In Francisville

For as long as we can remember, 808 N. 19th St. has been home to an auto garage, the misleadingly named Girard Body Shop. Of course, the auto-centric use dates back to at least the 1940s, much further back than we can remember. Interestingly, it seems the property hasn't been

"No comments from the peanut gallery," is an expression beloved by dads and high school teachers alike, often directed in response to smart aleck kids. The phrase dates back to the days of vaudeville theatre, when patrons sitting or standing in the least expensive section of the theater were known to heckle performers

We've been tracking the situation at 875 Corinthian Ave. for a few years now, and indeed things have changed quite a bit during that time. Back in 2016, we noticed a 'For Sale By Owner' sign at the property and we wondered whether the party that would eventually buy the property would

Traditionally, 1802 Francis St. was used as a side yard for 1804 Francis St., the home next door. It was well maintained, fenced-in, landscaped, and an old listing indicates that it was also used as a small garden. When the owners of the home at 1804 decided to sell last

Turn back the clock a hundred years, and North Broad Street was one of the ritziest areas in Philadelphia, home to some of the fanciest mansions you've never seen. We say that of course, because many of those amazing buildings were demolished over the subsequent decades, as the shine came

Ridge Avenue has experienced an avalanche of new construction over the last handful of years, as developers have bought up vacant or blighted properties and constructed modern mixed-use buildings in their place. As we've documented, these are unusually forward thinking projects, as businesses haven't exactly been rushing to fill those commercial spaces to

We were in Francisville the other day and as we stood at the 15th & Parrish intersection, it struck us just how much change this immediate area has seen over the last several years. The parcel that really drove this home for us was 1501 Parrish St., a property that

Even if you've lived in Francisville for a long time, it's quite possible you've never heard of Bowers Street or Erdman Street. These tiny streets branch off of the 800 block of Perkiomen Street, and both dead-end into the backyards of homes on Leland Street. Just a couple years ago,

A little less than a year ago, we brought 906 N. Broad St. to your attention, dreaming of a better future for the building. We noted the likelihood that it was originally built as a car dealership, but showed you its current blah condition, chopped up into a Family Dollar, a seafood restaurant, and

We've watched with great interest, over the last few years, as Ridge Avenue in Francisville has experienced a slow rebirth. Off the cuff, we can think of roughly a dozen new mixed-use buildings either under construction or recently completed on this corridor, which should collectively provide the neighborhood with an