Grays Ferry: The New Frontier?

[seand]

Also historically a lot of crusty travelers have camped out just on the West Philly side of the Grays Ferry bridge, by those old Hess refinery tanks that were just recently bull dozed.

[PortPennFerry]

Also historically a lot of crusty travelers have camped out just on the West Philly side of the Grays Ferry bridge, by those old Hess refinery tanks that were just recently bull dozed.

That's where my first experiment with urban guerilla gardening went horribly wrong. How appropriate.

[Sphilly19145]

I'm really surprised so much development went into Point Breeze instead of Gray's Ferry. Gray's Ferry already has pockets of "good blocks" where you can see it hasn't changed over. Too bad more and more blocks are changing over and it's quite apparent. Well, they did fix up the projects and the houses are nice and have stayed nice on and around 30th and Morris. I don't understand why they didn't gentrify Gray's Ferry. I hope they do. It has so much potential.

[OffenseTaken]

Prolly because Point Breeze is in a much safer position geographically: you have real-deal South Philly below (not great, but good neighbors); Southwark, Passyunk Square, and QV beside; and most importantly, Gra-Ho above, providing safe berth into CC.

If the work of the PB pioneers pays off, GF would be the natural progression, which is what this thread is about. Pretty much this whole huge swath of Philadelphia (between City Hall, the Delaware, and the mouth of the Schuylkill) would then be un-slummified, which would be nothing short of miraculous. I'm sure it's all in Feibush's master plan, scheming demiurge of gentrification that he is.

[daveydoo]

Prolly because Point Breeze is in a much safer position geographically: you have real-deal South Philly below (not great, but good neighbors); Southwark, Passyunk Square, and QV beside; and most importantly, Gra-Ho above, providing safe berth into CC.

I think the elevated freight line is something of a psychological barrier that folks who are priced out of G-Ho are afraid to cross. A friend of mine who also bought in Kingsessing has talked about this possibility regarding the Media Septa regional line (and I've discussed it in my previous posts as well) and how while there are many homes with beautiful facades and much potential in the neighborhood those looking tend to halt their search at the tracks and don't venture south.

If the city could get a big box to fill that parcel on the south side of Grays Ferry Ave. across from the Pathmark plaza that would be a big boost. Also putting a couple of restaurants fronting the avenue (say one toward the firehouse and another toward the McDonald's) would give it some life. For any entrepreneurs reading, that whole mess between the gas station and the firehouse under the expressway is just begging for a skate park.

[the mule]

I'm really surprised so much development went into Point Breeze instead of Gray's Ferry. Gray's Ferry already has pockets of "good blocks" where you can see it hasn't changed over. Too bad more and more blocks are changing over and it's quite apparent. Well, they did fix up the projects and the houses are nice and have stayed nice on and around 30th and Morris. I don't understand why they didn't gentrify Gray's Ferry. I hope they do. It has so much potential.

I'm not suprised at all. PB is bordered on 3 sides by high value neighborhoods, close to Broad St. and the BSL, and accessible by 5 buses. Gray's Ferry is bordered by industrial land to the north, 76 and industrial land to the west and south, and on the east it has the freight viaduct and the less desirable parts of Point Breeze.

The north edge of Gray's Ferry might see some development at some point, especially if you watch how property has been changing hands there, but the rest of it is only going to come as development in PB pushes west. The heart of PB still has to fill in so GF's time isn't quite here yet.

On the plus side, the more "stable" nature of Gray's Ferry means that it doesn't have as far to go once those development pressures arrive.