25-Story-Tower Proposed for 38th and Chestnut

[annie]

Here's the crime in University City District for the month of September (typically an uptick because of the new student/easy pickings arrivals):


You may want to subscribe to UCD's monthly crime report, spotcrime.com, @PPDJoeMurray on Twitter and UCNeighbors.org to get a more realistic idea of the neighborhood immediately west of campus. Yes, this being a city we have muggings and robberies - they're typically part of small sprees or patterns and thanks to detectives like Joe Murray are frequently caught and the spree ends with that. If you live at 38th and Chestnut now, which can get pretty desolate at night, I don't think you need to acquire extra street smarts.

The 42 bus runs east/west on Spruce and goes around HUP, the 21 goes west on Walnut and east on Chestnut and the 34 Baltimore Avenue trolley has stops at the Quad and 36th and Sansom (though I don't know if stairs will be a problem for you). Penn also has its own free bus east and west service and a shuttle van service both at night though they don't seem to be the transportation to use to get somewhere in a hurry. Again, I don't know about your mobility but there's a walking escort (215-898-WALK) that anyone, Penn affiliation or no, can use. Penn security takes you out to 43rd and UCD security will take you out to 50th Street and even a little past if you ask nicely.

Check out potential landlords on the Philadelphia Civil Docket to make sure they pay their bills and taxes: A web page that points a browser to a different page after 2 seconds I didn't know about it and we wound up with a landlord who had been in foreclosure proceedings before us and was in trouble again soon after we moved in. It was stressful and I'm sure friends and co-workers could have described me as being dramatic but since (key thing here: unlike an online forum) they actually knew me, I don't think they held it against me.

I didn't read most of the squabbling so I can still say good luck to you. Maybe if I had read what you had to say about my neighborhood and city of almost 10 years, I wouldn't.

[seand]

Sorry I tuned out.

How did we get from the Episcopalians trying to cash in on replacing their vickerage with a high-rise condo to "my landlord is evil, I hate West Philly, I hate the city"?
I missed that gear change entirely.

[annie]

How did we get from the Episcopalians trying to cash in on replacing their viedkerage with a high-rise condo to "my landlord is evil, I hate West Philly, I hate the city"?

One post at a time, Sean, one post at a time.

[OffenseTaken]

Actually, OffenseTaken, I did do a bunch of googling and I can't find one thing about lease buyout rules for Philadelphia. Please show me where they exist? And how did I upbraid anyone for not giving me the advice I wanted? They gave me rude replies; I simply responded in the same form. And how did I misrepresent my situation aside from not initially stating that I was a tenant? Whoooo omg so illegal. And my total ignorance of this city? LOL. I'll bet I know quite a bit more about Philadelphia than you do sweetie - I know enough to know that west of me is a total warzone. It's not okay that you call me a PITA, unprovoked - you're a ****ing drama queen, just randomly calling someone names, and stating that I'm a bad tenant when you know NOTHING about me. It's people like you that cause a lot of people to leave the city. So once again, go **** yourself.

You know what? I'm sorry for being such a jerk earlier. You sound like fun. Just simmer the **** down and everything will be OK, alright?

I'll defer to the others on the lease-buyout issue, but just keep in mind that it's as hard for a landlord to break the agreement as it is for a tenant by moving out early, if not more so. Before you even begin a Google search, ask yourself questions like: what has the diocese told you in writing so far, if anything? What does your lease say?

You'll need to find somewhere else to live, obviously. Something I've noticed about West Philly is that everyone's got a different definition of where the ghetto starts. A Penn grad student once told me with a straight face that he doesn't go west of 40th after dark because that's where Locust Walk ends. Townies usually say it's not until 52nd. The map that Annie helpfully posted shows that all these arbitrary definitions tend to be BS.

If you're intimidated about looking across the Schuylkill, it's not all extra-mega-$$$. There are even places in Rittenhouse (albeit small ones) for less than $1000. You'll be farther away from school, but you'll be closer to everything else. Don't give up on Philadelphia so soon. There's a lot out there.

[MarketStEl]

Yeah, OffenseTaken. I'm a PITA. I'm getting attacked because I have a medical condition, and because I'm stating the obvious that 6+ blocks west of where I live may as well be Beirut.

I guess it's because of statements like that last one, and what struck us as excessive fear after a single robbery.

I managed to board the Frankford El at 2d Street one Friday night with my shoulder bag, fell asleep on the train, and arrived home without it - and the laptop it contained. Now, you may have been robbed at gunpoint, in which case I feel for you, but I've been in the part of West Philly you speak of often, and while it's far from Rittenhouse Square, I've never felt anywhere near as unsafe walking around it as you appear to be, and it neither looks nor feels like a war zone. (Which is not to say crime is no problem. Penn has devoted a lot of resources to policing the neighborhoods immediately west of campus because there have been problems with crime in the area. But I also know a fair number of longtime residents of the area, and most of them like it well enough, whether they're college professors, medical professionals or the working/lower-middle-class black folks you find further west.)

IOW, some of your characterizations just don't ring true to a number of us who are also familiar with the area.

God save you if you ever acquire friends near Temple University.

[MarketStEl]

Not that it is my business, but I wonder what kind of city appeals to you? Clearly, one that is cheaper and safer with less attitude, decent public transit, and and decent colleges. The cheap/no attitude part rules out Boston, NY, DC. The cheap part rules out SF, LA, Seattle, Chicago. The safe/no attitude part rules out Baltimore or NO. The safe part rules out most other decent-sized cities. The bottom line is Philly is the cheapest big city in America (and I mean city, not sunbelt sprawl agglomeration).

Sure about Chicago there? I can't say for sure, but most Midwestern cities have cheaper housing than any city on the coasts.

And depending on your definition of "big," my own hometown is extremely affordable - housing's way cheaper there. Of course, you have to drive everywhere unless you live in one of a handful of neighborhoods located mostly between downtown and the Country Club Plaza, and that's a demerit. But it has a very high quality of life and most of the urban amenities one would expect - not to mention an in-town shopping district that would satisfy our Center City Nordstrom fetishists quite nicely.

[boognish]

Yeah, boognish, I live here. So what?

Sew buttons.

Why didn't you just ask your questions in your initial post instead of being vague? I had no idea what your angle was and would have been able to actually help you instead of attempting to suss out your motivations.

As for "A few blocks farther west = super super BAD neighborhood", I understand. Distrito & the Ronald McDonald House really bring in the bad elements.

[annie]

As for "A few blocks farther west = super super BAD neighborhood", I understand. Distrito & the Ronald McDonald House really bring in the bad elements.

Don't forget the Mormons too.

[Naveen]

Sure about Chicago there? I can't say for sure, but most Midwestern cities have cheaper housing than any city on the coasts.

According to numbeo rents are a bit higher in Chicago than here.

[thoth]

For the record, 44th and Chestnut:

44th and Chestnut phila - Google Maps

The horror!

[walnuthill]

For the record, 44th and Chestnut:

44th and Chestnut phila - Google Maps

The horror!

46th and Osage--a full two blocks further west. God help us all!

46th and Osage (aka Beirut)

(This is actually one of my favorite blocks in the whole neighborhood, or city for that matter.)

[annie]

For the record, 44th and Chestnut:

44th and Chestnut phila - Google Maps

The horror!

Especially when the porn shop finally gets replaced by that "premium collection" liquor store (fine wines, not Thunderbird and Red Irish Rose). I miss Marrakesh Express - the food truck's not the same.

[boognish]

Any update on that? Are those folks still trying to hold development hostage through litigation?

[annie]

Any update on that? Are those folks still trying to hold development hostage through litigation?

Many folks have been asking about thee status of the proposed wine and spirits shop for 43rd and Chestnut given the notice that an appeal to the ZBA’s positive ruling had been submitted. The lawyer for the applicant has indicated that what we can say is the following: that the applicant has been issued a Zoning Permit under the new Zoning Code. Also, the city has posted the property for notice that retail sales of liquor will be coming to that site. I am not prepared to comment on any of the legal complexities that might be involved here. Suffice to say, the sign on the property is very clear. I made sure of that before sending out this notice. We will keep everyone posted to any further developments and expected time frames as this project moves forward.

Trying but it sounds like the development can proceed while the appeal is in process.

[boognish]

Thanks!

[Cro Burnham]

Sure about Chicago there? I can't say for sure, but most Midwestern cities have cheaper housing than any city on the coasts.

And depending on your definition of "big," my own hometown is extremely affordable - housing's way cheaper there. Of course, you have to drive everywhere unless you live in one of a handful of neighborhoods located mostly between downtown and the Country Club Plaza, and that's a demerit. But it has a very high quality of life and most of the urban amenities one would expect - not to mention an in-town shopping district that would satisfy our Center City Nordstrom fetishists quite nicely.

I imagine - but I don't know - that, per square foot, in Chicago and Philadelphia neighborhoods where all else "is equal" in terms of amenities and centrality, rents in Chicago are a little higher. But maybe that's not true. In any event Chicago is a bargain compared to DC, Boston, NYC, SF, LA.

Maybe Pittsburgh, Portland, KC, Minneapolis, Denver, Charleston (possibly - never been there though), or decent Canadian cities, would suit Notokaywiththis: urban enough, cheaper than Philly, safe (at least in wide swaths), some colleges, maybe a few buses running now and again to key places. But these cities are not "big" in the way that Philadelphia is big, right? I know we have a kind of contrapolitan disgruntled peasant attitude that belies the size of the city in which we live, but Philly is big. At least give us that. Big and full of Rocky wannabes, just without Rocky's good qualities. Central Philadelphia is cheaper than the cores of every non-sprawly region bigger than this region as well as the cores of several regions (eg, Boston, Seattle, DC) smaller than it. Of course I am not counting cheap-butt Dallas/Houston/Atlanta suburban mega sprawl - in my mind these are not really cities but city-like prairie-swallowing amoebae.

[annie]

Domino’s Pizza opening at 45th and Chestnut | West Philly Local

And a eat-in Domino's though the color scheme leaves something to be desired. My husband was wondering why they put blue sombreros around roof if it's going to be a pizza place. Those are actually cornices that have always been there...why they were painted blue I don't know.

[MNG1324]

Damn that building needs to be toned and torn down.(i'm talklng about the Domino's not the 25 story building)

[boognish]

Demolition can begin.

Deal ends fight to keep 2 W. Phila. buildings, funds cathedral

University City is going to have a LOT of new residential space in a few years.

[kidphilly]

New render for this tower

Radnor Property Group can proceed with developing a 25-story apartment tower at 38th and Chestnut streets in Philadelphia - Philadelphia Business Journal