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Tag: Blocks We Love

Blocks We Love: 2500 South Garnet Street

Posted on by Solo Team

Off-street parking, 50-foot trees, large houses—this block has it all! Due north of Oregon Ave. and south of Passyunk, it will make you wonder if you’re still in Philadelphia.

Find out how this “pocket of suburbia in the middle of a city” came to be.

No rowhomes here! The 2500 block of South Garnet Street is comprised of large twin houses, each pair equally immaculate in upkeep, hugging each other like proud siblings. These spacious homes sport a unique mix of Italianate, Bungalow, Prairie, and Jacobean Revival Architecture.

Their pristine appearance comes with the territory: they are situated in the Girard Estate historic district, the only such district in South Philadelphia. Homeowners must follow Philadelphia Historical Commission guidelines to preserve the aesthetics of the properties.

Two of the well-kept twin houses of 2500 South Garnet Street

The tall trees, small yards, ample parking, and lower density are no accident either; when the homes were built between 1907 and 1916 they were planned loosely around Ebenezer Howard’s “Garden City” concept.

Howard envisioned an urban-rural hybrid in which the logical layout of the city was combined with the open space of the countryside, in what would now register as a semi-suburban land use.

The entire Girard Estate neighborhood inhabits the former property of Stephen Girard (hence the name), who donated the majority of his $6-million estate to the City with the caveat that a boarding school for orphaned white boys must be established (Girard College) and that none of the property could be sold.

The City built 481 rental homes on the property, which they received permission to sell in 1950.

The Garden City-inspired streetscape (left) and Thomas F. Donatucci Library (right) that sits at the south end of the block

One of the major landmarks in this neighborhood sits at the end of the 2500 Block of South Garnet: the neo-classical Thomas F. Donatucci Library, which was constructed at the same time as the Girard Estate properties.

To take the Preservation Alliance’s self-guided walking tour of Girard Estates, click here. For more about Girard Estate event, visit the Girard Estate Neighbors Association site here.

Blocks We Love: 1400 Block of East Montgomery Avenue

Posted on by Solo Team

Living across a historic cemetery can be an asset year-round, not just around Halloween! Though the 1400 Block of East Montgomery Avenue is nestled in the heart of Fishtown, it is not your quintessential Fishtown block.

 

Typically, a Fishtown block consists of neatly packed two-story brick townhomes, a decent showing of small trees and (hopefully) a parking spot or two amidst the car-lined street.

 

Instead, on the 1400 Block of East Montgomery Avenue, stately three-story brick-and-brownstone townhomes comprise one side of the street, opposite the lush and deeply historic Palmer Cemetery, which supplies some extra parking to boot.

 

Studded with brownstone lintels and a colorful array of cornices, the classically detailed townhomes are highlighted by the abundant natural light that facing the cemetery affords.

 

The colorful cornices (left) of 1400 East Montgomery Avenue, and its shaded yet sunny stoops (right)

 

To state that Palmer Cemetery is a piece of living history is not an oxymoron, but an understatement. The cemetery is as old as Fishtown itself, and much older than the Fishtown neighborhood name.

 

Anthony Palmer founded the neighborhood in 1729 when he purchased 191.5 acres to create the town of Kensington. Within Kensington, Palmer envisioned a burial ground with free plots for all its residents, a vision that was carried out by his daughter in 1749.

 

Several centuries later, Fishtown residents can still be buried there upon meeting the same condition that Palmer prescribed: residing or owning property in the neighborhood.

 

Palmer Cemetery provides much more than a place for eternal Fishtown residency; it is a beloved destination for a weekend stroll or for shade provided by the biggest trees you’ll find in Fishtown.

 

Cared for by a dedicated group of volunteers, the well-tended cemetery is surely appreciated by the residents of 1400 Block of East Montgomery Street, who can soak up its greenery and history from their front steps.

 

For more information about Palmer Cemetery, including information on volunteering, click here.

Blocks We Love: 700 Block of Corinthian Avenue

Posted on by Solo Team

Who thinks living across from a prison is an asset? We do, when that prison is historic Eastern State Penitentiary! Now a historic landmark, museum, and gothic revival wonder, Eastern State makes for a mighty fine neighbor for the 700 block of Corinthian Avenue.

 

Nestled in the heart of the charming Fairmount neighborhood, Corinthian Avenue is one of four streets that ring the Penitentiary. What sets this street apart from the others on the historic prison’s periphery is the lush Corinthian Gardens that serves as a buffer between the soaring stone wall of Eastern State and the street below.

 

Corinthian Gardens was established about a year ago through the work of volunteers and funds from the City, Friends of Eastern State, and additional donors. The green space consists of individual community garden plots, grassy swaths of land and picnic benches.

 

On the eastern side of the 700 block of Corinthian Avenue, mature street trees mirror the billowing greenery of the Gardens. The attractive and sizable three-story townhomes bear a colorful assortment of cornices that playfully contrast with the gray stone wall of the prison.

 

The colorful cornices of Corinthian Avenue (left), Eastern State Penitentiary wall and Corinthian Gardens (right)

 

That wall and the prison within predate the residential neighborhood that encircles them. The construction of Eastern State Penitentiary began in 1822 in what was then a suburb of Philadelphia. In the decades that followed the formerly isolated prison became surrounded by a vibrant neighborhood of factories and factory-worker housing.

 

While the prison closed in 1971 and the factories are long gone, the vibrancy of the neighborhood remains. Eastern State’s expanded museum programming keeps the site contemporary, and includes the recently launched exhibit The Big Graph as well as a tour of the kitchen wing, featuring an old prison menu that is sure to delight foodies and history buffs alike.

 

The 700 block of Corinthian Avenue appears to have it all: beauty and greenery from Corinthian Gardens, immediate proximity to the shops and restaurants of Fairmount Avenue, the history and splendor of Eastern State, and extra parking too!

 

For more information about Corinthian Gardens and its volunteer opportunities, click here.

Blocks We Love: 4000-4037 Pine Street

Posted on by Solo Team

Just south of UPenn’s grungy frat houses sits a pleasant surprise: some of Philadelphia’s most over-the-top Victorian architecture. Indeed despite its rowdy neighbors, history and beauty are all over Spruce Hill.

 

The 4000 block of Pine Street in Spruce Hill is one of these true West Philadelphia gems. This particular block has been called “one of the handsomest and best preserved mid-19th century suburban streetscapes of Philadelphia”, earning the block a place on the National Historic Registry.

 

The fact that the block merits historic preservation is immediately obvious even to casual visitors. Compared to Center City’s flat, tightly-packed streetscape, the 4000 block of Pine has over a dozen grand Victorian homes, most sitting on green slopes above the street. The effect is both beautiful and distinctly different from most areas just across the Schuylkill.

 

The houses themselves are stand-outs too. From ornately carved wooden front porches to cupolas to even spooky-looking towers with mansard roofs, few blocks in Philadelphia have so much 19th century character. While a some homes could use a little TLC, most are in solid shape.

 

Two unusual yet beautiful Victorian front porches on the 4000 block of Pine Street.

 

In addition, these houses give a taste of Philadelphia’s fascinating 19th century history. As the city’s industrial wealth grew, the newly rich left the crowded, polluted spaces of Victorian-era Center City for homes like these, founding some of the nation’s first suburbs.

 

Comparing 19th century drawings of the 4000 block of Pine (left) to photos from today (right) shows the block’s remarkable preservation.

 

The preservation of the 4000 block’s historic legacy has recently become an issue however. Located on the southwest corner of 40th and Pine, the Levy-Leas House remains Spruce Hill’s earliest and largest Italianate mansions. In the 1970s though the home was badly renovated; it served as a nursing home for decades and now sits unused. In recent years multiple plans from both private developers and UPenn have called for tearing down the home and redeveloping the site itself.

 

While the house’s fate remains uncertain one thing is for sure: destroying the home would further alter the block historic character, and not necessarily for the better.

 

People ought to come and experience this amazing slice of Spruce Hill then while they still can.

 

Drawings courtesy of Hidden City.

Blocks We Love: 400-500 Locust Street

Posted on by Solo Team

t’s a safe bet that most Philadelphians are ready for spring after this historic winter. And as we rediscover the outdoors, one block tucked away in Society Hill will offer one of the most impressive floral displays in the city.

 

While the tourists may flock to Society Hill for its history and architecture, locals love this area for another less well-known reason: the neighborhood’s collection of pocket parks. In spring, these small green spaces help bring many of the neighborhood’s blocks back to life.

 

The Magnolia Garden, located on the 400 block of Locust Street, may be the best example of this small transformative space. The Garden, owned and managed by the National Park Service, was created in 1959 in honor of President Washington, who was known for his fondness for this flowering tree.

 

The space’s thirteen magnolias represent the thirteen original colonies of the United States. Each spring this bakers’ dozen of mature trees flower at once, spilling their pink and white petals out onto the street. The effect is nothing short of magical.

 

The 400 block of Locust Street's quaint colonial homes (right) and blossoming trees are surprisingly tucked beneath the high-rise offices (left) of Independence Mall.
The 400 block of Locust Street’s quaint colonial homes (right) and blossoming trees are surprisingly tucked beneath the high-rise offices (left) of Independence Mall.

 

And yet while few displays exist like this in Philadelphia’s urban core, this parklet is a bit of a secret. Locust Street essentially falls off the grid east of Washington Square, with just this section between 4th and 5th tucked between apartment complexes and high-rise office towers. Road and foot traffic here then are minimal, making the 400 block a surprisingly serene and uncrowded place to experience the bright colors of spring.

 

Although the street has just a few homes, the 400 block of Locust Street’s extravagant display is certainly one of the many great perks that life in Society Hill offers all year round.

Blocks We Love: 1600 South Broad Street

Posted on by Solo Team

Ornate yet functional, busy yet often-overlooked, Broad Street is an avenue like no other in our city. One block in South Philadelphia, on the cusp of redevelopment, is a particularly fine example of how the street’s complex past is key to its promising future.

 

To be sure, the 1600 Block of South Broad Street is neither green nor genteel. Located between Morris and Tasker streets, the rumbling of the Broad Street Line during the day and the throbbing bass of the Dolphin Tavern at night give this street a distinctly urban feel.

 

But that energy is its strength too – bustling street traffic, easy subway access and the bright daylight that Broad Street’s width offers are notable distinctions in a tightly-packed city with uneven public transit access like ours.

 

The 1600 block’s best asset though is the street’s beautiful and diverse architecture. Handsome 19th century metal-covered turrets and art deco signage cap a block of chocolate brown townhome, many with intricate leaded windows and other original details. This eclectic mix reflects not only Broad Street’s century-long role as a major commercial corridor (and former well-to-do residential area), but also the incredible designs just waiting to be discovered in this rapidly developing part of South Philadelphia.

 

Pink homes and retro fonts are some of the little gems of the busy-if-unpolished 1600 block of South Broad.

 

Does that make the 1600 Block of South Broad a diamond in the rough? Well at just steps away from the thriving eating and shopping scene of Passyunk Avenue, with bigger homes/apartments and lower prices to boot, its no wonder that this stretch of Broad is being reclaimed as a vibrant urban community. In fact, the block evenly straddles the 19145 and 19148 zip codes, two of the hottest in Philadelphia real estate.

 

As Philadelphians, we’re trained to recognize that a space’s current state may not reflect its historic strength or successful future. The 1600 block then is not only a uniquely handsome part of South Philadelphia’s section of Broad Street, but brims with potential too.

Blocks We Love: 1600 South 4th Street

Posted on by Solo Team

Unplowed streets and icy sidewalks are hallmarks of a South Philadelphia winter. But in some special places, so too are snowy vistas, children’s laughter and all the other perks of park side life.

 

This special place is the 1600 Block of South 4th Street. Located between Tasker and Morris Streets directly across from Dickinson Square, the block enjoys wonderful light and open views that are atypical in its charming but densely-packed Pennsport neighborhood.

 

Looking at the tranquility of Dickinson Square Park from the handsome townhomes of the 1600 Block of South 4th Street, you’d be hard pressed to imagine the history of the space, where a massive industrial stockyard once stood. Eventually that lot was transformed into a space for public recreation: when it opened in 1900, people marveled at the new park’s forward-thinking design, which included one of the nation’s first dedicated playgrounds.

 

Dickinson Square Park continues to play a major role in the life of South Philadelphia thanks in part to its size, a rarity in the area. While locals flock to this large green space throughout the year, no other season is quite so magical here as winter: even a dusting brings out the crowds.

 

1600S4Collage_Final_0
Richly detailed townhomes (left) look out on wintery walks and snowball fights in Dickinson Square Park.

 

From activities like building snowmen to winter solstice celebrations, and visitors ranging from young professionals walking dogs to longterm residents to recent immigrants and their children, winter shows us the best of Dickinson Square’s charm, beauty and diversity. That’s especially true for residents of the 1600 Block of South 4th Street, who get front row access to this energy and scenery.

 

Bright and airy, exciting and historic, the 1600 Block of South 4th Street is a place we’d love to spend the winter in South Philadelphia.

 

For more information about Dickinson Square Park and its year-round event calendar, click here.

Blocks We Love: 900-931 Clinton Street

Posted on by Solo Team

There’s a classic trade-off facing every city dweller: people love the energy of downtown life, but with that vibrancy comes noise, crowds and dirt. However, tucked away in Washington Square West there’s a block that achieves a remarkable balance between beauty, serenity and a busy central location.

 

The little urban oasis referred to above to is the 900-931 block of Clinton Street. Located between Spruce and Pine and Ninth and Tenth streets, this block’s collection of mostly federal style townhomes makes up one half of the nationally-registered Clinton Street Historic District. With quiet sidewalks shaded by mature trees and meticulously-preserved architecture, it’s hard not to get lost in the peaceful splendor of the 900-931 block of Clinton Street.

 

The block’s historical and architectural legacy keeps this community particularly tranquil. Its brick townhouses were constructed mostly between 1835 and 1850, when Philadelphia’s early industrial economy boomed and the rich built homes in the newly affluent areas west of Seventh Street. The original builders also kept the block wider than most side streets, giving residents room to breathe and reducing noise and traffic.

 

Indeed, a visit to the 900-931 block can feel like a step back into a different era. Several of the street’s homes sport early American flags, and still more feature the navy, maroon and dark green shutters typical of Philadelphia’s federal architecture. In addition, the eastern end of the block sports a fine view of Pennsylvania Hospital (pictured above) whose brick front, marble columns and green and white cupola speaks to our city’s long relationship with medicine, as important today as it was when this block was first built.

 

Beautiful period details (left) compliment the well-preserved 19th century townhomes and picture-perfect apartments that line the 900-931 block of Clinton Street (right).

 

Perhaps what’s most amazing about this little community though isn’t just its well-preserved architecture (we’ve got plenty of that in this city), but also the street’s peace and quiet amidst all the energy of Center City. Located just steps from the boutiques of Antiques Row, the bars and restaurants of Washington Square West and Jefferson University’s bustling hospital complex, you might expect the 900-931 block to be a busy, concrete side street – but you’d be wrong. Often, all you can hear is the rustling of the elm trees.

 

And while not as pin-drop quiet as a suburban cul-de-sac, the sense of tranquility in this little urban community may surprise even the staunchest skeptic. And that little secret, along with the block’s beauty and history, is something we’re happy to share with the world.

Blocks We Love: 800-916 South 47th Street

Posted on by Solo Team

There’s no confusing West Philadelphia with any other part of our city’s urban core. And with brightly painted homes, leafy streets and a dizzying diversity of residents, few neighborhoods are as colorful – literally and figuratively – as this fascinating community.

 

While West Philadelphia has many different neighborhoods, few are as heterogenous or as popular as Cedar Park, the area directly southwest of booming University City. Baltimore Avenue, Cedar Park’s main corridor, drives this development, as its mix of shops, cafés and services attracts a unique group of funky young professionals, African Americans and immigrant communities. Just off this strip you’ll find the wonderful 800-916 block of South 47th Street, whose collection of mixed-use buildings typifies the diversity, and eye-catching aesthetics, of this popular West Philadelphia neighborhood.

 

Since the 1850s, the growth and success of Cedar Park, and indeed much of West Philadelphia, has depended on the area’s trolley network. About a century ago wealthy Philadelphians began using these trolleys to create the nation’s first suburbs, building large Victorian and Queen Anne style homes in the greenery and space outside Center City. Although the neighborhood suffered a serious economic and social decline for much of the latter half of the 20th century, this grand architecture and extensive public transportation network has laid the foundation for the area’s contemporary redevelopment.

 

Residents using Cedar Park’s trolley lines (left). The nearby yellow domed St. Francis de Sales Church (left) is an important, and striking, local institution as well.

 

Indeed, up and down the 800-916 block of South 47th Street, one can see how this physical heritage shapes the area’s modern fortunes. Fresh coats of blue, pink and green paint bring out the fine detailing on the block’s Victorian homes, while commercial spaces near the trolley now host popular restaurants. And although this part of South 47th Street does have a few decidedly downscale shops, closer examination shows that the block’s bodega has adapted to the neighborhood’s influx of crunchy young people, selling organic Castile soaps along side the Doritos. This quirky mix buzzes below the brightly painted dome of the Saint Francis De Sales Catholic Church, whose hall often plays host to community events and gatherings.

 

The 800-916 block of South 47th Street really shows the best of Cedar Park, and serves a strong example for how a neighborhood’s historic infrastructure can meet the demands of a modern community. It’s enough to make other Philadelphians wish they could have a bright blue home here, too.