Hunting Park: Bodegas and Bodyshops Revive The Economy of North 5th Street
Specks of sawdust shimmered in the sunlight as the shrill of power tools echoed throughout the skeleton of a body shop. The sight is no longer uncommon along the 5th Street Corridor of North Philadelphia, between Luzerne and Wyoming streets, but rather serves as evidence to the recent economic influx of Hunting Park. “I’ve been […]
Callowhill: Post-Industrial Area Continues to Evolve
Past: Sewing Industry Centralized in Callowhill “The sewing industry was very prominent in the Callowhill neighborhood before the early 1990s,” said Bob Weinstein (right). Weinstein’s father bought the building at 1025 Cherry St. for a commercial sewing machine business in 1951 and Bob Weinstein has been working in the area since 1961. In 1992, Weinstein […]
Point Breeze: Block Location, Location and Food
Old establishments meet new residential renovations here on the 1100 block of South 15th Street. On the northwest corner, a family deli called Melino’s has been serving up hoagies for generations. “My grandfather started the business in the 1900’s,” said owner Mark Melino. “My Dad worked here, I worked here and my son worked here. We […]
Parkwood: Real Estate Sales Looking Up
Real estate sales are up in the Parkwood section of Northeast Philadelphia and according to Keller Williams Real Estate agent Joe “Big Joe” McCarthy, it’s the perfect time for first-time buyers. “Interest rates are still low and people are moving continually for a variety of reasons,” he said. “This is a good year for sellers compared […]
West Poplar: Developer Builds Homes Close to Center City
Vacant lots are being transformed into contemporary townhouses as developer Lawrence Rust completes his plans for Spring Arts Point. Since coming up with the idea nine years ago, Rust used his background in construction to build homes closer to Center City for residents. “My underlying purpose has been to do a new development that is proximate to […]
Powelton Village: AVI Assessments Leave Many Feeling Indifferent
Philadelphia’s Office of Property Assessment has implanted a new property tax reform effort, the Actual Value Initiative. Under this reform, many are paying more in property taxes as the values of most homes have increased drastically, while some areas have seen their bills decrease. Particularly in Powelton Village, there is an interesting dynamic of homeowners […]
Cobbs Creek: Real Estate Market Shows Promise
Recent trends in the real estate in Cobbs Creek have realtors hopeful that the once-suffering market will be stable for a long period. “Compared to five years ago, it’s come up quite a bit,” said Yvonne Alexander of Niahda Real Estate, located at 5143 Baltimore Ave. “Real estate was on a down slope. Even in my […]
Axis Philly: AVI’s Actual Impact on the Chestnut Hill Real Estate Market
[vimeo 63924212] While some Philadelphians have been scrambling in the wake of the city’s property value reassessments under the Actual Value Initiative, some residents of Chestnut Hill who are selling their homes have had no problem doing so. Matt Paul recently sold his home on 263 E. Evergreen Ave. in Chestnut Hill. While he had difficulty […]
Plan Philly: Vacant School Buildings Affect Surrounding Communities
[vimeo 54932985] A group of young boys shoot a basketball into an aging hoop at the end of a large asphalt school yard. Behind them is the shell of the School District of Philadelphia’s second oldest educational facility, the George W. Childs Elementary School, vacated and locked tight since June 2010. The brown brick of the […]
Lawncrest: Councilman Bobby Henon Addresses Lawncrest Civic Meeting
Bobby Henon, 6th District City Councilman, spoke to the Lawncrest Civic Association recently regarding several pieces of legislation including his highly supported Bad Neighbor Initiative. Henon’s focus with this Initiative is on negligent homeowners, absentee landlords and slumlords who have violations against their properties. The initiative aims to end neighborhood blight, which decreases property values […]