Pew Charities
- Next City wonders “what happens to a community when its greatest public asset” (the neighborhood public school building) “transforms overnight into one of its worst physical liabilities?” It’s a pervasive urban dilemma across America actually, yet Philadelphia is nonetheless noteworthy for its total of 40 shuttered buildings from 2005 to the end of this school year. Still, a Pew study released in February offers some tips (obvious though they seem): sell the properties quickly, preferably with a hired broker who will provide detailed information to any perspective buyers.
- At a capital-budget presentation at SEPTA’s Center City headquarters yesterday, the transit agency decried this year’s paltry offerings from Harrisburg: a mere $308 million; that’s a 25% decrease since 2010. “The shortage of money ‘will severely hamper SEPTA’s ability to bring our system to a state of good repair’ and will leave many projects unfunded for the foreseeable future,” said SEPTA’s director of capital budgets, Catherine Popp-McDonough.
- NewsWorks previews this Saturday’s street fair, the culmination to this year’s Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), which will see the Avenue of the Arts closed to traffic and open to an expected 200,000 visitors who will explore this year’s theme of time travel. “There’s going to be a lot of ways to interact physically with the space,” said festival director Jay Wahl. “You get to sit in the grass, you get to ride a Ferris wheel, you get to swoosh through the air on a boat.”
- Interior renovations have begun within the Sedgley Apartments, an imposing example of Romanesque Revival architecture at 45th & Pine, says Naked Philly.
About the author
Stephen Currall recently received his BA in history from Arcadia University. Before beginning doctoral studies, he is pursuing his interest in local history, specifically just how Philadelphians engage their vibrant past. Besides skimming through 18th century letters, Steve is also interested in music and travel.
Leave a Reply
Recent Posts
Ghosts Of The Abandoned Arch Street Subway Line
Harry K. takes us into the abandoned subway tunnels below Arch Street with the history behind Philly's unfinished plans for a grand underground transit system > more
Unlisted Philadelphia: Tourison Building
Ben Leech spotlights unique and significant buildings not listed on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places with his architectural illustration series, Unlisted Philadelphia. In this installment, an Art Deco delight fills the heart of Mount Airy > more
Old Iron Works In Logan Square To Face The Wrecking Ball
When the housing bubble burst and the recession hit in 2007, plans to convert Creswell Iron Works on Cherry Street into apartments tanked. The quaint collection of industrial buildings is now headed for demolition. Michael Bixler has the details > more
American Revolution Landmark To Be Auctioned Off At Sheriff Sale
Old stone home in Frankford with ties to the Declaration of Independence goes up for auction at a sherif sale in May. Harry K. has the news and history behind this threatened national landmark > more
Time Travel At Trader Joe’s Reveals Tuxedos & Snazzy Shoes
The Shadow makes a run to Trader Joe's where fine footwear and totally awesome 1980s tuxedos kept things classy at 2121 Market Street > more
Battered Brutalist School Awaits Neighborhood Plan
In Eastwick, powerful architecture battles trash and vandalism at vacant George Pepper Middle School. Michael Bixler takes a look with this photo essay. > more
© 2011-2016 Hidden City Philadelphia |