Retail coming to Philadelphia (York, Taylor: chamber, memorial, real estate)

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by cpomp

Same. And a lot of trolls are thriving on the fact that American cities are now "destroyed" by violence and protests. It even shows on Philadelphia tourism marketing via social media... people commenting saying the city is a ruined cesspool, etc. That type of anti-Philadelphia rhetoric was actually dying off pre-Covid, but its not back in full swing.



I did notice that in Philadelphia and New York. My friends actually visited Philadelphia recently and were shocked by how odd/different it was from the last few times they visited in 2018 and 2019. Obviously its not just Philadelphia, but definitely a shift in city energy.

It's anything but "a ruined cesspool."

I decided to hang out in the Gayborhood for a bit this (Friday) evening, and while the streets aren't as crowded as they would have been pre-COVID, there was plenty of life, some of it in violation of state guidelines.

Most of the restaurants that can do so have colonized not only stretches of sidewalk for several doors up and down from their establishments but also the parking lanes in front of their places as well, and diners filled just about all the seats when I strolled past them around 8 p.m.

Two commonly owned Gayborhood bars have lights strung over Camac Street next to their establishments. The patrons who had purchased drinks to go from them were congregating in the street itself, conversing and socializing. The Tunney/Safran restaurants nearby had their parking-lane tables filled too.

The funny thing is, I see fewer people sleeping in the streets and subway concourses right now, save for a stretch of the Locust Street concourse next to 15th/16th Street PATCO station. I know this is mainly because SEPTA has fenced off the concourses beyond the places where you directly enter the stations from them, but on the street, I think something else is at work (did the city clear that Parkway encampment yet?) Most of the scruffy-looking people I see are ambualtory.

But that aside, what I see both gives me hope and leads me to understand why the city is holding off on reopening bars and indoor dining. There seems to me to be a lot of pent-up demand for socializing and enjoying city life the way we used to. It's a damned shame that this virus is so contagious and that it can reinfect people.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by MarketStEl

It's anything but "a ruined cesspool."

I decided to hang out in the Gayborhood for a bit this (Friday) evening, and while the streets aren't as crowded as they would have been pre-COVID, there was plenty of life, some of it in violation of state guidelines.

Most of the restaurants that can do so have colonized not only stretches of sidewalk for several doors up and down from their establishments but also the parking lanes in front of their places as well, and diners filled just about all the seats when I strolled past them around 8 p.m.

Two commonly owned Gayborhood bars have lights strung over Camac Street next to their establishments. The patrons who had purchased drinks to go from them were congregating in the street itself, conversing and socializing. The Tunney/Safran restaurants nearby had their parking-lane tables filled too.

The funny thing is, I see fewer people sleeping in the streets and subway concourses right now, save for a stretch of the Locust Street concourse next to 15th/16th Street PATCO station. I know this is mainly because SEPTA has fenced off the concourses beyond the places where you directly enter the stations from them, but on the street, I think something else is at work (did the city clear that Parkway encampment yet?) Most of the scruffy-looking people I see are ambualtory.

But that aside, what I see both gives me hope and leads me to understand why the city is holding off on reopening bars and indoor dining. There seems to me to be a lot of pent-up demand for socializing and enjoying city life the way we used to. It's a damned shame that this virus is so contagious and that it can reinfect people.

I am aware of the cesspool part. That is why I put it in quotes because it was troll talk.

And the encampment is still there to my knowledge, ongoing talks.

But glad to hear restaurants and foot traffic is picking back up.

[nelsondvm2015]

In regards to retail on Walnut, Allbirds and Interior Define are both open, looking great. Intermix is gone, but it has been replaced by Indochino. State & Liberty (men’s clothing) is also back up and running. Outdoor dining is also staying pretty busy, which I think is a net positive.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by cpomp

I am aware of the cesspool part. That is why I put it in quotes because it was troll talk.

And the encampment is still there to my knowledge, ongoing talks.

But glad to hear restaurants and foot traffic is picking back up.

The outdoor dining in my immediate neighborhood is better than it ever has been. And, like Sandy said, most have outside lighting that didn't exist in quite the way it is now.

Wrt the Trump rhetoric about some cities, interestingly he has never lived, so far, in any suburbs. I don't count Mar a Lago or his golf places as suburbs.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by nelsondvm2015

In regards to retail on Walnut, Allbirds and Interior Define are both open, looking great. Intermix is gone, but it has been replaced by Indochino. State & Liberty (men’s clothing) is also back up and running. Outdoor dining is also staying pretty busy, which I think is a net positive.

It's been 2 months since the looting. Plus we did not/do not have the constant protesting so, I'm guessing, these places (once whatever insurance was dealt with) felt okay about opening.

[cpomp]

Originally Posted by kyb01

It's been 2 months since the looting. Plus we did not/do not have the constant protesting so, I'm guessing, these places (once whatever insurance was dealt with) felt okay about opening.

I've heard through through various chats that the brownstones on Walnut will be salvaged and repaired. The fire damaged buildings housing Dr. Martens and Vans. They are just tied up with insurance.

I think most cities will struggle with commercial vacancies for a while, but I think NYC will take a harder hit than Philadelphia. Walking on Madison Ave from ~57th-80th is shocking nowadays, at least 50% vacancy, and that will likely increase.

[kyb01]

Originally Posted by cpomp

I've heard through through various chats that the brownstones on Walnut will be salvaged and repaired. The fire damaged buildings housing Dr. Martens and Vans. They are just tied up with insurance.

I think most cities will struggle with commercial vacancies for a while, but I think NYC will take a harder hit than Philadelphia. Walking on Madison Ave from ~57th-80th is shocking nowadays, at least 50% vacancy, and that will likely increase.

Hudson Yards. Christ on a cracker....what is going to happen with it?

Wildly I was planning on going to NYC right before the lockdown. Who knows when I'll be back. Probably not before next year.

Wow, about Madison Ave. Sigh...


When you come back to Philadelphia, take the BSL to Fairmount Ave. There were no fires so no feeling of destruction and it's 99.9% plywood free. The development next to the Divine Lorraine looks better than I thought it would. Walk west on Fairmount Ave. There's a overhead lighted " Fairmount Ave" sign at 15th St. There's a black owned coffee shop on the SW corner, Coffee Cream and Dreams. Anyhow most of what might interest you kinda starts at about 17th St and increases from there. There are no homeless street people for the most part along Fairment Ave. which makes the encampment such an eyesore.

[thedirtypirate]

https://www.inquirer.com/news/philad...-20200803.html

Not sure anyone will actually miss this wawa location, still a pretty large vacancy on a prominent corner. Bring back the suitcase store or whatever was there before.

[thedirtypirate]

I do think retail and restaurants will be decimated by the time things are really back to full swing, but new stuff will always open.

[MarketStEl]

Originally Posted by thedirtypirate

https://www.inquirer.com/news/philad...-20200803.html

Not sure anyone will actually miss this wawa location, still a pretty large vacancy on a prominent corner. Bring back the suitcase store or whatever was there before.

Not surprised to hear this at all. About two years ago, Wawa decided it would close this store at 11 p.m. because of problems with some non-customers giving store employees grief in the overnight hours. That made it the only Wawa in the entire chain now to keep a less-than-24-hour schedule, though now, post-COVID, more stores no longer operate round the clock.

What surprises me is that of the four Wawa stores located near this one now, this was the only one to have this kind of operational trouble. My guess is that its very location on Broad Street worked against it.