In Bella Vista

Here at Naked Philly, we have the chance to cover projects large and small, on streets wide and narrow. The 600 block of S. Delhi Street is one of the skinnier residential blocks you'll find in Philadelphia, with barely enough room for a car to make its way up the
Read More
Last fall, we told you about a pair of rotting bay windows in Bella Vista, around the corner from the Italian Market. At that time, there was a Stop Work Order posted on the building because the work was apparently being done without a permit. We were frankly more concerned
Read More
Over the winter, when we last checked in on Mildred Court, the twenty-five home development under construction on 8th Street, Montrose Street, and Carpenter Street, the buildings that once stood there had been demolished and formwork had appeared on Carpenter Street. We passed by the other day and discovered all
Read More
A few months back, developers appeared before the Bella Vista Neighbors Association with plans to raze the building that's housed the Klinghoffer carpet showroom for years and replace it with three new homes. They also intended to build four homes across the street where a one-story garage previously stood.ShowroomIn a
Read More
If you're heading down 8th Street in Bella Vista, your eye is easily drawn to the handsome Columbus Hall building just south of Fitzwater Street. Located at 744-46 S. 8th St., the building was home in recent decades to Mama Yolanda's restaurant, now out of business. It was initially built
Read More
In 1880, the population of Italians living in Philadelphia was modest, according to an article by Stefano Luconi. However, in the years immediately thereafter, a wave of immigration would make Philly second only to New York in the number of newly-arrived Italians. During this first great influx, the settlement concentrated around what
Read More
We've repeatedly visited the corner of 6th & South over the last few years, alerting you as new businesses have arrived and lamenting continuing vacancies. Most recently, we gave you the heads up that the long-vacant building on the southwest corner, most recently home to a McDonald's, was finally getting
Read More
Over the last few years, there's been a staggering amount of residential development near 8th & Christian, especially considering the fact that Bella Vista is already largely developed. Five homes replaced vacant lots on Darien Street. A nineteen home development took over a former surface parking lot between Christian and
Read More
You can tell just by looking that the 4-story building at the northeast corner of 7th & Christian has some history to it. The sequence of its various stages, however, is a little hazy. Without a whole lot of concrete information to go on, here’s what we’ve got on 825 S.
Read More
The little stretch of houses on Kater Street between 6th and 7th Streets is relatively peaceful today given its proximity to South Street. However, its history is as a street of ill-repute and abysmal living standards. Originally called Bedford Street, this mixed bag of immigrant families earned a colorful description as “one of the
Read More