About two years ago, we toured 1128 S. 19th St., a large corner property that caught fire mere weeks before we set foot inside. The first floor was trashed, the second pretty severely damaged, and the third only had some minor blemishes from smoke and water. We passed on the

Thus sayeth the mighty cartoon Union rat!

Gotta love:

1) The OCF green tie

2) That the rat actually is drinking a cup of coffee!

3) The 'Please don't litter' tag on the bottom

4) The phone number listed on the flyer is wrong. It's actually 215-735-7368

5) The miniature American flags

What else? There's got to

Last week, we told you about the controversy that's erupted over the demolition of a one-story property on a block full of similar homes, and its replacement by a new three-story home. Today, we'll tell you about a similar tale on a similarly unattractive block just a short jaunt away.

The other day, we told you about a new home that's currently under construction on Norris St. by developers BMK Properties. Today, we can tell you about two other homes nearby that this developer is working on at the moment.

The home on the corner, 2216 E. Thompson St., is clearly

To those who might question the value or effectiveness of urban renewal projects, we say, behold Headhouse Square.  At one time, a bustling anchor of immigrant activity, the two block stretch of 2nd Street between South and Pine provides ample evidence of its past while obscuring much of the squalor and disrepair

A year ago, we first told you about the likelihood that the Fortieth Street ME Church, located at 125 S. 40th St. would be demolished sometime soon. The church, which was built in 1872 and designed by Sloan & Hutton, housed three different congregations over 135 years. The currently empty

In January, we told you about a proposed mixed-use development for a large corner parcel in Point Breeze that's currently a vacant lot. The corner of Point Breeze & Titan, which has attracted a handsome garden built by members of the community, has not had a building on it for

While West Philly has been home to various urban innovations, from co-ops to urban farms to the Dirt Factory, one thing developers in other areas of the city, specifically in Port Richmond and Fishtown, have been more active in revitalizing is repurposed old buildings. Not to mention the Loft District.

In the river

Months ago, we first told you about Norris Point, a ten-home development at the corner of Norris St. & Trenton Ave. that had just gotten underway. This large-scale development with contemporary design elements reminded us of The Nine, a recently constructed development nearby. And like The Nine, this development is

With the success of Union Transfer, at 10th & Spring Garden, and the apparent popularity of the recently rising "Spring Arts" neighborhood, we’re wondering if developers will be attracted to a building that currently contains a Nationwide Auto Body, now for sale at 1221 Mt.Vernon St.

It’s available for $1.8M through Rust Real Estate,