Passing by the former East Baptist Church at 1236 E. Columbia Ave., you wouldn't think twice about it. It's a nice looking building architecturally, though it looks like it needs a little TLC. If you live nearby though, you know the building has been vacant for years, ever since the

The northeast corner of 8th & Fitzwater has played a central part in defining its Bella Vista neighborhood for almost 200 years.  Its story begins in 1832, when, according to Philadelphia Buildings, a school serving both boys and girls was constructed on the spot.  The Ringgold Grammar School is shown here below

We've heard whispers in recent months about the fate of the former home of L2 on the northwest corner of 22nd & South, but nothing we could pin down. This week though, we heard from a reliable source that Starbucks will almost definitely be taking over the space. Plans are

Last fall, we told you about an exciting effort from Brickstone that would completely change the conversation on East Chestnut Street. At the time, they were proposing the renovation of 1126-28 Chestnut St., a long blighted former department store building, and the demolition of the two buildings next door. In

Back in the spring, we told you about plans from OCF Holdings to replace a gross old warehouse with twenty-two new homes at the corner of 20th & Wharton. The project went to the ZBA back in May, and a final ruling still hasn't been made.Current viewLooking down 20th StreetAt

For many years, the 1600 block of Ogden Street was a vast vacant wasteland. A number of City-owned lots sprinkled among privately owned lots combined with an a stunted Ridge Avenue made developing the block a challenge to say the least. And so it sat.But as Francisville has seen considerable

Aside from the excellent Trestle Inn, the intersection of 11th & Callowhill is all kinds of rough. Up above you'll find the old Reading viaduct. While it may someday be a wonderful elevated park, it will never be great to pass underneath. Just to the north is the Callowhill substation,

Back in April, we checked in on the 1900 and 2000 blocks of Titan Street, noting three new homes under construction on the 2000 block and two more on the 1900 block. Since our last visit, there's been plenty of progress, as one would hope.Three new homes on the 2000

Cement Park. Its name is almost the antithesis of the recent movement across the city to modernize older parks and playgrounds and transform them into green enclaves with stormwater management features. Newer parks, like Washington Avenue Green along the waterfront in South Philadelphia, are designed with this stuff in mind

We've lost count of the number of churches that have been demolished by developers in recent years in favor of residential development. We've seen it in the Graduate Hospital neighborhood (repeatedly), West Poplar, Francisville, and may soon see it happen in Fishtown. Though it's surely happened, we can't recall a