Brownstone Blog in a Red Brick Town

[lbphilly]

Brownstoner - Philadelphia: How the South St. Bridge is Looking These Days

Penn Current: Features: South Street Bridge expected to reopen in November

Okay, I must indulge in a mild snark. Why on earth should we rely on something called "Brownstoner" for our real estate news, when the number of actual brownstones in the City would probably fit comfortably on one or two city blocks? Who else doesn't want to be a colony of Brooklyn???

(Ends snark, exits muttering)

[desolate]

Okay, I must indulge in a mild snark. Why on earth should we rely on something called "Brownstoner" for our real estate news, when the number of actual brownstones in the City would probably fit comfortably on one or two city blocks? Who else doesn't want to be a colony of Brooklyn???

(Ends snark, exits muttering)

Er, there are blocks of them north of Fairmount. Blocks and blocks. FYI!

[lbphilly]

Er, there are blocks of them north of Fairmount. Blocks and blocks. FYI!

That's interesting. I've been up and down several numbered streets and east/west on some major thoroughfares such as Columbia/Cecil B. Moore, Girard, and Montgomery, and don't recall them. But I may not have had my brownstone detector properly calibrated.

Coordinates? "North of Fairmount" would mean a lot of biking for this old lady.

I would still argue that the dominant rowhouse is the brick one here, not the brownstone. EDITED TO ADD -- and I would also remark, snarkily, that the use of "brownstone" as a generic term meaning "rowhouse" is a peculiarly New York thing.

[desolate]

That's interesting. I've been up and down several numbered streets and east/west on some major thoroughfares such as Columbia/Cecil B. Moore, Girard, and Montgomery, and don't recall them. But I may not have had my brownstone detector properly calibrated.

Coordinates? "North of Fairmount" would mean a lot of biking for this old lady.

I would still argue that the dominant rowhouse is the brick one here, not the brownstone. EDITED TO ADD -- and I would also remark, snarkily, that the use of "brownstone" as a generic term meaning "rowhouse" is a peculiarly New York thing.

Agreed. THis is a red brick town.

"North of Fairmount" mean the various numbered streets (in the 20's) north of Fairmount up to around Temple.

Gorgeous housing still in pretty good shape.

and the smattering of them in Rittenhouse, G-Ho, Strawberry Mansion.

Anywhere that used to be the wealthy areas of those sections.

[lbphilly]

Agreed. THis is a red brick town.

"North of Fairmount" mean the various numbered streets (in the 20's) north of Fairmount up to around Temple.

Gorgeous housing still in pretty good shape.

and the smattering of them in Rittenhouse, G-Ho, Strawberry Mansion.

Anywhere that used to be the wealthy areas of those sections.

See, that's the thing. I recall the occasional partial block here and there, or the onesies-twosies of brownstones up that way. I have the feeling the 1600 block of north 15th is one of them. I'll agree that the elaborate townhouses (much bigger than rowhouses) of North Broad contained a lot of brownstones.

But in Center City at least, there are very few -- one block that's mostly brownstone on Spruce, vic. 20th, and a couple in the 2100 block of Walnut. It's really a smattering. I suspect we could count the brownstones in this neighborhood on our fingers.

My earlier estimate may have been an understatement, but I think we can both agree that the brownstones of Philadelphia are islands of brown in a sea of red brick.

[Brian616]

Okay, I must indulge in a mild snark. Why on earth should we rely on something called "Brownstoner" for our real estate news, when the number of actual brownstones in the City would probably fit comfortably on one or two city blocks? Who else doesn't want to be a colony of Brooklyn???

(Ends snark, exits muttering)

Shame...it's a pretty interesting site. Maybe we could convince them to rechristen the Philly site the "Rowhomer"?

[mal315]

I think "Rowhomer" or "Redbricker" would be great either way.

I've been reading this site from the beginning -- it's interesting, but they keep trying to compare Philly to New York, and it just doesn't work. I've only lived here for five years or so, but if there's one thing I've noticed about this city, it's the (unnecessary, in my opinion) inferiority complex about New York.

I think Philly is great by itself!

[Fishtown Phan]

I think this site was based/focused on Brooklyn when it was created, for what it's worth.

[Insoluble]

I personally don't care what it's called as long as the posts are local and locally written (better informed that way in my opinion). I will say that I'm incredibly happy that Brownstoner Philadelphia has come along to help me get my development news fix now that Philly Skyline is gone.

[Hospitalitygirl]

I think "Rowhomer" or "Redbricker" would be great either way.

I've been reading this site from the beginning -- it's interesting, but they keep trying to compare Philly to New York, and it just doesn't work. I've only lived here for five years or so, but if there's one thing I've noticed about this city, it's the (unnecessary, in my opinion) inferiority complex about New York.

I think Philly is great by itself!

I like you.

[phillycat]

There was a whole discussion on the site around this when they first announced a Philly site.

They stuck with "Brownstoner" because they felt it was their brand and they didn't want to change it.

Aside from the stupid name it is a good addition to the Philly blogosphere.

[Malloy]

There was a whole discussion on the site around this when they first announced a Philly site.

They stuck with "Brownstoner" because they felt it was their brand and they didn't want to change it.

Aside from the stupid name it is a good addition to the Philly blogosphere.

Bah. We need a phillyskyline 2. Local guy, grassroots effort, real deal. Not an entrepreneur from NYC looking to cash in on Philly.

[phillycat]

Bah. We need a phillyskyline 2. Local guy, grassroots effort, real deal. Not an entrepreneur from NYC looking to cash in on Philly.

I liked phillyskyline but not sure how "local guy who moves away" is better than "NYC entrepreneur."

[Malloy]

I liked phillyskyline but not sure how "local guy who moves away" is better than "NYC entrepreneur."

Its not. Local guy who is still local is what I was getting at.

[eldondre]

diamond st has a ton of them, parts of girard have them as well. as for red brick, baltimore is a pretty unforgivingly brick city as well.

[luchobucho]

Its not. Local guy who is still local is what I was getting at.

Until local guy shows up, I'll stick with New Yorker.

[hammersklavier]

Running that type of blog without a staff is practically impossible. Phillyskyline dude was most definitely superhuman, let me tell you.

By the way, Green Street west of Broad = almost all brownstones. So does Diamond. That quadrant of town, north of Spring Garden, west of Broad, and south of Lehigh, is where most of our brownstones went.

Still, we're mostly a red-brick city.

[AbortedWalrus]

Running that type of blog without a staff is practically impossible. Phillyskyline dude was most definitely superhuman, let me tell you.

By the way, Green Street west of Broad = almost all brownstones. So does Diamond. That quadrant of town, north of Spring Garden, west of Broad, and south of Lehigh, is where most of our brownstones went.

Still, we're mostly a red-brick city.

I used to run a videogaming blog WITH a staff and it was a superhuman effort. Then again, that was back in the early 2000s, and things have gotten a lot easier since then. I think my computer science degree probably also helps.

[phillyaggie]

I like you.

i know you didn't mean it that way, but it reminded me of this ad:

YouTube - NEW Progresso Can Phone TV Ad - Phone Flirt

[phillyaggie]

this outsider likes that new web site; i stumbled upon it from a link on the SSP forum so whoever gave the link there, thanks...it's still kinda new but obviously it's catching up in popularity.