Architecture Renovations at William Way Look to the Future While Preserving the Past Big changes are in the works for William Way Community Center thanks to a $1 million grant from the Commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. Stacia Friedman has the details
City Life From Flophouse to Fairfield Inn: Memories & The Makeover of a Troubled Hotel Like a chain-smoking phoenix rising from the ashes, the infamous Parker Hotel at 13th and Spruce reopened in 2018 after major renovations and decades of decline. Hidden City contributor Stacia Friedman takes a look back at the former transient hotel with memories of her grandparents’ pharmacy next door
Preservation Conkling-Armstrong House & Jewelers Row District Go Before Designation Committee Starr Herr-Cardillo has this roundup of local register nominations on the agenda at the February meeting of the Philadelphia Historical Commission’s Designation Committee
History The Marvelous Multiple Occupations Of The Midtown II Last June, one of Center City’s last classic diners, Midtown II at 11th and Sansom, closed its lunch counter for good. The high-profile property is now under development, although plans for the space remain elusive. The Shadow takes us behind the façade to reveal a lively list of tenants and a colorful history of reuse
History The Making (And Marketing) Of The Modern Gayborhood Contributor Kelson Northeimer takes a look at the history of the Gayborhood and its cultural transformation through lifestyle marketing and gentrification
Architecture The Bavarian Jewel Of Washington Square West At 12th and St. James Streets, a world-renowned jeweler’s workshop still shines after 100 years. The Shadow opens up this treasure chest with the history of the building’s origins
History Reanimating The Archives At William Way It’s been a long journey home for the William Way Community Center and a bumpy ride for their archives. With a William Penn Foundation grant in hand, they will soon have a proper research facility dedicated to local LGBT history. Erin Bernard takes us into their stacks and down the path that led the community center to Spruce Street
History 12th Street Gym Is Great, But It Used To Be The Shvitz Nothing says healthy living like a corned beef sandwich, a lit cigar, and the sauna. Ron Avery gives us an old-world tour of Camac Baths, the former Jewish bathhouse at 12th Street Gym