Retail coming to Philadelphia (Washington: interview, negative, recent)

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

Haha. I bet Jon would laugh if he saw this. I wonder what he's up to these days. I remember him having a site called The Citizen or something.

He now serves as director of engagement for an advocacy group called Philadelphia 3.0. He also serves on the board of directors of the city's Millennial-heavy "urbanist PAC," 5th Square.

BTW and FWIW, I helped Jon get his bearings after he moved here from Brooklyn about a decade or so ago.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

On the flip side, who has been in to Boyd's since they revamped? I've been a few times and it is beautiful. More space, much more modern in look/feel, and they added in options for those outside the .1% (still for the 3%ers). Boyd's is truly fantastic, and is almost out of place in Center City, but it must be doing well enough.

Boyd's has a national rep because it's " a last man standing" real haberdashery. It's been a great place for many years. For those who don't know it was originally located in the 1200 block of Market where the Mariott is today.
When I was working I would go in there a few times a year. Just a fabulous experience.

CC used to have another local men's store, Jacob Reed Sons. All gone now along with our local jewelry stores: JE Caldwell and Bailey, Banks and Biddle.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by kyb01

CC used to have another local men's store, Jacob Reed Sons. All gone now along with our local jewelry stores: JE Caldwell and Bailey, Banks and Biddle.

J.E. Caldwell & Co. survives, but in much reduced form. it now occupies a much smaller space on Jewelers Row at 728 Sansom St. My suspicion is that someone bought the name from whoever owned it when the company went belly up in 2009.

Zale Corp. of Dallas, a mass-market jeweler, bought Bailey Banks & Biddle in the early 1960s per a Wikipedia article. Zale sold the chain, which had 65 stores by then, to another company that also went bankrupt in 2009. A private equity firm relaunched the brand the next year. It had a store in King of Prussia, but that store is now closed, and its three remaining stores are all in Dallas.

[acenturi]

Originally Posted by kyb01

.........................
CC used to have another local men's store, Jacob Reed Sons. All gone now along with our local jewelry stores: JE Caldwell and Bailey, Banks and Biddle.

Funny story. Years ago, when I was just starting High School, my Dad and I bought a large and expensive porcelain owl at Caldwell's on Chestnut as a Christmas present for my Mother (He had the $, I had the associated Christmas Card). When we got it home, the head fell off as it was lifted out of the packaging. We immediately returned it. They tried to blame it on us, but my Dad refused to accept responsibility. They went back and forth for a few days and finally Caldwell's agreed to replace it with anything of equal price, since it was a one of a kind piece. We settled on another gift and went our merry ways. I fondly remember Caldwell's as a candy store of fabulous jewels.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by selhars

About the question of whatever happened to -- and where are today's -- Philadelphia's great families? (Girard? Drexel Wanamaker? Diston Hamilton? etc.)

I wonder where are the statesmen or politicians in the mold of Kevin Bacon's father Edmund Norwood Bacon or Richardson Dilworth or Thatcher Longstreth? (Agree or disagree with their politics where are people of that stature.) Who are the great innovative thinkers and intellectuals in Philadelphia and the Philadelphia area?

I don't run in those circles, so maybe they're out there and I never heard of them. Which is very likely. I'd just like to hear who they are. Anyone have any names?

Good questions.

K. Bacon left here( he went to Masterman) , I assume, to pursue his acting career. So it made sense to move to NYC. His wife has some kind of mega pedigree but I forget, at the moment, what it is.

I have no idea whether Dilworth or Longstreth even had kids.

There are still Strawbridges around.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

J.E. Caldwell & Co. survives, but in much reduced form. it now occupies a much smaller space on Jewelers Row at 728 Sansom St. My suspicion is that someone bought the name from whoever owned it when the company went belly up in 2009.

Zale Corp. of Dallas, a mass-market jeweler, bought Bailey Banks & Biddle in the early 1960s per a Wikipedia article. Zale sold the chain, which had 65 stores by then, to another company that also went bankrupt in 2009. A private equity firm relaunched the brand the next year. It had a store in King of Prussia, but that store is now closed, and its three remaining stores are all in Dallas.

Oops! Forgot about that "version" JE Caldwell.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by kyb01

I have no idea whether Dilworth or Longstreth even had kids.

Richardson Dilworth's grandson (same name) is on the faculty of Drexel University, where he teaches political science.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

Richardson Dilworth's grandson (same name) is on the faculty of Drexel University, where he teaches political science.

Thanks. But, he's chosen not to be a public servant or get engaged in the city in a very public way.

Cpomp, rightly, complains about the lack of leadership here. We had leaders but now we don't on the same scale.

Of course you will probably cite the Baltzell book as a reason.

[AJNEOA]

Originally Posted by kyb01

Thanks. But, he's chosen not to be a public servant or get engaged in the city in a very public way.

Cpomp, rightly, complains about the lack of leadership here. We had leaders but now we don't on the same scale.

Of course you will probably cite the Baltzell book as a reason.

We have the Mills, Meek Mill in particular. That famous family name is trying to reform the criminal justice system.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by AJNEOA

We have the Mills, Meek Mill in particular. That famous family name is trying to reform the criminal justice system.

Truthfully, I don't find this funny at all.

Because there may actually be POC(or anyone)with that surname, that you've decided are just like him. You can't really mean that, I hope.