk. Not only for some of the reasons mentioned in this article (i.e. central location to both KOP and Center City, high/local creative class population, close to highways, trains, and buses, etc.), but also because I feel that there is an actual need for it in Northwest Philadelphia.

Main Street in Manayunk is the perfect spot for The Transfer Station. The founders of this new/potential space are looking to have a few different elements: 1) Affordable 1st floor retail space (anything from gallery wall space, to a full-sized store), 2) 2nd floor coworking space, and 3) 3rd floor event space. Seeing that Manayunk is currently lacking in all 3 of those areas, I really think it fills a need.

So if you have the urge/need to cowork in NW Philadelphia, or would just like to help support the project (because if you do not come, they will not build it), please show that you’re on board with Simon and Adam Rogers and reach out to them! The more support they get, the faster the project will become a reality.

More news to come on THEXFR. In the meantime, here a few helpful links:

The Transfer Station – Website

Proposed coworking space near Main Street Manayunk – Technically Philly

Manayunk to get a new coworking space – Philadelphia Magazine

What is the GUCDC?

 
The first time I heard it, I asked the same thing. GUCDC stands for “Germantown United Community Development Corporation.”

When you look at the expanse of Northwest Philadelphia, there are 6 major neighborhoods (with a lot of other sub-neighborhoods in between): East Falls, Manayunk, Roxborough, Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy, and Germantown. Also, each one of these neighborhoods has its own zip code (19129, 19127, 19128, 19118, 19119, and 19144) and its own post office. Although most Philadelphia experts would probably agree with me on these statements, there are always going to be locals who disagree. But hey, you can’t please everyone.

When you look at all 6 of these neighborhoods, each one already has a successful community/business association for a number of reasons: 1) They protect commercial corridors by increasing commercial/residential development, 2) They clean and green the main commercial strips (a.k.a. Main Streets), and 3) They keep the residents and businesses unified by working toward a common goal; success. Some have had more success than others, and some have been around longer than others. Overall, 5 of the 6 major neighborhoods have a CDC that’s currently successful; except for Germantown.

My hope is that the last remaining neighborhood to run a successful CDC will find a way to get over the hump this time. As more news comes online, you can bet I will be writing about it.