According to The Philly History Blog, William Bucknell founded the Chester Gas Company in 1856, just ahead of the Industrial Revolution.  His investment would make him part of a new class of wealthy industrialists inhabiting Philadelphia and clustering around Rittenhouse Square.  By the 1860s, Bucknell would parlay his wealth into a massive residence

About a month ago, the city's newest Bottom Dollar location opened on Grays Ferry Avenue. At the time, we remarked that we were a little surprised about just how quickly the new market was built. Though the developer is different, history now seems to be repeating itself on Girard Avenue.You

Three years ago we saw the lesser-known side of Fairmount Avenue, east of the Penitentiary, experience vast redevelopment that spilled over into Francisville. This wave of development has yet to crest, and its most notable addition is the large Project H.O.M.E. 55-unit mixed-use project on the formerly vacant lot near

Back in January, we showed you some images of the former Saint Rita's school at Broad & Ellsworth as it was being demolished. At the time, we told you that the Saint Rita of Cascia Shrine next door had plans for the site that once contained the school which were

A couple of years ago, the NLNA approved plans for seventeen new homes at 814-32 N. Lawrence St., which was previously home to the Marcis Wire Works. A large red warehouse has been located on this corner for generations, but it was demolished at some point in the last couple

For over a decade, the southwest corner of 46th & Sansom has prominently featured a large vacant lot. True, it's not quite as depressing as some other lots nearby, but it's still a huge chunk of land that seems to be crying out for development. With student housing stretching its

A few years ago, we found ourselves in Pennsport with a flat tire. Thankfully, the good people at Phil's Battery Service, at 238 Tasker St., were kind enough to patch us up. They didn't even charge for their trouble. We passed by their location yesterday and two different signs indicated

Every few months in Northern Liberties, it seems another former industrial building is being demolished. In place of these former warehouses and factories, new single-family homes, rental units, and sometimes mixed-use projects are arriving.Developers that want to build ten new single-family homes at 600 N. 4th St., where now stands

We were heading to Center City from South Philly today and passed by the fire-damaged remains of Hawthorne's Cafe at 11th & Fitzwater. For the last several years, this place has been a favorite of ours, as it was a wonderful place to grab a unique six-pack, sit down with

When we checked in on 3221 Spring Garden St. last summer, the 24-unit building with 13 parking spots was just starting to get framed out. Passing by last week, plenty of progress is apparent. We're quite confident that the building will be ready to accommodate the wave of new students