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Old 09-24-2018, 10:30 AM
 
Location: New York City
1,943 posts, read 1,468,353 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireshaker View Post
To be fair, most of South Broad looks like hot garbage. That intersection isn't unique.
I don't think that's exactly accurate. It varies a lot block to block, with the Snyder Ave one being one of the filthiest. The cheap fast food joints on that block attract a lot of homeless and junkies.
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Old 09-24-2018, 01:57 PM
 
333 posts, read 278,578 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MB1562 View Post
I don't think that's exactly accurate. It varies a lot block to block, with the Snyder Ave one being one of the filthiest. The cheap fast food joints on that block attract a lot of homeless and junkies.
I don't know, man. I see this street every day, and south of South it's predominantly pretty dumpy at best, and downright depressing at worst (the aforementioned Snyder and Federal). There are some brighter spots, like the new library at Broad & Morris, and the new development at Washington. But aside from that? Yuck.

It's even more puzzling because there are some real prestige neighborhoods bordering it, but no one seems to really care about Broad itself. As one of the most visible stretches in the city, it should be a showpiece. Even some decent land- and streetscaping would go a long way. But even the decent parts just look tired and run down.
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Old 09-24-2018, 03:19 PM
 
Location: East Aurora, NY
744 posts, read 766,340 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireshaker View Post
I don't know, man. I see this street every day, and south of South it's predominantly pretty dumpy at best, and downright depressing at worst (the aforementioned Snyder and Federal). There are some brighter spots, like the new library at Broad & Morris, and the new development at Washington. But aside from that? Yuck.

It's even more puzzling because there are some real prestige neighborhoods bordering it, but no one seems to really care about Broad itself. As one of the most visible stretches in the city, it should be a showpiece. Even some decent land- and streetscaping would go a long way. But even the decent parts just look tired and run down.

This seems to be a consistent problem in Philadelphia when it comes to big/wide street. Philly has a lot of very attractive smaller streets but very few attractive large streets even in otherwise gentrified areas. I'm thinking of Broad Street, Washington Ave, Spring Garden, Girard, Snyder, Oregon. All of these streets are at least 80% ugly/dirty. All of these streets border nice neighborhoods.


I think the most progress has been made on Girard near Brewerytown but even Girard near Fishtown is pretty "meh." It seems like part of the problem has been the City's failure to fight quasi suburban development (strip malls, fast food with drive throughs etc.) in otherwise urban neighborhoods. These places always serve to attract the homeless and always look bleak in urban settings.
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Old 09-24-2018, 03:19 PM
 
10,787 posts, read 8,664,920 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fireshaker View Post
I don't know, man. I see this street every day, and south of South it's predominantly pretty dumpy at best, and downright depressing at worst (the aforementioned Snyder and Federal). There are some brighter spots, like the new library at Broad & Morris, and the new development at Washington. But aside from that? Yuck.

It's even more puzzling because there are some real prestige neighborhoods bordering it, but no one seems to really care about Broad itself. As one of the most visible stretches in the city, it should be a showpiece. Even some decent land- and streetscaping would go a long way. But even the decent parts just look tired and run down.
Do you ever see any of N. Broad beyond Temple or beyond Broad and Erie up where
Einstein Hospital is or sections of it in Ogontz, Logan or Olney? By comparison Ellsworth/Federal for instance is not bad at all.

But, I agree some S. Philly parts of Broad should look better than they do.

See, while I liked Nutter he ignored a lot of what you are talking about. So it's not just about who is in the mayor's office right now.
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Old 09-24-2018, 03:25 PM
 
10,787 posts, read 8,664,920 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KansastoSouthphilly View Post
This seems to be a consistent problem in Philadelphia when it comes to big/wide street. Philly has a lot of very attractive smaller streets but very few attractive large streets even in otherwise gentrified areas. I'm thinking of Broad Street, Washington Ave, Spring Garden, Girard, Snyder, Oregon. All of these streets are at least 80% ugly/dirty. All of these streets border nice neighborhoods.


I think the most progress has been made on Girard near Brewerytown but even Girard near Fishtown is pretty "meh." It seems like part of the problem has been the City's failure to fight quasi suburban development (strip malls, fast food with drive throughs etc.) in otherwise urban neighborhoods. These places always serve to attract the homeless and always look bleak in urban settings.
There was massive plan to redo Spring Garden with a reconfigured and wider median including new bike lanes and nothing has come of it. That plan was talked about and published more than 5 years ago.
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Old 09-24-2018, 09:03 PM
 
Location: Germantown, Philadelphia
13,945 posts, read 8,793,611 times
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South Broad Street, I've been told, did have a landscaped median once.

I've seen no photographs or lithograph drawings with evidence of this, but that means nothing.

I'm going to guess that it was ripped out when the Broad Street Subway was extended into South Philly in 1935-38.

And I don't get the sense that it's suburban-style strip-mall development that's damaged these streets save Spring Garden east of Broad (west of it, it's really not that bad) and North Broad, intermittently. Most of what I see that accounts for the less-than-satisfying appearance is merely a jumble of buildings that may not fit in, vacant lots, and decay.

You want strip malls, try Aramingo Avenue.
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Old 09-25-2018, 10:45 AM
 
1,511 posts, read 1,156,727 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KansastoSouthphilly View Post
I think the most progress has been made on Girard near Brewerytown but even Girard near Fishtown is pretty "meh." It seems like part of the problem has been the City's failure to fight quasi suburban development (strip malls, fast food with drive throughs etc.) in otherwise urban neighborhoods. These places always serve to attract the homeless and always look bleak in urban settings.

Big agree. For some reason, they see anything wider than a traditional "city" street as license to develop it as a large, parking lot-fronted, retail mecca. I'm reminded of my least favorite of these, Baltimore Pike in the Clifton Heights and Springfield areas. Just ugly.
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:11 AM
 
10,787 posts, read 8,664,920 times
Reputation: 3983
Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyers Girl View Post
Big agree. For some reason, they see anything wider than a traditional "city" street as license to develop it as a large, parking lot-fronted, retail mecca. I'm reminded of my least favorite of these, Baltimore Pike in the Clifton Heights and Springfield areas. Just ugly.
And you really DO NOT want to cross Baltimore Pike as a pedestrian!
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Old 09-25-2018, 11:27 AM
 
2,523 posts, read 2,636,371 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyb01 View Post
And you really DO NOT want to cross Baltimore Pike as a pedestrian!
I don't "cross", but I do run occasionally, lol.
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Old 09-25-2018, 09:25 PM
 
Location: A neighborhood in Northeast Philadelphia
19 posts, read 18,148 times
Reputation: 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarketStEl View Post
South Broad Street, I've been told, did have a landscaped median once.

I've seen no photographs or lithograph drawings with evidence of this, but that means nothing.

I'm going to guess that it was ripped out when the Broad Street Subway was extended into South Philly in 1935-38.

And I don't get the sense that it's suburban-style strip-mall development that's damaged these streets save Spring Garden east of Broad (west of it, it's really not that bad) and North Broad, intermittently. Most of what I see that accounts for the less-than-satisfying appearance is merely a jumble of buildings that may not fit in, vacant lots, and decay.

You want strip malls, try Aramingo Avenue.
or Cottman west of the boulevard. That entire area is just one big strip mall
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