bordered by the Delaware River to the east Washington Avenue to the north and Snyder Avenue to the south — though those borders are subject to debate The neighborhood has a rich concentration of historically blue-collar families and Mummers’ clubhouses — Pennsport’s “Two Street,” also known as 2nd Street hosts a serious post-parade street party every New Year’s Day But it is also experiencing the beginnings of its own complete with a healthy lineup of new bars Pennsport is Philadelphia’s riverfront enclave that’s seen building exciting momentum in recent years The influx of energy is welcome in a neighborhood already rich in Philly tradition The stretch between Front and 2nd streets serves as home to the Mummers — the bedazzled paraders who’ve strut up Broad Street every New Year’s Day for more than 100 years Mummer clubs and pubs blend into the neighborhood’s quaint well-maintained blocks in this historically residential part of town A growing number of new restaurateurs and shop owners continue to breathe new energy into the area expanding the neighborhood’s already robust identity The wildly entertaining Mummers Parade culminates with a party in Pennsport every New Year's Day SEPTA buses run on Front Street and Moyamensing and Washington avenues but access from I-95 and fairly easy-to-find street parking makes it driveable as well The biggest event of the year by far is the Mummers Parade and party on 2nd Street (“Two Street” to locals) each New Year’s Day After the parade advances through Center City a huge party breaks out in the neighborhood transforming it from a quiet residential area into the place to be Concerts and revelry begin in earnest around sundown and go all night long Philadelphia is a city of vibrant neighborhoods bordered by a region of charming towns with each area owning a distinctive personality Explore the neighborhoods and towns in and around Philadelphia — their storied streets buzzed-about restaurants and year-round happenings Use the menu above to explore Philadelphia Neighborhoods Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardFuture of the Rizzo Rink threatened by I-95 reconstruction projectDue to PennDot's lack of clarity club leaders treat every season like it's their last the youth hockey arena located under I-95 in South Philadelphia stormwater streamed down from the leaky interstate and pooled on the rink’s hard plastic covering The traffic zooming by overhead sounded like rolling thunder and seemed to shake the crumbling concrete above the team benches who has played and coached at the Pennsport rink for nearly 40 years the rainy day milieu is the way it’s always been at Rizzo Rink “That’s how everyone knows us,” said Brinn a member of the Rizzo Rink advisory council they have transformed the rickety open-air rink into a neighborhood staple “All it’s ever been about is bringing hockey to the kids,” said Steve Grosso who has helped organize Rizzo’s hockey program for more than 30 years But now the rink boosters have begun the arduous task of finding a new home PennDot and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation officials have informed Rizzo Rink that they will eventually have to shutter it as part of the decades-long I-95 reconstruction effort deputy communications director for PennDot said in a statement that an effort to widen the shoulders of the expressway cannot be safely done without at least temporarily relocating the rink It is too early to tell whether the rink will have to be completely torn down which may also include a new on-ramp at the site will not begin until the late 2030s or later it will set aside funds to relocate the rink Rudolph said the agency is committed to community engagement and realizes the importance of the rink and fields “We have heard and understand the community’s concerns as well as those of the elected officials and other stakeholders,” he said communications director for Philadelphia Parks & Recreation confirmed in a brief statement that the rink will close due to the construction She said the city is working to find an alternative location programs involved there say they have asked the city for years for help finding a larger site in South Philly Previous discussions for a new rink at sites including FDR Park and the Delaware Avenue shopping malls and piers have led nowhere Building a new site anywhere in the city will likely take years and tens of millions of dollars Rizzo Rink officials say they operate as if every season could be their last “We know we’re on borrowed time,” said Brinn founded the youth hockey league in the 1980s “We just don’t know how much time we have left.” its backroom was a popular meeting place for South Philly politicians on the rise “We used to jokingly call it the Fourth Street Deli of rec centers,” said Brinn, referring to the famous Queen Village Election Day hangout 500 boys and girls between the ages of 5 and 13 skated in the instructional leagues running between November and March Fans jammed the cramped arena and toted homemade Stanley Cup trophies But as competitive as the games could sometimes get the league took all kids regardless of skill level and proceeds from a small concession stand pay for jerseys Free equipment is often donated back to the rink’s pro shop for other kids to use “We bring hockey to youth that can’t afford to play,” said Grosso Between 250 and 300 kids play each year at the rink While the city pays to keep the rink lights on and provides staffing the league says it has long been responsible for most of the repairs Though the layout is 30% smaller than a regulation hockey rink salt water dripping from I-95 expansion joints often freezes into dangerous speed bumps on the ice And the concrete pillars are chipping so badly in spots that rebar is exposed There is a tiny locker room for all the kids and a single set of bleachers for fans Wildlife has decamped in the open-air arena crashing against the boards and falling to the ice before it regained consciousness “But then we saw its talons start to move.” And there was that year the rink’s compressor pipes running heaters to get the pipes going again they worry any major one could be their last we almost kind of expect someone to tell us Rink officials say they have been asking the city for help to find a new home for decades “It’s a program that supports itself,” Grosso said But no one — not even league alum Jim Kenney — has delivered “We’ve gone to so many meetings with so many politicians and so many mayors,” said Grosso who helped secure funding for a new Zamboni a few years ago said he is working to get PennDot and the city to the table to help find the rink a new home one that can handle all of Rizzo’s programming “There will be a basic plan and a Cadillac plan,” he said Neither the city or PennDot has committed a dollar amount yet There have been preliminary discussions about possibly building a new rink at the former PES Refinery site in Point Breeze “It’s going to have to be a collaborative effort between PennDot and whoever else we could get to be a partner,” he said “Anything we build is going to be tens of millions of dollars.” “The reason we’re active now is that we know we have 10 years to do it,” he said “And maybe that doesn’t seem like it’s a rush but it’s pretty urgent that we find a location we still have to come up with the resources.” who along with Squilla has been lobbying PennDot for more transparency on the South Philly plans said she hopes that as the planning continues the conversation can evolve from simply preserving endangered South Philly spaces to imagining new ones such as a waterfront park with new youth sports facilities “In addition to protecting and enhancing these valuable community spaces I also would like to dream bigger about what outside space in South Philly can look like,” she said this riverside neighborhood in South Philly also boasts a surprisingly good restaurant scene and more big-box stores than you thought could fit in such a compact space Dickinson Square Park at Pennsport’s western edge serves as the neighborhood’s green heart It’s one of three green oases in Pennsport: Jefferson Square sits at the neighborhood’s northwest corner and Herron Playground is near the center of its north side Once you cross Washington Avenue headed south the thoroughfare that goes by that name everywhere outside Pennsport becomes “Two Street,” the place where the Mummers clubs stage the real New Year’s Day party There’s more than Mummery to this neighborhood that hugs the Delaware waterfront between Washington and Snyder avenues, though. Long home to the working-class Irish who poured into the city in the latter half of the 19th century Pennsport more recently has seen a slow but steady influx of residents from more diverse backgrounds Younger residents have taken its rich supply of traditional row houses and given them new leases on life A slew of new construction projects in and around the neighborhood has added some more luxurious digs to the local housing stock What’s more, new restaurants have gone beyond the beef-and-beer standard of the older establishments. Pennsport is also the birthplace of Federal Donuts Michael Solomonov’s fried-chicken-and-designer-donut chain that quickly won a legion of fans across the city If you do choose to make Pennsport your home you should have no trouble furnishing it or fixing it up: the big-box Nirvana along its stretch of the Delaware riverfront includes Home Depot a Raymour & Flanigan location and the city’s only Ikea store Median single-family house value: $269,200 Bright MLS image via BHHS Fox & Roach Realtors Stylish New Construction Townhouse with Garage Parking for Two Cars Bright MLS image via Coldwell Banker Preferred Classic Philly Row House with Rear Courtyard and Deck Bright MLS image via Keller Williams Realty Ultra-Modern Townhouse Behind Traditional Facade on Washington Avenue and Columbus Boulevard; 79 All bus routes serving Pennsport except Route 57 either terminate or pass through the transit stop at the Pier 70 shopping center on Columbus Boulevard also carries a selection of Swedish food products “Pennsport is great because of its commutability to Jersey with easy access to the bridges You are also steps away from Queen Village without the same price tag and with tons of new construction you can be right in the heart of the Mummers Parade and don’t forget about the original Federal Donuts at Second and Federal Parking isn’t too bad either relative to the rest of the city and you are close to the big box stores like Ikea be sure to check out the Spray Park at Herron Playground at 2nd and Reed!” A Mummers comic brigade struts down Two Street on New Year’s evening It doesn’t get much more colorful than New Year’s Day on Two Street in Pennsport. After the Mummers clubs wrap up their parade up Broad Street, they all head down to Second Street, where most of their clubhouses are located, for an encore performance on a more intimate, family-friendly scale for friends and neighbors. You can be one of that crowd as well – all you have to do is make your way over to Pennsport for the annual 2nd Street Strut Want to hang out on a Delaware River pier where the river itself is the focal point? You can become one with the Delaware at Washington Avenue Pier the former Pier 53 at Columbus Boulevard and Washington Avenue this pier has a pathway that extends all the way to the end where you can actually dip your fingers or toes in the river A boardwalk lets you see wetlands up close and personal and there are great river views all around are from the observation platform that’s part of the “Land Buoy” sculpture you can take in the full sweep of the waterfront And that’s not the only pier in Pennsport that lets you get intimate with the river. Pier 68 which extends into the river from the end of the Pier 70 shopping center offers a less sculpted environment for experiencing the Delaware A four-foot-wide cut in the pier lets the tidal estuary flow into it and shows you how the Delaware ecosystem functions and one of the few spots along the river where you can go fishing Rob McElhenney at Comic Con 2017. | Photo: Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons, used under CC-BY-SA-2.0 The delightfully funny degenerates who make up the cast of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” sprang from the mind of a Pennsport native Series creator Rob McElhenney grew up in Pennsport and attended St planted the idea for the dark comedy in his head McElhenney plays Mac on the show — and Mac’s is also the name of the tavern McElhenney owns in Old City Why he didn’t open it on Moyamensing Avenue will remain a mystery House price and rent data from Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Rent Index Can’t Swing the Price of a Home in Your Dream Neighborhood Living in Center City West: A Neighborhood Guide The history of the Pennsport neighborhood of Philadelphia has been connected to the Delaware River since its inception during Pennsylvania’s colonial era The first United States Naval Yard started in the 1770s as a private commercial yard located in what is now Pennsport along the Delaware the natural aspects of the riverbank were lost to time as industrialization and maritime industry took hold—during World War II the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard employed 40,000 people working around the clock to produce and repair ships—and the interstate system cut a huge swath through the neighborhood At the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Flower Show Temple’s exhibit will explore the history of Pennsport and chart a course toward a future designed to reconnect the neighborhood with the waterway that has been so integral to its history “We are creating an exhibit that focuses on culture specifically Pennsport,” said Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture Michael LoFurno who is navigating the students through the project with adjunct instructor and Temple landscape architecture program alum Anthony Zachornacki “We intend to represent the Delaware River’s history as an active shipping port for coal which we may contrast with the recent re-wilding of the pier areas.” “The Philadelphia Flower Show theme this year is ‘United by Flowers.’ One of our goals with the exhibit this year is to share the history of Pennsport; we also want to tell the future story of what Pennsport could be,” said landscape architecture junior Cecelia Quay “We are working in teams on several parts of the exhibit which also illustrates initiatives like seed programs and tool sharing programs trying to show people what a community effort like this can look like.” Including numerous sustainable and educational aspects throughout the exhibit environments from the pier to the buildings to the pathways and water features “we want to illustrate how we can respect the heritage of the area of Pennsport,” said LoFurno who is directing the 2024 exhibit—the 15th that he has been involved with at Temple solutions and opportunities for moving forward in the future as we deal with major global issues like climate change and rising sea levels,” he said “Our site being on the Delaware River is perfect for that illustration.” Temple University Ambler has a long and rich history with the Philadelphia Flower Show dating back to 1916 the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women (PHSW) The Tyler School of Art and Architecture’s landscape architecture and horticulture programs and the Ambler Arboretum have taken home nearly 100 awards throughout that history in competition with other schools developing and building Flower Show exhibits at Temple LoFurno is well-versed in creating an experience that engages the students and puts their work in front of an international audience Students in the Landscape Architecture Junior Design-Build Studio have been working for several months on different aspects of the 2024 exhibit “Pennsport is one of the oldest sections of Philadelphia,” he said “It was where the Swedes settled initially many industries grew up primarily focused around shipbuilding It was home to the first Navy Yard—major ships during the Revolutionary War period were built there.” The maritime heritage of the region “is reflected in docks and wharfs remnants of which are still there,” said LoFurno “A lot of the waterfront has been converted into shopping centers and things like that but there is also a mostly unappreciated respect for the river that’s shown in some of the pier renovations,” he said “We’re trying to build on that in the exhibit and show that you can work with the existing piers and possibly provide habitat and additional opportunities for recreation The city has been doing some of that already—we’re trying to suggest ways to push that further.” preparing more than 500 plants and trees for the exhibit Simone Keg has been focused on constructing what will appear to be an old industrial building that will also be the locus for the community garden The area is an example of nature reclaiming the space while providing the opportunity to unite people through horticulture “The building will look like it’s been taken over by invasive or aggressive plants We’re trying to convey how we can take industrialized spaces and make them something new something that is more sustainable and beneficial for the community,” she said “I hope people that walk through our exhibit really get a feel for Pennsport and that they are inspired by what we’ve designed—using recycled materials While the students were initially designing the exhibit they were taken on a field trip to Pennsport to experience the area firsthand “They are taking aspects of the neighborhood’s features and history and interpreting it in the exhibit itself A large portion of this whole project focuses on how we can reunite the Delaware River with the community—the construction of I-95 essentially cut off Pennsport from the river,” he said “Having an exhibit that people can walk through rather than just being able to see it from the perimeter gives visitors the opportunity to use all five senses hear it—each section of the exhibit will have a different feel to it.” Temple will be demonstrating techniques for accommodating rising sea and river levels in ecofriendly ways with gabions and coil logs Pathways will lead visitors through the varied exhibit spaces will follow a nautical theme evoking the pier areas of Pennsport—water features will greet visitors as they enter the exhibit—“while the exit area will reflect more closely on the community of Pennsport,” according to landscape architecture junior Maggie Murphy “For our exhibit I hope exhibitors think about Pennsport and its history there has been a lot of revitalization and that’s something that landscape architects can play a big role in,” she said “Just seeing how our work could connect with possible projects in the future will give visitors greater insight into what we are able to do as a profession.” The 2024 exhibit continues a long tradition within the landscape architecture and horticulture programs of interdisciplinary and hands-on learning experiences Temple is one of only a handful of exhibitors that forces its own plants for their exhibits Temple horticulture staff and students use various techniques to "trick" the plants into thinking that late February/early March is a perfect time to put their best blooming face forward for the signature event’s quarter-million guests “Being able to force our own plants for the exhibit gives us the opportunity to be more flexible with regard to our plant material We can grow unusual native plants that most people would not be able to source commercially,” said Snyder “It also gives our students hands-on experience working in the greenhouse on plant production the natural dormancy of plants in our region “is usually broken by heat and humidity during spring weather “We need to trick plants into thinking that winter is over and spring is here we are both adding extra heat and extra humidity in our greenhouse as well as extending daylight artificially,” he said “We’re using about 60 different species of plants this year for our Flower Show exhibit focusing on plants that are both native to this region as well as invasive plants that have affected the region’s ecology adversely.” First arriving at Temple as a horticulture student “seeing all of the preparation that went into creating the Flower Show exhibit I was in absolute awe,” said horticulture senior Zachary Quintois “It’s a special moment for me to be part of the team working on the exhibit this year The fact that we grow our own plants for the exhibit means a lot,” he said “For someone that didn’t really know where they were going in life I’m a very proud to be helping Temple in readying the plants for the 2024 Flower Show exhibit.” All of the design-build work for the 2024 exhibit has taken place in the Innovation Studio at Temple Ambler a dedicated space for multidisciplinary research and study in the Ambler Research and Collaboration Building the former location of the campus library which was repurposed following the severe damage caused by the 2021 tornado “This space has a great high ceiling and lots of light It provides a great deal of flexibility in terms of what we’re building—we can get the entire exhibit in one space which was a challenge in years past,” LoFurno said “We can work on the exhibit structures as they will look at the show and work on making the effects that we want to create here.” “and we hope that’s an aspect that visitors truly connect with,” Zachornacki said “Maybe they will see a flower they’ve never experienced before something that they might be able to plant at their home,” he said “People might take ideas from the community garden that is part of our exhibit and develop their own community gardens using some of the design elements they’ve seen.” Zachornacki is no stranger to the teamwork, diligence and creativity that goes into creating a Temple exhibit for the Flower Show. He was part of the student team that created Temple’s award-winning 2015 exhibit, Star Power: Casts of Light that Stir and Spellbind “A major component of the landscape architecture profession is not just designing something on paper but actually building it; seeing the process using the materials and seeing how everything comes together you’re building something that about 200,000 people will walk through and take inspiration from your design—that’s very gratifying,” he said “We have great students putting every effort into the exhibit this year I think it’s been beneficial to them to have someone who has been in their shoes Temple’s program is one of less than a handful of accredited programs in the nation that include a mandatory design-build experience The hands-on aspect of the Flower Show project and the emphasis on design-build throughout Tyler’s landscape architecture program “definitely promotes skill-building,” said landscape architecture junior Ruby Kabuiku who is working on the riparian woodlands area of the exhibit with fellow landscape architecture junior Owen Lambert “I didn’t have a lot of experience with power tools before this project—I’m excited to be getting a really hands-on learning experience One of the reasons I chose Temple University was that I wanted a lot of different experiences inside and outside the classroom,” said Kabuiku “I’m fairly new to Philadelphia and I love to see how history can be interpreted and conveyed through art I am so excited to be working on the Flower Show exhibit this year—I went home and told absolutely everyone about it It’s great to see all of the hard work and dedication that we put into this exhibit and have the opportunity to showcase it to so many people.”   For more information about the Tyler School of Art and Architecture Landscape Architecture and Horticulture programs, visit tyler.temple.edu/programs/landscape-architecture-horticulture For more information about Temple University Ambler, visit ambler.temple.edu Temple Now: The official source for Temple news.Copyright 2015 currently being demolished for two single-family homes seen from Tasker Street | Photo: Christopher Mote Demolition has begun on Greenwich Street Church a former worship site and Sunday school for Presbyterians and later a temple for Buddhist monks The modest building at 240 Greenwich Street is being cleared to make way for two single-family homes a spokesperson for Landmark Architectural Design confirmed Although the development has yet to be finalized the church lot is over 11,000 square feet in size which suggests homes that will have a larger-than-average footprint and/or make abundant use of the property’s open space No permits for new construction have been granted for the property is a member of the Olivieri family of Pat’s King of Steaks fame a performance venue on Ninth Street’s Italian Market “Greenwich Street Church, Greenwich and Tasker” | Image from The Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia The original chapel was erected in 1866 and initially used as a Sunday school by members of the Third Presbyterian Church (still active today as Old Pine Street Church in Society Hill) the chapel was organized for worship by the Fourth Presbytery of Philadelphia and became known as Greenwich Street Church The building was enlarged in 1880 and given its extant gothic façade the western tower held a steeple that rose to 100 feet The church property also boasted 200 feet of gardening space between Greenwich and Tasker Streets Scott observed in an 1895 survey of the city’s Presbyterian churches and institutions In 1987, the church was converted into Khmer Palelai Buddhist Temple to serve South Philadelphia’s burgeoning Cambodian population. Khmer Palelai vacated the property with the opening of its new monastery in Southwest Philadelphia which it began building in 2011 after owning the land for a decade Landmark also drew up the designs for the temple that is under construction at the site at 58th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard Pennsport Civic Association did not receive nor require notification of the demolition the plan for this property requires no variances,” he said the developer would be required to contact us If no variances are required they can start work without any communication with the civic association.” Tags:     Christopher Mote Christopher Mote covers stories of preservation He lives in South Philadelphia and has a special fondness for brownstone churches and mansard roofs also there was a Church bell that belonged to the original church that the Monks stole from us since it belonged to the church and not to them Lived on Garrett st sang in childrens choir Went to the church from the 50’s and left Phila in the early 60’s due to eminent domain for the 95 project Can’t believe they would tear down a church and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. but its the new spot for South Philadelphia foodies ByWendy Daughenbaugh Monday 2021Herman's has no phone so don't try calling and they don't take pre-orders for the popups so you've got to just head over to the garage and enjoy the experience.SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Herman's Coffee sounds like a caffeine stop but it looks much more like a mechanic's garage Husband and wife owners Mat and Amy Falco took an an old auto shop and gas station and turned it into a small-batch-coffee-roaster and Mat's obsession with unique tinned fish that you can't find elsewhere The couple also bought a food cart for rotating restaurant pop-ups food trucks pull up during brunch hours with burritos There's no phone so don't try calling; just pop over and experience the scene Herman's Coffee | Facebook | Instagram The old interior space at The Dutch in Pennsport The Dutch moved and then The Dutchess moved in. That sentence might sound like a weird divorce joke told at a Renaissance Faire, but it’s news for Pennsport diners and anyone in Philly who loved Chef Lee Styer’s work at Fond before the restaurant shut down in 2021 The Dutchess will officially set up shop in the Pennsport space where The Dutch first operated before the restaurant moved to East Passyunk in early 2022 will continue to lead The Dutchess as the restaurant’s chef alongside his wife Prawlucki will be serving the same malted chocolate ice cream that she made at Fond — the couple’s small neighborhood restaurant that served French and New American food for more than a decade in East Passyunk After opening Fond, Styer teamed up with Joncarl Lachman of Noord and Neuf in 2016 to launch The Dutch on South 4th Street in Pennsport (though Lachman is no longer associated with the project and the restaurant’s original chef, Kevin Watters The concept was simple: merge the respective backgrounds of each chef marrying the food of the Pennsylvania Dutch with Dutch — as in The Netherlands — cuisine staples The Dutch committed itself to Brunch with a capital B the plan was always to get a new concept into The Dutch’s Pennsport space “We decided to keep that location because it was a great location and it’s totally set up and ready to go,” he says “Once we were able to get a couple team members back Fond’s closure in 2021 left an empty space in East Passyunk for The Dutch to take over which in turn left an empty space in Pennsport for The Dutchess A post shared by The Dutchess (@thedutchessphilly) The Dutchess will focus its attention on sandwiches as well as quick grab-and-go salads and platters rather than the brunch classics featured at The Dutch The Dutchess will serve things like burgers Customers can place their orders at the counter (or the takeout window out front) then grab a seat and eat at the restaurant or take their meal to-go nor can you make a reservation ahead of time Styer also says he hopes to revive some old Fond favorites during Fond-themed pop-up dinners at The Dutchess pop-ups will allow Styer to dip a toe back into the style of cooking at Fond without having to commit to Fond’s former concept in full I was making sauces that take three days.” At The Dutchess Styer says he’s looking forward to the simplicity of being able to run ingredient-focused specials.”Let’s get some really nice tomatoes and make a fresh mozzarella-tomato salad or a panini Things that are approachable and super simple The Dutchess officially opens to the public on Wednesday, June 8th (though they had a friends and family event for the neighborhood over the weekend) Stop by The Dutchess between Wednesday and Sunday from 10 a.m Philly’s Ultimate Cheese Lover’s Guide Philly’s Best Restaurant Patios and Rooftops Philly’s Best Wine Clubs: Your Guide to Curated Bottles and Exclusive Sips PennDot says the cover plate slipped out of place on the elevated highway Wednesday morning causing debris to fall to the ground.PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Drivers can expect temporary lane closures on I-95 southbound in Philadelphia's Pennsport neighborhood as crews work to replace a cover plate causing debris to fall to the ground on Front Street but two southbound lanes were briefly closed during the day as crews worked on a temporary fix PennDOT says there will be lane closures on Thursday and Friday from 7 p.m approximately one mile north of the Walt Whitman Bridge/I-76 Interchange at Tasker Street All southbound I-95 lanes will reopen each morning beginning at 5 a.m Drivers are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work areas because backups and delays will occur Get the latest traffic updates by clicking here In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver BBC "Newshour" covers everything from the growth of democracy to the threat of terrorism with a fresh John Dougherty grew up in Pennsport and still lives there as do many of the Local 98 union’s members WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today. Authorities investigating why a man set fire to Shapiro’s home are probing whether the suspect targeted him because of his Jewish faith or positions on Israel’s war in Gaza shows federal agents outside of a tire shop on Baltimore Pike taking people away in handcuffs Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY The all-day sandwich spot is an extension of Pennsport Beer Boutique Back in March, we told you that the folks behind Pennsport Beer Boutique were planning an expansion. Charlie’s Roast Pork will be an all-day sandwich specialist focusing on house-roasted pork and beef — and it’s officially opening the morning of Monday Co-owner Heather Tricario tells Foobooz that Charlie’s will offer breakfast sandwiches with toppings like ham they’ll serve roast pork and beef sandwiches and burgers on rolls from South Philly’s Carangi Baking Company There will also be a kids’ menu with child-friendly fare like hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches Charlie’s and Pennsport Beer Boutique are connected — the sandwich shop is behind the bar — so guests will be able to order beers at the bar to drink in the restaurant or food from the restaurant to enjoy in the bar or beer garden Charlie’s Roast Pork is located at 1301 South 3rd Street Hours to start will be Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m Check out the menu below (click to embiggen) Takeout Foods to Include in Your Perfect Philly Picnic The new BYO from chef Ari Miller is set to debut this winter at Front and Morris Streets Ever since the Helm crew brought their concept to Rittenhouse and temporarily closed Pennsport sister restaurant South Helm we’ve been wondering what might be in store for the space is set to open in January at 100 Morris Street He’s going into the project with longtime friend Ari Kushner and chef and culinary instructor Nicole Suanlarm “Most people would call it farm-to-table,” Miller said “My food is really an expression and celebration of the relationships I get to have with cheesemongers and the people I’ve been blessed to have me following me around town and sticking with me through a lot of weird incarnations.” That means small and large plates inspired by the products offered by purveyors like Lost Bread Co. as well as collaborative dinners with fellow chefs That collaboration with purveyors is right there in the name: Musi was the name of Miller’s favorite fishmonger in Tel Aviv’s Carmel market The chef transitioned from a career in journalism to one in cooking while he was living in Israel then came back to the city five years ago to work in kitchens like Percy Street Barbecue and High Street on Market he’s run his own private chef-slash-pop-up outfit Food Underground; the Cooks’ Canvas dinner series which highlights up-and-coming young chefs; and the FrizWit grassfed cheesesteak pop-up He’s also worked as chef at Phildelphia Distilling Musi is set to open with dinner service Friday through Sunday in January then Thursday through Monday come February 1st with plans to welcome industry and neighborhood folks in particular on Mondays it’ll host FrizWit service on Sundays during football season as well as more Cooks’ Canvas dinners and brunch pop-ups with coffee roaster Blind Tiger True to form, Miller plans to hold some pop-up events in the meantime. On December 15th, Musi will host a full menu of dishes inspired by the Anatomy Eats series he co-hosts with Dr. Jonathan Reisman; they’ll offer a special tasting menu on New Year’s Eve, too. Follow Musi on Instagram for more info Meet the Chefs Reimagining the Cheesesteak 16 Philly Restaurants Offering Passover and Easter Specials Pennsport just got a shiny new place to caffeinate: Herman’s Coffee opened this morning in a former auto body shop at 1313-17 South 3rd Street who opened the spot along with his girlfriend Amy Strauss Herman would sit in his favorite lawn chair sipping coffee (or That chair — which also serves as the cafe’s logo — inspired its red and chrome aesthetic And Herman’s isn’t just brewing coffee: coffee consultant Woody DeCasere co-founder of Souderton-based One Village Coffee the opening menu includes bagels and pastries Herman’s Coffee [Official] How Not to Be the Most Annoying Dog Owner at Every Philly Cafe 10 Un-Brie-Lievable Philly-Area Cheese Makers and Mongers Dave Garry and Heather Gleason’s (of Good Dog Bar fame) Pennsport bar will shut its doors for good on New Year’s Eve nine-week renovation that took place this summer that refocused their efforts forcing them to close a bar that quickly became a neighborhood staple in its five-and-a-half year run in South Philly Garry tells Foobooz that it was simply a matter of underperformance: “It wasn’t paying for itself We at Industry cannot express how much this breaks our heart. Please come and visit us before the 31st so we can say goodbye with a beer and a hug. A post shared by theindustrybar (@theindustrybar) on Dec 19 Where Philly’s James Beard Nominees Like to Eat (and Drink) Two gods of small spaces got their hands on this historic trinity in 2014 and turned it into a small wonder with a surprisingly roomy feel Were this expanded trinity at 113 Titan St. we might use the word “svelte” to describe it it boasts all the style of a fashion model and manages to make the most of its extra-long space / This image: Google Street View; all other photos by Brit Reed via Bright MLS and Coldwell Banker Realty I refer to the trinity using two phrases: “the original tiny house” and “the workforce housing of its day.”This Pennsport renovated expanded trinity house for sale is a great example of the latter and a surprisingly roomy example of the former — even more surprising when you consider that it’s only 10 feet wide.Several things contribute to its unusually spacious feel One of them: The windows it has on three sides Even though this is actually a mid-block trinity it functions like a corner house because it sits next to a communal parking lot upon which nothing will ever be built Thus two of the upper-floor bedrooms have windows on two sides And if you want to add more natural light to the main floor you could have a hole cut in the living room’s side wall and install another window there.Main floor Living in Pennsport: A Neighborhood Guide “These were people who knew how to live vertically,” says listing agent Laura Seaman of Coldwell Banker Realty.Living room narrow first floor look even bigger than it is It also made it function better in several ways.That straight-line staircase means you will be able to get your beds to the upper-floor bedrooms without torturing yourselves.Kitchen and dining area The couple also installed extra storage and counter space in the kitchen The cabinet you see on the left in the photo above serves those functions It can also function as a buffet for serving dinner or brunch to your guests.Kitchen showing overhead cabinets The kitchen cabinets also open in a unique fashion they swing upward or outward with a gentle touch This also gives the cabinets an ultra-modern look that complements the stylish stainless-steel appliances.Though Seaman says it’s not that range in the kitchen looks quite high-end to me It certainly looks more substantial than most ranges you see in houses priced this modestly.Backyard In back of the kitchen you will find a shaded backyard with a deck The couple found trees that proved perfect for giving this space shade in the summer.Second-floor bedroom On the second floor you will find the largest of this house’s three bedrooms in front and a full bath in the back.Second-floor bathroom stylish bathroom with open shelves for storing your toiletries Because this Pennsport renovated expanded trinity house for sale has a roof that peaks in the center the third floor contains two bedrooms that each have loft space over their doors The two upper bedrooms also show off the renovators’ sense of style The front bedroom has an exposed brick accent wall in the loft space and the back one has this whimsical paint job and more open shelves A second full bathroom lies in between these two rooms.This reimagined trinity looks nothing like the workforce housing it served as at its start When this house was built in the early 1800s and dockworkers walked from these houses to their jobs on the waterfront this house continued to serve working folks well Seaman discovered in researching its history that one Thomas W Wallace lived in it in the 1890s and threw a wedding for his daughter Lizzy a bartender who spoke both Polish and German moved in touting himself as a good cocktail mixer.Community park Real Estate 2025: The Great Philly Sticker Shock Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardCake & Joe opens in Pennsport for brunch and dessert with free mini-cakesThe two owners met as high school students in China Pennsport is getting a dessert cafe-slash-bruncherie Cake & Joe (1401 E at Reed Street) marks the collaboration of Sarah Qi (the managing partner) and Trista Tang (who learned to bake from a French teacher) who met more than a decade ago while attending high school near Beijing They now live in the Philly area after attending college in the United States Coffee beverages (La Colombe) and grab-and-go sandwiches will be available for purchase at the outset Brunch service will launch in early 2021 with a menu including breakfast sandwiches and Benedicts Cake & Joe is a takeout-only operation The plan is to wholesale cakes to local cafes and other businesses and offer catering for special events and wedding January’s Civic Design Review kicked off 2017 with a bang During the course of the almost three-and-a-half-hour meeting the experts on the panel tried to shame a developer into building a better apartment tower in Roxborough board members clashed over parking politics Last considered on November 30, the Roxborough apartment complex didn’t win any popularity contests at its first turn before Civic Design Review The proposed building would include 72 residential units but only ten surface parking spots (guaranteeing the enmity of its neighbors) project coordinator for KEA Design Associates and his colleagues from Main Street Development made note of the fact that the CDR board’s recommendation are not binding The design team then ticked off a few changes including adjusting the bay windows to null architect Cecil Baker denouncement of “Sponge Bob Square Pants syndrome.”   But Dry didn’t address the fact that the development team said dozens of additional parking spaces would be added and Critiques of the multiplicity of material types dappling the façade were slightly addressed although it still looks very busy with five materials in use The chief concern expressed at the November meeting regarding the 550-square foot “fresh fruit market” included to win a height bonus Neither did the sheer size of the building which would tower over its immediate rowhouse neighbors far from any other neighborhood commercial uses “This is something we should revisit in our code because this is a postage stamp of a store,” said Baker “That seems wrong to me that you get that kind of extra height for doing something that is totally gratuitous You aren’t showing a lot of things.” Baker and his colleagues listed obvious needs on the first floor that were missing from the rendering The representatives of Main Street Development tried to parry saying that they weren’t required to show these things “I am generally a very trusting person,” says Nancy Rogo Trainer  “But this is forcing me to be extremely cynical… [This is a] space where once you put in toilet facilities there is no fresh food market left.” Trainer asked that L&I carefully review that the proposed fresh fruit market would constitute a fully functioning market eligible for the height bonus “You noted that you didn’t have to make any changes environmental sustainability coordinator for the University of Pennsylvania “When you come with that kind of approach you miss the point You’ve had a month to sit on this project and you haven’t solved the basic requirements It’s very disappointing to see this level of amateurishness.”   As PlanPhilly reported earlier this week the Radnor Property Group proposed a huge new mixed use development on land by the Community College on the site of a parking garage constructed to serve the old Philadelphia Inquirer building The phased project is a massive new mixed use apartment complex at 15th and Hamilton Streets and 103 parking spots (Radnor offers car share and bike parking to reduce the number of parking spaces required) The first building will have 10 stories of apartments on one floor of retail and the second phase will have 15 stories of units on one floor of retail it looks as though the new building would jut into the below-grade former Reading Railroad right-of-way known as the City Branch—which many urbanists have dreamed of turning into a transit throughway or a linear park the passage is already obstructed by a warehouse that bulges into the passage and leaves only 20 percent of it free The project would turn the existing building into an underground parking garage “It’s difficult to know what to do in the absence of any hard proposals to overcome the situations that currently exist on the site,” said architect Michael Ytterberg, principal at MY Architecture referencing PlanPhilly’s article on the subject The project received a letter of support from the Logan Square Neighborhood Association Their representatives have stated that they are happy to have another 24/7 usage in this otherwise desolate corner of the neighborhood Their biggest criticism seemed to be that the interior courtyard would be gated They requested that it be open to the general public “I know there’s been a request for the second level to be non-gated,” said Tavis Dockwiller sitting on the committee for the first time “I would encourage looking at other cities because private spaces do really become a part of the shared public realm I think that would be particularly important to this neighborhood.” “We see this as your typical court yard residential block in a Western European city,” said Ytterberg “No one gets past the concierge unless they live there.” The committee then voted to conclude its review Westrum Development Company is proposing building a 201-dwelling apartment complex on a vacant lot at the western edge of Brewerytown The proposal envisions 6,000 square-feet of ground floor retail split between the three buildings An expansive surface parking lot with 221 spaces would be included behind the buildings A swimming pool would be set amid the parking and a dog park is also envisioned The site is zoned RMX-2 and no variances will be required JKRP Architects was asked by the Westrum to create a “a campus like feel,” which the architects address through unified design and material choices “It’s an awful lot of parking that’s my first thought,” said Michael Johns senior executive vice president of the Philadelphia Housing Authority “Have you considered underground parking And with an amenity space [the pool] in the middle of a parking lot The representatives of JKRP said that he agreed but that the owner felt that to attract residents to Brewerytown a generous allotment of parking would have to be offered (There is no rail access to Center City near the location.) Garafalo simply asked that some more trees or other forms of shade be added to massive parking lot noting that the summers are getting increasingly hotter and residents would be grateful for it pushed back against the committee’s parking concerns noting that there was already modular development backed by surface parking in the neighborhood “I don’t know what to say to me it’s the suburbs coming into the city,” said Baker levelling the harshest criticism against the project the principal of JKRP Architects who had previously been silently standing by his team and watching the CDR process unfold “This is not in any way shape or form downtown,” said Roller “It’s not a transportation site it’s not a pedestrian site.…Part of the amenity here with the pool is a more suburban approach It’s not on Broad and Chestnut.” the committee barely voted to conclude the CDR process with a few members This proposal would add 26 homes to the eastern edge of Pennsport All the buildings would have three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms The two rows of houses sit between Howard Street to the east Little postage stamp-sized lawns are offered fronting on Hancock and Howard They will be separated by an interior drive aisle that is 31 feet wide agreed to rebuild the sidewalks on Hancock Street “Open space in the city is so precious and this is such a dense insertion into this neighborhood,” said Garafalo “If you look at the footprint of this big contiguous block in the middle of this dense urban neighborhood you are devoting 31 feet to cars I just feel like there is a missed opportunity.” Garafalo’s monologue about the possibilities missed in the drive aisle brought a quick retort from Addimando who firmly disagreed with his colleagues’ assessment “I’m going to thank you on behalf of the future parents for making it an asphalt ballfield which is what it will become,” said Addimando “That driveway will be used by people who are living their lives in a very urban setting I live in a very similar setup in Center City There is no need or want for green space back there Then the CDR process was voted to be concluded with a note of the disagreement on the character of the drive aisle The final project under consideration is a residential complex just off of American Street which would add both duplexes with roof decks and a multi-family apartment complex noted that the development team had met with local community groups and in response to their concerns they had moved the entrance to the multi-family building onto stubby Phillip Street to get “eyes on the street” and “make it more than just a back alley.” Designers added more windows on the lower levels as well and balconies that face 2nd Street for similar reasons But the community representative, Ariel Vasquez of South Kensington Community Partners, stated that the community still did not support the proposal. Concern seemed to focus on the long running battle over what American Street will become The former industrial center retained industrial zoning designations for decades in an often-futile attempt to attract and retain manufacturing businesses as the neighborhoods to the south and east have seen increased development more uses have been entertained in the area and American Street itself is being altered to make it more accommodating to vehicles that aren’t speeding trucks tried to explain the complexities of the case When they initially applied it was still zoned for industrial use as was their neighboring lot the south—which has since been rezoned to RM-1 to allow residential “There’s a tremendous amount of industrial space around here within a block that has been vacant for a really long time,” said Grigos “The idea that someone is going to come in and manufacture ball bearings next to us is probably unlikely.” The community groups had also wanted the Skolnick to flip the locations of the multi-family building and the duplexes “We looked at all considerations when we were planning the site looked at smaller residential units there,” said Skolnick “But looking at how the surrounding area is we had to take our cues from what’s around us.” But the committee wasn’t quite satisfied with that deeming it counterintuitive to have the smaller building on the bigger street and the bigger building on one that amounts to a dead-end alley “This committee is set up to be pro-development we are thrilled that private development is coming in here,” said Garafalo “But we want it to be the best development we can get in terms of the balance between the two frontages and the kinds of units and the position on the site.” Then a question of parking was raised again this time about how it could be assured that people wouldn’t park on Phillips Street “We are going to adjourn the CDR meeting and make this into the parking authority feedback committee,” Addimando jabbed The committee then voted unanimously to continue the CDR process on the project.  An aggrieved Brewerytown homebuyer says lax oversight by the Philadelphia Department of Licenses & Inspection enables developer misconduct WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about Social Responsibility at WHYY. It’s how we live. Alison B. Kessler Alison worked on food and lifestyle brands before joining The Infatuation She’s adamant about ranch dressing with her pizza Chinatown's Bubblefish crew opened their second location in the former Ugly American space at Front and Federal Streets Way back in 2007, there was a gastropub in Pennsport called The Ugly American It specialized in regional Americana cuisine from upstate New York specialties like garbage plates (Rochester) and beef on Weck (Buffalo) to St Louis-style ravioli to west coast fish tacos and southwest-style venison chili the Ugly American made it five years before it shuttered on its quiet corner at Front and Federal Streets a Pennsylvania-themed restaurant called Keystone was up next for the space the 1100 South Front Street address has been given new life with Ginza (no relation to the Ginza on the Main Line) a multi-concept Japanese BYOB from the folks behind Bubblefish in Chinatown and everything else you might expect from a neighborhood sushi spot It’s open for lunch and dinner seven days a week long known for her now-shuttered food truck opens her cozy BYO in the Whitman neighborhood this weekend A beloved food truck owner is about to make her brick-and-mortar comeback When she dove back into the hospitality business after permanently parking her truck more than three years ago the chef set out to serve the kind of food she wanted to see on restaurant menus and all I wanted was some goddamn vegetables,” Swerdlow said “but a lot of chefs treat vegetables like a garnish.” A post shared by Vernalicious (@vernaliciousphila) on Mar 7 At her new counter service and takeout spot potatoes smashed or boosted with herbs in potato salad those veggies support proteins like pulled chicken she plans to host pop-up dinners with friends from her food truck days like Spot Gourmet Burgers and Gigi & Big R Caribbean Soul Food The space will also host free vegetable-focused after-school cooking classes for kids; the first is scheduled for Monday Hours will be Wednesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m Swerdlow says; she’ll tweak dinner hours based on neighborhood demand Check out the opening menu at Vernalicious below Correction: The original version of this story said that Vernalicious is in Pennsport 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Maxwell Realty Co. has recently announced that the home of former labor leader John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty is now for sale Located at 1933 E Moyamensing Avenue in the Pennsport section of Philadelphia the 1,464 square foot home features 2 bedrooms The first floor has an open space floor plan filled with lots of natural light The sophisticated kitchen includes granite countertops complete with a Juliette balcony and an abundance of closet space The second bedroom also boasts its own Juliette balcony which can easily be transformed into a third bedroom you will find skylights and a deck that features great views of the city; the perfect place to unwind the lower level is complete with a zoom room Pennsport, an ever growing area, is minutes from The Dutch, Moonshine The area is currently experiencing a renaissance and many new restaurants and businesses have steadily moved to this location If you are interested in learning more about this home, or are currently looking for a luxury property to buy or sell in Philadelphia, visit Maxwell Realty's website or call 215-546-6000 About Maxwell Realty Co. Inc.Maxwell Realty Company Co. Inc. has been the leader of high-end and luxury real estate in Philadelphia for over 50 years. To learn more about the real estate company, visit maxwellrealty.com Media Contact: Nancy AlperinPhone Number: 215-546-6000 Real estate broker Nancy Alperin of Maxwell Realty Co announces that leasing is now available at 2301 JFK A rare opportunity to own a piece of Philadelphia history has emerged a meticulously maintained and updated 19th-century home Retail Real Estate Transactions Do not sell or share my personal information: “It’s been months and months of deliberation preparing for the possibility of this scenario,” chef Ari Miller told Eater But as has been the case for countless other restaurants across Philly and the world, the fallout from two years under a global pandemic was hard on Musi. Combined with the specific challenge of running the restaurant as a BYOB (most restaurants, especially in Pennsylvania make a significant portion of their profits from alcohol sales) a little under four years after they opened Miller and co-owner Nicole Suanlarm team announced that the restaurant will be closing for good “We start all our employees at $15 an hour and we’re BYO,” Miller says what that creates is — best case scenario — we’re a nonprofit.” It was only fair to his talented staff to allow them to move on to other opportunities “There’s a frustrating aspect that I wont get to see how this current group of people grows professionally because they’re phenomenal They’ll continue to be phenomenal elsewhere,” Miller says of his staff “It befits talent like that to be in an environment that is able to see it flourish and foster it.” Though Musi was not immune to the inflation and rising food costs that have defined the past two years Miller says they were already paying a premium on their ingredients because it was in the restaurant’s DNA to support local non-industrial producers like Primal Supply But when the restaurant’s fridge went down there was hardly enough in the coffers to fix it While Miller says that it’s “hard for me to wrap my head around anything past the closing itself,” he is focused on being a resource for his staff as they take on their next positions He says he wants to help them “find places that are good and healthy and valuable for them to operate [in] professionally.” Musi reservations will be open to the public until October 15, and the restaurant will continue to hold Sunday Frizwit pop-ups through October 9 and “take a few moments to breathe and process.” But as he waits out his next move he encourages diners to continue to support the places they love “Everyone knows the mantra of the razor-thin margins of a restaurant,” Miller says those razor-thin margins for a BYO that’s trying to pay its employees well The places that are buying and promoting other small businesses at the same time — it’s so important that those are the places that get visited.” It’s no longer a casual identity that you support small business Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardOn the market: A traditional-styled end unit in Pennsport for $375,000The backyard is perfect for gardening or al fresco dining and there is a full basement for storage and laundry Nicole Glueckert says she looked at lots of houses when she was scouting the city with Realtor Kelly Patrizio in spring 2016 but the two-bedroom, one-bath unit in Pennsport was “the only one I could bring back to life.” Glueckert, social media director for a large university, liked the idea that the century-old end unit rowhouse “still had a lot of the original charm I was ready to put in an offer as soon as I saw it.” The Chicago-area native had been renting in Queen Village but found Pennsport She said that she “wanted to keep it as traditional as possible while still making it comfortable.” “I think I bought it because of the original hardwood floors,” she said “The dark walnut inlay was really stately.” The renovation process included closing off a hallway closet to enlarge the bathroom and redo the shower area adding new hardwood flooring on the second floor where the original could not be restored and removing aluminum siding that covered the original exterior woodwork figuring out when earlier renovations had been made by the dates on newspapers used for insulation She’s now moving to a single home in Fairmount to be closer to her job The living room overlooks Tasker Street and features the original inlay hardwood flooring that continues into the dining room The eat-in kitchen has floating shelves and stylish cabinets The upstairs primary bedroom has a walk-in closet and exposed brick and the hall bath has a double vanity with contemporary standup shower and tub The backyard is perfect for gardening or al fresco dining and there is a full basement for storage and laundry The house is easily accessible to Dickinson Square Park Glueckert said that Pennsport — which stretches from Washington Avenue to Snyder Avenue and from South Fourth Street to Front Street — has seen an influx of new stores and restaurants in her short time there The house is listed by Kelly Patrizio of Coldwell Banker Realty for $375,000 The once-popular neighborhood bar will become a bakery and bruncherie When The Industry Bar in Pennsport closed its doors for good almost exactly two years ago we thought surely someone would step in a take over that space quickly waiting for someone to transform its potential Philadelphia-based real estate broker Bo Liu recently signed a lease for the space which will become a bakery and bruncherie called Cake & Joe MSC Retail’s Jacob Cooper brokered the deal All we know is based on a brief e-mail from Liu who says he and his wife “want to open up a place that can serve the community make a place that people can be relaxed in.” He also says they are doing alterations to the storefront and the kitchen so no word yet on when they’ll open to the public but the window of the space sports a poster advertising Cake & Joe’s imminent arrival Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardA Pennsport home custom-built for family’s varied interestsSpecialty rooms include a greenhouse The home includes 2,700 square feet of living area plus a 700-square foot basement and built-in garage When Orna and Reid Willis began thinking about having their condo in Northern Liberties remodeled they kept looking admiringly at a building in the neighborhood designed by a young architect named Stephen Mileto a partner in the Center City-based Qb3 architecture/design firm for the job at the Cigar Factory Lofts at Fourth and Girard Streets But as happy as the Willises were with the interior renovation there was only so much an architect could do in a confined space they had tired of the neighborhood after 14 years there “We came just as Northern Liberties was being transformed into what it is today,” Orna says “But now we kind of wanted to be on our own We wanted to move to a quieter neighborhood The couple met in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1992 and now maybe it was time for something else “I wanted to build a house that would make our lives convenient and cozy,” Orna says The couple particularly wanted a house with sunlight flooding in since the condo had only a northern exposure Instead of looking for a place that checked every box they decided to have Mileto build one from scratch for them and the younger of their two daughters They liked the Pennsport neighborhood and somehow managed to find a vacant property considerably larger than that of the average rowhouse who was both architect and general contractor describes the project as one of the most challenging of his career “It’s rare for a homeowner to be able to find three 12-foot lots” in a neighborhood like Pennsport It allowed for a lot of open space on the second floor but the challenge was keeping that open space without partitions," he says The generous space — 2,700 square feet of living area plus a 700-square-foot basement and built-in garage — allowed for custom innovations one doesn’t find on the open real estate market film buff by night — he included a movie studio where Reid projects old black-and-white movies from his huge collection of the Marx Brothers A deluxe popcorn popper sits off to the side awaiting visits by grandchildren and the inevitable mess The open-plan second floor includes an enclosed heated greenhouse: “It makes it seem almost like a tree house,” Orna says There are also a spacious roof deck and an elevator for carrying groceries and packages to the second-floor kitchen and dining area The three-bedroom living area is on the third floor Reid says that one drawback of a design featuring that much glass and steel is that it limits space for hanging art — Orna was a painter before turning to needlepoint — but the couple say it’s worth the sacrifice Mileto said that the project had a design phase of eight to 10 months and that the major construction took a year and a half The couple moved in a little over a year ago aging in place as the elevator is eventually used as much to carry Willises as groceries Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com let me see what you’ve got | Photo: Bradley Maule After a closed-door meeting today with members from District Councilman Mark Squilla’s office the historic Engine 46 firehouse on Front Street remains endangered Cedar had quietly pulled a demolition permit in February, but a series of media stories, including Hidden City’s drew attention to the Dutch/Flemish Revival firehouse built in 1894 Cedar wants to know where all this interest has been in the seven years since the Engine 46 Steakhouse closed Citing the repointing of brickwork and an overhauled roof Cedar claims they’ve actively and aggressively tried to make use of Engine 46 even hiring a brokerage firm to find a tenant who would specifically fit the case but they’ve had no takers—even after all the “free publicity” given to the building in the past six months they also have no plans to designate the building as historic circa-Bart Blatstein signage | Photo: Bradley Maule “there’s nothing disingenuous about what Cedar told us,” recognizing that Cedar’s job is to rent the space they own “[But] if you’re going to subtract something this good you’ve got to add something back that’s good.” “At the end of the day,” says Councilman Squilla chief of staff Anne Kelly and they have a valid demolition permit.” Kelly added that the councilman wants to see the building preserved but it’s ultimately up to the tenant that Cedar lands Cedar did not provide a timeframe for which they’ll entertain this process “they’re not likely to demolish starting tomorrow.” they’ll obviously keep the building.” But the time to find that tenant is running out A demolished firehouse (and adjacent game store) would mean a blank footprint which could prove a lot more marketable to Cedar If you’ve got an idea for Engine 46—one that will generate revenue—Pennsport Civic would like to hear from you Bradley Maule Bradley Maule is a former co-editor of the Hidden City Daily and the creator of Philly Skyline. He's a native of Tyrone, Pennsylvania, and he's hung his hat in Shippensburg, Germantown, G-Ho, Fishtown, Portland (Oregon), Brewerytown, and now Mt. Airy. He just can't get into Twitter, but he's way into Instagram @mauleofamerica in fact that whole area of Delaware Avenue is aching for a reasonably priced but excellent restaurant Bone Fish and California Pizza Kitchen are two chains that come to mind — because both are very good and reasonably priced A Starr restaurant would be too expensive the quality has greatly diminished at each new place Or another stellar local place is Nomad Pizza (7th & Bainbridge) or perhaps another famous and popular Food Truck is ready to go bricks and mortar It\’s got to be one ready for the volume and high level of service and turnover necessary to get people out to films on time (The restaurant Engine 46 many moons and a big fire ago (ironic) was not good at all — and that\’s why it failed It was not that there was not demand for a great spot for dinner and a film.) My initial thoughts (without having seen the space which I hope to see soon) are to refit it with an organic food market With the changing demograpics of Pennsport as well as consumers\’ desire for locally sourced organic foods and has anyone actually seen the space and could confirm that a market could work here information signs on and around the building / complex They\’re in the business of filling their spaces http://Www.cedarrealtytrust.com That has all the information you need to reach the appropriate individuals for lease information Peter, if you have a serious interest, please email pennsport@aol.com and they can give you more information I haven\’t been inside in quite a few years (the restaurant closed in 06) That is probably one of the big reasons no one else has rented the property I truly hope somebody can save this building It would be a travesty to see it demolished simply to make space Ordinance to make Pennsport billboard legal and digital headed to council UPDATEDA  zoning bill that would allow the owner of a conventional Pennsport billboard advertising Club Risque and a suburban body shop that L&I says should come down may get to keep his billboard as is – or even replace it with a digital one A legislative proposal allowing one billboard that can have changeable electronic messages and advertise a non-accessory use within the area bounded by Moore Morris and Water streets and Columbus Boulevard passed out of City Council’s rules committee this week and heads to full council for a vote this would either be a huge victory for a local businessman who has tried to follow L&I rules to bring the billboard into compliance only to be told the rules have changed (property owner attorney Ron Patterson) or a “classic example of spot zoning” that “circumvents the protections contained in the City’s Sign Control Laws” (Mary Tracy founding member of the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight sponsored by First District Councilman Frank DiCicco despite the Philadelphia City Planning Commission’s recommendation that they should not described a year’s-long battle waged by her organization and Pennsport Civic Association fighting the billboard.  But DiCicco said that while Pennsport Civic Association once opposed the legislation he received a call from the group’s new president saying it no longer does But there seems to be a bit of disagreement about that in Pennsport who was elected president of Pennsport Civic Association last month It’s not that Pennsport wants the billboard it’s that the volunteer organization doesn’t really have the time and money to spend fighting this single billboard The association believes it makes more sense to focus their energy on the bigger picture working on new zoning that will keep more billboards like this from going up in the future “I’d rather put our efforts into the larger picture – how we can control things in the future so we don’t end up with 15 more of these,” he said “We can’t continue putting out little fires.” But at Thursday’s Central Delaware Advocacy Group meeting said that Pennsport Civic is still fighting the legislation At Wednesday night’s association meeting the consensus was that the billboard should come down altogether because it is in violation of current zoning whom Moylan said he does not know personally should expect to hear from Pennsport Civic As should other new businesses coming to the neighborhood That’s not to say that Moylan wasn’t disappointed when DiCicco introduced zoning bill 110306 earlier this spring and nobody contacted us initially,” he said ‘what the hell is going on now?’”  Pennsport Civic expressed its displeasure to the planning commission when they considered the bill Moylan said.  Both Pennsport and Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront submitted letters of opposition But Moylan said he “saw the writing on the wall and there is more time and money on that side than there is on ours,” he said “The idea is to protect the community as best as possible Moylan wants to negotiate a community benefits agreement with this and other business owners getting consessions that address development concerns like traffic flow and generating revenue Pennsport can use for neighborhood improvements such as street cleaning and trees Pennsport absolutely will negotiate with the billboard owner It would be preferable to keep the billboard the standard type rather than the digital type Otto said there are big concerns about it advertising Club Risque with scantilly clad women – particularly since there is a daycare center on the property “I’d like to sit down with the owner,” Otto said But Plan A is still fighting the legislation and “knocking the whole billboard out,” he said At Tuesday’s Rules Committee hearing the planning commission’s development division director the bill would allow a situation that was detrimental to public safety Kindt said studies have shown that digital billboards are a distraction DiCicco said that as a former member of the Delaware River Port Authority he had first-hand information that the two digital billboards on the Philadelphia side of the Walt Whitman Bridge have had zero impact on traffic safety Attorney Patterson said the bill would be “a way to correct a wrong.” applied for a non-accessory use variance in 2007 and was turned down by the Zoning Board of Adjustment The ZBA decision was reversed on appeal in Common Pleas court then reaffirmed by Commonwealth Court in 2009 Since his client was told the signs were not legal because they advertised things that were off-site where the offices of the auto shop and Club Risque are both located But L&I still wouldn’t issue the permit “We were told ‘We don’t believe these are legitimate offices Go to the zoning board.’  We tried to follow the rules,” Patterson said who testified that her organization and the neighbors near the sign have been opposed to this on-going issue since 1989 indicated she didn’t think the offices in the trailer were a legitimate reason to consider the sign accessory “Those businesses just got their permits last July,” she said Kenney said he could really see no difference between a nearby sign for Target and the billboard and asked Kindt pointedly why one concerned SCRUB and the other didn’t Kindt said the Target sign is an accessory sign on the Target property that tells people who want to go to Target how to get there I don’t see much difference,” Kenney said He wasn’t the only one frustrated by the discussion SCRUB’s Tracy said signs are supposed to be farther than 600 feet from a school or daycare The sign has been issued six different citations Kindt said.  “To legalize this would reward the property owner for years of non-compliance,” she said Contact the reporter at kgates@planphilly.com View Http-planphilly-com-sites-planphilly-com-files-risquebill-pdf PDF Organization that controls the trail and piers says it will change security procedures; police will reportedly increase patrols says an improved community/river connection would bring more people and lessen the sense of isolation The Delaware River trail and piers in Pennsport are providing large groups of teenagers with a private place to drink one parent says he saw between 100 and 150 teens heading down to the trail and on the piers between and behind the Delaware Avenue Walmart and the U.S Coastguard Station at Delaware and Washington avenues And if one of those kids falls in … I know how strong those currents are down there,” said the parent He and his wife parked behind the Walmart when he suspected one of his children was headed to a party He found his kid – now grounded – and saw many others from the neighborhood and some look like they might not have even reached their teens yet Based on conversations with his child and others the parent said many of the teens are buying beer from a group of men who have established a weekend business of sorts beneath the I-95 ramp behind the Wawa “They are getting the teenagers to give them twice as much as a quart would cost,” he said the men play hacky sack and corn hole (aka Some kids and other parents have told him that several local establishments are both selling to the men under I-95 knowing they will re-sell to minors or selling to the minors directly without asking for ID “These kids aren’t doing anything that you or I didn’t do or anybody else,” said Pennsport Civic Association President Jim Moylan they are doing it in a much more dangerous area than dark areas beneath I-95 they are “thousands of yards away from civilization.” Pennsport Civic has called on the police and the Central Delaware Waterfront Corporation a coalition of waterfront civic and other organizations At-large Councilman Jim Kenney’s office has notified the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board’s enforcement division of the sale of alcohol to minors or go-betweens and has spoken to the Philadelphia Police Department’s Third District “The police have offered to do some increased patrols back there – bike patrols,” said Jim Engler First District Councilman Mark Squilla also spoke with local police “They are going to both go down to the pier and discourage underage drinking with citations or arrests if necessary and also going after the buyers – the people buying them the beer who hang out by Morris Street,” he said The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation owns and is responsible for the trail and some of the piers Pennsport Civic President Jim Moylan believes the underage drinking situation means DRWC needs to step up security and take other measures to make the area safer saying he thought sharing his concerns with the police William Keller and the Central Delaware Advocacy Group would be more effective “I don’t feel as though I carry sway with them But someone else can make them,” he said said Vice President for Operations and Development Joe Forkin He said the first he’d heard about the situation was when PlanPhilly asked him about it early Thursday afternoon we have to step-up patrols and communicate better with police since we know this is going on now,” Forkin said Engler called it “a good first step.” Having so many minors drinking on piers some of which might not be sturdy enough to support them is a dangerous situation that “needs to be addressed by everybody – the police LCB – we need everybody involved,” Engler said the kids will go to a different spot,” Squilla said While he’d prefer they not drink until their 21 “kids drinking right by the river is really dangerous and not something we can turn a blind eye to.” DRWC controls the waterfront trail and seven of the piers in the area: Piers 70 55 and 57 near the sheet metal workers union In between are several piers owned privately: 60 62 and 63 are attached to the former Foxwoods site Forkin said two security guards are currently on duty along the trail and the piers 24-hours a day which is currently being transformed into a park The other has patrolled the trail from dawn until dusk But then gates on either end are closed and locked over night the second guard has focused his efforts elsewhere one of the security guards will travel the trail even when it is closed “We will have them randomly rove.” Moylan said it surprised him that a security guard stationed at Pier 53 wouldn’t have heard 100-plus kids partying But he praised the idea of randomly timed patrols – random means the young people can’t figure out the pattern The fencing that blocks off the DRWC-controlled piers is regularly cut by people who want to go out on them “And it’s not always just kids There are people who like to fish out there and they don’t like to be locked out,” he said When PlanPhilly took a recent weekend waterfront walk which is still covered with trees and brush They didn’t appear to be doing anything other than looking out at the water Everyone is trespassing and ignoring the signs that say so but that’s not the DRWC’s concern Only some of the DRWC piers actually look like piers – some have decayed into the river to the point where they are just piles sticking out of the water Others that still stand are not safe in all places For example, at Pier 53, a self-supporting boardwalk is part of the design to ensure visitor safety. And at Pier 68, the river-end of the pier has to be removed for safety reasons In an interview late Thursday afternoon Moylan also said the teen parties on piers and trail are proof of another long-standing concern he’s had The community loves having new parks, he said, but residents do not have an easy, safe way to cross Delaware Avenue and get to the trail, Washington Avenue Green, and the future Pier 53 Park Tasker Street has been set aside as a waterfront connector – a street where pedestrian- and cyclist-related improvements lighting and landscaping are used to make traveling from neighborhood to waterfront safer But Moylan believes that connection should have been made already before any further amenities are on the waterfront Next week, DRWC will release the design of a new, fishing-oriented park at Pier 68. “How about we tie in what’s already here first?” he said Building a trail and parks before making it easier for people to get there has created a destination where kids can drink without worrying that many adults will be in the area Moylan said this and other community concerns would be more obvious to DRWC if their board included representatives from the community – something Pennsport has pushed for since the city imploded the former Penn’s Landing Corporation and replaced it with DRWC “I agree that the Southern Waterfront needs better connections to the River,” Forkin wrote in an email response to a follow up question posed by PlanPhilly after business hours.  But that part of the waterfront has unique complications “Given the past port industrial nature of that area most of what would be the connector streets in the south have been stricken from the City plan and are privately owned,” Forkin wrote “We are working with the private owners in an attempt to acquire control of riverfront setback and access.” A segment of Tasker poses this kind of problem ” We are hopeful that we will be able to acquire and control the segment of Tasker that is closed and will be able to provide a meaningful connection to the River for the residents,” he wrote “Once we have control of complete access to the River we will work closely with Pennsport to design and construct the improvements.” “I think the improvements work in tandem – good connections (Tasker Street) to a desirable destination (Trails and Parks).” The parent PlanPhilly spoke with asked to remain anonymous because he fears his kids would face backlash from other teens over their dad trying to shut down their parties When he saw the situation two weeks ago The officer couldn’t access the area where the underage people were gathered with his car A call to the Third District community relations officer has not yet been returned Moylan forwarded an email from the parent Pennsport’s representative to the Central Delaware Advocacy Group,as well as CDAG Chairman Matt Ruben and District Councilman Mark Squilla Squilla’s office could not be reached immediately but we will update the story if we hear back or the City of Philadelphia wants a black eye on one of its major development projects,” Goodwin said “We need to try to avoid this before it happens.” the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s CDAG representative suggested that part of the problem is the trail and the eventual pier parks it will link are still underutilized In the Thursday conversation with PlanPhilly Forkin said that further improving the area are part of a longer-term plan that will make the area much-less attractive for underage drinking or any illegal activity “Adding more improvements into the area and removing the feeling of it being a vacant or abandoned place where these kinds of activities can take place  … hopefully starts to prevent this kind of activity on its own,” he said the piers will be busy places during the day “But no one is going to be going out there in the evening,” when the young people are drinking and whatnot but he does think bringing more adults to the trail will lessen the teen’s perception that it’s an isolated place CDAG Chairman Matt Ruben asked all members with concerns related to pier and trail safety to write them down Just before yet another eager crowd filled the seats at Ristorante Aroma co-owner and head chef Antonio Cardillo drank an espresso reflecting on the good fortune he’s enjoyed at the restaurant’s new 1245 S Since relocating to Pennsport from Center City the grateful gastronome has enjoyed giving new guests an eclectic lesson in Italian cuisine “There has been a very welcoming reaction from the neighborhood so that helps me to love what I’m doing even more,” Cardillo said so it’s good that being in a new area has brought good results.” The native of Italy has been applying his passion for plates in America for more than four decades Ristorante Aroma offers a menu teeming with delights from every part of his homeland The BYOB’s menu was kept largely the same when Cardillo headed south “We take pride in everything that we do here,” he said of the 50-seat space that had been Caffe Valentino prior to his move “From the ambience to the waitstaff to the food and timballo hold special places in his heart is the perfect treat for a special occasion—an impressive lasagna-noodle dome that tops a mixture of meatballs This unique dish is a dream come true for carnivores and carb lovers alike and must be ordered in advance Another filling dish is the mussels in red sauce served in a pizza dough basket Recently it was served as part of a very filling seafood appetizer special along with octopus If these dishes don’t have your stomach waving the white flag Cardillo promises complete contentment for those who choose the chocolate espresso bar topped with gelato for dessert “We put in a lot of time here,” said the mastermind who makes his home in Cherry Hill with Francine “but it’s all worth it to see people falling in love with this food.” Cardillo is planning to make seasonal menu alterations and hopes to  host large events “I don’t think I ever need to impress myself,” he said “I’ve been at this long enough to know that if there’s love in what you do A large sign created quite a buzz when it suddenly popped up Friday afternoon inside the vacant lot at Moyamensing Avenue and Moore Street  It’s the site of the previously proposed Moyamensing Estates Just when we thought they’d be moving further south Karina’s switched it up and is instead going north The jewel-box BYOB that is being replaced at 1520 E by Brigantessa from the Le Virtu crew will be moving being billed as an upscale steak and seafood house will be taking over the old Colombo’s space at 1934 E which was damaged in a fire in August 2012 A South Philly food truck is providing a home base for immigrant business owners rallying the community around plans for a beautiful new park Indonesian wonton | Photo by Alexandra Jones Head to South Philly’s Mifflin Square Park on a hot summer evening and you’ll see some familiar sights: neighbors chatting on benches and walking their dogs a food truck taking orders on the south side of the park But that truck isn’t your typical mobile food business Sophie Food Truck — the name stands for South Philly East — is a neighborhood engagement initiative and immigrant business incubator that’s also an exciting new addition to the city’s Indonesian food scene Part of Sophie’s purpose is to highlight plans for upgrades and improvements to the park that are in the works over the next few years: a facelift for its damaged sprayground and maybe even a permanent spot for the food truck “We wanted to highlight the culture here and the plan to improve the park, and food has such power to connect people,” said Andy Toy, executive director of the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Coalition (SEAMAAC) After gang-related shooting at the park in 2015 the coalition of neighborhood groups and civic organizations behind the revitalization efforts want to make the park a destination for residents again Sophie Food Truck | Photo by Alexandra Jones This summer’s menu comes from chef Yeni Lie and her family She reached out to SEAMAAC about taking a course to renew her ServSafe certification which is required for food business owners they told her about the opportunity to vend through Sophie I said, ‘Why not?’ Before I start with my own truck, why not take the experience?” said Lie. “I want to open a restaurant or our own food truck, but I’m still looking for the location.” In the meantime, she and her husband — both restaurant veterans — will operate Sophie through the summer. They also cater year-round under the name Warung Cak Lil The Lie family aren’t the only vendors at Sophie: last year a Bhutanese chef with a sushi background ran the truck; she and her assistant now run the respective in-store sushi programs at Philly’s Giant Heirloom and Sprouts supermarkets Next season may see new chefs working in the truck depending on who gets involved Chef Yeni Lie serves Indonesian fare out of the Sophie Food Truck | Photo by Alexandra Jones Lie’s menu features Indonesian street food favorites like savory fried noodles garlicky grilled chicken or lamb satay sticks served with a rich peanut sauce and cloudlike rice cakes or beef meatballs — the latter of which might seem out of season but serves as an effective way to hydrate and beat the heat which offers a little bit of everything in addition to crisp-fried wontons twisted around little pockets of chicken and accessorized with a thick sunset-colored cooler made with shredded melon and soaked basil seeds Lie and her family will be cooking in the Sophie truck on the south side of Mifflin Square Park — Ritner Street between 6th and 7th — Wednesday and Friday afternoons (although they’re skipping Friday, July 5th due to the holiday weekend). See the full summer schedule of park appearances and special events at spots like Eakins Oval and Cherry Street Pier here The in-the-works Constitution Court townhouses at 3rd and Reed in Pennsport are about 22 inches taller than the variance granted to developer and former Philadelphia jeweler-to-the-stars Barry Sable “We shut them down,” said L&I spokeswoman Rebecca Swanson To meet L&I’s demand that the structure shrink to the 43-feet one-and-a-half inches the variance says is the max and get building again Sable intends to lift the house with a technique used to raise houses Down the Shore above storm surge But instead of making the structure taller and put it back down on the foundation,” she said Swanson said the alterations permit Sable applied for to do this work has been under review “They had to present tons of engineering plans and we had to research the contractor’s experience,” she said “They need right-of-way permits to close Reed and 3rd It’s going to be a pretty big operation.” The part to be chopped off: A portion of the first-floor walls L&I inspectors will be on hand to watch “People haven’t seen it before.” The external structure for only a fraction of the 12 planned homes has been built – two of them said Pennsport Civic Association President Jim Moylan Sable said until he gets the alterations permit he doesn’t want to discuss how the existing structure got too tall or the procedure that will be used to shorten it “I build homes the way I built jewelry,” he said I build homes the way the people would want homes built … the way I would want to build for myself.” With 10 years into this business but intends to become a “master” of home building in the way that he was a master of jewelry making it’s not the end of the world,” he said “It took me time to figure out how to rectify it The one and only thing is my permits.” Pennsport President Moylan said his community voted to support the zoning variance that allows Sable to build beyond the 39-foot limit set for the neighborhood, as well as several other variances the project needed, and Pennsport remains in support of the project designed by  Harman Deutsch Architecture– so long as it comes down to size “If he stays within the realms of what he was granted But we have zero interest in granting him another variance.” L&I spokeswoman Swanson said Sable has some additional hurdles to clear before work can resume Inspectors have cited the project for other problems including displaying a sign without a permit and having a fence that protruded onto the sidewalk She said it may be that these problems have been addressed and inspectors haven’t cleared them yet because these things are more “minor” and the focus has been on the larger the project was also cited for failing to protect a neighboring property from water damage Swanson said that the developer has been given permission to do some backfill around the rear foundations “he’s really not been able to work since early October.” L&I did some inspections – including checking the height – based on complaints from neighbors But “we very closely monitored this project from the very beginning starting with the demolition of the church in a residential neighborhood on a bus route.” Constitution Court will rise from the former site of St more stringent procedures in place for demolitions in the wake of the June collapse of a building under demolition at 22nd and Market streets Sable said he hopes to have the 3,800-square-foot four-story homes – which will feature hardwood floors rooftop decks with multiple city views and garages with optional hydraulic lifts that accommodate two cars – ready for the spring housing market “We’ve hired all the right people to do this properly Sable knows the lifting is unusual for the city “Barry Sable is up to the task of unusual things,” he said “I’ve tackled a whole lot of things much more difficult than this and came out on the top end.” Sable was sentenced to four months in prison a fine and community service following a guilty plea for tax evasion Sable said he’s never elected to talk about what really happened, and “people don’t know the facts. They just know what has been printed.” Here’s what The Inquirer printed Sable said his reputation was beyond reproach “People were treated the way I want to be treated which is exactly what I’m attempting to do in the house building business,” he said Things should have been dramatically different back then you never want to be involved in the system again,” he said “My people fumbled the ball going into the endzone.” His jewelry customers included Will Smith Charles Barkley and many other famous and successful people “People are always gunning for you when you’re in the fast lane.” Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardComing home to Pennsport after nearly 30 yearsNancy Hayes rented out her first home for almost 30 years She remodeled and moved back in last summer We've all heard stories of people who split up only to reunite with their love years later But the "love" in this case is a Pennsport rowhouse she recently moved back into after almost 30 years of separation who had been living at her parents' home in Springfield "I didn't think single people belonged in suburbia," she joked "The Realtor told me that 'Society Hill is hot Pennsport is the next area to go,' " Hayes recalled "It took another 30 years before it took off." then married a man who did not share her love of the city They moved to Turnersville in Gloucester County in 1989 But Hayes held on to the house as a rental property heeding a small voice that told her she just might go back she sold the New Jersey house and prepared to return to Pennsport The house was seriously damaged by water after firefighters fought a fire that started in an upstairs bedroom She took a look at the financials and gulped hard and  "the foundation was not in good shape," she said She faced  thousands of dollars in renovations She spent the next three years living with friends and then in Montgomery County with her new partner a communications consultant and widower who had previously lived in the city and was open to returning getting permits from the city was even slower she and Zuchero finally were able to move in "You could tell the neighborhood was starting to change but most of the houses are still occupied by the same people," she said "We wanted to go with lighter furniture because the house is small," Hayes said a Philadelphia-based artist whose work has been displayed internationally The largest one hangs like a pendulum through the three-story stairwell with industrial-style railings Hayes and Zuchero wanted to be able to watch TV in the living room but didn't like the idea of the set dominating the room So they hide it behind sliding abstract art panels when it's not in use they installed Mitsubishi heating ducts and a tankless instant hot water heater was a blank wall on the house across the street a huge expanse of beige visible from the side balcony They were thinking of offering to have a mural put on it at their own expense when the couple found out that legendary mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar and his apprentices were about to decorate it Zuchero plans to redo the master bedroom with bureaus sunk into the wall and with lighting similar to what he saw in a South Philadelphia bar And "the deck will be addressed next year," Hayes said Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardOn the market: A custom-built home in Pennsport for $485,000With one daughter out of the house and a second soon to head for college this couple wants to downsize and rehab House #4 It is doubtful that records are kept of such things but it’s possible that Jamie and Jack Trepts have set one by rehabbing and living in three successive houses on the same block The block is on Pierce Street in Pennsport they rehabbed a shell that was their wedding gift from Jack’s grandparents a larger home to give their daughters their own space a great place to raise our daughters,” Jamie says with one daughter out of the house and a second soon to head for college “We’re looking for a fixer-upper,” says Jamie a fact that is slightly more understandable when you learn that Jack (Jamie is a dental patient coordinator at a hospital.) Their friends sometimes refer to them as “Chip and Joanna,” after Chip and Joanna Gaines the couple who had the old Fixer Upper show on HGTV “I’m the planner and the one who gives him the ideas,” Jamie says But she does help him some: “He taught me how to grout.” “My dad and my husband pretty much built it,” Jamie says after tearing down the garage and apartment that had been on the lot a bright living room with a cozy fireplace and a large patio suitable for entertaining The second floor has the master bedroom with a tiled shower stall and rainfall shower head and a second bedroom The two other bedrooms are on the third floor The roof deck has 360-degree skyline views The 2,400-square-foot layout is somewhat unusual in that the kitchen fronts on Pierce Street which Jamie wanted so she could keep her eye on their daughters and on activity on the street And will the fourth rehab be on Pierce Street The property is listed by Michael Severns and Andrew Black of Redfin Corp Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardHow a Pennsport beer garden became a go-to for South Philly Italian foodBring your preferred beer-drinking companion A couple days ago someone brought their lizard There is no bouncer at Pennsport Beer Boutique the bottle shop and beer garden that holds down a wedge-shaped parcel between Moyamensing and Third Streets you will have to get past the sleepy gaze of Charlie an approximately 18-foot-tall Doberman pinscher "He's friendly," a man assured me as I paused on my way in just about anyone — dogs and babies included — can gain access to this place the ultimate combination of new and old South Philadelphia When it opened in 2015, it looked like vintage Pennsport: plastered with "Kevin Dougherty for Judge" signs from a fund-raising event hosted there I encountered a group of clean-cut firemen sharing a post-shift drink and bearded hipsters with miscellaneous piercings you can choose an obscure craft beer from the long row of refrigerators and pair it with old-school South Philly Italian food from Caffe Valentino the moderately upscale restaurant across the street (Ask the bartender to call in your wood-fired pizza or pasta order and a waiter in incongruously formal attire will lug it across the street and later a doctor's office — was reimagined by Heather Cox previously a singer who performed with Opera Philadelphia Her ambition was modest: The food service wasn't even part of the plan but something that evolved due to customer demand "The biggest thing we did was to turn what was a parking lot into the only beer garden that operates 365 days a year in Philadelphia," Cox said In a way, it was a bold move, to turn parking spots — in a car-happy neighborhood packed with auto-repair shops — into a patio filled with pavers a group of regulars who come in after their bocce league a stack of board games to borrow (though for those you may be asked to leave your ID as collateral) Neighbors will stop in to fill a growler or order a draft beer and sit at the granite-topped bar eating free peanuts and watching sports on the flatscreen TV While I perused the beer case — which is carefully labeled and obsessively organized by region then by brewery — the bartender dialed the number for Caffe Valentino to place an order: grilled chicken and rice with the New Belgium Dayblazer ($3) and a Greek pizza ($14) When to go: For the ultimate Pennsport experience for free beer sampling from visiting breweries Bring: Your preferred beer-drinking companion so Cox tries to track down obscure or exclusive ones Among the most sought-after is Stillwater Artisanal's Insetto a sour ale made with Italian plums that sold out within 48 hours (they're trying to restock the $5.25 cans) though not what I'd consider among the best in the city 93-decibel TouchTunes odyssey that wandered from Jennifer Lopez to Taproot in the span of a single hour the rush of Pennsport traffic from all directions Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardA Pennsport rowhouse transforms into a Christmas wonderland each DecemberWhen Michael Oscapinski bought his home in 2011 he could visualize where he’d set up his dozen or more trees and the rest of his Christmas decoration collection He has spent much of his life collecting unique decorations many vintage and all with personal meaning When he bought his rowhouse in Pennsport in 2011 his first priority was visualizing where his ornaments two-story home built in 1921 needed a major cosmetic do-over The previous owners were Portuguese stonemasons who had tiled the dining room from floor to ceiling in a gaudy pattern and painted much of the house pink Every room — including the bathrooms — had a chandelier was skeptical but Oscapinski could see past the décor As a retired florist who had spent 30 years making things beautiful Oscapinski also couldn’t resist the home’s detached garage and backyard courtyard featuring a walk-up deck “I wanted a mantle and I could see exactly where the tree was going to go,” he said “When we moved in I had an extra outlet put in on the side of the house and added electricity on the deck for Christmas lights.” His eight-foot tree — artificial so it will last from early November to Epiphany Day on Jan He rotates his assortment of more than 1,500 ornaments annually and this year opted for a colorful mix of his favorite things like the pipe-cleaner candy cane his niece lovingly made overlap with vintage “knee-hugger” elves and hand-painted Polish ornaments and packages under the tree are wrapped in vintage wrapping paper At least a dozen other trees fit onto shelves and in nooks and crannies throughout the house These include a small tree with colorful bubble lights and one in silver tinsel with colorful discs his beloved mantle features crescent moon candelabras and sparkly gold reindeer surrounded by the greenery Oscapinski meticulously arranged A Christmas village sits upon the dining room credenza valuable in that only 100 of each collectible was made Lovely floral garland climbs the banister to the second floor where small trees and figurines grace each room of him and his brothers sitting on the lap of Santa Oscapinski is especially fond of the Holt Howard porcelain angels his mother bought in the ‘40s His love for a festively decorated Christmas started in childhood a rough and gruff guy who couldn’t wait to get the Christmas tree up because he loved the lights,” recalled Oscapinski He’s been collecting decorations since he was in his 20s He takes pride in securing great finds without spending a lot on each item though he admits to spending $8,000 or $10,000 over the years He also knows they have appreciated in value “They are all priceless to me because they’re memories,” he said The front of the house and courtyard are also tastefully decorated His current dilemma is that yellow replacement lights for the candoliers from the ‘40s in his front windows are no longer available Oscapinski lovingly wraps each ornament in acid-free tissue paper and stores them in bins in the basement That’s when he starts dreaming about Christmas next year Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com Weighing your workout options for tonight? Here’s one that won’t break the bank: Tonight—and every Wednesday, actually—Larkin Silverman of Vinyasa Vixen Yoga teaches a $5 yoga class at the Edward O’Malley Athletic Association in Pennsport The weekly class, which kicked off in February according to the Pennsporter located at 144 Moore Street (near Front Street) And if you have yet to cross chair yoga off of your “Yoga Styles to Try” checklist now’s your chance: Tonight’s class will show you how to use a chair for support Stay in touch with Be Well Philly—here’s how: Our Ultimate Guide to Running in Philadelphia Where to Make Your Own Pottery in and Around Philadelphia Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardBlatstein ploy clears way for Wawa gas pumps along Delaware RiverLawyers for Bart Blatstein have come up with a zoning maneuver to build a Wawa gas station along the waterfront site Developer Bart Blatstein wanted to build a Wawa filling station on land he owns near the Delaware River waterfront but gas pumps aren’t permitted along South Columbus Boulevard the busy road that runs beside the property So he got rid of that Columbus Boulevard frontage — on paper at least — with a cunning technical move: He carved a 20-foot-wide strip of his property between the road and the gas station site into its own legal parcel Now the proposed filling station fronts onto the buffer said Wednesday night at a presentation to the Pennsport Civic Association "It changes the legal standard upon which the pumps would be permitted,” he said That explanation frustrated community members at the meeting and that’s not fair,” said Lisa Grivnovics McHugh’s presentation was a required step before his team seeks final approvals from Philadelphia’s zoning board which still must sign off on the gas pumps themselves The meeting followed a ruling by the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections that accepted Blatstein’s workaround including a feature that makes the Wawa and gas pumps accessible from Columbus Boulevard but they pulled it off,” said L&I spokesperson Karen Guss “They figured out the puzzle in a way that gets them their gas station.” Neither Blatstein nor Wawa responded to messages seeking comment Blatstein’s so-far successful solution has left him within striking distance of his years-long quest to plant a Wawa on part of the 21-acre property he acquired in 2014 after a failed effort to build a Foxwoods casino there While the Wawa proposal first came to light more than four years ago Blatstein didn’t begin formally seeking permits for the project until late 2017 with L&I turning down his application due to zoning guidelines that prohibit fueling stations on Columbus Boulevard Those rules were put in place to stop projects that discourage pedestrian access to the river He withdrew his application for the project the following spring McHugh said Blatstein’s Tower Investments Inc resumed its Wawa push because it was unable to find another “suitable” user for the site He and Tower executive vice president Tina Roberts wouldn’t answer community members’ questions about what other occupants were considered Blatstein’s new Wawa application was filed Feb a day before new legislation went into effect designating Tasker Street as a waterfront-access road Pennsport Civic Association president Patrick Fitzmaurice said a gas station would not have been permitted along the street While the parcel-splitting strategy was accepted by L&I the agency did instruct Blatstein’s team that the gas pumps themselves would require a “special exception." Those are handled by the city’s zoning board McHugh said he will argue that the project deserves a special exception when he appears before zoning board members on Sept 25 because “it fits the character” of the community Neighbors at the meeting met that characterization with groans and guffaws Fitzmaurice said in a statement that his group was considering its next steps in response to the proposal but that members planned to attend the zoning board meeting “We are disappointed the developer failed to take the opportunity to find a use for this parcel that follows the spirit of the vision agreed upon by the waterfront communities and stakeholders,” he said the legal maneuvering to avoid the clear wishes of the neighborhood .. Those sentiments were also expressed by people at Wednesday night’s meeting the gas pumps are not something we want,” said Pennsport resident Michelle Silenzio-Franklin president of the Delaware River Waterfront Corp. a government-affiliated nonprofit that oversees development along central Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront criticized Blatstein’s team for violating the spirit of the waterfront’s zoning laws “It detracts from the walkability,” he said “The congestion that you’re seeing — we have to start making steps in the opposite direction of that so the community can easily get to the riverfront and can stroll along it or bike along it.” photo by Bradley Maule; Right: proposed townhomes A ripple of architectural destruction appears to be moving swiftly through Pennsport Some people are putting their faith in preservation efforts and some are taking their faith elsewhere John’s under lock and key | Photo: Joseph G Project architect Rustin Ohler of the firm Harman Deutsch states “we went door to door in the neighborhood seeking support It seems like everyone is in favor…we haven’t received much opposition.” It was deemed too expensive to gut and rehab the existing structure 12 four-story townhomes have been designed Ohler points out that the interior was “dated” and there were “structural issues with the south wall.” John the Evangelist Church (middle) and its Parish House (right with red door) will soon be demolished and replaced with townhouses | Photo: Bradley Maule (view: 3rd Street) Rendering of townhouses planned for 1332-34 South 3rd Street | Image courtesy of Harman Deutsch Architecture (view: Reed Street) John’s life was extended for some years when the congregation of Emanuel Lutheran Church on Fourth Street near Washington Avenue sold their landmark church to a Vietnamese Buddhist congregation and joined with Episcopals for five years But subsequent congregational changes point up how difficult it is for church groups to maintain membership–and their houses of worship the Lutherans went on to share space with Old Swedes Church in their original neighborhood (but a new temporary location) and St John’s faces the wrecking ball Two and a half blocks east of St. John the Evangelist, the future of the former Engine 46 Steakhouse remains unclear. Earlier this week, the Passyunk Post reported that a demolition permit was posted on the building at 1401 South Water Street There are no demolition permits actively filed for the structure who sits on the Queen Village Historic Preservation Committee “the building is quite striking and relatively unique in Philadelphia; during the years that it functioned as Engine 46 Steakhouse restaurant it served as a model of how historic buildings could be restored and recycled for other uses.” He also noted that the firehouse has not been placed on the city historical register which severely limits the strategic options of any campaign to save it “both of these buildings are prominent landmarks in the neighborhood Losing them will be major blows to the cause of historic preservation in Philadelphia.” the community needs to mobilize to stop this not even so much the loss of the church but the erection of something so shoddy and hideous The proposed townhomes are in a style we’ve dubbed Hi-Tard which offers the return of early 70s mansard matched with the return of late 80s hi tech ” It was deemed too expensive to gut and rehab the existing structure I’ve never really quite understood this rationale…So it’s more expensive to restore an existing building than it is to completely demolish it and erect something new What exactly is it that makes renovation so expensive vs new construction Or has this become a false excuse used by developers to mollify preservationists It just seems like this rationale has been used quite often over the last few years. If developers want to demolish historic buildings then they should at least have the decency to be honest and transparent about their intentions It is all BS they spew meaning “we don’t want to be bothered by designing inside the structural limitations of this old building and we can squeeze more apartments into some new shit we build that into this old building.” More bland dime a dozen shit construction and design at the expense of history and quality architecture While the developers themselves and scumbags for this at least we can understand their wanton disregard due to greed The sin lies with the city who allows them to demolish these historic structures and neighborhoods who sit and say nothing If Philadelphis keeps on this path one of the oldest and most historic cities will have precious little to distinguish itself from newer bland cities I dont want to be Philadelphia to just be colder Phoenix in 20 years I was surprised and moved by the parishioners commitment to programs that served the needs of community I hope that the good works of the former St John’s can continue in a new physical home I hope that neighboring parishes show concern for the continuation of the food program and programs serving children in the community Like many good people who are committed to serving others the humble people at St John’s made very little noise about their programs– it would be a shame to see their positive endeavors demolished along with the old church itself Isn’t there a neigborhood community group in Pennsport for public discussion of major community development projects I could not find a website for one using the word Pennsport was it involved in the decision about these historically significant structures If the community-serving programs need preservation as they could continue perhaps the builder can be induced to set aside one home as a home for programs Take Dock Street Brewing in West Philly as one example Reading this makes me feel sick to my stomach and outraged at the same time It wouldn’t be so bad if the church and rectory were being demolished for something creative and innovative As an architectural designer I would ashamed to put my name on something so bland and passe when done correctly can be beautiful but the designs for those houses are an insult to the past I agree with you….why a crappy attempt at a mansard roof Rustin Ohler of the firm Harman Deutsch seems to specialize in creating bland box-like architecture for developers that don’t care about people or neighborhoods It seems like everyone is in favor…we haven’t received much no one has contacted me about it – and why would they – I only live in the house RIGHT NEXT DOOR! This is my first time seeing the planned structure and I’m literally dumbstruck by how ugly and out of scale it is Guess I’ll be going to my first zoning hearing… Abigail Vare School | Photo: James Jennings It looks like Concordia Group has its sights set on another major project at a local landmark in Pennsport Representatives from Concordia will present their proposal to the Pennsport Civic Association tonight City records show that the plan is to split the large single parcel–bound by Morris Street in the south Mountain Street in the north and East Moyamensing Avenue in the west–into seven separate seven lots The townhomes would line the Morris Street side of the property which stretches deep into the block by way of an entrance and an elevated asphalt playing surface the plan looks to call for 24 spots for cars and 15 for bicycles Living in Mount Airy: A Neighborhood Guide Where to Live If You Love to Shop ’til You Drop Pennsport is about to get a heavy dose of greenery: Urban Jungle, the brains behind some of the lushest landscapes and urban gardens in Philly, is set to open a new location. Passyunk Post reports that following a well-received meeting with the Pennsport Civic Association Urban Jungle has announced an expansion of their Passyunk store to a new space at 1721-1725  South Water Street What to expect: It’s not quite a doppelgänger of the Passyunk shop The new location will introduce a larger emphasis on lifestyle and it will be the operational HQ for landscaping and other services like green roofs and walls “Retail will only be a portion at the new operations as [owner] Alexander mentioned he wanted to focus on the landscape displays and even create a space to host various events such as wedding receptions.” you’ll be able to start prepping for the holidays: “The plan is to start receiving Christmas trees in November to ramp up for the holiday season The Water Street shop will supply the flagship on East Passyunk Avenue with trees No word yet on when the new space will open We’ll be over here sketching out plans for a bio-wall at Shoppist HQ A collaborative bruncherie by two of Philly's best chefs Today, chefs Joncarl Lachman and Lee Styer, friends, neighbors (Styer chef-owns Fond, and Lachman — Noord, across the street), and French omelet makers, signed the lease to their new collaborative restaurant coming to 1527 S. 4th Street. The Dutch will take over the ex-Fourth and Cross spot in Pennsport where Styer and Lachman will join forces serving up breakfast The chefs are planning for an April opening after some cosmetic touch-ups. The menu will pull inspiration from their respective heritages, be it Pennsylvania Dutch (Styer) or Dutch-Dutch (Lachman). And good news for fans of Noord and Neuf's bread programs Chef-owner Yenh Thivarath has found a new home in the former Khmer Kitchen space Shrimp pad Thai | Photo courtesy of Maliwan We were bummed to learn that Cambodian restaurant Khmer Kitchen had closed back in March But a new concept has already taken over the property at 6th and Morris Maliwan a Lao-Thai BYO from industry veteran Yenh Thivarath It’s part of a boomlet of Lao-centric concepts opening in the city this summer with the recent debut of Laos Cafe on West Passyunk and Vientiane Bistro a second location of the West Philly staple “Maliwan is my daughter’s Thai name,” Thivarath explained My sister came up with that because we wanted to start anew.” The Restaurant School grad opened her first concept an Asian fusion spot in Willow Grove called La Fusion Cafe But rent was high and Thivarath has her eyes set on Philly opening with Thai fare and a bar at 15th and Oregon but the lack of parking and a primarily late-night crowd pushed her to move yet again — this time to an upstairs space at Wing Phat Plaza at 11th and Washington where La Fusion has existed since 2015 as a sushi and karaoke bar For the petite Pennsport BYO — the dining room has under 30 seats — the chef partnered with her sister Nina Thivarath and brought on designer Raymond Haldeman to create the cozy yet contemporary interior Thivarath is refocusing on the cuisine of her Lao-Thai heritage She’s also planning to bring back some specials from her Willow Grove days Despite the twists and turns on her path to the right location “Twelve years in and I’m exhausted,” she says I’m working my way to Center City one day.” Check out the full menu below (click to embiggen) Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboardPennsport String Band marches to beat of a different drumFor the Pennsport String Band there's more to the Mummers Parade than strutting home with the top prize it's doubtful legendary football coach Vince Lombardi would be a fan of the Pennsport String Band it was he who was famously credited with saying But for those who will be cakewalking up Broad Street Wednesday morning under the Pennsport banner winning the annual string-band competition foremost among them offering people the opportunity to be a part of the Mummers Parade without having to devote a huge portion of their lives (and bankrolls) to do so the band's "About Us" Web page (pennsportsb.com) begins: "The Pennsport String Band has embraced a model of string band that is revolutionary While we will meet periodically throughout the year for practices and meetings we are a three month a year organization (October through New Years) with a sole focus on our New Years Day performance." it's difficult for the ensemble to compete with such Mummers powerhouses as Ferko according to band co-founder and captain Charlie Nicholas that's the whole point of the club that was founded in 2007 expressly to allow "the guys who didn't have the time and couldn't keep up with expenses of the other bands to go out enjoy yourself and keep the tradition alive," he said during a recent rehearsal in the gym at South Philly's Stella Maris School (a location forced upon the group by the recent spate of abnormally brutal weather) Nicholas' use of the word "guys" was generic While the Mummers Parade remains overwhelmingly the province of members of the XY chromosome crowd Pennsport boasts an unusually high percentage of women members (we counted a dozen just among the instrumentalists at the practice; there were a slew of female dancers as well) Not that Pennsport's members don't take their Mummery seriously Nicholas marched for years with Avalon String Band his group boasts five String Band Hall of Fame inductees But it's the rank-and-file that set the band apart Typical of its membership is saxophone player Karen Kessler who found that Pennsport's emphasis on the annual strut through South Philly and Center City fit her schedule far better than bands that focus on year-round activities including the seemingly nonstop raising of funds needed for their elaborate Jan "Pennsport opened the door for someone like me to enjoy the string-band/mummer experience which I would not have been able to do otherwise," offered Kessler "The organization was created to give members the New Year's Day experience without the year-round heavy commitment that is required by the 'top bands.' A musician like myself including playing with the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey it's expected that we each personally shift priorities to attend more of the Pennsport rehearsals but still it's with the 'make what you can' attitude." contrary to the insularity of so many Mummers outfits Pennsport strives to be a portal to the Mummers experience for those who didn't grow up with the tradition Among those who have been able to avail themselves of this only-in-Philadelphia experience through Pennsport is Monique Chabot who was recruited by her accordion teacher a Wynnefield resident who has lived in Philly five years said that she attended her first parade simply to watch Buloff perform She was entranced by the spectacle and thought I wonder how I can be a part of it?' The next year she has found the group's part-time status a perfect fit "I actually like the fact it's just for fun," she said but it's more about the joy of entertaining." The drawback to this less-formal strategy is that Pennsport doesn't have the financial resources to conjure the kind of Vegas-worthy spectacle that is a hallmark of the elite units Pennsport is going with a Venetian party theme that features such setting-appropriate songs (or snippets thereof) as "Carnival in Venice," "Masquerade" and "Libiamo," from the Verdi opera "La Traviata." But the score also will quote from such traditional Mummers tunes as "O Dem Golden Slippers" and "Waiting For the Robert E Lee," songs that seem to have lost their cachet but if you wanna keep Aunt Mary at Broad and Wolf happy so we keep the tradition of Mummers' songs going while some of those other bands are [musically] off-the-charts." It's a fairly safe bet that Pennsport won't finish in the top three in this year's judging but that doesn't mean that Nicholas is not optimistic Despite its financial and time limitations Pennsport has acquitted itself impressively in the past two parades jumping to 12th place in 2012 and 11th last year A year after proposing a development with over 200 townhomes along the Delaware River Construction has substantially tweaked their plan and a closer connection to a nearby walking trail The new proposal for the space at 1401 South Columbus Boulevard was released online this week ahead of a Civic Design Review (CDR) meeting on April 2 Dubbed “Waterfront Boulevard,” it calls for 92 townhomes on the north end of the property with a mixed-use building on the south end The building will include 330 multi-family units The project also plans to move an originally planned riverfront plaza allowing the Delaware River Trail to pass between the development and the waterfront It’s all a big change from the last time the group took their plans for the property in front of the CDR in early 2018. The original idea included no mixed-use building it consisted entirely of townhomes—214 total—along with a community center and a cafe While the original proposal called for 367 parking spaces The eight-acre parcel was previously owned by Bart Blatstein, who originally owned 16 acres It’s just the latest news in a long series of projects that are in the planning or construction process along the Delaware River Waterfront many of them on the northern end of Market Street you can check out some renderings of the project which is being designed by Atrium Design Group diners have headed to South Philadelphia—particularly the neighborhoods east of Broad Street—for the red-gravy Italian restaurants with many new eateries earning enormous acclaim from Bon Appétit East Passyunk (pronounced “pah-shunk” by locals) Avenue is a diagonal interruption to Philadelphia’s grid layout Pennsport has a rich concentration of historically blue-collar families and Mummers’ clubhouses—Pennsport’s “Two Street,” also known as 2nd Street But it is also experiencing the beginnings of its own revitalization the developing Wharton section is home to the Bok Building a former school turned vibrant multiuse space for makers The East Passyunk neighborhood begins 1.6 miles southeast of Philadelphia City Hall the building considered to be the centermost point of Center City East Passyunk stretches from Washington Avenue in the north to McKean Street in the south plus a few blocks east and west of the street Two miles southeast of City Hall (just few blocks east of East Passyunk) is Pennsport Washington Avenue to the north and Snyder Avenue to the south—though those borders are subject to debate Those coming from Center City can walk (30 minutes from City Hall) which runs north and south along Broad Street south to the Tasker/Morris or Snyder stations which rides south on 12th Street and crosses Passyunk Avenue People coming from East Passyunk need only to hop on the #29 bus visitors can also hop in a cab or summon Uber for a short ride or opt to walk to the area VISIT PHILADELPHIA® is our name and our mission As the region’s official tourism marketing agency On Greater Philadelphia’s official visitor website and blog, visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com interactive maps and detailed visitor information make the sites effective trip-planning tools Along with Visit Philly social media channels the online platforms communicate directly with consumers Travelers can also call and stop into the Independence Visitor Center for additional information and tickets Which neighborhood should advance to the second round there’s no doubt that this neighborhood’s popularity is far from over Mural Update: The Swanson Walk murals are looking too darn snazzy. @joeboruchow is adding his finishing touches right before our party on Friday! : @steveweinik #Igers_Philly #MuralArts #MuralArtsMonth A photo posted by Mural Arts Philadelphia (@muralarts) on Sep 26 This underdog took home the Curbed Cup last year, and since then things seem to have quieted down a bit in this South Philly neighborhood. But that could all change very soon, with the help of some big-time projects that are currently in the pipeline. There’s the redevelopment of Snyder Plaza which will further connect Pennsport residents to its retail via more pedestrian walkways as well as rumblings of the mega-project Liberty on the River which could bring multiple residential towers and retail to the Delaware River waterfront it’s no wonder folks are trying to get in on the neighborhood’s affordable home prices while they can met with the Dickinson Square West Civic Association to present early plans for the development project set to replace Mt a landmark property at 4th and Reed streets It will be replaced with an unspecified number of single-family Patterson said that the homes will be built in a traditional brick design Sinai Hospital at 4th and Reed streets in Pennsport seemed to be on track for redevelopment Developers at Greenepointe Construction had presented plans to convert the century-old building into nearly 200 apartments and a few dozen townhomes The plans were supported by local civic associations and the Zoning Board of Adjustment had even approved the variances the developer needed to complete the project But after a neighbor appealed the zoning decision—she subsequently withdrew the appeal saying she was “ok with” the project—there’s been no word about the redevelopment moving forward Property records show that the hospital is still owned by a Chester Springs-based partnership that bought it in 2002 Apparently any plan to repurpose the existing building has been dropped: on New Year’s Eve, the owners pulled a permit to completely demolish the hospital to create a vacant lot the president of Pennsport Civic Association said that the Concordia Group is behind the latest redevelopment plans but he couldn’t say exactly what those plans entail He said he hoped to have updated plans this week an attorney at Klehr Harrison who pulled the demolition permit said he couldn’t elaborate at the moment The School District is currently reviewing 40 applications for new charter schools “Very much looking forward to the eventual development of [Mt Hoping it will be a nice progressive extension of the neighborhood.”  Check PlanPhilly for updates on the Mt The battle over Bart Blatstein’s Wawa on the waterfront will continue into 2020 Pennsport residents oppose developer Bart Blatstein’s plan to build a Super Wawa gas station on a parcel of land along the Delaware River waterfront DRWC has sought to redesign a series of “connector streets” to the river — and Washington Avenue is the latest effort Link IconCopy linkFacebook LogoShare on FacebookXShare on XEmailShare via EmailLink copied to clipboard‘Underground’ chef settles down with Musi BYOB in PennsportAri Miller was a private chef who led pop-up dinners under the Food Underground brand What’s going on at Front and Morris Streets in Pennsport in the corner restaurant space across from a sound barrier along I-95 south Ari Miller sweeps a hand across the snug dining room: “We are paying reparations for the fact that we didn’t study harder in high school backed by sous chef Dana Pellicore and line cook Caitlin Bias luncheonette-like atmospherics are pretty much left over from the space’s previous occupants “we’ve been sort of casually referring it to as relationship cuisine," Miller said “The idea of what we’re doing here is really seated in that notion of watching [farmer] Ian Brendle and Lancaster Farm Fresh come in with these boxes of cool and wonderful and perfect and exotic produce and meats that we get to bend to our will This is working with Heather [Marold Thomason] at Primal Supply [Meats] I’m in contact with these people because I want to be as much a part of their success as they are of mine.” The relationship also extends to the customer Musi (100 Morris St., 215-377-9466) is starting with an a la carte menu of 10 dishes, plus two desserts (Photos were not made available in advance and the menu descriptions are simply a list of ingredients Miller said he’d offer a fixed menu that he won’t call a tasting menu “I think a tasting menu is more of like precious Sort of if your grandma had sort of like a bit of a drug-addled We want you to leave nourished and satisfied We want to honor the fact that you’ve chosen to come here over any of the thousands of other places that you can go to and less than a thousand places that are probably worth it “It’s still the dinner price point,” he said we’re in this little corner in Pennsport in this little shoebox of a space and we want people to be able to come and feel like they’re welcome here and it’s accessible to them but also leave a little like high from the experience.” The name is pronounced “moo-see” (”like what a cow says and what your eyes view,” Miller says) and it’s named after the Bucks County-bred Miller’s favorite fishmonger in Tel Aviv where in his pre-chef life he picked bananas on a kibbutz before waiting tables and working as a journalist “I took that on myself and spent a year just eating everywhere in Tel Aviv and Israel," said Miller "And then when the world economy collapsed and newspapers collapsed I ended up just wandering into this little deli The atmosphere on the line was intoxicating “I remember reading Kitchen Confidential long before I got into the kitchen and then thinking like this is going to be fun if I want to cook,’ but I get into the kitchen and I did not expect it to be so much like that in Israel.” and they’d hand me a wad of cash and send me to the Carmel market and be like short-term jobs -- at Solomonov’s Zahav and Percy Street “Mike told me I’d have a job waiting for me if I ever want to come back,” Miller said the political situation in Israel was weighing on Miller’s mind the barbecue restaurant then on South Street there’s this new guy in town named Eli Kulp and you should go check out what he’s doing.’” Miller landed a job with Kulp and Ellen Yin next door at High Street on Market “That was just a ridiculously eye-opening experience,” Miller said “Eli has this capability to sort of unlock vision in people look at the crew that came out of that group: Alex Bois If you ever stopped to just take stock of how much talent was accumulated in that space.” “I was sort of gigging with cooking these private dinners on my days off It was a great testing ground to really just start to experiment with all this stuff I would see these people come into High Street and Fork like Ian Brendle and Tom Culton and farmers bringing in pigs in plastic bags slung over their shoulders I wanted to be the reason why those people were coming in.” He left High Street to start a private-chef business called Food Underground and “I just started creating every opportunity that I could to cook going to the food cart at Garage [in South Philadelphia] and dinners at [the Rittenhouse demo kitchen] Cook and every last thing.” “It easily could have been transformed into something more sustainable and still be nomadic and still be roaming I wanted something where I had a home base.” A brick-and-mortar restaurant has its own set of challenges “Learning the business side is a lot of trial and error,” he said He has received business guidance from Angie Branca of Sate Kampar It is open Thursday to Monday, starting at 5 p.m. Miller said Mondays will become “a more family, neighborhood, or industry night with a simple menu of soup, salad, a lasagna, and dessert.” Reservations can be made through Resy Note: Miller is not the same Ari Miller who owns 1732 Meats.