Philadelphia 2035 (Jefferson, Penn: hotel, neighborhood, live)

[cpomp]

Back on topic... Big news for the Rail Park.

Philly moves to wrest control of the Reading Viaduct from its litigious owner and create its own High Line
https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20230815.html

[MarketStEl]

I should caution everyone here that not everyone who lives in subsidized low-income housing is a lazy, shiftless, good-for-nothing freeloader.

That certainly doesn't describe the friend of mine who lived in such an apartment in the 1100 block of Pine Street, across from Mixto.

He was eligible because he received disability payments from Social Security. (It wasn't a physical disability, or at least not one that hampered his ability to move or think.)

He spent a good bit of his time on self-improvement projects and even wrote a couple of self-help books with his best friend (I edited both of them).

Maybe he's an exception that proves the rule, but blanket generalizations do many people an injustice.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Back on topic... Big news for the Rail Park.

Philly moves to wrest control of the Reading Viaduct from its litigious owner and create its own High Line
https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate...-20230815.html

That's good news, and I'm a fan of Paul Levy (and vice versa), but I agree with Inga's criticisms about who needs to sit around the table while the effort to get Reading International to cough up the viaduct already resumes.

[Pennsport]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

I should caution everyone here that not everyone who lives in subsidized low-income housing is a lazy, shiftless, good-for-nothing freeloader.

That certainly doesn't describe the friend of mine who lived in such an apartment in the 1100 block of Pine Street, across from Mixto.

He was eligible because he received disability payments from Social Security. (It wasn't a physical disability, or at least not one that hampered his ability to move or think.)

He spent a good bit of his time on self-improvement projects and even wrote a couple of self-help books with his best friend (I edited both of them).

Maybe he's an exception that proves the rule, but blanket generalizations do many people an injustice.

For the record, I certainly understand that a percentage of those who live off taxpayers, do so with good intentions and sadly because of circumstances outside their control. However, I would garner this is a small percentage. Thus, while you say "... blanket generalizations do many people an injustice," I say "blanket gifts of free money to tens of thousands do taxpayers and general society an injustice."

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by Hermit12

BUT, Conservative policies haven't destroyed every major city in America.

And, no, just no to Affirmative Action contractors.

Moving on ...

This seems like a good time to drop my bimonthly reminder that decades of scapegoating Philadelphians of color by Republicans near and far will guarantee overwhelming Democratic votes in the city for the foreseeable future.

[FindingZen]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

I share your opinions of using public transit, and I also understand your point about steering development to places that need it more (you might want to check out what the Nicetown CDC did on its side of Wayne Junction in this regard), but:

We already have affordable housing in the main section of our city and have had it since the 1970s at least. Both senior and low-income affordable housing dots Washington Square West, from two senior apartment complexes facing each other in the 800 block of Locust Street to the Casa Farnese (nee Casa Fermi) at 13th and Lombard to two 1970s rowhouse apartment developments in the 1200 block of Locust and the 1100 block of Pine to a row of rehabbed late-19th/early-20th-century rowhouses around the corner from the latter of those in the 250 block of South 13th Street. (I knew a friend who lived in one of the Pine Street apartments, and someone I see in the Gayborhood bars often enough (she's an older Black woman) lives in a Locust Street unit. I also knew two Casa Farnese residents and did caregiving for another (since deceased) disabled friend who managed to get into one of the other senior complexes, Saint George-Athenagoras Manor at 850 Locust.)

All of these were in place when I moved into Wash West in 1983.

The whole idea behind "scattered-site" low-income housing was to both stop concentrating poverty in large projects like the nearby MLK Plaza, since demolished and replaced with mixed-income rowhouses, and to give low-income residents the chance to live in a better environment than those projects. And I can attest that the scattered-site low-income projects in Wash West aren't hotbeds of crime. Sheesh, both Outfest and the Pride festival take place right in front of two of them.

To your point, I recall the John Fox (formerly Sidney Hillman) Towers building 22nd St just south of Market that has provided senior housing for many decades. Interestingly enough, it has attracted a lot of Asian residents (presumably Chinese given the bilingual signage inside) in recent years.

[AshbyQuin]

59-unit mixed-use complex nearing completion in Fishtown


https://phillyyimby.com/2023/09/cons...-fishtown.html

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by AshbyQuin

59-unit mixed-use complex nearing completion in Fishtown


https://phillyyimby.com/2023/09/cons...-fishtown.html

Fantastic project.

[thedirtypirate]

With the groundbreaking ceremony at Penn's Landing today, all four of Philadelphia's big public works projects for America 250 are underway. They are:



1. Penn's Landing Park and the South Street Pedestrian Bridge








The Alexander Calder Gardens



The FDR Meadows and Wetlands



Schuylkill Trail South Philly to SW Philly connector and pedestrian suspension bridge



All pretty good looking projects in my opinion

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

With the groundbreaking ceremony at Penn's Landing today, all four of Philadelphia's big public works projects for America 250 are underway. They are:

Excellent, I'd honestly lost track of those other projects. I think with all of the weight of constant social media negativity, it's easy to forget that some pretty ambitious progress is still being made.

Also, important to note the Vine Street Expressway cap project is starting to really gain traction. That would truly be the icing on the cake for the city:

https://whyy.org/articles/chinatown-...concept-phase/