Philadelphia 2035 (Franklin Park, Franklin: clinic, sanctuary, condos)

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by Pennsport

Well of course people are walking all around CCP (isn't there some talk that they might close or be sold, or am I completely making that up?), but I would contend this is more out of necessity than enjoyment. With Fairmount and NL a block to the north and CC a couple blocks south as well as the north Broad Street revival, I'm just not sure I see Spring Garden turning into some sort of destination in and of itself for a good dinner followed by drinks and a leisurely stroll down the corridor.

I understand, but I do think you are under estimating how much better the new design could enhance the stretch. Moving the bike lane out of traffic, pushing the parked cars away from the sidewalk curb, and adding new sidewalk trees and landscaping would make the large sidewalks much more attractive.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

I understand, but I do think you are under estimating how much better the new design could enhance the stretch. Moving the bike lane out of traffic, pushing the parked cars away from the sidewalk curb, and adding new sidewalk trees and landscaping would make the large sidewalks much more attractive.

And Park Avenue and Michigan Avenue have far more traffic than Spring Garden and they are great streets for strolling. Market & Broad too, although not as nice.

But it can be done and the presented plans show that (implementation is another story, because this is Philadelphia...).

[Redddog]

Originally Posted by cpomp

And Park Avenue and Michigan Avenue have far more traffic than Spring Garden and they are great streets for strolling. Market & Broad too, although not as nice.

But it can be done and the presented plans show that (implementation is another story, because this is Philadelphia...).

I mean, every avenue in NYC is busier than Spring Garden and they have heavy foot traffic.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by Pennsport

Well of course people are walking all around CCP (isn't there some talk that they might close or be sold, or am I completely making that up?), but I would contend this is more out of necessity than enjoyment. With Fairmount and NL a block to the north and CC a couple blocks south as well as the north Broad Street revival, I'm just not sure I see Spring Garden turning into some sort of destination in and of itself for a good dinner followed by drinks and a leisurely stroll down the corridor. I think it will always be a high auto traffic conduit to highways and to cut through the city to other neighborhoods. However, I'm not implying I wouldn't live in one of the highrises they're building. It's still a great location, just probably won't turn into a South street, Fairmount Ave, Frankford Ave, or Passyunk Ave. like road of restaurants and bars.

You're making that up. The largest institution of higher education in the city of Philadelphia isn't going anywhere. Instead, it's trying to make up for its lack of sufficient support from the city and the Commonwealth, each of which are supposed to pick up one-third of the college's operating budget per state law (the city has never done this in CCP's 57-year history) by attracting students from abroad. And it's investing in places for both them and its students closer to home to live: CCP provided some of the money that got both LVL North and The Hamilton built (the amenities in LVL apartment buildings, all of which save LVL North to date are in West Philadelphia near the Penn campus, are designed to appeal to students and younger adults; The Hamilton has slightly more upscale amenities but is also aimed at a student/young adult market).

I actually agree with the rest of what you wrote, however, including the part about the traffic being "more out of necessity than enjoyment." Frankly, Spring Garden Street shares with the Ben Franklin Parkway the defect (from a walkability standpoint) of being too wide to permit the more intimate streetscapes you find on the other streets you list above to evolve, and the relative lack of restaurants and retail on the street west of CCP also reflects this (the restaurants that have opened in the apartment buildings on the south side of the street have all been short-lived), and even those more residential blocks have a good bit of institutional and office use mixed in).

To reverse the Field of Dreams cliché, because they came, they built it.

[MarketStEl]

Adding a coda to what I wrote in my previous post:

The avenues on Manhattan Island are also wide, true, but the blocks are much shorter, making them somewhat easier to stroll along.

Michigan Avenue might be a better street to compare to Spring Garden. And in its case, its location in the middle of the Gold Coast helps a lot as well. Spring Garden is more a borderland than a central thoroughfare.

But it will be interesting to see whether the proposed redesign changes things any. The stretch in NoLibs has definitely seen a flowering of retail construction on it — including at one of the manufacturers located on it, Yards Brewing Company.

[Muinteoir]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

I understand, but I do think you are under estimating how much better the new design could enhance the stretch. Moving the bike lane out of traffic, pushing the parked cars away from the sidewalk curb, and adding new sidewalk trees and landscaping would make the large sidewalks much more attractive.

What I've been thinking most about is how much more viable it will feel for me to go from Manayunk to the Delaware Waterfront, Northern Liberties, and perhaps even Old City. I try to avoid driving that far, and the public transit access to that part of town from Manayunk isn't great. But, cycling there is going to become a much improved experience. I am excited.

[cpomp]

Looks like this is about done! One of my favorite new buildings in Philadelphia.

Arthaus on the Avenue of the Arts Is Looking Even More Move-in Ready

https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...-move-in-ready

[thedirtypirate]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Looks like this is about done! One of my favorite new buildings in Philadelphia.

Arthaus on the Avenue of the Arts Is Looking Even More Move-in Ready

https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-phil...-move-in-ready

This will sound insensitive, but Broad Street Ministries reopening on South Broad is the worst thing to happen to the avenue in a long time. Just a drastic increase of visible homeless in the area.

[gwillyfromphilly]

Philadelphians push for Roosevelt Boulevard subway project revival at Saturday morning town hall

https://whyy.org/articles/philly-roo...jared-solomon/

[Tweb66]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

Philadelphians push for Roosevelt Boulevard subway project revival at Saturday morning town hall

https://whyy.org/articles/philly-roo...jared-solomon/

Makes more sense than that stupid train to the mall. Heck, there are a half dozen plans that make more sense than that. Thats when happens a disproportionately suburban, autocentric areas control SEPTA.