PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by Teakwood

The dearth of retail that you speak of on the Upper East/West sides is not the type of retail that everyone here seems to advocate for Walnut/Rittenhouse. The retail on the Upper East/West sides are largely the banks/drug stores/fast food restaurants/cell phone stores that people here seem afraid of (yes there are lots of other retail as well, it is a very large area).

Quick UWS search: Broadway between 96th & 97th: Citibank, Bank of America, T-Mobile, Walgreens, 2 Nail Salons, 7-Eleven, Dunkin Donuts, and an Eyeglass Center.

You pick ONE block at 96th street? Come on, up that high you can get a nosebleed

National brands Upper East Side retail - just a quick pass off the top of my head in no particular order:
Bloomingdales, J. Crew, Lily Pulitzer, Vince, Jo Malone, Ralph Lauren, Calypso St. Barth, Tom Ford, Prada, Gucci, Prada, Chloe, Dolce and Gabbana, Kate Spade, Oscar Delarenta, Chanel, Zara, Jimmy Choo, Urban Outfitters, Gap, Lush, Loft, Blue Mercury, Paper Source, BCBG, Papyrus, Talbots, Best Buy, Anthropologie, Nike, Pier 1, Ethan Allen, Pottery Barn, Banana Republic, Model's, Victoria's Secret, Steve Madden, The Children's Place, Williams Sonoma, Brooks Brothers, Theory, Madewell, Lululemon, Barbour, LeSportsac, David Yurman, Hermes, Roberto Cavalli, Barneys, DKNY, Calvin Klein

Same thing, quick pass - National Brands Upper West Side Retail:
Patagonia, Paper Source, Jonathan Adler, Aerosoles, Swatch, Vince, Athleta, Club Monaco, Papyrus, Theory, Kate Spade, Uggz, Century 21, MAC, Brooks Brothers, Lululemon, Bed Bath and Beyond, West Elm, Best Buy, BCBG, Loft, Modell’s, DSW, Brooks Brothers, Aldo, Talbots, Barnes and Noble, Tumi, Sunglass Hut, Marshalls, Lush, Stuart Weitzmen, Barneys, Dockers, Apple Store, Pottery Barn

These neighborhoods are LOADED with great retail. This makes them both VERY live-able, very attractive, and very expensive (I would know, I spent time in both).

[Teakwood]

Originally Posted by Londonee

You pick ONE block at 96th street? Come on, up that high you can get a nosebleed

National brands Upper East Side retail - just a quick pass off the top of my head in no particular order:
Bloomingdales, J. Crew, Lily Pulitzer, Vince, Jo Malone, Ralph Lauren, Calypso St. Barth, Tom Ford, Prada, Gucci, Prada, Chloe, Dolce and Gabbana, Kate Spade, Oscar Delarenta, Chanel, Zara, Jimmy Choo, Urban Outfitters, Gap, Lush, Loft, Blue Mercury, Paper Source, BCBG, Papyrus, Talbots, Best Buy, Anthropologie, Nike, Pier 1, Ethan Allen, Pottery Barn, Banana Republic, Model's, Victoria's Secret, Steve Madden, The Children's Place, Williams Sonoma, Brooks Brothers, Theory, Madewell, Lululemon, Barbour, LeSportsac, David Yurman, Hermes, Roberto Cavalli, Barneys, DKNY, Calvin Klein

Same thing, quick pass - National Brands Upper West Side Retail:
Patagonia, Paper Source, Jonathan Adler, Aerosoles, Swatch, Vince, Athleta, Club Monaco, Papyrus, Theory, Kate Spade, Uggz, Century 21, MAC, Brooks Brothers, Lululemon, Bed Bath and Beyond, West Elm, Best Buy, BCBG, Loft, Modell’s, DSW, Brooks Brothers, Aldo, Talbots, Barnes and Noble, Tumi, Sunglass Hut, Marshalls, Lush, Stuart Weitzmen, Barneys, Dockers, Apple Store, Pottery Barn

These neighborhoods are LOADED with great retail. This makes them both VERY live-able, very attractive, and very expensive (I would know, I spent time in both).

Lol, they don't call it 'Upper' for nothing! I think even you can agree that the focal point of high end Manhattan retail resides below the mid 60's. I literally pulled up the first block I could at 96th. I've spent quite a bit of time up that way, and I know that it is representative of how the majority of that area looks like! Are you arguing that the area around 96th isn't livable because of the makeup of shops or that Rittenhouse would become unlivable if it had that shop make up (with great restaurants mixed in, they aren't going anywhere)? Maybe I'm more accustomed to that demographic, but those that live up in that neighborhood wouldn't have it any other way. I highly doubt Rittenhouse will lose its cache if it lacks some of the retailers mentioned.

Edit: I moved south to Broadway and 77-78: CVS, Marshalls, AT&T, & T-Mobile. Neighborhood still looks okay to me. Frankly, I'd personally use any of those before a Louis Vuitton (other than perhaps AT&T)

[Cro Burnham]

Originally Posted by br323206

I've literally never heard anyone complain that Walnut Street wasn't vital. It's a vibrant retail corridor. One of the best in the country. Having a Verizon store does nothing to change that.

Come on - you know what we're saying. Why play devil's advocate when there's no point?

Walnut Street is great. But it could be so much better. 15th St intersection will be dominated by 3 cell phone stores. Is that going to kill Walnut? No, but it eliminates the possibility of so much more vitality.

The point is, if banks, cell phone stores, cheap fast food, no name eyeglass stores, and drugstores dominate the stretch, it will cease to be vital.

It's not hard to get this.

It's a real shame nothing can be done about it.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Come on - you know what we're saying. Why play devil's advocate when there's no point?

Walnut Street is great. But it could be so much better. 15th St intersection will be dominated by 3 cell phone stores. Is that going to kill Walnut? No, but it eliminates the possibility of so much more vitality.

The point is, if banks, cell phone stores, cheap fast food, no name eyeglass stores, and drugstores dominate the stretch, it will cease to be vital.

It's not hard to get this.

It's a real shame nothing can be done about it.

But I think you're overreaching by a mile. Walnut will never be dominated by "banks, cell phone stores, cheap fast food, no name eyeglass stores, and drugstores." All of those things will likely continue to be mixed in and as the retail stretches both west of the square and east of Broad you'll see more and more of those, but you'll also see more local restaurants, high-end stores, bars, etc. My point is that Walnut is not in danger of becoming a 'bank ghetto' like Market West anytime soon.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Come on - you know what we're saying. Why play devil's advocate when there's no point?

Walnut Street is great. But it could be so much better. 15th St intersection will be dominated by 3 cell phone stores. Is that going to kill Walnut? No, but it eliminates the possibility of so much more vitality.

The point is, if banks, cell phone stores, cheap fast food, no name eyeglass stores, and drugstores dominate the stretch, it will cease to be vital.

It's not hard to get this.

It's a real shame nothing can be done about it.

No, it's actually hard to see what you're saying. Or rather it doesn't resonate. And that is because those types stores don't come close to dominating Walnut, and there's no credible evidence that are likely to any time soon. I agree with br323.

Meanwhile...in development news, I think this may have been posted somewhere, but more on the forthcoming University Place buildings. http://philly.curbed.com/archives/2015/09/21/30-university-place-university-place-associates.php
Nice to see some commercial in the works.

[Philly-Drew]

I can't believe how far this retail discussion is going on this development thread.

[1487]

Originally Posted by Cro Burnham

Come on - you know what we're saying. Why play devil's advocate when there's no point?

Walnut Street is great. But it could be so much better. 15th St intersection will be dominated by 3 cell phone stores. Is that going to kill Walnut? No, but it eliminates the possibility of so much more vitality.

The point is, if banks, cell phone stores, cheap fast food, no name eyeglass stores, and drugstores dominate the stretch, it will cease to be vital.

It's not hard to get this.

It's a real shame nothing can be done about it.

how many cheap fast food places are on Walnut? There is a mcdonalds that has been there for YEARS and yet the surrounding retail keeps getting better. What other fast food places are you talking about? What drug stores are on west walnut? You do realize chestnut is a different street right?

[Boku]

Originally Posted by Philly-Drew

I can't believe how far this retail discussion is going on this development thread.

The only thing more titillating than this is arguing over the location of a Wendy's.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by Philly-Drew

I can't believe how far this retail discussion is going on this development thread.

I don't get these constant complaints any time the discussion veers to a topic people aren't interested. Discussions of taxes and retail options are very relevant to development in Philadelphia. Can't people just scroll past the posts they don't like?

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by br323206

I don't get these constant complaints any time the discussion veers to a topic people aren't interested. Discussions of taxes and retail options are very relevant to development in Philadelphia. Can't people just scroll past the posts they don't like?

I hear you. It's just that the discussion eventually gets circular and we (myself included) spend a page or two beating a dead horse and calling each other uninformed (at best).

[McBane]

Well maybe if LPT, Brandywine, Pearl, Dranoff, PMC, etc. could announce some new proposals, we'd have something better to discuss. Come on, we haven't had a new proposal in a few days now. We're spoiled now.

[1487]

Originally Posted by Knight Hospitaller

I hear you. It's just that the discussion eventually gets circular and we (myself included) spend a page or two beating a dead horse and calling each other uninformed (at best).

This, like every other discussion, will fade. I do not see the big deal. Its the internet- ideas are exchanged and opinions are expressed. On slow news days other city related topics may come up. I do not see why so many spend so much time complaining about "off topic" discussions- especially in a general development thread.

[br323206]

Passed by LIT billboard again. Still no Barbara or "barbara-esque" ads (to borrow another poster's phrase). Instead I saw some great looking ads from the Philly Zoo and the Franklin Institute. Also, there's this:

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...hers-light-show-facade-illumination.html

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by 1487

This, like every other discussion, will fade. I do not see the big deal. Its the internet- ideas are exchanged and opinions are expressed. On slow news days other city related topics may come up. I do not see why so many spend so much time complaining about "off topic" discussions- especially in a general development thread.

As I was saying: I don't think this is that "off-topic." It's just that some of us (me included) sometimes don't know when to quit.

[Knight Hospitaller]

Originally Posted by br323206

Passed by LIT billboard again. Still no Barbara or "barbara-esque" ads (to borrow another poster's phrase). Instead I saw some great looking ads from the Philly Zoo and the Franklin Institute. Also, there's this:

http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelphia/...hers-light-show-facade-illumination.html

Nice! I've always loved this Victorian wedding cake of a building -- but it won't be complete if we don't get Tokyo-style glitz on the signage!

Sadly, nary a mention of the proposed tower.

[summersm343]

Broad and Callowhill development

Construction on the East lot will begin as soon as 10/01/15. The lot on the West side of Broad may begin as early as 11/01/15.

[MikeNigh]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Broad and Callowhill development

Construction on the East lot will begin as soon as 10/01/15. The lot on the West side of Broad may begin as early as 11/01/15.

I wonder if north broad starts to clean up we'll start seeing towers get built north of city hall / benjamin franklin parkway and the parking lots replaced.

[McBane]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Broad and Callowhill development

Construction on the East lot will begin as soon as 10/01/15. The lot on the West side of Broad may begin as early as 11/01/15.

I thought this project was cancelled due to the unsightly new lights on N. Broad.

In all seriousness, this is great new for the city, and even better news for this thread!

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Broad and Callowhill development

Construction on the East lot will begin as soon as 10/01/15. The lot on the West side of Broad may begin as early as 11/01/15.

Awesome! This is one of the projects to which I was most looking forward!

[Outta here]

Anyone know what ever happened to the proposed training center the
76ers were making noise about , with their supposed move to Camden