Naked Philly Blog Posts Archive - OCF Realty

Feb 14

Former Carpet Mill Getting Converted on E. Huntingdon Street

Categories: None

Feb, 14, 2019 | 2 Comments | East Kensington

As we've reminded you on numerous occasions, Kensington was once known as the Workshop of the World, producing all kinds of stuff, from hats to chairs, dyes to toxic chemicals. As a result, the neighborhoods in the River Wards are a mix of homes which housed the factory workers and the factories which employed said workers. As times have changed and industry has largely left Philadelphia for greener and lower taxed pastures, we've predictably seen dramatic [...]
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Feb 13

High End Triangular Home is Under Construction on Francis Street

Categories: None

Feb, 13, 2019 | 1 Comment | Francisville

Traditionally, 1802 Francis St. was used as a side yard for 1804 Francis St., the home next door. It was well maintained, fenced-in, landscaped, and an old listing indicates that it was also used as a small garden. When the owners of the home at 1804 decided to sell last year, they made the decision to sell their home to a person looking for a place to live, and to sell their yard to a developer. [...]
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Feb 12

More Townhomes Are Coming to the Delaware Waterfront

Categories: None

Feb, 12, 2019 | 9 Comments | Fishtown

Ask ten people and you'll probably get ten opinions on what to do with the Delaware River waterfront. Historically, the Delaware was the center of commerce for Philadelphia, bringing goods in, shipping goods out, and providing countless jobs in this endeavor. As times have changed and shipping has become less of a thing in this town, the waterfront has undergone a massive transformation, and currently accommodates a mishmash of uses, including shopping centers, public space, [...]
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Feb 11

Salter Mews Part Deux Coming Soon?

Categories: None

Feb, 11, 2019 | No Comments | Queen Village

In the 1960s, the City condemned four square blocks between 3rd and 5th Streets, Christian Street and Washington Avenue, to establish the Southwark Public Housing Project. As we've told you previously, PHA built three towers here, ultimately demolishing two of them in the early 2000s and constructing a couple hundred two-story homes in their place and converting the third tower into senior housing. As we've also told you previously, a few structures escaped condemnation decades ago, [...]
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Feb 07

Seven Homes Finally Finishing Near Konrad Square Park?

Categories: None

Feb, 07, 2019 | 3 Comments | Fishtown

We'll forgive you if you've never heard of Dakota Street, as it's one of those streets that disappears and reappears in Fishtown, seemingly with little rhyme or reason. It's even more understandable if you couldn't find the 2300 block of E. Dakota St. on the map, since it doesn't show up on Google Maps due to the fact that it ends after a hundred feet and isn't wide enough to drive on. While this is a challenge for [...]
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Feb 06

Checking in on the Partially Renovated Former West Philly High

Categories: None

Feb, 06, 2019 | No Comments | West Philly

It takes a lot to impress architecturally in West Philadelphia. This section of the city is home to more amazing edifices than we can count, ranging from institutional buildings at Penn and Drexel, numerous churches, the Provident Mutual building, and more Victorian homes than you can shake a stick at. Among all the terrific buildings nearby, the original West Philadelphia High School, which covers an entire city block at 47th & Walnut, still manages to stand [...]
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Feb 05

Gretz Brewery Poised to Make a Comeback After Years of Vacancy

Categories: None

Feb, 05, 2019 | 8 Comments | South Kensington

When we first brought the former Gretz brewery at 1524 Germantown Ave. to your attention over seven years ago, we wondered whether the handsome but blighted property could get redeveloped or whether it would eventually fall down or get demolished after decades of vacancy. The latter scenario seemed quite likely less than a year after that story, when the City tore down a section of the property at the corner due to structural concerns. Somehow someway though, the [...]
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Feb 04

Roman Square Will Reign at 11th & McKean

Categories: None

Feb, 04, 2019 | 1 Comment | East Passyunk

Isn't it great that we live in a big city with hundreds of little convenience stores dotting the neighborhoods, allowing us to skip a grocery store trip if we only need a can of beans or a couple tomatoes? Sure, the grocery store has more options and better prices, but that little store at the corner sure is convenient, hence the name. If you've set foot in a convenience store in the last forty years, it's quite [...]
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Feb 01

Zoning Notice Prompts Exploration of 2200 Block of Frankford

Categories: None

Feb, 01, 2019 | No Comments | Fishtown

If you've spent even five minutes in Fishtown over the last number of years, you've surely caught wind that Frankford Avenue is one of the most exciting commercial corridors in Philadelphia. Countless businesses have opened on the corridor, including independent stores, local chains, bars, restaurants- and national retailers are even starting to catch on. And yet, with all these new businesses, many of which are associated with new buildings, Frankford Avenue still has tremendous room to [...]
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Jan 30

Former Passyunk Pharmacy Getting a Bit Taller

Categories: None

Jan, 30, 2019 | 1 Comment | East Passyunk

Roughly 2 years ago, we wrote a story titled Not to Worry, Escape the 1980s Isn't Going Anywhere. This was written in response to a zoning notice posted outside Escape the 1980s escape room at 1804 E. Passyunk Ave., which several readers interpreted to mean an end of the line for the business. As the title of the story suggested though, the business was not closing, but instead the zoning notice indicated that the owner of the property was planning [...]
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