The number of projects popping up in recent years on the blocks surrounding 40th & Baring has really been astounding. On Baring Street numerous apartment buildings have risen, mostly housing students, generally replacing vacant lots. Recently, a new run of construction and renovation has gotten underway in the area. A large building on the southwest corner is getting turned into a duplex. Just north of the corner on 40th Street, developers recently renovated a long-blighted row of buildings. Closer to Spring Garden Street a row of quadplexes are progressing. And on the east side of the block, a building with 22 units is very much under construction.

These units looking closer

And this one is moving along

Today we look south of Baring Street, still on 40th, and find two more projects currently moving forward. A garage at 335-37 N. 40th St. that looks like it dated back over a hundred years has been demolished. In its place will soon rise a six-unit building. We have to imagine the replacement structure will look less interesting than the building that's now gone.

The old garage was home to a moving company

Now the garage is demolished

An old home down the street, 321 N. 40th St. is still in the process of being demolished. In contrast to the first project, we don't have any idea what's happening after. If we're to guess, it will be a triplex. And the architecture will again be worse than what we've lost. That's not an indictment of the architects per se, just a lamentation of the demolition of old West Philly home that was really nice to look at.

This is on the way out

Sad to see this one go

Though the student housing boom has coursed its way its way through this area, it's still nothing compared to what's happened near Temple. We do wonder though, if builders continue to put up more student housing units, will oversupply start to push down rents? It hasn't happened yet to our knowledge but it's surely something to monitor as development continues to move along in the neighborhood.