Strawberry Mansion revitalization

[thoth]

The city would do well to stabilize the park side structures like, er, Parkside. They're the most architecturally significant buildings, the ones that visitors see when using the park, and a good starting point for enticing new residents and dollars into what I regard as one of the most, possibly the most, depressed and crime ridden sections of the city. Save the best part of it and hope the rest can survive what will surely be another decade or more of waiting for serious reinvestment.

There is a history book on the Jewish population of SM at the Free Library I was browsing through last week. The second to last section is on the flight from the neighborhood. 95% of the Jewish population left within 5 years starting around 1950, or so the book claims. It didn't seem like there was particular pressure to go beyond the general sense that the suburbs were the "next big thing". At that point industry was still relatively intact, the neighborhood seemed to be very nice overall, and even the surrounding neighborhoods weren't in all that bad shape. Incredible.

I struggle to understand it, although I suppose I can understand the sheer totality with which Jewish populations enter and leave areas, being somewhat more insular from a community standpoint than other groups, and the unique ethno-religious connection binding people together more uniformly. Still, just astounding to read.

[Malloy]

The homes on 33rd St are really busted up. It seems to be getting worse IMO...which doesnt make too much sense.

[thoth]

I've think I've seen a couple get reno'ed, not always in a very historically accurate fashion but at least stabilized. The majority are still crumbling. Talk about bang for your buck from a municipal perspective, start a grant program or something to stabilize this heavily trafficked and architecturally important strip.

The homes on 33rd St are really busted up. It seems to be getting worse IMO...which doesnt make too much sense.

[Malloy]

I've think I've seen a couple get reno'ed, not always in a very historically accurate fashion but at least stabilized. The majority are still crumbling. Talk about bang for your buck from a municipal perspective, start a grant program or something to stabilize this heavily trafficked and architecturally important strip.

Yes, Ive seen a few cleaned up but Ive seen a few boarded up too. Still not sure what happened to the Coltrane house. It was nice to see the yellow building (currently f/s just down from the Coltrane house) get cleaned up after taggers ruined the facade.

[thoth]

The last time I went by the Coltrane house it seemed like someone was working on it. No?

Yes, Ive seen a few cleaned up but Ive seen a few boarded up too. Still not sure what happened to the Coltrane house. It was nice to see the yellow building (currently f/s just down from the Coltrane house) get cleaned up after taggers ruined the facade.

[MsChelle]

Malloy, you're right on. There are some beautiful houses right near Fairmount Park, but the public schools are generally low-performing and crime is quite high. There seems to be some crime story on the news every week about SM. I know that TV news stokes people's fear of crime, and crime happens all over the city, but it seems to be higher in SM.

[MsChelle]

16th and Jefferson St isn't Strawberry Mansion though.

[Sharkfood]

Check the 2010 US census. There is a massive black flight from inner city neighborhoods like Strawberry Mansion and Point Breeze. Unlike
Point Breeze, however, in SB, the black flight is not being offset by the influx of a younger more mixed race demographic. I think SB lost about
20% of its population in the last decade.

While it's true that Center City is expanding northward, North Philadelphia/Kensington are vast areas. If it takes 10 years just to transform the
3000 block of Baltz, how long is it realistically going to take to transform 5 or 10 square miles?

Note to Billy Ross: Invest in Kansas. It fills a strategic gap between NY and LA.

[billy ross]

It's not walkable. I'm talking about a gap of, say Master to Allegheny along the park. That's 18 blocks, end to end, between the Center City driven gentrification and the Northwest Philly driven gentrification, all the while Temple is going bonkers along the southern half of that gap and the park system is getting its act together in a really nice way. When you're surrounded on four sides by great things going on you're not gong to stay a mess.

Check the 2010 US census. There is a massive black flight from inner city neighborhoods like Strawberry Mansion and Point Breeze. Unlike
Point Breeze, however, in SB, the black flight is not being offset by the influx of a younger more mixed race demographic. I think SB lost about
20% of its population in the last decade.

While it's true that Center City is expanding northward, North Philadelphia/Kensington are vast areas. If it takes 10 years just to transform the
3000 block of Baltz, how long is it realistically going to take to transform 5 or 10 square miles?

Note to Billy Ross: Invest in Kansas. It fills a strategic gap between NY and LA.

[Fecteau03]

That was a PHA development on land owned by PHA. They may have backed off for now.

[Fecteau03]

Sorry, wasn't clear about where. Was talking about the lots across from Blaine

[green77]

the Redevelopment Authority recently approved some eminent domain takings in Strawberry Mansion, I believe connected to a second phase of new construction by Friends Rehabilitation and maybe the PHA project.

Sorry, wasn't clear about where. Was talking about the lots across from Blaine

[MariusPontmercy]

the Redevelopment Authority recently approved some eminent domain takings in Strawberry Mansion, I believe connected to a second phase of new construction by Friends Rehabilitation and maybe the PHA project.

The RDA has claimed thousands of lots this way and done nothing with them. The RDA is more a bank account for council members to pay off friends than anything else. I'm not sure where PHA would find the money for anything these days, although there's a chance a new project might get built in the owner-occupied model. Those seem to be more popular these days.

[green77]

http://www.phila.gov/pra/PDFs/8-14-2012%20Board%20Agenda.pdf"]http://www.phila.gov/pra/PDFs/8-14-2012%20Board%20Agenda.pdf

Here is the link to the August PRA board meeting- the property list for new acquisition in SM is here (under 1 (a)Model Cities Urban Renewal Area), along with a description of the intended use of the properties.

[MERKIN]

i own a house at 33rd and berks. its the sh!tty looking one near the corner. we plan on renovating it and living there in the near future. 33rd and the park and a god send. my wife and i are avid bike riders and within feet of our house we have 100's of miles or riding and also 14 or so miles of mtb single track in belmont. its block to block. SM is relatively quiete and the architecture is amazing. we live in brewerytown so i guess our thresshold is relative for the hoods of philly.

[Malloy]

The block directly behind you is in pleasantly good shape. (there may be a shell or 2, which isnt too bad IMO) Forgot the name, but it seems like people care on that block and they are nice 3 story units.

i own a house at 33rd and berks. its the sh!tty looking one near the corner. we plan on renovating it and living there in the near future. 33rd and the park and a god send. my wife and i are avid bike riders and within feet of our house we have 100's of miles or riding and also 14 or so miles of mtb single track in belmont. its block to block. SM is relatively quiete and the architecture is amazing. we live in brewerytown so i guess our thresshold is relative for the hoods of philly.