Rue 52 or Yupsters take 52nd Street

[thoth]

So, it's finally happening. Self described "loft apartments" and a "espresso bar + creperie ("Rue 52") are coming to 52nd Street around the corner from Malcolm X Park, 501 S 52nd, I believe. Talked to the owner, looks like work is proceeding quickly. Seemed like a nice enough guy.

Will this cause a Blackwell mindexplosion and mass eviction of all elderly and poor residents of the surrounding area? Only time will tell.

[annie]

a "espresso bar + creperie ("Rue 52") are coming to 52nd Street

Though not lofts, I was always amused that the apartments above The Weave Bar were marketed as "flats."

[seand]

Strictly speaking I thought a flat was an apartment laid out like a shotgun shack i.e. rooms all coming off one side of a hallway occupying the entire floor of a small apartment building. But people call their rentals all kind of silly names.

[the_wza]

Strictly speaking I thought a flat was an apartment laid out like a shotgun shack i.e. rooms all coming off one side of a hallway occupying the entire floor of a small apartment building. But people call their rentals all kind of silly names.

I've similarly heard flats referred to as any style/layout where there is one unit per floor. I've also heard what you referred to as a shotgun shack as a railroad style apartment.

Either way, crepes sound delicious.

[OffenseTaken]

Strictly speaking I thought a flat was an apartment laid out like a shotgun shack i.e. rooms all coming off one side of a hallway occupying the entire floor of a small apartment building. But people call their rentals all kind of silly names.

It sounds like you're thinking of a railroad flat, specifically.

A friend of mine in Scotland once mentioned that, while "flat" is still the generic term there (as it is across the British Isles), upscale units in converted industrial spaces in Glasgow are often marketed as "apartments."

[scottsb]

A friend of mine in Scotland once mentioned that, while "flat" is still the generic term there (as it is across the British Isles), upscale units in converted industrial spaces in Glasgow are often marketed as "apartments."

So we call our regular rentals apartments and our posh ones flats, while the Brits call their regulars flats and their posh ones apartments? That's irony. I'm just waiting for lofted flat apartments.

[Cro Burnham]

does anyone seriously believe 52nd st is going to be gentrified anytime within the next 25 years?

i just don't see it happening.

[boognish]

I don't believe in "gentrification" per se (I think it's an idiotic and loaded term), but without question the area will become more and more desirable to younger, more affluent folks. It already is.

Hell, multiple members of this forum live west of 50th St., which would have been unthinkable 15 years ago.

[MariusPontmercy]

52nd Street is still largely intact though. It's certainly going to improve, and probably more quickly than you'd think, because it won't have to be entirely rebuilt like some other corridors in the city.

[seand]

I have quite a few friends west of 52nd. My childcare is west of 52nd. I considered moving just west of 52nd a few years back. Apple Lofts will hopefully translate into more dollars being available to be spent on 52nd.

[thoth]

If you are on any part of 52nd south of chestnut and north of Baltimore, and you turn to the east, you will see a block with active or recent rehabs, most of which have low to no vacancy. It's not Point Breeze level development, but there was also less of a mass exodus from around 52nd so it's also not clawing it's way back from the bottom. West of 52nd doesn't immediately become a toilet either, like other commercial strips that functioned more as walls between different demographics, i.e. Girard, Front St, etc.

52nd's decrepitness is most striking because it was such a major commercial strip in the past. I look it at it as having "excess capacity" for a level of urban commerce that will likely never reemerge out here. However, it has fairly low commercial vacancy and will probably sustain that while adding some slightly upscale stuff to accomodate certain increasing population and income.

[Molly Pepper]

does anyone seriously believe 52nd st is going to be gentrified anytime within the next 25 years?

i just don't see it happening.

it was 1996 when I was sitting with a friend on his porch (4800 block of baltimore) when he told me what he liked about west philly was it was "gentrification proof". I disagreed, with an ivy league university 10 blocks away, amazing housing stock etc. it was only a matter of time. He saw the abandoned commercial buildings that filled baltimore ave at the time and the full-on open air drug market at 49th and baltimore and thought I was crazy. guess who now admits they were wrong? (answer, not me). In 25 years 52nd street will look different, the residential market has already changed and the commercial will follow, i bet ya.

[seand]

If you look at your choice of crime/homicide map for west of 52nd, say Walnut to Christian, the stats are objectively not that bad compared to many West/SW neighborhoods. Its relatively quite stable. They get worse as you closer to Baltimore/SW Philly west of 52nd and just north of Market west of 52nd.

http://spotcrime.com/pa/philadelphia
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/sp...136746563.html

[Naveen]

does anyone seriously believe 52nd st is going to be gentrified anytime within the next 25 years?

i just don't see it happening.

I certainly do. 25 years? No, less.

[GroJLart]

So, it's finally happening. Self described "loft apartments" and a "espresso bar + creperie ("Rue 52") are coming to 52nd Street around the corner from Malcolm X Park, 501 S 52nd, I believe. Talked to the owner, looks like work is proceeding quickly. Seemed like a nice enough guy.

Will this cause a Blackwell mindexplosion and mass eviction of all elderly and poor residents of the surrounding area? Only time will tell.

Good luck to 'em... this last monday there was a 100+ person brawl in that very location. Started out with a couple of high school girls fighting and scores of others just jumped in because they saw a fight. It didn't make the news.

[cygnus2112]

I don't think 52nd street is ready for that kind of stuff.

[OffenseTaken]

I don't think 52nd street is ready for that kind of stuff.

For a 100+ person brawl? You're not being clear.

[daveydoo]

does anyone seriously believe 52nd st is going to be gentrified anytime within the next 25 years?

i just don't see it happening.

I wouldn't be surprised if it hits 60th St. by then.

[cygnus2112]

For places like that creperie. It can get rather rough around there at times like that brawl helps explain.

[jazzsinger59]

Yes it is going to happen the El was the start.Just like Harlem 125 street.And the people in the hood know about it and talk about it often.It is sad I grew up on 52nd street.
http://youtu.be/Nc2Uv0wEUWs
http://youtu.be/r2ECcFN8uqg