Welcome back Cafe L’Aube! (coming to 20/21 & Washington)

**Lolly** · 10-19-2012, 04:23 PM

Cafe L’Aube Comes to Washington Avenue | Foobooz Philadelphia

**JakeL** · 10-19-2012, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Lolly

Cafe L’Aube Comes to Washington Avenue | Foobooz Philadelphia

For real? That's a big warehouse located next to other big warehouses. This would be a first for a warehouse space along this strip, AFAIK.

**andrewd** · 10-19-2012, 07:27 PM

I will support anyone who makes Washington better. Looking forward to it - I love crepes.

**JakeL** · 10-19-2012, 07:38 PM

Just looked up the permit (City of Philadelphia: Home) for the site and now it's all making sense. This was highlighted in a NakedPhilly post back in January: NextFab Studio is Coming to Washington Ave. | NakedPhilly

Looks like the space will be shared with NextFab. Cool!

**Lolly** · 10-19-2012, 09:00 PM

Originally Posted by JakeL

Just looked up the permit (City of Philadelphia: Home) for the site and now it's all making sense. This was highlighted in a NakedPhilly post back in January: NextFab Studio is Coming to Washington Ave. | NakedPhilly

Looks like the space will be shared with NextFab. Cool!

Correcto-mundo!

VERY cool.

**Gladys** · 10-19-2012, 10:59 PM

Now we need to get someone to build Lolly's parking garage!

**ofeibush** · 10-20-2012, 12:24 AM

Yum!

I drove to 17th and Wallace yesterday to eat one......can't wait for this to open!

**OffenseTaken** · 10-20-2012, 02:11 AM

...

**Lolly** · 10-20-2012, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by Gladys

Now we need to get someone to build Lolly's parking garage!

I know, right? I keep thinking the same. And I never get tired of gazing at images of this thing... Google Images

Never mind just how cool it just is... The following quotas are from THIS article:

"The structure offers a visually memorable arrival point and gateway..."

"The varied amenities incorporated into the parking structure allow the designed mass to function beyond its service capacity. The four sides of the building acknowledge the individual urban contexts, thus serving as a fully designed urban presence. Small retail spaces at the pedestrian level expand the building's civic edge, creating a destination as well as a gateway. A lively cafe on the main plaza terrace will animate the pedestrian flow into and out of the heart of the Civic Center. The Zen garden, a commissioned artwork by Mark Lere, highlights both the inside and the outside of the building, making it more hospitable to the community than an ordinary public garage."

ETA: Come on Ori, what do you think? 2401 Washington Avenue?

**Spicoli** · 10-20-2012, 01:16 PM

What exactly is there at 24th and Washington that would attract enough people to demand a multi-million dollar parking garage? The hotdog place at Washington and Greys Ferry?

I must be missing some inside joke....though it would completely fit in with this neighborhood with no plan.

**Gladys** · 10-20-2012, 01:56 PM

um.... parking's an issue, we need a garage, the space is there, it's not far from where most live, washington is being developed - voila.

**Spicoli** · 10-20-2012, 02:31 PM

....so you want to build a $30million state of the art garage. Who is going to pay the minimum $350/mo. to park there? Probably the same people who will buy one of the many new houses being built...that come with a garage of their own. They won't need parking. So outside of that, you need daily parkers that will pay about $20/ day. They'll need to put weed in those crepes to attract enough people support a garage like that.

Washington is not being developed. A studio I never heard of before...and will likely never visit...and a crepiere is just more spot zoning and hoping. Nothing flows together.

**Gladys** · 10-20-2012, 02:39 PM

so, why not join a committee over at sosna and make a plan if that's what you think is missing? Or are you already involved. I am usually engaged when the meetings are held so i don't know. I think i've been to two that coincided with my schedule.

**OffenseTaken** · 10-20-2012, 03:07 PM

...

**Spicoli** · 10-20-2012, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Gladys

so, why not join a committee over at sosna and make a plan if that's what you think is missing? Or are you already involved. I am usually engaged when the meetings are held so i don't know. I think i've been to two that coincided with my schedule.

I answered this somewhere else, but can't recall where. I've attended many of the general meetings, some PSA meetings and zoning meetings if something on the agenda makes it worth it. I got very active in trying to help Bedford get through. I approached the head of the Economic Development Committee at one the General Meetings expressing a strong interest in joining the committee. She wasn't too receptive....more interested in talking with a NIMBY. I left her with my business card and her promise to contact me....which never came.

I also now travel a good bit for work. I've been in the Middle East for the past month and will probably be here at least another month. When I return, I may join another committee that's headed by someone I know, and who I know is very active and does a good job.

Not sure though....I'm pretty frustrated. Depending on what happens with my property taxes, I may leave.

**Gladys** · 10-20-2012, 03:22 PM

I wouldn't go by a chat at the end of a busy meeting. A call to Andrew would point you in the right direction. They sure could use you!

**Lolly** · 10-20-2012, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Gladys

I wouldn't go by a chat at the end of a busy meeting. A call to Andrew would point you in the right direction. They sure could use you!

Better still, check the SOSNA Events Calendar, find something that interests you to which you think you can make a productive contribution, that meets at a regular time that works for you, and show up to the meetings. You will be welcomed with open arms.

ETA: Learn more about each SOSNA initiative here: http://southofsouth.org/initiatives.

**Spicoli** · 10-21-2012, 01:13 AM

Originally Posted by Lolly

Better still, check the SOSNA Events Calendar, find something that interests you to which you think you can make a productive contribution, that meets at a regular time that works for you, and show up to the meetings. You will be welcomed with open arms.

ETA: Learn more about each SOSNA initiative here: Initiatives | SOSNA | South of South Neighborhood Association.

Those links would be more useful if they were updated, especially the "Economic Development" tab. Here are the recent projects for the Economic Development group per the website as of now:

Projects

"Business Development. Recently we hosted a focus group of real estate agents, developers, lenders, businesses, and local organizations, and we conducted an online survey of residents. Using this information we are preparing a marketing plan to attract new businesses.
Grays Ferry Triangles
Southbridge"

At the very least, have someone go in and delete Southbridge. That project was killed about 6 years ago. I also attended a meeting about the Grays Ferry Triangles almost two years. It was well attended....and there has been zero follow-up.

As for the "marketing plan" in the first project listed. Has that been done? As none of the documents linked on the site are less than 2-3 years old.

The schedule for November has not been posted. Seeing that I'm currently 9 time zones away, the schedule for October is not much use right now.

**MarketStEl** · 10-21-2012, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by Spicoli

....so you want to build a $30million state of the art garage. Who is going to pay the minimum $350/mo. to park there? Probably the same people who will buy one of the many new houses being built...that come with a garage of their own. They won't need parking. So outside of that, you need daily parkers that will pay about $20/ day. They'll need to put weed in those crepes to attract enough people support a garage like that.

Washington is not being developed. A studio I never heard of before...and will likely never visit...and a crepiere is just more spot zoning and hoping. Nothing flows together.

1. The new zoning code slashes the parking requirements for multi-unit developments, and there is no longer a parking requirement for one-off infill projects AFAIK as a result of the rewritten zoning for the most common residential classifications. IMO too many Grad Hospital/SWCC residents think that this is merely a very dense suburb when it comes to parking as it is, but this would be a better solution for storing cars in the neighborhood than a garage in every house.

2. Probably not spot zoning, if Washington Avenue is zoned as I think it is. The street's commercial already. Both a craft workshop and a cafe should be allowed uses as by right.

Originally Posted by Gladys

so, why not join a committee over at sosna and make a plan if that's what you think is missing? Or are you already involved. I am usually engaged when the meetings are held so i don't know. I think i've been to two that coincided with my schedule.

Greg Meckstroth usually makes SOSNA Zoning Committee meetings, but I was at the last one to report on the 1600 South Street project. Were you there?

**ahbinpa** · 10-21-2012, 10:51 AM

Just a quick note on your point 2... Washington Ave is mostly zoned industrial, though that may change with remapping. NextFab did require several variances and the cafe (without a specific tenant) was included as part of their application.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk