PHILADELPHIA | Highrise Development Thread IX

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by el don

Isn't the Reading Terminal Market 3 blocks away? Plus right around there are some good Vietnamese, and Japanese places. I would love that location!!!

And Korean and Ramen and halal and Thai and Cambodian...Chinatown is a treasure of food options.

[Philly Fan]

You guys are making me hungry.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat

Think of the lunch options in Chinatown though

True that. I live in the area and love that aspect. I guess it is a fair trade off.

[br323206]

Originally Posted by allovertown

I actually think that is a very handsome Building. Certainly no skyscraper though.

I walk by it every day and I always think to myself that it is ugly as sin. That's actually the nicest side of it. The one side has no windows at all because, I presume, it holds servers. It's very bland.

[1487]

Originally Posted by br323206

I walk by it every day and I always think to myself that it is ugly as sin. That's actually the nicest side of it. The one side has no windows at all because, I presume, it holds servers. It's very bland.

its a central office, where all the switchboards used to be- later replaced by automated switches and all the phone lines that feed out into the neighborhood. There is another one at 17th and arch with a much fancier exterior design. VZ won't have to pay out any rent for these employees anymore- win for them.

[Philly-Drew]

Originally Posted by Londonee

And Korean and Ramen and halal and Thai and Cambodian...Chinatown is a treasure of food options.

Let's not forget Vietnamese and Malaysian! I'd love eating lunch in China town a few times a week!

[allovertown]

Originally Posted by br323206

I walk by it every day and I always think to myself that it is ugly as sin. That's actually the nicest side of it. The one side has no windows at all because, I presume, it holds servers. It's very bland.

Oh come on. The nicest side of the building is clearly not the Western Facade and no side of the building has no windows.

The best side is the Race St. Facade:



Solid brick work, with some great stone cornice work and a polished stone base, looks pretty good to me. It's not amazing or ornate but it's a nice looking building imho if not super urban and great at meeting the street. It's actually same architect as the PNB building.

Now... there is a much later built annex attached to the back of this that does lack windows and is terrible and as you assumed probably hosts servers. But these people are not going to work amongst servers in a windowless annex. They'd be in this main building which has windows and looks pretty good.

[jjv007]

This author is kind of hyperbolic and negadelphian in general, but he brings up some good points as well that need to be confronted:

http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20170419/NEWS/170419612

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by jjv007

This author is kind of hyperbolic and negadelphian in general, but he brings up some good points as well that need to be confronted:

http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20170419/NEWS/170419612

That guy loses all credibility in the first part of the article. Yeah buddy, don’t take the guy from London to Old City or Rittenhouse or Washington Square or the Museum district or the burgeoning areas of Northern Liberties or Fishtown. Don't take him to dinner at the dozens of incredible restaurants after a stroll through our incredible 19th century city center. Yes, take him to Pat’s and Geno’s. What did he do, drive all the way up 9th street from the stadiums and find some of the few crappy areas left in South Philadelphia that are disappearing fast? Why didn’t he take him to some of the world famed tourist attraction in Delco so you wouldn’t have to be embarrassed?

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by PHL10

That guy loses all credibility in the first part of the article. Yeah buddy, don’t take the guy from London to Old City or Rittenhouse or Washington Square or the Museum district or the burgeoning areas of Northern Liberties or Fishtown. Don't take him to dinner at the dozens of incredible restaurants after a stroll through our incredible 19th century city center. Yes, take him to Pat’s and Geno’s. What did he do, drive all the way up 9th street from the stadiums and find some of the few crappy areas left in South Philadelphia that are disappearing fast? Why didn’t he take him to some of the world famed tourist attraction in Delco so you wouldn’t have to be embarrassed?

Not to mention the skyline shot from 2005.

[summersm343]

Originally Posted by jjv007

This author is kind of hyperbolic and negadelphian in general, but he brings up some good points as well that need to be confronted:

http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20170419/NEWS/170419612

Do you notice that it's ALWAYS the people living in the suburbs that are hardest on Philadelphia? You know, not us actually living in the city trying to make it a better place everyday?

How can somebody living in DELCO even try to throw stones at Philadelphia when they're living in their own glass house and not doing a single 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 thing to help the city change? Like there aren't any terrible places in DELCO? Chester, Darby, etc.

[PHL10]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Do you notice that it's ALWAYS the people living in the suburbs that are hardest on Philadelphia? You know, not us actually living in the city trying to make it a better place everyday?

How can somebody living in DELCO even try to throw stones at Philadelphia when they're living in their own glass house and not doing a single 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 thing to help the city change? Like there aren't any terrible places in DELCO? Chester, Darby, etc.

Great point. Some of these people want/expect Philadelphia to return to having these huge middle class, white, Catholic neighborhoods like it’s 1960 again. I get the nostalgia but those times have passed. Philadelphia can be a successful, thriving, functional place in a different way. Cites in 2017, even those like Boston and NY will never be the first choice for middle class families with school aged kids. He’s clinging to the past. Truth be told, I’m sure he’s not a fan of the changes in eastern Delco. Maybe he should concentrate his disappointment there and let us enjoy the ride of an exciting place that is trying to find its way in a changing world.

[jjv007]

Sure he goes overboard but some of his points hold water, like the taxes and poor leadership overall. Also, the lower performance as compared to peer cities.

[skyscraper]

Originally Posted by jjv007

This author is kind of hyperbolic and negadelphian in general, but he brings up some good points as well that need to be confronted:

http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20170419/NEWS/170419612

this article is nothing but trolling. don't feed into it.

[jsbrook]

Originally Posted by jjv007

Sure he goes overboard but some of his points hold water, like the taxes and poor leadership overall. Also, the lower performance as compared to peer cities.

Well, no one said there aren't problems. But both taxes and leadership are improving. Notwithstanding obstructionist efforts from entities like the Greater Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, who are against sensible tax reform advocated by the business, home owners, commercial property owners and the labor community alike. Articles like this are completely one-sided and ignore all the positive changes of the last 15 years in many of the exact areas they are complaining about.

[1487]

Originally Posted by jjv007

Sure he goes overboard but some of his points hold water, like the taxes and poor leadership overall. Also, the lower performance as compared to peer cities.

Declo has some of the towns with the highest tax burdens in the entire region. taxes are going up throughout this region, not just in Philly and many places in Delco have mediocre schools AND crushing property taxes. Knocking "poor leadership" is a generic critique than can't be proven or disproven. I hate generic criticisms like that.

[1487]

Originally Posted by jjv007

This author is kind of hyperbolic and negadelphian in general, but he brings up some good points as well that need to be confronted:

http://www.delcotimes.com/article/DC/20170419/NEWS/170419612

Against by better judgement I read it. He's a idiot. He says the Navy Yard is sitting there virtually unused when it should be an "entertainment district". 🞵🞵🞵 is he talking about? It's one of the most successful reuses of a military facility in the country.

[PhilliesPhan]

Originally Posted by summersm343

Do you notice that it's ALWAYS the people living in the suburbs that are hardest on Philadelphia? You know, not us actually living in the city trying to make it a better place everyday?

How can somebody living in DELCO even try to throw stones at Philadelphia when they're living in their own glass house and not doing a single 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 thing to help the city change? Like there aren't any terrible places in DELCO? Chester, Darby, etc.

As someone who lives in Delco (not for much longer. I'm leaving Delco to live in the city) and spent a considerable amount of my childhood in Chester, I agree with this point in its totality. This article and its ignorance reminds me of why I need to get the 🞵🞵🞵🞵 out of this place. The two aforementioned places are worse than any neighborhood in Philly, imo. I feel safer walking through North Philly at 2AM than I do walking through Chester, and I have done both. Besides, what does every suburb in the Delaware Valley have in common? They would be nothing without the city.

[Milksteak]

Originally Posted by 1487

Against by better judgement I read it. He's a idiot. He says the Navy Yard is sitting there virtually unused when it should be an "entertainment district". 🞵🞵🞵 is he talking about? It's one of the most successful reuses of a military facility in the country.

Yeah and he literally said that right after he suggested the entire stadium complex is useless, ill positioned, and too far from CC. But hey, monorail to the Navy Yard, that'll do it!

[Boku]

Originally Posted by Milksteak

Yeah and he literally said that right after he suggested the entire stadium complex is useless, ill positioned, and too far from CC. But hey, monorail to the Navy Yard, that'll do it!

Even better, a ferry!