Ave. of the Arts aka S. Broad St. needs makeover/cleanup, imo. ASAP

[ewonder]

Went to see the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Acadamy of Music last night. When exiting after the concert and walking toward city hall I just couldn't help but notice how worn and shabby S Broad St. seemed. There was much more litter than usual. The special lighting effects were kind of dreary and creepy. Or maybe just dated. City Hall Tower was dark, (although the clock was illuminated) and the two large elegant ornamental fixtures that frame the southern entrance are in terrible shape. The sidewalks are in disrepair in spots all along S Broad and landlords could give their properties some tlc, too. Suprisingly, not a patrolman in sight on a busy night. The overall effect left a lot to be desired, which is disappointing given one would hope the city and the CCD would want to put its best face on given the huge investments at the nearby Barnes and Convention Center. Maybe it was the extreme heat, or maybe I am being overly critical but the Ave. of the Arts did not sparkle like it should.

[BarryG]

Trash was an effect of the winds. It gets cleaned up a few times daily. I have seen it a mess on other windy days.

[The Count]

Philadelphia is an impoverished city. As such, there is not a lot of money floating around for capital improvements and/or general maintenance of public facilities.

As for the private owners, they're probably not flush with cash either as rents and occupancies are generally unimpressed in that area, (note that a drug store is moving into the old Borders space on Broad and Chestnut).

Police force has been reduced to the point where they apparently have to concentrate the bulk of their efforts on Kensington and Southwest Philly, so no time to make the tourists from Chalfont feel safe around the bums on Broad.

As for the dreary lighting, I just chalk that up to the typical "even when Philly tries to do something cool they usually screw up the execution in a way that it winds up being half-a$$ed and depressing in the end." That's just a Philly tradition.

Oh yeah, and the orchestra is bankrupt.

Given all the that, I'm frankly suspended that stretch of Broad looks as good as it does.

[BarryG]

Philadelphia is an impoverished city. As such, there is not a lot of money floating around for capital improvements and/or general maintenance of public facilities.

As for the private owners, they're probably not flush with cash either as rents and occupancies are generally unimpressed in that area, (note that a drug store is moving into the old Borders space on Broad and Chestnut).

Police force has been reduced to the point where they apparently have to concentrate the bulk of their efforts on Kensington and Southwest Philly, so no time to make the tourists from Chalfont feel safe around the bums on Broad.

As for the dreary lighting, I just chalk that up to the typical "even when Philly tries to do something cool they usually screw up the execution in a way that it winds up being half-a$$ed and depressing in the end." That's just a Philly tradition.

Oh yeah, and the orchestra is bankrupt.

Given all the that, I'm frankly suspended that stretch of Broad looks as good as it does.

Complete nonsense. Center City District is far from impoverished and is responsible for that area. The maintenance, overall, is not poor in Center City. The rents in that area are not low, and Walgreens is not opening just a "drug store" but a new urban concept that it has in high-rent areas of other cities as well, like Chicago and Boston's main shopping districts. Police, yes that is true. The lights, yea I guess they could be better. The orchestras finances aren't really relevant to this, but they were never really bankrupt--they have a sizable endowment and own the Academy--but declared bankruptcy to renegotiate employee benefits and rent. And they have since exited bankruptcy and are solvent.

[RainboTeabagger]

Philadelphia is an impoverished city. As such, there is not a lot of money floating around for capital improvements and/or general maintenance of public facilities.

As for the private owners, they're probably not flush with cash either as rents and occupancies are generally unimpressed in that area, (note that a drug store is moving into the old Borders space on Broad and Chestnut).

Police force has been reduced to the point where they apparently have to concentrate the bulk of their efforts on Kensington and Southwest Philly, so no time to make the tourists from Chalfont feel safe around the bums on Broad.

As for the dreary lighting, I just chalk that up to the typical "even when Philly tries to do something cool they usually screw up the execution in a way that it winds up being half-a$$ed and depressing in the end." That's just a Philly tradition.

Oh yeah, and the orchestra is bankrupt.

Given all the that, I'm frankly suspended that stretch of Broad looks as good as it does.

You should change your name to The Tool. Please move.

[RainboTeabagger]

The lighting on the buildings is fine. The Philadelphia tradition is one some of the greatest public works projects in American history. 30th Street Station, Benjamin Franklin Bridge, Independence Hall, City Hall etc. The only problem Philly has is The Count needs to get laid ASAP!

[acenturi]

Philadelphia is an impoverished city. As such, there is not a lot of money floating around for capital improvements and/or general maintenance of public facilities.

As for the private owners, they're probably not flush with cash either as rents and occupancies are generally unimpressed in that area, (note that a drug store is moving into the old Borders space on Broad and Chestnut).

Police force has been reduced to the point where they apparently have to concentrate the bulk of their efforts on Kensington and Southwest Philly, so no time to make the tourists from Chalfont feel safe around the bums on Broad.

As for the dreary lighting, I just chalk that up to the typical "even when Philly tries to do something cool they usually screw up the execution in a way that it winds up being half-a$$ed and depressing in the end." That's just a Philly tradition.

Oh yeah, and the orchestra is bankrupt.

Given all the that, I'm frankly suspended that stretch of Broad looks as good as it does.

The more you post, the more I believe you've never been to Philadelphia, or possibly you're a disgruntled inmate posting from a prison potty. If not, suggest you pack up what must surely be minimal belongings and take the BoltBus to Newark for a better life. I'll even pay the fare.

[londoner]

I agree with the OP. South Broad should be our crown jewel blvd and it's really not even close. It lacks pedestrian vibrancy that Walnut street has, mostly b/c it does feel a bit shabby and it's just not a nice stroll. The only noticeable greenery is the weeds that sprout grungily from the danky, decrepit concrete median strip whose only purpose so far as i can tell is to prevent the awkward South Philly tradition from creeping north? The building stock is lovely, but there is not a single modernized store front--something that NYC's Avenues have in spades--so the result is that it feels like a bit of a time machine from 1925--but in desperate need of a power wash.

City Hall at night is lit so embarrassingly poorly that the result of its underlit glow is reminiscent of something straight out of YOung Frankenstein. With all the fanfare behind the lighting of that building, whoever the idiots involved should be publicly humiliated. Spend 45seconds in Paris at night and you'll see exactly how a stunning civic building should glow

Solutions? The median strip needs to be a flower bed like Park Avenue. Don't give me the roots will grow into the subway crap, I'm not looking for towering oak trees, just some small shrubs and flowers that soften the stretch up. If i can grow an azalea in a 2foot planter on my back patio, i'm sure the brain-trust of botanists enlisted can come up with a solution here. Also, adorn the light posts with some large hanging planters for a bit more of a color pop. The crosswalks should be re-bricked (perhaps with redbrick) and maintained rigourously as opposed to what happens currently--when one of the grey bricks gets loose the city slaps some macadam haphazardly in its place, and the result is a patchwork of very sloppy looking intersection. The city should also look to create some financial/tax incentives for tenants/building owners who invest in modernizing the street-level store-fronts.

[OffenseTaken]

The building stock is lovely, but there is not a single modernized store front--something that NYC's Avenues have in spades--so the result is that it feels like a bit of a time machine from 1925--but in desperate need of a power wash.

Those dueling parking garages between Locust and Chancellor need a lot more than a power wash.

Solutions? The median strip needs to be a flower bed like Park Avenue. Don't give me the roots will grow into the subway crap, I'm not looking for towering oak trees, just some small shrubs and flowers that soften the stretch up. If i can grow an azalea in a 2foot planter on my back patio, i'm sure the brain-trust of botanists enlisted can come up with a solution here. Also, adorn the light posts with some large hanging planters for a bit more of a color pop. The crosswalks should be re-bricked (perhaps with redbrick) and maintained rigourously as opposed to what happens currently--when one of the grey bricks gets loose the city slaps some macadam haphazardly in its place, and the result is a patchwork of very sloppy looking intersection.

I've often wondered why there are so many bare expanses of paved surface wherever you look here. Even the Parkway is really just a sea of asphalt; Chicago has a whole network of boulevards that have better and more extensive landscaping, and they don't even go through high-profile neighborhoods.

It just seems like another one of those problems that would have been easier to address before the city fell in the toilet, but no one ever did.

The city should also look to create some financial/tax incentives for tenants/building owners who invest in modernizing the street-level store-fronts.

Bribing people to boost the value of their own real estate? I think the North Broad light towers sound like a better idea.

[acenturi]

I agree with the OP. South Broad should be our crown jewel blvd and it's really not even close. It lacks pedestrian vibrancy that Walnut street has, mostly b/c it does feel a bit shabby and it's just not a nice stroll. The only noticeable greenery is the weeds that sprout grungily from the danky, decrepit concrete median strip whose only purpose so far as i can tell is to prevent the awkward South Philly tradition from creeping north? The building stock is lovely, but there is not a single modernized store front--something that NYC's Avenues have in spades--so the result is that it feels like a bit of a time machine from 1925--but in desperate need of a power wash.

City Hall at night is lit so embarrassingly poorly that the result of its underlit glow is reminiscent of something straight out of YOung Frankenstein. With all the fanfare behind the lighting of that building, whoever the idiots involved should be publicly humiliated. Spend 45seconds in Paris at night and you'll see exactly how a stunning civic building should glow

Solutions? The median strip needs to be a flower bed like Park Avenue. Don't give me the roots will grow into the subway crap, I'm not looking for towering oak trees, just some small shrubs and flowers that soften the stretch up. If i can grow an azalea in a 2foot planter on my back patio, i'm sure the brain-trust of botanists enlisted can come up with a solution here. Also, adorn the light posts with some large hanging planters for a bit more of a color pop. The crosswalks should be re-bricked (perhaps with redbrick) and maintained rigourously as opposed to what happens currently--when one of the grey bricks gets loose the city slaps some macadam haphazardly in its place, and the result is a patchwork of very sloppy looking intersection. The city should also look to create some financial/tax incentives for tenants/building owners who invest in modernizing the street-level store-fronts.

Absolutely agree with all of your comments/suggestions (I rarely ever repeat an entire Quote). It amazes me as to why someone like Lenfest would create a $40M challenge grant to build something like the "Museum of the American Revolution "
( About | The American Revolution Center ), which will benefit what .05% of Philadelphians, instead of putting that money into beutifying the city and significantly increasing its tourism appeal and $. Do we really need ANOTHER Museum???

[Gladys]

Philadelphia is an impoverished city. As such, there is not a lot of money floating around for capital improvements and/or general maintenance of public facilities.

As for the private owners, they're probably not flush with cash either as rents and occupancies are generally unimpressed in that area, (note that a drug store is moving into the old Borders space on Broad and Chestnut).

Police force has been reduced to the point where they apparently have to concentrate the bulk of their efforts on Kensington and Southwest Philly, so no time to make the tourists from Chalfont feel safe around the bums on Broad.

As for the dreary lighting, I just chalk that up to the typical "even when Philly tries to do something cool they usually screw up the execution in a way that it winds up being half-a$$ed and depressing in the end." That's just a Philly tradition.

Oh yeah, and the orchestra is bankrupt.

Given all the that, I'm frankly suspended that stretch of Broad looks as good as it does.

hate to say it but it's getting worse, not better, at the moment. Depressing thoughts but they are reality based.

[Gladys]

I agree with the OP. South Broad should be our crown jewel blvd and it's really not even close. It lacks pedestrian vibrancy that Walnut street has, mostly b/c it does feel a bit shabby and it's just not a nice stroll. The only noticeable greenery is the weeds that sprout grungily from the danky, decrepit concrete median strip whose only purpose so far as i can tell is to prevent the awkward South Philly tradition from creeping north? The building stock is lovely, but there is not a single modernized store front--something that NYC's Avenues have in spades--so the result is that it feels like a bit of a time machine from 1925--but in desperate need of a power wash.

City Hall at night is lit so embarrassingly poorly that the result of its underlit glow is reminiscent of something straight out of YOung Frankenstein. With all the fanfare behind the lighting of that building, whoever the idiots involved should be publicly humiliated. Spend 45seconds in Paris at night and you'll see exactly how a stunning civic building should glow

Solutions? The median strip needs to be a flower bed like Park Avenue. Don't give me the roots will grow into the subway crap, I'm not looking for towering oak trees, just some small shrubs and flowers that soften the stretch up. If i can grow an azalea in a 2foot planter on my back patio, i'm sure the brain-trust of botanists enlisted can come up with a solution here. Also, adorn the light posts with some large hanging planters for a bit more of a color pop. The crosswalks should be re-bricked (perhaps with redbrick) and maintained rigourously as opposed to what happens currently--when one of the grey bricks gets loose the city slaps some macadam haphazardly in its place, and the result is a patchwork of very sloppy looking intersection. The city should also look to create some financial/tax incentives for tenants/building owners who invest in modernizing the street-level store-fronts.

Those dueling parking garages between Locust and Chancellor need a lot more than a power wash.



I've often wondered why there are so many bare expanses of paved surface wherever you look here. Even the Parkway is really just a sea of asphalt; Chicago has a whole network of boulevards that have better and more extensive landscaping, and they don't even go through high-profile neighborhoods.

It just seems like another one of those problems that would have been easier to address before the city fell in the toilet, but no one ever did.



Bribing people to boost the value of their own real estate? I think the North Broad light towers sound like a better idea.

Absolutely agree with all of your comments/suggestions (I rarely ever repeat an entire Quote). It amazes me as to why someone like Lenfest would create a $40M challenge grant to build something like the "Museum of the American Revolution "
( About | The American Revolution Center ), which will benefit what .05% of Philadelphians, instead of putting that money into beutifying the city and significantly increasing its tourism appeal and $. Do we really need ANOTHER Museum???

agree with all of the above. the PHC does what they can to beautify, it's not hard just a choice. unfortunately then people would complain about money not being spent to solve real problems but just to buy window dressing. So many large problems so few real solutions with the ability to improve behind them. We can talk all we want but without the finance to back it up nothing changes.

[BarryG]

Getting Kenny Gamble to do something productive with his three a properties fronting S. Broad would help a lot.

[Litter Box]

Getting Kenny Gamble to do something productive with his three a properties fronting S. Broad would help a lot.

On the plus side there don't seem to be any weed trees growing out of the roof like the Royal. YET.

[BarryG]

I agree with the OP. South Broad should be our crown jewel blvd and it's really not even close. It lacks pedestrian vibrancy that Walnut street has, mostly b/c it does feel a bit shabby and it's just not a nice stroll. The only noticeable greenery is the weeds that sprout grungily from the danky, decrepit concrete median strip whose only purpose so far as i can tell is to prevent the awkward South Philly tradition from creeping north? The building stock is lovely, but there is not a single modernized store front--something that NYC's Avenues have in spades--so the result is that it feels like a bit of a time machine from 1925--but in desperate need of a power wash.

City Hall at night is lit so embarrassingly poorly that the result of its underlit glow is reminiscent of something straight out of YOung Frankenstein. With all the fanfare behind the lighting of that building, whoever the idiots involved should be publicly humiliated. Spend 45seconds in Paris at night and you'll see exactly how a stunning civic building should glow

Solutions? The median strip needs to be a flower bed like Park Avenue. Don't give me the roots will grow into the subway crap, I'm not looking for towering oak trees, just some small shrubs and flowers that soften the stretch up. If i can grow an azalea in a 2foot planter on my back patio, i'm sure the brain-trust of botanists enlisted can come up with a solution here. Also, adorn the light posts with some large hanging planters for a bit more of a color pop. The crosswalks should be re-bricked (perhaps with redbrick) and maintained rigourously as opposed to what happens currently--when one of the grey bricks gets loose the city slaps some macadam haphazardly in its place, and the result is a patchwork of very sloppy looking intersection. The city should also look to create some financial/tax incentives for tenants/building owners who invest in modernizing the street-level store-fronts.

The Christmas lights they did on City Hall back in 2005 or whenever that was looked amazing.

[cmm]

I went to the very same concert (though on Saturday night) and while leaving I guess I should have noticed all that was pointed out - but instead I was extremely impressed with the throngs of people everywhere and how vibrant the streetscape felt. Broad street needs work - it was never even really finished if you look at the blocks from Bainbrige to Washington where stones were used along the curbs instead of granite. The islands are the most egregious though with weeds sprouting the entire length and filth builds the the ends of every section.

I will however throw out a point that I have been contemplating for about a year now - which is that the Center City District is so consumed with redoing parks, creating and marketing events and putting up banners, that they have TOTALLY taken the eye off the entire concept of their creation - to make Philadelphia a clean and presentable place to live, work and visit. I feel each year the focus moves away from cleaning the sidewalks, removing graffiti and improving lighting. When once the cleaning crews had a bit of pep in their step, that they had a job that looked as though they held pride in, now, they saunter around lethargically looking like they hate their jobs. The CSR's are usually more involved in their conversations with each other or on cell phones than actually interacting with the public - I am still shocked when, ON A WEEKLY BASIS, I can observe a CSR can just walk by an over flowing trashcan, graffiti or homeless person sleeping in a doorway or across a sidewalk and do very little.

[Gladys]

The Christmas lights they did on City Hall back in 2005 or whenever that was looked amazing.

yeah those were cool! before the lovely housing loan crap

[aro1419]

Absolutely agree with all of your comments/suggestions (I rarely ever repeat an entire Quote). It amazes me as to why someone like Lenfest would create a $40M challenge grant to build something like the "Museum of the American Revolution "
( About | The American Revolution Center ), which will benefit what .05% of Philadelphians, instead of putting that money into beutifying the city and significantly increasing its tourism appeal and $. Do we really need ANOTHER Museum???

Do we really need another museum? A city can never have too many museums. This museum will also benefit 100% of Philadelphians by increasing tourism and tax revenue for the city. Of course $40 million is a lot of money that can be used toward many other causes to help the city (including the school district), but a museum is by no means a worthless institution to donate money to.

[RainboTeabagger]

hate to say it but it's getting worse, not better, at the moment. Depressing thoughts but they are reality based.

The things that are getting worse are a result of the country getting worse. The city itself is one of the few non sun-belt cities that have grown in population and is drawing individuals world round.

Absolutely agree with all of your comments/suggestions (I rarely ever repeat an entire Quote). It amazes me as to why someone like Lenfest would create a $40M challenge grant to build something like the "Museum of the American Revolution "
( About | The American Revolution Center ), which will benefit what .05% of Philadelphians, instead of putting that money into beutifying the city and significantly increasing its tourism appeal and $. Do we really need ANOTHER Museum???

Is this a joke? Philadelphia was just voted #1 in cultural attractions in the country and this will only continue this. More museums. More tourist dollars. More money for Philadelphia.

I've often wondered why there are so many bare expanses of paved surface wherever you look here. Even the Parkway is really just a sea of asphalt; Chicago has a whole network of boulevards that have better and more extensive landscaping, and they don't even go through high-profile neighborhoods.

Chicago is a new city with far wider streets. Delaware Avenue for the stretch that goes through CC has a tree lined median, Spring Garden west of Broad, etc. I would imagine soon the median in S.Broad will have greenery but only to hear you negative nancy's say its not good enough.

It just seems like another one of those problems that would have been easier to address before the city fell in the toilet, but no one ever did.

Chicago didn't didn't exactly have those tree lined medians in the 1950's? King Richard II spent money when the Chicago was still in the toilet. They have overspent their means there hence the 11% sales tax.

[The Count]

Complete nonsense. Center City District is far from impoverished and is responsible for that area. The maintenance, overall, is not poor in Center City. The rents in that area are not low, and Walgreens is not opening just a "drug store" but a new urban concept that it has in high-rent areas of other cities as well, like Chicago and Boston's main shopping districts. Police, yes that is true. The lights, yea I guess they could be better. The orchestras finances aren't really relevant to this, but they were never really bankrupt--they have a sizable endowment and own the Academy--but declared bankruptcy to renegotiate employee benefits and rent. And they have since exited bankruptcy and are solvent.

Not "nonsense", just fact. http://www.pewtrusts.org/uploadedFil...mographics.pdf

By the most recent count Philadelphia is the 3rd most impoverished city in the country behind only Cleveland and Detroit. Philadelphia's poverty rate is at 25% and unemployment is higher than the U.S. as a whole. Just over 50% of Philadelphia residents receive some form of public assistance, (you should let that last one sink in for a minute because it explains why our politicians simply can't afford not to raise taxes every 15 seconds).

My firm is a supporting member of the CCD and if you think their efforts aren't affected by empty coffers and the indifferent "leadership" of the City as a whole then I don't think you fully understand the limits of the CCD/CPDC's abilities.

The orchestra's questionable financial health does indeed matter in this discussion as they are more or less the anchor tenant of the "Avenue of the Arts" and if they continue to struggle (along with their venue which is about to undergo it's 3rd (?) redo and it's only about 7 years old) then that's not going to help clean up the weeds growing through the sidewalk cracks on Broad.

And I don't care how "fancy" the drug store is going to be, it's still a drug store.