In Northern Liberties

Though it may seem these days like everyone and their brother is a real estate developer, it's actually a pretty risky way to make a living. As we've described many times over the years, the zoning process introduces a tremendous amount of risk to any development, adding a layer of community

We first drew your attention to the terrible Liberty Shopping Plaza at 501 Spring Garden St. waaaaay back in 2011. At the time, we likened this shopping center to a jail for stores and offered a recommendation to tear it down and start over at this prominent location. More recently, we revisited

By all accounts, the Delaware River waterfront should be one of the most attractive parts of Philadelphia. And yet, for a host of reasons, that ain't the case. We'd contend that I-95 has been the primary limiting factor for development along the waterfront over the last several decades, cutting the water off from the

A couple months ago, we brought 1141 N. Front St. to your attention. Construction had recently gotten started at this long vacant lot on the Fishtown/Northern Liberties border, and we shared the details that a 6-story mixed-use building with 43 apartments, 13 parking spaces, and roughly 1,800 sqft of retail space was in

North 2nd Street has come a long way over the last couple decades, transitioning from an industrial artery into a vibrant commercial corridor, one building at a time. Over the years, blighted buildings have been renovated or demolished and numerous lots that sat vacant for quite some time have been replaced by new

If you find yourself on Front Street just south of Girard, you'll probably notice a large sign telling you that you're across the street from the Notorious Galdo Parcel. This property, located at 1101 N. Front St., has technically been owned by the City of Philadelphia since 1974. John Galdo

The building at 201 Spring Garden St. hearkens back to the industrial past of Northern Liberties, and its relatively recent changes speak to the current direction of the neighborhood. The building was originally constructed in 1913 by Valentine H Smith & Co. wholesale druggists and manufacturing pharmacists. Over time, the building housed

Just a few steps from the Piazza, Northern Liberties is picking up a new, albeit much smaller apartment building. 1018 Germantown Ave. was home to a pretty cool looking industrial building which was used as a printing business and a machine shop back in the day. We couldn't tell you what

As Northern Liberties has continued to gentrify, new construction has pushed farther and farther west, into the East Poplar neighborhood. This new construction has certainly changed the character of this part of town, where we see privately owned lower income housing that's been there for decades sitting alongside newer residential buildings, with a sprinkling

A project has been brewing at the southeast corner of 6th & Brown for years, and now it appears something is finally going to happen. In case you aren't familiar with this property, it's a one-story building that looks like it was originally built for industrial purposes, but it's been