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Wayne Junction, Germantown, Logan, Nicetown, North Philadelphia


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Wayne Junction, Germantown, Logan, Nicetown, North Philadelphia

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Gentrification Map : http://www.governing.com/gov-data/philadelphia-gentrification-maps-demographic-data.html

: PB : District Map :

Ojgv4kL.png

 

Wayne Junction is not (yet) a neighborhood - instead, it is a busy transportation hub that straddles the borders of Nicetown and Germantown. "The Junction," as it is known, handles five Regional Rail lines, one trackless trolley, and two bus routes, all serving 190,500 passengers a year.

But what's happening there could have an enduring and positive impact on the two neighborhoods, and the rest of North and Northwest Philadelphia.

SEPTA is spending $33 million on a sweeping renovation that includes a $22.5 million restoration of the vintage 1901 station, refurbishing of the headhouse, platforms, passenger tunnels, and stairways, and installation of elevators and other work to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act, says Natalia Bobak, SEPTA senior program manager.
> http://www.philly.com/philly/business/real_estate/town-by-town/20130331_Town_By_Town__Wayne_Junction_area_is_right_on_track.html#2Kd77VDLGY4wzdeo.99

 

SEPTA_map_zpsrxclgvsf.png

SEPTA LINES

Broad St Line (BSL) : Travel time : Wyoming / Broad > City Hall / Broad : 18 minutes (trains every 10-12 mins.), bus takes 25 mins

Logan > WYOMING > Hunting Park > Erie > Allegheny-BSL > No. Philadelphia > Cecil B Moore > Girard > Fairmont ...
1 / Spring Garden > Race-Vine > Walnut-Locust
2 / CHINATOWN > 8th St

REGIONAL RAIL

WJ station is served by:

Airport Line Regional Rail?, Warminster Line Regional Rail, West Trenton Line Regional Rail
Lansdale/Doylestown Line Regional Rail, Chestnut Hill East Line Regional Rail, Fox Chase Line Regional Rail

Fare zone: Regional Rail Zone 1 (This is an accessible station)

2129 Windram Ave. / Philadelphia PA 19144 / (215) 580-6892

>SSC: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1081069&page=9

 

SEPTA
Current , Proposed , Planned Stations
Wayne Junction
Temple University / Market East Sta. / Suburban Sta. / 30th St. Station
uMS4YHj.png
Wayne Junction in the SEPTA Map (close-up) : Full Map : Hole-Map w/o labels : PB-DistrictMap :


Airport Line ( no WJ stop? )
Term. E & F, C & D, B, Term. A East/West > Eastwick Transit Center
University City > 30th St. Station > Suburban Sta. > Market East Station
Temple University --- NOTE: Temple is one stop away from Wayne Junction
(( No WJ Stop ))
Trenton line, Norristown Line, Chestnut Hill West Line, West Chester / Media Line
Wilmington / Newark Line, Parkersburg / Thorndale Line, Cynwyd Line
Norristown High Speed Line
=== ===

(( Proposed / Planned Lines ))
Allentown Line
Downtown Allentown, Bethlehem Works, Hellertown, Coopersburg
Quakertown, Perkasie, Souderton, Hatfield

Lansdale, Pennbrook, North Wales, Gwynedd Valley, Penllyn, Ambler, Fort Washington,
Oreland, North Hills, Glenside, Jenkintown-Wyncote, Elkins Park, Melrose Park,
Fern Rock Transportation Center
Wayne Junction
Temple University / Market East Sta. / Suburban Sta. / 30th St. Station
(( No WJ Stop ))
Newark / Boothywn line ( no WJ stop)
Reading Line ( no WJ stop)
Stony Branch ( no WJ stop)
South Philadelphia line
Norristown High Speed Line Extension
Cross Regional Metro

81 New Stations , 355 miles of Resorted Commuter Rail and 92 miles of Light Diesel Rail
====
ARTICLES, on WJ : Philly.com : x :
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CONNECTIVITY:

Service to Center City from Wayne Junction Station
Click here for reverse directions

 

Alternative: WALK to Wyoming Station on Broad St, and take BSL train south from there

 

To 30th Street Station

( Option #1 ) : 3x rides, 2 changes

Board Bus Route 23 (towards Broad-Oregon)

Exit at Erie Station

Board a Broad Street Line local train (towards AT&T Station)

Exit at City Hall stop

Use Free Interchange for transfer to the Market-Frankford Line

Board a Market-Frankford Line train (towards 69th Street Transportation Center)

Exit at 30th Street Trolley & Market-Frankford Line stop and walk across street to 30th Street Station

( Option #2 )

Board Bus Route 23 (towards Broad-Oregon)

Exit at 11th Street stop

Board a Market-Frankford Line train (towards 69th Street Transportation Center)

Exit at 30th Street Trolley & Market-Frankford Line stop and walk across street to 30th Street Station

 

To Suburban Station

( Option #1 ) : 2x rides, 1 change

Board Bus Route 23 (towards Broad-Oregon)

Exit at Erie Station

Board a Broad Street Line local train (towards AT&T Station)

Exit at Broad & Walnut stop

 

Option #2

Board Bus Route 23 (towards Broad-Oregon)

Exit at 11th Street stop

Walk to Suburban Station or board a Market-Frankford Line train (towards 69th Street Transportation Center) and exit at 15th Street stop

 

To Jefferson Station

Option #1

Board Bus Route 23 (towards Broad-Oregon)

Exit at Erie Station

Board a Broad Street Line local train (towards AT&T Station)

Exit at Broad & Walnut stop

Option #2

Board Bus Route 23 (towards Broad-Oregon)

Exit at 11th Street stop

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To improve on-time rates, SEPTA makes Regional Rail changes

 

Posted: December 11, 2015

 

(Growing numbers have caused delays)

 

A growing problem with lateness on the Regional Rail lines in the last year is driving SEPTA to make big changes to its schedule, agency officials said Wednesday.

Those changes will begin Sunday throughout SEPTA's Regional Rail network, but the biggest adjustments will be on the Warminster and West Trenton Lines. Those lines will now terminate at 30th Street Station instead of at Philadelphia International Airport. There also will be a new, shortened Airport Line.

 

West Trenton Line trains were on time 76 percent of the time in October, officials said. The same month, the Warminster Line trains were on time 84 percent of the time, and Airport Line trains were on time 83 percent of the time. The changes are designed to bring the on-time rate on those lines up to SEPTA's standard of 92 percent.

For passengers on the Warminster and West Trenton Lines, the biggest change will be the need to transfer to reach University City or the airport, officials said. During off-peak hours, those two lines will no longer stop at Elkins Park, Melrose Park, and Wayne Junction.

 

Meanwhile, the Airport Line will run only from Temple University to the airport during peak hours, and from Jenkintown to the airport during off-peak hours. The net result of the alterations should keep the same number of trains, and in some cases more, serving all stations.

 

"These are three lines that should see an incredible on-time improvement," said Ronald Hopkins, SEPTA's chief operations officer.

Delays have numerous causes, but among them are two bottlenecks. Three lines use a route between Jenkintown and Wayne Junction that have only one track in each direction. Another bottleneck is near North Broad, where six lines use two tracks in each direction.

 

In addition, higher ridership creates delays. On average, 8,434 people use the Warminster Line and 12,711 use the West Trenton Line on a weekday. The ridership numbers mean a train's dwelling time - that is, time spent at a station - is growing. More passengers need more time to board.

==

> http://articles.philly.com/2015-12-11/business/68934213_1_regional-rail-lines-wayne-junction-septa-org

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Wayne Junction restoration helped inspire TOD Development (Nicetown Ct,I & II) at WJ

 

"Wayne Junction was "the hole in the doughnut" of revitalization for adjacent neighborhoods"

 

SEPTA's Money is Enhancing the Vision

 

"SEPTA is spending $33 million on a sweeping renovation that includes a $22.5 million restoration of the vintage 1901 station"

 

The money SEPTA is spending represents "an unprecedented level of public investment in those neighborhoods," says Matt Wysong, the city Planning Commission's community planner for Northwest Philadelphia.

That investment meshes with the efforts of Nicetown Community Development Corp., Kenny Gamble's Universal Cos., and Community Builders Inc., which are visible to thousands of commuters from the windows of the passing trains.

 

nicetowncourtii-philadelphia-exterior-1-

 

The completed Nicetown Court I, at 4330-4350 Germantown Ave., is 37 mixed-income rental units and first-floor commercial space, including a Temple University Hospital family-practice center, says Rhonda Johnson, who handles community relations for SEPTA.

 

nicetown-court-2-drawing-_denardo.jpg

 

The 50-unit Nicetown Court II, under construction at 4428 and 4470 Germantown Ave., also has street-level retail for commuters and residents.

Nicetown has been fertile ground for innovation for three decades. And despite the economic downturn, a May 2012 study on neighborhood development cited investment of $180 million there in recent years, including the Nicetown Court projects and Wayne Junction.

For its part, Germantown has been one of the more stable of the city's real estate markets for the last 20 years, says Paul Walsh, a partner in Elfant Wissahickon Realty who grew up a half-mile from Wayne Junction and sells and renovates houses there.

"There is a tremendous variety of houses in Germantown and Nicetown surrounding Wayne Junction," Walsh says, adding that average sale prices are $80,000 to $100,000. Prices can climb to $200,000, especially for the big three-story singles that share the landscape with twins and rowhouses.

A single in Southwest Germantown recently sold in the upper $300,000s, he says, although location and condition determine the prices people will pay.

Though Walsh can't classify today's buyers as "urban pioneers," many are in their late 20s and 30s with small families and are attracted to a variety of housing stock.

 

Southwest Germantown resident Emaleigh Doley, a blogger and neighborhood advocate, says the Wayne Junction project is raising the interest of the private market in older buildings for office space, and she anticipates that will benefit the residential market in the long run.

Doley says she would like to see efforts by the Nicetown CDC carried over to her neighborhood, "but there is no leadership in Southwest Germantown looking to create that kind of economic bubble here."

 

Although he has been investing in the neighborhood for years, "when I heard about SEPTA's plans, I jumped at the chance to acquire more," says Mount Airy developer Ken Weinstein, a partner in Phillyofficeretail.com, which finds space for nonprofits. This is in both Germantown and the recently created Wayne Junction Industrial National Historic District, which offers tax credits of 20 percent, "if we go that route."

Wayne Junction was "the hole in the doughnut" of revitalization for adjacent neighborhoods, says Wysong. "Filling in that void will help stitch the neighborhoods together in a more functional way."


MORE: http://www.philly.com/philly/business/real_estate/town-by-town/20130331_Town_By_Town__Wayne_Junction_area_is_right_on_track.html#2Kd77VDLGY4wzdeo.99
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Ken Weinstein's purchases in Germantown, near Wayne Junction

 

The latest research, presented March 21 by the American Public Transportation Association and the National Association of Realtors, shows that during the last recession, residential property values performed 41.6 percent better on average if they were near public transportation with high-frequency service.

 

So far, there are many positive signs in Wayne Junction, but, as Wysong notes, "private investment is lagging behind the public."

"We need risk-takers to come in," he adds, saying Weinstein's efforts thus far make him a "potential pioneer."

 

Prices are as big a draw as potential, with Weinstein buying:

 

the-former-max-levy-autograph-co-buildin

A/ the old Max Levy Autograph Co. on 240 Roberts Avenue for $150,000, and :

 

17-4811-GTSettlementChSch.jpg

B/ the six-acre Germantown Settlement Charter School, 4811 Germantown, site going for $500,000.

Two of the six buildings at the school are leased. Weinstein also is spending $200,000 on improvements.

 

The Levy site, vacated a decade ago when the firm moved to the Northeast, has required $80,000 in environmental cleanup. There has been talk of turning the building into artists' lofts, but Weinstein says there are no firm plans for it or :

 

SchaefferSchool_zpsteeixcz2.jpg

C/ the Charles Schaeffer School, two blocks north of Wayne Junction, which he bought for $150,000.

 

"Once Wayne Junction is finished," he says, "it opens up the world."

 

Weinstein also owns the fully restored one-room schoolhouse at 6669 Germantown Avenue (the former Beggarstown School, built in 1740), which will soon open as Little Jimmie’s Bakery.

 

PHOTOS, Buildings in area : http://www.phillyskyline.com/photo/joeminardi/gta/index3.htm

 

WeinsteinBuys_zpsvp0nidyo.png

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Town By Town: Wayne Junction, By the Numbers

Population: 5,000 (2010)*

Median income: $32,283 (2009)

Area: 0.50 square miles

Homes for sale: 10

Settlements in the last three months: 22

Average days on market: 110

Median sale price (single-family homes): $47,500

Median sale price (all homes): $47,500

Housing stock: Rowhouses, singles and twins, all pre-World War II industrial buildings convertible to lofts, plus new mixed income multifamily rentals.

School district: Philadelphia

*Extrapolated from census tracts

SOURCES: U.S. Census Bureau; Zillow.com; Movoto.com; City-data.com


Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/real_estate/town-by-town/20130331_Town_By_Town__Wayne_Junction_area_is_right_on_track.html#2Kd77VDLGY4wzdeo.99
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NEIGHBORHOODS near Wayne Junction / & nearby BSL stations (Wyoming / Logan)

 

"WJ is a transport hub, not a neighborhood"

.

Wayne Junction (SEPTA station) - Wikipedia, the free ...

Wayne Junction Station, Philadelphia and Reading Railroad ...

The station is located in the Nicetown neighborhood of Philadelphia. ...

residential area, drawing from North Philadelphia, Nicetown, Tioga, Logan, Germantown and other points.

 

+ Nicetown / Tioga : Nicetown is bordered by Belfield Ave to the northeast, North Broad Street to the east, Route 13 to the South and Clarissa Street to the west. It is bisected by West Roosevelt Boulevard.

Tioga, in combination with Nicetown, spans from Wingohocking Street to the north, Roberts Avenue to the east, Allegheny Avenue in the south, and Broad Street in the west. Tioga was named after the Native American word for the place where a stream or river forks in two different directions. The town name of Nicetown was named for a family of early settlers with the last name of “Neiss,” which got shortened and Americanized to “Nice." Between the years of 1700 and 1850, the areas of Tioga and Nicetown consisted mostly of rural farmland, which served as a passage between Germantown and Philadelphia. By 1854, Tioga and Nicetown moved within the Philadelphia city limits. During World War II, the area experienced its first economic and industrial boom in conjunction with the rest of Philadelphia. By the 1950s, the area seemed to have peaked economically, falling prey to the infamous “White Flight,” leaving many buildings abandoned and businesses destroyed. Today Tioga and Nicetown continue to fight against the current predicament of drug abuse and crime with involved citizens and active community organizations.

 

+ Germantown, named for the German immigrants who settled in the area, is a neighborhood in North West Philadelphia. Although the boundaries of the area seem to continually change, at the time of its induction into Philadelphia, the neighborhood spanned from Wissahickon Avenue to Roberts Avenue, and from Wister Street to Stenton Avenue. The history of Germantown is well preserved from the old buildings, which still line the streets today, to the various monuments that pay tribute to the area’s accomplishments. During the Revolutionary War, Germantown’s main street was filled with both American and British soldiers... By the late 19th century Germantown was a huge industrial area, however by 1940’s and 50’s most of the area’s wealthy, affluent citizens left the area for a more sedated life in the suburbs....Many of the area’s houses and buildings are open to the public or tour groups throughout the year. Visitors will also enjoy the neighborhood’s plethora of natural scenery as well as modern attractions such as shops and restaurants.

 

+ Logan, named after the plantation that once called the area home, is a neighborhood in upper North Philadelphia. It’s bordered by Godfrey Avenue to the North, Wingohocking Street to the South, North Broad Street to the West and North Fairhill Street to the East. James Logan, a wealthy linguist who was appointed as William Penn’s secretary, owned the plantation and played a vital role in developing many cultural establishments within the city of Philadelphia. ... This neighborhood was one of the first suburbs in Philadelphia during the early 20th century. The neighborhood was not considered “urban” until 1928 when the first subway and streetcar lines were incorporated into the area. During the industrial revolution factories spread throughout the area, producing everything from pies to gum, the area saw a huge economic boom. However like most other areas in Philadelphia, deindustrialization and the “white flight” left many factories vacant. In recent years the area has developed a vibrant shopping and retail district located along Broad Street. Logan is primarily a residential community with a majority white population. One of the economic influences in the area generates from the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Upper Logan. Today the area cherishes its deeply rooted history and fights to protect not only their heritage but also their well being.

(Demographics : As of the census of 2010, the racial makeup of Logan is 59.7% African American, 29.1% Hispanic, 5.4% Asian, 3.9% white, and 2% from other races. The neighborhood is mainly made up of African Americans and Puerto Ricans.)

 

+ Logan Triangle / Logan Redevelopment Area, in the southern part of the Logan neighborhood, is a 21-acre (85,000 m2) area that was completely demolished due to unsafe subsidence caused by engineering deficiencies and poor foundation issues with the original construction. The city condemned about 957 homes in this large area and demolished them in the mid-1980s, leaving only a ghostly grid of rectangular streets as a reminder of the former urban landscape. The area has been slated for commercial redevelopment.

 

Transportation for the Logan neighborhood

SEPTA buses J, 16, 18, and 26 run in this neighborhood. Olney Transportation Center is on Olney Avenue in Logan. At Olney Trans. Center there are SEPTA bus routes 6, 8, 16, 18, 22, 26, 55, 80, and L. The Broad Street Subway is also located at the Transportation Center. The subway travels from North Philadelphia, to Center City, and South Philadelphia. The Logan neighborhood has 3 stops on the Broad Street Subway line:

  • Olney Transportation Center (Upper/north Logan)- located near Philadelphia High School for Girls, Widener High School, Albert Einstein Medical Center, Central High School, and La Salle University.
  • Logan Subway Stop (Mid-Logan)-located near Logan's Branch of the Free library of Philadelphia, Delaware Valley Charter High School, and Cristo Ray High School.
  • Wyoming Subway Stop (South Logan)- located near the Stenton Park, Logan Triangle, and Roosevelt Boulevard.
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Asian-focused businesses in the Logan neighborhood area

 

" 5.4% Asian, 3.9% white..."

MORE:

In the 1970s, Korean people began moving into Logan and established businesses. By the mid-1980s Koreans began moving out of Logan and into sections such as Olney in Philadelphia, and nearby suburbs such as Cheltenham as the area began to gentrify, as African-Americans and Hispanics, which accompanied the migration of Koreans into the neighborhood from the previous decade, began to populate the area, as Koreans began to migrate out of the Logan section and into the nearby suburbs further from Philadelphia

==

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan,_Philadelphia

 

MAP, showing the Asian markets of Philly : MAP

TOP Asian supermarkets in Philadelphia : RANKINGS (how reliable?)

 

 

senghong.jpg

Seng Hong Oriental Market, Philadelphia, PA - Reviews and ...

4901 Old York Rd (rank #38)
www.vogo.com › Pennsylvania › Philadelphia › Store In Philadelphia

... opening hours. Seng Hong Oriental Market address: 4901 Old York Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19141, United States. ... Seng Hong Oriental Market Grocery or supermarket, Food, Store. 4901 Old York ... 4909 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19141,

===

 

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Young Woo Kim Grocery : 4804 N Broad St in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19141-2108. +1 215-455-4950

The Owner is Young Woo Kim

=

genMid.6378695_1.jpg

Thai Hong Grocery Store : 5010 Old York Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19141

 

(Other??):

Supremo Supermarket

4424 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19140, (215) 457-1171

Visit Website

Sine Grocery : 1305 W Rockland St, Philadelphia, PA 19141
Cintron's Grocery Store : 1120 W Louden St, Philadelphia, PA 19141
Collado's Grocery : ???

 

Logan-WJnarrow_zpszodrgxox.png

 

RESTAURANTS:
: o.jpg

 

SilverChopsticks3_zpssgkqp5ef.jpg

 

Silver Chopsticks / 4711 N Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19141-2105

 

Year Market Value Taxable Land Taxable Building Exempt Land Exempt Building Tax

2016 138,600 25,300 113,300 $0 $0 $1,940.12

2015 138,600 25,300 113,300 0 0 1,857.24

2014 138,600 25,300 113,300 0 0 1,857.24

2013 $25,000 $3,651 4,349 0 0 781.68

2012 $25,000 $3,651 4,349 0 0 754.56

2011 $25,000 $3,651 4,349 0 0 726.56

2010 $25,000 $3,651 4,349 0 0 661.12

Owner:

Charlie Choe Real Estate is a Real Estate company at PHILADELPHIA,Pennsylvania,United States ,

Telephone is 2153242857 (+1-215-324-2857),fax is 2153295428 (+1-215-329-5428),address is 4719 N. Broad St.

website : http://www.choeagency.com/#!real-estate/cp7n

> map: https://search.yahoo.com/local/s?addr=4719%20N%20Broad%20St,%20Philadelphia,%20PA%2019141&p=Charlie%20Choe%20Real%20Estate&id=12251202

 

Asia II Chinese Restaurant
3.4 (13) · Chinese / 5920 N Broad St
==
Imperial Palace Chinese Restaurant
4.3 (20) · $$ · Chinese / 5921 N Broad St
No-frills Asian eatery offering a menu of classic dishes & combination platters.
==
Lucky Garden
4.1 (5) · $$ · Chinese / 4901 N Broad St
==

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Temple University has some real ties to China

 

snow18.jpg

 

In 1888, “The Temple College” received a charter of incorporation. The university has since evolved into one of the nation’s premier institutions for higher education with 17 schools and colleges, nine campuses, hundreds of degree programs and nearly 38,000 students combine to create one of the nation's most comprehensive and diverse learning environments. Temple university today is among the 30 largest public universities in the United States and the 4th-largest provider of professional education in the nation. The projected number of freshmen in the Class of 2019 is about 4,900 and the average freshman high school GPA is 3.52.

 

Temple University has seven campuses and sites in Pennsylvania, international campuses in Rome and Tokyo, and programs in London, China, Korea, Greece, Israel, and more. It's important to know your campus and learn about how you can stay informed and keep yourself safe.

Check out the campus map : Main Campus :

 

Temple Exchanges in China / Education Abroad and Overseas Campuses (in China and Hong Kong)

 

Temple students can study abroad in almost any country around the world through Temple programs, exchanges, and partnerships with external programs. Navigate through the Discover Study Abroad section of our website to learn more about the process, and explore our opportunities to find the right study abroad program for you.

If you are a non-Temple student, you can participate in many Temple programs, and we look forward to working with you! Learn more about our options for visiting students.

 

Partner Institutions:

Eligibility

Open to qualified students matriculated at Temple University. / See eligibility requirements

 

Temple University - Hong Kong

With more than 100 alumni coming from the US, Europe and every corner of Asia, the Hong Kong Chapter is arguably the most diverse alumni community in the ..

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The Fight for Chinatown

/ ( is not only in Philadelphia )

 

MELODY_WONG_400.jpg

 

As Chinese populations in Chinatowns around the country shrink, residents of New York’s Chinatown clash with the city over its future

In Manhattan’s most culturally distinct neighborhood, long-term residents are fighting for their way of life.

 

Xue Yu Zhu, 56, lives at 113 Madison Street in the heart of NYC's Chinatown, nestled between the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge. “The landlord wants to kick out all the Chinese people and rent to white people. So they’re always harassing the tenants,” said Zhu.

 

Zhu has lived in the same cramped two-bedroom apartment since she came to the United States from Fuzhou, China, almost two decades ago. She shares the apartment– which has moldy ceilings, a broken window, and trash littering the stairwell–with her husband, daughter, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, for $1,700 a month. “This used to be so crowded right here,” she said, as we passed by Chinese restaurants, shops and street vendors outside of her apartment. Some storefronts were closed, and the vendors and customers were sparse. “Now there is barely anyone.”

 

According to Zhu, her landlord has been giving her notices since last year directing her family to move out, and an apartment in her building that was previously $1,700 a month was rented to new tenants for $3,900. The landlord did not respond to requests for comment.

 

Between 2009 and 2014, the number of Chinese Americans living in Manhattan’s Chinatown dropped from about 47,000 to 38,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Surveys. (Undocumented residents figure into the ACS summary file statistics, however, those questioned are not asked about their legal status.) Residents of the neighborhood typically have less money; the average median income was $37,362 for a four-person household in Chinatown 2013, significantly lower than $85,900 for the rest of the city, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Some families that have been priced out of Manhattan’s Chinatown have moved to other Chinese enclaves in New York like Sunset Park in Brooklyn or Flushing in Queens. But for many Chinese immigrants working and living in Chinatown, the neighborhood is the only place they have known since arriving in the U.S., and leaving can seem like an insurmountable challenge.

. .

2016_02_11-ChinatownPercent-KK.r21547228

 

New York is not the only place seeing its Chinatown demographics change, as Chinese populations in similar communities nationwide are shrinking.

“Chinatowns around the country have traditionally been low-rent neighborhoods,” said Margaret Fung, Executive Director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. “The problem is in many Chinatowns, the immigrant community is being priced out by new development that’s raising property values.”

. . .

Since these neighborhoods have historically been poor, developers buy up properties, build luxury apartments, and rent them for more money to people who can afford them. In some cases, like in the opening and quick closing of a Walmart in Los Angeles’s Chinatown, that residential development is sometimes paired with commercial use, as reported by Curbed Los Angeles. A report by the Asian American Legal Defense and Education found that in New York, Philadelphia and Boston, local government zoning policies were facilitating the shift of these Chinatowns from Asian and working-class neighborhoods to more white and affluent ones.

“Chinatowns around the nation are being threatened,” said Fung.

==

> http://www.vocativ.com/news/290583/the-fight-for-chinatown/

 

map.jpg

 

Is The Neighborhood Called Chinatown North, or Callowhill ...

Oct 11, 2013 - Callowhill · Chinatown · Philadelphia Gentrification ...

The area north of Race Street, between 9th and 13th was once the site of industrial and manufacturing businesses that supported Chinatown restaurants and grocery stores. Though many of those businesses still exist, many more left, leaving behind industrial buildings ripe for luxury condo conversions.

The report connects this upswing in luxury loft development with a Chinatown that became vastly more expensive for both owners and renters: median rents nearly doubled between 2000 and 2010, and by 2010, median rents and property values are greater in Chinatown than in Philadelphia as a whole, even though median rents were roughly the same in 1990 and 2000. Surveys of the neighborhood found insufficient affordable housing for the neighbhorhood.

One of the key findings of the report is that the Asian population in Chinatown is dropping slowly while the White population is rising quickly: between 2000 and 2010, the White population in Chinatown nearly doubled. Though the report calls this the strongest indicator of gentrification in Chinatown, it's worth remembering that much of the new White population lives in Chinatown North, otherwise known as Callowhill, in new residential units fashioned from old factories and warehouses

 

 

Chinatown, Philadelphia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the mid-19th century, Cantonese immigrants to Philadelphia opened laundries and restaurants in an area near Philadelphia's commercial wharves. This led to the start of Philadelphia's Chinatown.[1] The first business was a laundry owned by Lee Fong at 913 Race Street; it opened in 1871. In the following years, Chinatown consisted of ethnic Chinese businesses clustered around the 900 block of Race Street.[2] Before the mid-1960s it consisted of several restaurants and one grocery store.[3]

In the mid-1960s, large numbers of families began moving to Chinatown.[3] During various periods of urban renewal, starting in the 1960s, portions of Chinatown were razed for the construction of the Vine Street Expressway and the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation was formed in 1968. This gave community and business leaders more say in matters of local development.[4]

In years leading up to 1998, businesses catering to other immigrants from East Asian countries, like Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam, opened in Chinatown

. . .

Vine Street is the northern boundary of Chinatown. Restaurants and shops, with apartment units located above, are in the buildings south of Vine street, within Chinatown. Factories and other industrial properties are located on the other side of Vine Street] Filbert Street serves as the southern border. Chinatown includes a core area that has seven city blocks. Many of the residents of the block were, as of 1998, recent immigrants

. . .

Transportation

The Chinatown station on SEPTA's Broad-Ridge Spur is located at 8th and Vine streets, and Market East Station is only a block from the Chinatown Friendship Gate. SEPTA also provides local bus transportation to the area.

At one time China Airlines provided a private complimentary bus service from the Holy Redeemer Church in the Philadelphia Chinatown to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York to facilitate transportation for passengers for its flights to Taipei, Taiwan

 

(2005 : Chinatown got a charter school )

"It's a big step forward for the people of Chinatown," said AAU executive director Ellen Somekawa.

The Folk Arts-Community Treasures Charter School - FACTS for short - will operate in a warehouse-style building near 11th and Callowhill Streets. AAU leaders expect to sign a lease immediately and begin classes this fall.

Charter schools are independent public schools, funded by taxpayers but designed and run by groups of parents, educators and community leaders. FACTS will serve 286 children in kindergarten through fifth grade, using folk arts - everything from African dance to Chinese opera - to help youngsters discover the value of their own and other cultures.

Special classes will help children learn English - crucial as Chinatown shoulders a steady influx of newcomers, particularly from Fujian province on China's southeast coast.

If the school enrolls 286 students, it would receive at least $1.8 million in taxpayer funds, based on the current funding formula.

For 150 years, since the first Cantonese immigrants settled along Race Street, Chinatown has had but one school: Holy Redeemer, the beloved Roman Catholic school that opened, along with the church, in 1941. Children whose families can't afford private tuition usually attend McCall Elementary School, a mile south of Chinatown.

 

A Lost North Chinatown?

Chinatown North Disappearance - threatened by name change, gentrification and tax increases?

june2011_01.jpg

 

With no public meeting held, the CRVNID claimed that they have gained support from Chinatown residents and businesses. However, based on the informal conversations PCDC staff has had with Chinese speaking residents in this area, the reactions were “have no idea about it” or not supportive at all. Their process was not transparent and engaging. PCDC does not support Council Bill No. 110307. The Bill is flawed and the process, which created the Bill was flawed. We are meeting with CRVNID to discuss the matter. We would like to have feedback from the Chinatown Community.

> http://chinatown-pcdc.org/pcdc-news/the-disappearance-of-chinatown-north/

 

 

WEBSITES :: http://www.phillychinatown.com/ :: Chinatown-PCDC : Chinatown-History :

 

Question: Can there be a New North Chinatown?

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10th-and-ridge-as-imagined.218.0.1604.76

 

callowhill-chinatown-north-plan.752.461.

 

Under a new strategic plan adopted by the city planning commission Tuesday, the Callowhill/Chinatown North of the future would include 21 new acres of parks and green space, development that mixes commercial and industrial space with residences, and an extended Noble Street that cuts through the “superblocks” created in the 1960s to attract industry that now feature low-rise buildings and surface parking lots.

The strategic plan focuses on land use and zoning recommendations for an area between Vine Street Expressway and Spring Garden, 2nd and Broad. It includes the neighborhoods of Poplar, Callowhill and Chinatown North, as well as the superblocks bounded by Wood, Spring Garden, 9th and 2nd streets and a section of the Central Delaware waterfront.

The planning area will be included in the in-the-works Central District Comprehensive Plan, which in turn will be part of the city's comprehensive plan, Phila2035. The strategic plan work will help inform the district-level plan.

Central District Planner Laura Spina said this additional study was needed because the once largely industrial area is in such a state of transition that it needed extra attention.

Marian Hull of URS Corporation – the planning commission's main consultant on the study – noted that much of the study area's zoning contradicts the actual land use. For example, one part of the study area is a single-use, medium-intensity industrial district. “That's not what's there now, let alone in the future,” she said.

The strategic plan recommends 70 acres, or 16 percent of the study-area, be rezoned as a mix industrial/residential district- a new zoning classification that allows for live-work spaces.

The plan foresees the eventual creation of an elevated, linear park at the old Reading Viaduct. In the nearer term, it calls for creating smaller green spaces at what will be access points to the elevated park and re-zoning nearby land to encourage mixed-use commercial development.

==

> MORE : http://planphilly.com/articles/2013/02/19/pcpc-adopts-callowhill-chinatown-north-plan-for-mixed-use-green-space

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KOREATOWN

The first Philadelphia Koreatown (Hangul: 필라델피아 한국 도시) was located in the Olney section of the city of Philadelphia, United States. Since the late 1980s, the Korean community has expanded northward, and it now straddles the border between Philadelphia proper and the suburb of Cheltenham, although many Korean-American businesses and organizations and some residents remain in Olney and adjoining neighborhoods

. . .

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Koreatown had "moved" from the Logan neighborhood into the Olney section in the early 1980s, attributing the migration from Logan to "too much crime" and the "schools weren't so good" at the time in Logan.[5] In Olney, tensions were high between Koreans and the German community,[5] as well as the black community, who did not want the section of the town to be officially declared "Koreatown", causing much violence and crime to be committed not only against Koreans, but Asians in general

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koreatown,_Philadelphia

 

LITTLE SAIGON

 

One of the largest Vietnamese neighborhoods in Philadelphia is located in Passyunk Square, a neighborhood in South Philadelphia.

The heart of the Vietnamese community is centered on the intersection of Eighth Street and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia [1] with "one of the largest Vietnamese populations on the east coast."[2][3] and is a district where "... neon signs lure shoppers into grocery stores, restaurants and karaoke bars set back from the street in low-rise concrete strip malls.

Starting from the 1990s, the Vietnamese shopping areas started with Hoa Binh Plaza, followed by Wing Phat Plaza, both of which were "dwarfed" in 1998 with the construction of the New World Plaza and 1st Orental Market. According to Dilberto who quotes Pappas that the origins of the Little Saigon closely follow the patterns seen in "... Westminster (a suburb of LA) and Falls Church (a suburb of DC)

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Saigon,_Philadelphia

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CRIME RATES are falling

Homicides, Philadelphia

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

391 : 331 : 302 : 306 : 326 : 331 : 246 : 248 : 280 : numbers are falling

chg. : - 60 : - 89 : - 85 :- 65 :- 60 :-145 :-143 :-111 : off the peak

 

Neighborhoods: http://data.inquirer.com/crime/

 

==== ------------------- : -------- : - Crime Rates -
## : Neighborhood Popula. Violent Property
50 : Tioga/Nicetown 17,958 : 1.17 : 2.78 :
19 : Hunting Park-- - 15,965 : 1.13 : 1.82
55 : W.Phil/CobbsCr. 37,723 : 0.93 : 1.51
23 : Kingsessing---- 23,670 : 0.89 : 1.77
06 : Center City----- 58,882 : 0.76 : 4.21
25 : Logan/Og./FR 43,587 : 0.71 : 1.70
16 : Germantown-- 22,701 : 0.66 : 1.67
09 : E.Germantown 26,812 : 0.56 : 2.09
27 : Mantua--------- 12,956 : 0.54 : 2.86
52 : University City 39,187 : 0.54 : 1.74
===
Rates per 1,000 citizens / Update Feb. 28, 2016

===
25 : Logan/Ogontz/FernRock - 43,587 population : 0.71= 31v : 1.70= 74P per 1,000 per month

Year: Viol: Prop / Viol: Prop : Violent & Property Crimes

Crimes: mo:Jan.- / - mo: July- / -mo:Oct. - :
2007 : 78v, 204P / 90v, 135P / 55v, 188P :
2010 : 52v, 144P / 69v, 167P / 67v, 127P :
2013 : 56v, 101P / 65v, 123P / 46v, 131P :
2014 : 62v, 109P / 43v, 141P / 61v, 119P :
2015 : 43v, 083P / 55v,092P / 55v, 103P : mostly robberies & assaults
2016 : 42v, 093P /
To'15: -45%,-59% /-39%,-32% /-00%,-45% : Crime fell this much over 8-years
To'16: -46%,-54% /
===== =====

Crime in Philadelphia : Browse and sort Philadelphia crime rates by neighborhood based on reported incidents ...

Explore a heat map displaying the change in location of crimes across .

.

As Philly's violent crime drops, mapping the neighborhoods ... (2012-13)

www.newsworks.org/index.../philadelphia/66505-as-phillys-violent-crim...

Apr 3, 2014 - For a long time, the Philadelphia Police Department rarely had good news to share. ...

Violent Crime Rate Change, 2012 to 2013. close. +-.

.

Other cities fight new crime, Philly sees little change ... (2013-14)

www.phillyvoice.com/other-cities-fight-wave-crime-philly-little-change/

... The increase is especially bad, Baltimore is not alone. New York City has seen homicides rise by about 20 percent. Houston has seen a jump, as has Milwaukee.

Philadelphia, however, hasn't followed this trend. As of Wednesday, the city has seen 98 killings, just three above the same point last year. In general, the city seems to be keeping pace with a downward trend in the number of homicides, from a high of 151 in 2012 year to date to 95 last year at this time.

Local law enforcement officials say it may be too early to declare Philadelphia immune to the rising violence in other major cities or to name a cause.

n 4, 2015 - The city's homicide rate has hardly budged from last year.

.

Mayor changes tune on black-violence discussion

www.wnd.com/2013/.../mayor-changes-tune-on-black-violence-discussi...

Apr 20, 2013 - Wolfgang showed that the white murder rate in Philadelphia between 1948 and 1952 was 1.8 per 100,000 people, while the black rate was .

What are the actual circumstances of crime in Philadelphia?

Over the last two decades, the city has lost 32 percent of its white population, or 263,254 people. During that time, crime was a major concern.

In the late 1990s, blacks were 43 percent of Philadelphia’s population and 76 percent of the alleged murderers (see chart below). Whites were 52 percent of the population but just 5 percent of alleged murderers.

Between 2007 and 2012, there were 1,987 murders (an average of 331 murders per year) in Philadelphia. Of those victims, 80 percent were black; 11.2 percent were Hispanic; 6.9 percent were white; and 1.7 percent were Asian.
Most murders in the city were intraracial, black-on-black crimes. Of black murder victims, 95 percent were killed by other blacks. However, the report pointed to a major, noteworthy exception: “Caucasians and Asian Americans, on the other hand, were both more likely to be murdered by an individual of another race.”
> http://www.wnd.com/2013/04/mayor-changes-tune-on-black-violence-discussion/#m7drzA45Vg26uvoF.99

 

Murder rates in Philadelphia and other cities are all marketing

christopherwink.com/.../murder-rates-in-philadelphia-and-other-cities-ar...

Jul 2, 2010 - Williams is supposed to be a part of a “sea change” in the city's role of prosecuting criminals — a major Philadelphia Inquirer investigation ...

(Note how far homicides fell from 2007-8, and this article was written in mid-2010):

 

Three points

  1. The overwhelming number of murders are targeted — as I read in a 2007 column from the Inquirer’s Tom Ferrick. Though I can’t quite recreate that point in existing literature or research offhand, it’s intuitive enough that the chances of you catching a stray or being gunned down are quite a bit less likely than we often think. In our cities, mostly poor black boys are killing poor black boys.
  2. The overwhelming number of murders happen in neighborhoods most educated, relatively privileged people aren’t going to live. See this 2007 map from the Inquirer.
  3. The sense of what cities are most dangerous, or at least most murder-ridden, is a remarkable marketing game.

Killadelphia’s real rap is being the most dangerous big city — with the highest murder and violent crime rates of the country’s 10 largest cities. But it’s hardly the most violent of big cities when taking in to account all of those with a quarter million people or more.

As seen in the chart above, according to 2008 figures, Pittsburgh — often lauded as a functioning, safe Midwest city — has a higher per capita murder rate than Philadelphia — yes, Pittsburgh

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Germantown/ WayneJ : "The Hole in the Donut ?" (Upper NW, Upper N)

 

Germantown has been one of the more stable of the city's real estate markets for the last 20 years, says Paul Walsh, a partner in Elfant Wissahickon Realty who grew up a half-mile from Wayne Junction and sells and renovates houses there.

 

"There is a tremendous variety of houses in Germantown and Nicetown surrounding Wayne Junction," Walsh says, adding that average sale prices are $80,000 to $100,000. Prices can climb to $200,000, especially for the big three-story singles that share the landscape with twins and rowhouses.

A single in Southwest Germantown recently sold in the upper $300,000s, he says, although location and condition determine the prices people will pay.

Though Walsh can't classify today's buyers as "urban pioneers," many are in their late 20s and 30s with small families and are attracted to a variety of housing stock.

 

Southwest Germantown resident Emaleigh Doley, a blogger and neighborhood advocate, says the Wayne Junction project is raising the interest of the private market in older buildings for office space, and she anticipates that will benefit the residential market in the long run.

 

Doley says she would like to see efforts by the Nicetown CDC carried over to her neighborhood, "but there is no leadership in Southwest Germantown looking to create that kind of economic bubble here."

Although he has been investing in the neighborhood for years, "when I heard about SEPTA's plans, I jumped at the chance to acquire more," says Mount Airy developer Ken Weinstein, a partner in Phillyofficeretail.com, which finds space for nonprofits. This is in both Germantown and the recently created Wayne Junction Industrial National Historic District, which offers tax credits of 20 percent, "if we go that route."

Wayne Junction was "the hole in the doughnut" of revitalization for adjacent neighborhoods, says Wysong. "Filling in that void will help stitch the neighborhoods together in a more functional way."

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/business/real_estate/town-by-town/20130331_Town_By_Town__Wayne_Junction_area_is_right_on_track.html#eeQk32PQC7thRO5H.99

 

(Planning is underway):

 

Uppernorth-Map_zpsnzadre9k.png

 

UPPER NORTH PLAN / STATUS: IN PROGRESS

 

"A key issue is planning for reuse of the Logan triangle, a 30-acre vacant site to the north of Roosevelt Boulevard"

.

The Upper North District Plan has officially begun in January 2016.

Neighborhoods:

Logan, Olney, Fern Rock, East Oak Lane, West Oak Lane, Cedarbrook, Ogontz and Belfield.

Key Issues:

Upper North Philadelphia borders Cheltenham Avenue and the Broad & Olney transit hub is centrally located in the district. A key issue is planning for reuse of the Logan triangle, a 30-acre vacant site to the north of Roosevelt Boulevard. Another site in need of a reuse strategy is the former Cardinal Dougherty High School in East Oak Lane. Other issues include preserving the historic quality of East Oak Lane and maintaining the urban character of commercial corridors on Broad Street, Ogontz Avenue, Easton Road, 5th Street and Old York Road. The future development of Einstein Hospital and La Salle University are important planning issues, and there is a need to enhance major gateways into the City from the north. Tacony Creek and adjacent parkland require upkeep and improvement.

==

> http://phila2035.org/home-page/district/upper-north/

 

Just Below this, is the NORTH District

Summary Excerpt

Other issues: expanding and enhancing open space near Tacony Creek, reuse of abandoned railways, and maintenance of traditional neighborhood commercial corridors at 22nd & Lehigh, Broad & Erie, and 5th & Lehigh. Rail stations at Broad & Glenwood and 22nd & Allegheny create opportunities for higher density, mixed-use development...

 

Transit-Network.jpg

Lower still, is the LOWER NORTH District

and

Lower North = Temple University = Broad Street Line (BSL) ++ Brewerytown ??

EXCERPT

The Lower North District’s population is slowly rising after a 50 year decline. The district’s 95,200 residents enjoy an extensive SEPTA network and the greatest number of parks and recreation facilities in Philadelphia. They must also live with roughly 30 percent of the City’s total vacant land, a burden that the City hopes to turn into an asset.
Population.jpg

 

Year : Population

1990 : 114,317
2000 : 095,029
2010 : 095,176
2040 : 112,000 - per year estimated rise : +16,824 / 30 = 560 people per annum

 

As the district’s population declined, Temple University’s population grew. As of 2010, almost 28,000 students were enrolled at Main Campus. Of those, about 11,000 lived on or near campus. A shortage of University-owned rooms has led developers to build almost 2,000 units of housing in the last ten years. Demand for privately built student housing is expected to decrease in the next ten years, however, as the rate at which enrollment increases has declined, and University-sponsored apartments have come online.

SEPTA serves Lower North with 16 bus lines, one trolley, four Market Frankford Line and four Broad Street Line subway stops. Since 60 percent of residents either don’t drive or choose not to, maintaining a robust transit network is critical to the district’s future. This district hosts several transit hubs that serve over 5,000 riders per weekday. They are: Broad and Lehigh, Broad and Cecil B Moore, Broad and Girard, Front and Girard, and the Temple University Regional Rail station. The Temple University station alone hosts 7,000 riders per day, the fourth busiest regional rail stop in the system.

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  • 2 weeks later...

WJ's Urban Assets... "gems of the bourgeoisie"

 

ou don't have to look hard around Wayne Junction to find urban assets.

 

As the Planning Commission's Barr explained to B Love, Steve Ives, and me, the station itself, built in 1881 and then rebuilt under Frank Furness' eye in 1900, contained a waiting hall and a baggage room. Both will be restored to their dark-brick, fleur-de-lis ambition. The station, which also includes a 1930s tunnel across freight tracks, is a gem of the bourgeoisie -- as is so much of the area: exotic row houses with in-laid decorative crests, generous porches, front gardens, and lampposts. In our trek around the station, B Love and I found ample row house blocks on both the Nicetown and Germantown side largely intact and brimming with architecture.

 

West of the station, where Wayne Avenue heads into Germantown, are blocks of boxy stick-Victorians -- singles and twins -- and the wonderful Zeralda Street, perhaps the most colorful in Philadelphia.

waynejunction_zeralda.jpg

There are cobblestones and parks -- both Fern Hill Park, cut in two by Roosevelt Expressway, and Stenton Mansion Park provide ample recreation and natural beauty within blocks of the station. Loudoun, the haunted mansion built by merchant Thomas Armatt in 1801 high enough on a bluff that he could see his ships coming into port, stands on several lush acres just above the station. Stabilized after it was hit by lightening in 1993, it's a charming, but empty, piece of early Philadelphia looking for a use.

 

StentonHouse_zpsyhvh3gh5.jpg

Stenton House reminds me of London's Holland Park ... the image below is from the Guidebook

: PB :

stenton-mansion-guidebook-1-638.jpg?cb=1

 

Stenton is the Georgian house built in the 1720s by Philadelphia's first cosmopol, James Logan, Penn's secretary. Stenton, a working house-museum in a park just northeast of the station, is the real deal, with ample ambition to become a major tourist site.

Septa, with the station itself and two enormous shops, is the area's largest landholder. I spoke with Michael Dawkins, the transit agency's assigned community representative. I wondered if Septa had thought about leveraging its station investment. Dawkins, who had just survived the project's first community meeting, told me that the station upgrade was strictly a Septa project, that the project manager had hoped to be more ambitious but that it wasn't likely, that Septa hadn't yet convened representatives from the city or CSX, the freight rail, and was unlikely to upgrade the public areas around its two shops. "The sidewalk on Roberts Avenue," I protested. "It's dangerous."
. .
"Our main objective is to uplift the community by revitalizing the station . . . People see dollar signs . . . It can be a collaboration . . . .We probably need to reach out."
Then he asked if I had any ideas.
Don't laugh -- we're about to waste $20 million in tax dollars unless Septa opens itself to the community, proactively collaborates directly with City agencies, including Streets, the Planning Commission, Commerce, and possibly the RDA. If this remains strictly a Septa project it will fail.

This is why Barr of Planning Commission is pushing hard. She sees just what has to happen -- the junk yard and the gas station just behind the station have to be moved; the storage building just across Windrim Avenue from the entrance should be renovated for mixed-uses. The strip mall at Windrim and Wingohocking should be redeveloped for pedestrians..

---

> http://phillyskyline.com/possiblecity/possiblecity05.htm

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STENTON HOUSE & Germantown : Touristic Potential

(Transport to/from seen as a issue)

Hague has committed Stenton to an active role in neighborhood planning, much of which revolves around the intended $20 million renovation of the Wayne Junction regional rail station (as I reported in December, the station project is the centerpiece of a concurrent transit-oriented development study being undertaken by the City Planning Commission) . "For us, [really good] public transit would be terrific," he says. One look at a city map tells why. In addition to Wayne Junction, three blocks away and served by every regional rail line but the R6, Stenton is served by two Broad Street Subway stations and the most-traveled bus line in the city, the 23. Accessibility isn't at issue. Rather, of course, it's the perception and reality of decline and crime (there were three homicides in the vicinity of Stenton in 2007 but none directly between it and Wayne Junction).

. . .

Only a plan, with a careful historic context statement and a comprehensive survey of neighborhoods, would properly allow officials and community members to make an informed decision about a project like Wayne Junction. Does the station support an historical theme? Is there a context for preservation in Nicetown/Lower Germantown? Are there other station headhouses in Septa's inventory of equal or greater historic value?

(2008): http://phillyskyline.com/possiblecity/possiblecity14.htm

1882760886.jpeg

Stenton House : Stephen Hague, Exec. Director

Francis-Cope-House.jpg

Awbury Arboretum / Cope House: Gerry Kaufman, Exec. Director (private homes & an arboretum; now: rents to private parties)

cliveden.jpg
Cliveden : David Young, Exec. Director (colonial house owned by Benjamin Chew; now: jazz concerts)

 

Johnson-House-Exterior-680uw.jpg

Johnson House : Linda Talbert, Exec. Director (colonial house, which was a stop on the underground RR)

THESIS PAPER : On Historical potential of Germantown

Notes

What had once been the summer suburb for Philadelphia’s merchant class has evolved to mirror the problems of many postwar American cities; experiencing what has been dubbed “white flight” and “urban decay.” Even as Germantown underwent its many social and economic transformations, its numerous historical sites continued to be maintained and nationally recognized. It is the purpose of this thesis to understand and examine the coexistence of historical preservation in Germantown with the characteristics of the Germantown neighborhood.

 

The current demography of Germantown speaks to this history. Germantown is 80.8% black and 14.5% white, with about 1% Asian and 2% of mixed racial background... The 2000 census shows that Germantown is 80.8 percent black and 14.5 percent white. Only 21.8 percent of Germantown’s population has a bachelor’s degree or higher, while 73.9 have a high school diploma. The median income in 1999 per household was 27,436 dollars, with 24.5 percent of the population below the poverty level. About one third of housing in Germantown is renter occupied units, comprising about 12,000 units, with the other two thirds being owner occupied. There are 1,440 households out of 22,290 with a “female householder, no husband present,” and of these female headed households, 30.3 are below the poverty level.
 
Germantown is already experiencing some forms of gentrification, with property values increasing in the last five years.
Still, Germantown lacks a stable and safe business district to serve its middle class population. The historic sites could theoretically serve as a springboard for new forms of economic development along Germantown’s main strip.
People who are interested in visiting Germantown’s historical sites are directed to Chestnut Hill, an affluent neighborhood up Germantown Avenue, for lunch or for shopping.
Clearly, there is a disconnect between the historical sites of Germantown and the surrounding community; historic sites attract people from the outside and instead of “welcoming” or advertising the neighborhood to these outsiders, they send them directly out of the neighborhood again.
Many sites have taken a more defensive approach, only opening their doors to the public a few times a week or not advertising themselves in a clear
way. It is my belief this disconnect can be repaired through the development of community and business organizations based around these historic sites.
A Failed Plan
The plan called for a revitalization of Germantown Avenue, calling it “The Germantown Avenue Multicultural Heritage Corridor,” which divided historical and cultural sites into four sections; A “Green Gateway,” “High Street Center,” “Avenue Antiques,” and “Theatre Arts Gateway.”
This kind of creative marketing called for unification and collaboration between historic sites but ultimately failed due to “turf defending” of the different historic sites as well as a lack of funding
The joining together of the historic sites as a way to promote community and economic development is still a relatively young idea in Germantown, and has the potential to be developed further.

==

> http://thesis.haverford.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/10066/1056/2007ScattergoodA.pdf?sequence=1

Cultural Heritage Tourism:

> http://www.culturalheritagetourism.org/howToGetStarted.htm

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Germantown - Up and coming ?

 

June 15, 2015
In Germantown, real hope rises for better days ahead
maplewood_2-660x440.jpg
Entering Maplewood Mall, just off of Armat Street, just off of Germantown Avenue

Eighth District City Councilwoman Cindy Bass says construction on Maplewood Mall will begin sometime between now and spring 2016. The project's design elements are still being finalized.

Work at Vernon Park, she adds, is slated to start "any day now" and wrap up in a few months.

Together, those three projects represent a $7.2 million public investment in Germantown.

"The Germantown that you see today is better than the Germantown that you saw five years ago and I think five years from now it's going to be even better," says Bass.

 

A changing landscape

Local developer Ken Weinstein agrees. Through his company Philly Office Retail, he's been investing in Germantown for more than two decades on projects big and small. By now, his portfolio includes a couple hundred such projects.

The list includes the recent renovation of a vacant church for the Waldorf School of Philadelphia and the overhaul of a handful of properties part of a campus once run by Germantown Settlement.

While many developers, especially commercial ones, are still thinking the time still isn't right when it they look at Germantown, Weinstein continues to see great potential and, more than ever, real opportunity.

"There will be people two, three, four years from now who dragged their feet, who wished they had gotten in now," he says.

Over the last three years, the veteran developer has witnessed what he deems are pretty dramatic changes.

For starters, commercial rents are beginning to rise. Properties that once went for $10 per square foot are now going for $12 per square foot. Properties that typically "maxed out" at $14 or $15 are now getting $18 per square foot.

That, says Weinstein, could potentially open the doors for previously hesitant developers.

"All of a sudden your numbers start to work. So there's that many more properties that you can start to buy and rehab and immediately get a positive cash flow from it."

BAS_4840_BS0931.jpg

After many years of working in the neighborhood, developer Ken Weinstein says he's witnessed dramatic changes the past few years. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)

On the residential side, Weinstein is hearing developers not only talk about Germantown, but also begin to invest. In part, thanks to "Jumpstart Germantown," a new initiative he launched in March.

The program aims to rebuild Germantown's ailing residential stock by educating, supporting and extending a line of credit to developers so they can start projects and finish them.

"Having houses fixed up and people moving in with disposable income, then commercial tenants want to relocate on the commercial corridors. It's an easier sell at that point," says Weinstein.

At Jumpstart's first meeting earlier this month, nearly 100 developers from inside and outside of the city showed up. Weinstein was "blown away" by the response.

==

> http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/nw-philadelphia-more-stories/item/82967-in-germantown-real-hope-rises-for-better-days-ahead?linktype=featured_articlepage

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Why has gentrification at WJ / Upper North lagged ?

 

Originally Posted by PhilliesP--- trn.gif

To me, it seems like gentrification is starting at the areas closest to transit and spreading out.
Take Fishtown/NoLibs for example. Girard Avenue is considered the northern boundary for both of these neighborhoods. For NoLibs, Spring Garden Street is the southern boundary. At both of these boundaries, there exists a Market-Frankford Line (called the "El" or "Blue Line" by locals). This is why I believe that Germantown, in the northwestern section of the city, is prime for gentrification. On Germantown Avenue exists a station called Wayne Junction. During peak hours, this station provides subway-like headways for five Regional Rail lines (Lansdale/Doylestown, Fox Chase, West Trenton, Warminster, and Chestnut Hill East).
(response no.1):

Wayne junction serves Nicetown as well as Germantown.
Anyways, the way I see it, gentrification tends to happen along transit, but also near to already gentrified neighborhoods. That's why you don't areas of far North Philly currently gentrifying, even directly next to subway stations.

(no.2)

The neighborhoods to check out in the NW are Manayunk, W. Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill. All easily accessible by train.
There are LOTS of immigrants in the NE which, reminds me, in part, of Queens. There are lots of neighborhoods there but you essentially need a car to visit.

(no.3)

Being "mentally prepared" is a must for the 23 (bus). Lol But, seriously, riding it you get a definitive snapshot of the poverty and income inequality in the city, and the fact that, IMO, we made a mistake by closing the asylums. Anyway once you get to Mt Airy and Chestnut Hill it's like you've been through the Twilight Zone. I have to hand it to Septa bus drivers who deal with stuff all day/every day. I wouldn't last a week doing it.
'Course on the Chestnut Hill West you get to see the abandoned factories, but you also see some great and beautiful older houses and it brings you right into Chestnut Hill which is cool.

(no.4 - with reasons for the decline)

I read somewhere that 30% or so of neighborhoods gentrified in the 2000-2010 period as compared to only 5% or so in the 1990-2000 period. So it's getting better. The recession probably hindered the city's progress again, but there are signs of recovery. The amount and magnitude of real estate/commercial investment in the city right now is extraordinary. More than 10 hotels are coming to the city in the following years, including a new Four Seasons and a W, as well as a boutique hotel by Hilton which is replacing the old Four Seasons . I think Philly is definitely headed toward becoming a much healthier city.
P.S.: I don't encourage aggressive gentrification. I actually encourage helping low-income non-criminal families and small-business owners stay in their neighborhoods and benefit from the city's growth. However, I don't think driving junkies, drug dealers, and people with recent criminal records away from the city would be a loss. I don't sympathize with those people who physically attack new higher income neighbors or vandalize their homes.

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/philadelphia/2401045-philadelphia-visit-erie-york-chester-houses-2.html#ixzz431kTX9Qw
Might these two new TO developments - at Temple Sta, and WJ provide seeds for Gentrification?
DistrictMap-2015-CtrE_zpsfmcoqohc.png
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Germantown : Has potential as a 'A tourist magnet'

 

(ISSUES: lack of clustering, transport, promotion, investment capital)

 

With the tagline "Freedom's Backyard," Historic Germantown is the umbrella organization for 16 member sites.

They include Wyck House, Stenton, the Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion and Johnson House, one of America's only officially documented stops on the Underground Railroad.

 

The group is marking a leadership change when many think it's time to expand opportunities for tourism.

Laura Keim, a longtime curator at sites like Stenton and Wyck, will serve as interim director while a consultant begins the search for a new permanent director, whom Historic Germantown hopes to install within a few months.

"A lot of people who live in the Northwest really dream of it being a tourist magnet," said Hogue, noting that her move was personal, not one precipitated by troubles with the Germantown scene.

Andy Trackman, board president of Germantown United CDC, said that the neighborhood compares just as well to, if not better than, Old City in terms of the number of historic sites and their "multi-layered potential."

 

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Tourism officials worry that bus routes which come to Germantown pass through rough neighborhoods on the way.

 

But in terms of location, accessibility, size, geography, perception and "public and private investment in the infrastructure," he said it's just not fair to compare them, especially when Old City boasts of Independence National Historic Park.

 

The closest thing the Northwest Philadelphia neighborhood has to INHP is the Germantown White House, and President George Washington's old summer home has been closed due to federal sequester cuts, affecting an estimated 1,300 visitors, according to the National Park Service.

Sharing the spotlight

For years, some say a dearth of promotions keeps Germantown off the visitors' map while tourists flock to the Parkway and Independence Hall.

. . .

"Unfortunately, Philadelphia's lack of respect for Germantown is nothing new," Harris concluded. "Why this longstanding reluctance to share the historical spotlight with Germantown?"

Hogue said that organizations dedicated to Philadelphia-area tourism "are really sort of absurdly focused on Center City." That means "neglect" of outlying neighborhoods with just as much to offer, she surmised.

Citing "high turnover and a lack of education on what's up here," Trackman also noted that Northwest residents he's spoken to have had little success inquiring after Germantown destinations at the Independence Visitor Center.

. . .

Keim said Historic Germantown sites attract more than 60,000 visitors annually.

Big draws include an annual Revolutionary Germantown Festival which brings thousands to the Cliveden/Upsala grounds in October. Wyck's Philadelphia Honey Festival (part of the Philadelphia Science Festival) drew almost 1,000 people in September.

More tourist outreach would be valuable, Hogue said, but that's "probably beyond the means of any individual site in the neighborhood."

. . .

The arrival of businesses like Rose Petals Café on Chelten Avenue and the new Little Jimmie's coffee shop in Maplewood Mall repeatedly raise another question.

From the barren, unsafe feel of SEPTA stations like Chelten Avenue on the Chestnut Hill West Line, or Germantown on the Chestnut Hill East Line, to the overall lack of shops and restaurants that would warrant an extended visit, many deemed it a "chicken or the egg" issue.

"It's more than just historic sites marketing themselves better," Hogue said. "It's also about a neighborhood being in a place where it can accept more tourists."

Does the area need improvements to bolster tourism? Or does it need more tourists to justify improvements?

. . .

Unlike Old City, "Germantown is not just about the Colonial history. It's not just "George Washington slept here," but also the stories of many successful African-Americans getting lost in the white-focused narrative of the City's history, he said.

"I think that is really, really important for Germantown to be recognized as a place of African-American history and culture," Trackman said, citing the Johnson House, the ACES Museum and the Black Writers Museum as potential draws.

Germantown's Quakers are a major part of that history, which boasts the country's first anti-slavery petition in 1688.

"The history of equality and fighting for equality," said Trackman, "is part of Germantown's history as well."

==

> More: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/nw-philadelphia/66175-will-germantown-ever-become-an-accessible-big-time-tourist-draw

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Little Jimmy's Coffee Shop... and High Point Cafe / North Germantown, Mt Airy

 

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Little Jimmy's Bakery cafe at 6669 Germantown Ave, Mt. Airy, 19119 : website

 

"The primary reason this place gets five stars is their EXCELLENT customer service. The young men (I've only seen men working there), in addition to being super handsome, are just so nice, thoughtful, and competent. Don't know their names, but the one who was cooking this morning (have seen him working by himself before) is the reason I have returned to this place. He makes people feel welcomed and comfortable.
Oh, and the coffee's really good. The sandwiches (esp. the sausage and egg on a bagel) are good, as are the sweets. They play good music, but not too loudly. The feel of the place is cozy and the other customers are always cool."

> Review: http://www.yelp.com/biz/little-jimmies-bakery-caf%C3%A9-philadelphia-2

 

x x x x x

 

Coffee and pastries are becoming an economic engine in Mt. Airy.

 

The opening early next year of a High Point Café wholesale bakery/roastery and a second location for Little Jimmie's Bakery Café just down the street are milestones in a long-struggling stretch of Germantown Avenue.

Both properties are owned by Mt. Airy USA (MAUSA), the community organization working to revive the commercial corridor, as well as improve housing and spark development.

 

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High Point Cafe is moving into 6700 Germantown Avenue

 

"We have raised money from private-equity investors, currently all of whom are customers of ours. We are still trying to raise about $100,000 more, but we have met our minimum goal and are able to begin our work in earnest."
--Meg Hagele, owner, High Point Café

 

The new tenant for 6700 Germantown Ave. is a very happy ending to a long saga for that building. The handsome, mid-19th century brick structure originally had been the community post office.

In the 1980s, the nonprofit civic group East Mt. Airy Neighbors occupied the building.

. . .

The chicken-wing restaurant franchise was seen as a potential anchor and destination for that stretch of the avenue, a way to bring foot traffic into the neighborhood.

"Other than Little Jimmie's, after 5 p.m., there is nothing to draw people down here," Gupta said.

Change of plans

The Wingstop owner was proposing to make a $750,000 investment in a building that had been vacant for three years and was poorly maintained before that.

"I think it would have been a signal for more private capital at this end of Germantown Avenue," Gupta said.

Not everyone saw it that way. Some neighbors were concerned about parking and traffic issues, waste disposal and late business hours.

But it was the extended timeframe for the business to take over the property that ultimately killed the deal. MAUSA could not afford to wait for the Wingstop owner to meet his loan obligations before opening.

Over the summer, MAUSA announced a new tenant for the property: the wholesale location for one of Mt. Airy's favorite brands, High Point Café.

High Point had already planned to move into one side and the lower level of 6700 Germantown Ave., with Wingstop occupying the rest of the upper level. Now, High Point will be the only occupant of the upper, main floor.

. . .

Hagele boasted that the site will have one of the only "profile" coffee roasters in the region, where other roasters can use the device to try out different roast profiles and coffee samples before committing to larger batch machines.

Cuppings and tastings with roasters and consumers in the meeting space/coffee lab are planned.

The new location, she added, is a perfect spot to service her existing shops on Carpenter Lane and in the Allens Lane Train Station, and is convenient for deliveries to Center City and the near suburbs.

"We are really excited about the aesthetics of the space and are thrilled with the designs we are working with that will maintain as much of the charm of the interior as possible," Hagele said.

Reactions to the news

The exterior of the old post office remains in excellent condition, and the original stepped entrance to the center of the building facing Germantown Avenue will be restored, said Brad Copeland, MAUSA's director of real-estate development.

"We think High Point will bring new life" to this area," Gupta said. "Their product is so high quality, it's easy to understand why they're on such a growth trajectory."

==

> http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/nw-philadelphia-more-stories/item/60611-can-coffee-and-pastries-bring-new-scent-of-success-to-struggling-sliver-of-germantown-ave?linktype=featured_articlepage

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May 1, 2014

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“The word ‘gentrification’ is a word I’ve always hated.” That’s how moderator Alan Greenberger, Philadelphia’s deputy mayor for economic development and director of commerce, introduced the forum held on Saturday, April 26, titled “The Big G” and subtitled “Gentrification in Germantown: How it Works and for Whom.” After about two-and-a-half hours listening to Greenberger and the four panelists discuss the issue, jumping from topic to topic like grasshoppers, it was difficult not to dislike panel discussions as much as Greenberger dislikes the word “gentrification.” That’s not a knock on the participants but on the inadequacy of a using the panel discussion format to dig into a subject like gentrification, a subject of multiple facets, many existing on the macro level; which looks different in different places; which brings out the often contradictory desires of people who are faced with it.

 

The forum was hosted at the Mastery Charter School at 5700 Wayne Avenue in Germantown, a pertinent site given the panelists’ agreement on the role of schools when it comes to people deciding where to live—and due to its location a mere two blocks from Rittenhouse Hill. The just-completed upscale renovation of twin 12-story residential towers opened in 1950 as Park Drive Manor Apartments comes from Post Brothers, the company owned by brothers Matthew and Michael Pestronk, noted object of union protests at their Goldtex construction site in Callowhill. While one of the panelists qualified her reference to “rich developers” by saying, “not all developers are rich, and not all developers are bad,” and while Germantown, with its many vacant lots and rundown properties, doesn’t quite fit the description “gentrified,” the Pestronks’ investment in Rittenhouse Hill and other area properties displays their sense that Germantown has “potential”—essentially the prerequisite for gentrification. Matthew Pestronk asserted this unequivocally during a phone call the day before the forum.

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Rittenhouse Hill counts proximity to regional rail among its amenities. The closest stop, Chelten Avenue, represents one of Germantown’s primary arteries (Germantown Avenue the other); as yet, it’s difficult to detect the forces of gentrification on Chelten Avenue | Photo: Bradley Maule

“[Germantown] is a desirable place for middle income people,” Pestronk pointed out. “It’s very attractive.” That section of Northwest Philadelphia offers a “tremendous opportunity” when it comes to renovations, explained Pestronk. “All there are are these old buildings that haven’t had any money put into them in 30 or 50 years. We thought, why don’t we start buying them and raising the rents?”

.

Rittenhouse Hill now includes exercise rooms where residents can take classes for free. The large back courtyard has a basketball/tennis court, a bocce court, an infinity pool, a hot tub, a small playground, and not one but two dog runs (one each for large and small pooches). Studios start at $895 a month, one bedrooms at $1,245, two bedrooms at $1,695, with rents for each going up by about $150 depending on, say, the quality of the views.

The rents are now double what they had been before the renovation, said Pestronk. “The area is totally undervalued.” Rittenhouse Hill is more than 80 percent leased.

. . .

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All eyes are on Maplewood Mall which, half a block east of thoroughfare Chelten Avenue, is the subject of a $2.2M makeover initiative from Councilwoman Cindy Bass’ office; Little Jimmies Bakery and Cafe opened their second location here two months ago | Photo: Bradley Maule

Schools & Businesses

Regarding the first point, panelist Stephen Mullin, president and principal of Econsult Solutions, put it bluntly: “I’m a big believer that white parents will not send their kids to schools that are predominantly black.” Grannum noted that in Brooklyn, people buy a $1 million or $2 million house, “but they’ve already budgeted in for private school.” In other words, gentrification still often leaves the schools segregated and low-performing. In the case of a neighborhood like Germantown, which doesn’t have newly prestigious Brooklyn’s ability to draw the affluent despite unpromising schools, the lack of solid schools will likely hinder the onslaught of full-fledged gentrification.

Regarding the second point: Although community development corporations often focus on attracting businesses to their neighborhoods, “gentrification is not likely to happen just because of commercial corridor revitalization,” Grannum asserted. “In Brooklyn, the commercial corridor lagged a decade behind residential growth.” Businesses first want to make sure the foot traffic exists.

==

> More: http://hiddencityphila.org/2014/05/taking-on-the-g-word-in-g-town/

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Opinions on Germantown

 

Germantown and Chelten Avenues is a great rental area, imo. Its a busy shopping area, several bus routes to get to around town. All of Germantown Ave is filled with art galleries, boutiques, grocery stores, tatoo parlors, a vast array of restaurants and more. Its an endless commercial avenue from North Philly up through when Germantown Ave becomes Germantown Pike pass Chestnut Hill. Chelten Ave is very similar for quite a number of miles. Still depending which way you turn (block by block) varies as usually for any section of Philly. It'll be $40K-$50K 2-story rowhouses 3/1 950sf filled with mostly renters (maybe a few section 8ers) on a tiny side street; then turn the corner and go down the block on a slightly bigger street and its $150K+ 3-story twin houses 4 /1.5 1500sf with mostly homeowners and of course you have the MFRs 2-8units on average. The main thing you want to be mindful of as an investor is the historical properties as Germantown is known for having. If you have to do rehab they have a different set of guidelines that you must follow and can be costly. I imagine that you'll be put on notice by the agent / seller or someone before you close if it is or not. Otherwise its a great area for rentals & flips. Even the small matchbox houses/ apt units in Germantown usually secure an attractive rental income. If you ever read about the history of Germantown its a very intriguing story.

Kudos, Mary

Lucas Pfaff Investor from Philadelphia (1 year ago)

@Mary B. Thanks for your feedback!

Would you consider this area a B neighborhood, or closer to C? With your mention of section 8 I'm guessing C (where I would have placed it based on my limited knowledge).

Thanks again.

Mary B. Wholesaler from Lansdowne, PA replied about 1 year ago

@Lucas Pfaff Section 8 is nearly everywhere with very few exceptions but yes I'd call G-twn & Chelten Aves a C area.

. . .

Found this post late, searching for something else. I don't know if you're still considering buying in Germantown, but I live here and have some rentals in the area as well. All have worked out well for me! The neighborhood is gradually improving with more young professionals and families moving in, making it a good area for buy and holds. As far as specific location, my sense is west of Germantown ave is better and north of Chelten is better. The Tulpelhocken Station district is really nice. I'd definitely encourage any other investors (or home buyers) to consider the area for its good values and rental returns!

==

> https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/86/topics/162396-any-opinions-on-germantown-neighborhood-in-philly

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Gentrification Articles ... / Map : http://www.governing.com/gov-data/philadelphia-gentrification-maps-demographic-data.html

 

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Point Breeze

 

Insane Surge in Philadelphia Gentrification - Citified

Feb 17, 2015 - Parsing a new study finds Philadelphia gentrification rate to be highest in the nation—by a lot.

Gentrification ACCELERATED at a very high rate in Philly

 

A new quantitative analysis by Governing magazine attempts to measure the recent uptick. The study looked at low income census tracts in the nation’s 50 biggest cities since 1990, and found that, nationwide, the pace of gentrification of low income urban neighborhoods has more than doubled.

But here's the real news. Over the same period, the pace of gentrification in Philadelphia’s low income census tracts increased by a staggering factor of 1,800 percent. That’s correct. According to this study, Philly's gentrification rate is 18 times what it was in the 1990s. Just one city tops Philly's rate: San Diego (with a 2,015 percent increase).

Now, to be clear, other cities are obviously more gentrified than Philadelphia. A whopping 58 percent of Portland's low income census tracts gentrified between 2000 and 2013, Governing's study found, compared to just 29 percent in Philadelphia (by that metric, Philly ranks 12th nationwide).

> http://www.phillymag.com/citified/2015/02/17/insane-surge-philadelphia-gentrification/#fRJf66WFpXDtQRVg.99

 

 

Germantown United CDC | A Sustainable Germantown

germantownunitedcdc.org/

The Storefront Activation Program pairs local artists and makers with Germantown businesses and property owners to upgrade storefront window displays, ...

 

Find Out Which Philly Neighborhoods are Gentrifying Rapidly

philly.curbed.com/2015/11/3/.../gentrification-philadelphia-neighborhoo...
Nov 3, 2015 - Depending on who you talk to, uttering the word "gentrification" in any city either incites a shudder or applause. Either way, it's happening in ...
GentrifyingNeighborhoods_FedReserve.0.jp
Philadelphia Gentrification Maps and Data
www.governing.com/.../philadelphia-gentrification-maps-demographic-d...

To assess how gentrification has reshaped urban neighborhoods, Governing analyzed demographic data for the nation’s 50 most populous cities. Changes in several measures, described below, were calculated for each city’s Census tracts and compared to others throughout metro ...

=== ===

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  • 1 year later...
September 20, 2017 | News
Bringing new businesses (and jobs) to the area is the best way to revitalize, believes Ken Weinstein
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Ken Weinstein of Philly Office Retail presents the new Wayne Junction logo

Developer Ken Weinstein unveils transit-oriented development plans for Wayne Junction district. GroJLart has the story

 

Wayne Junction, the border between Nicetown and Germantown, is on the cusp of revitalization. Local business owners, nonprofit organizations, and City agencies are joining forces with developer Ken Weinstein to reinvigorate this important transit hub with transit-oriented real estate development. On Tuesday, Weinstein presented his plans for the Wayne Avenue Revitalization Project to a 100-strong crowd inside the shell of the former Blaisdell Pencil Company on Berkley Street.

The project will essentially create a new mixed-use neighborhood surrounding the station providing restaurants, retail, office space, affordable housing, jobs, and even a dog park to local residents. Street lighting, trees, new sidewalks, landscaping, murals, and street-scaping are also part of the plan. Weinstein presented the new logo for the revitalization project with the fitting tagline, “Moving Forward”.

 

Weinstein’s real estate development company, Philly Office Retail, has been lauded for its neighborhood-focused projects that provide affordable work space for non-profits and have helped reactivate underutilized areas of Mount Airy, Germantown, West Philly, Norristown, and Upper Darby. Weinstein’s Jumpstart Germantown initiative educates aspiring developers in the ways of home renovation and residential sales. In this way, Germantown gets revitalized by locals instead of big-time developers.

Philly Office Retail has already absorbed the old William Adamson property at 4811 Germantown Avenue into the Wayne Junction Campus, a four-building complex now holding 14 businesses and over 100 jobs. Philly Office Retail will be rehabbing seven more nearby properties including:

 

HjIkrbn.jpg : w/o labels :

 

  • the Samuel Sloan-designed, 1876-built former Schaeffer School at 4701 Germantown Avenue, which will house Philly Office Retail’s new headquarters
  • the former R-S Products Corporation/Bargain Thrift Center at 4530 Germantown Avenue, set to become the new home of the Philadelphia Woodworking Company
  • 133 Berkley Street, the site of the recently demolished Van Straaten and Havey Silk Mill, will become the site of the new Wayne Junction Diner, a 50’s diner concept similar to Weinstein’s Trolley Car Diner
  • the former Blaisdell Pencil Company building at 137 Berkley Street will be restored to become the third location of Deke’s Barbecue with a possible brewery/distillery on site
  • the former Max Levy photoengraving building at 212 Roberts Avenue, set to become 21 apartments
  • two contiguous empty lots at the corner of Wayne and Roberts Avenues, a new dog park for the neighborhood that Weinstein hopes to have decorated with murals

> more

 

Ken Weinstein's company website : http://phillyofficeretail.com/

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Ken Weinstein's Philly Office Retail has a Mentoring & 6.75% Lending Program

Jumpstart Germantown Loan Program

Doing good is a simple and universal vision. A vision to which each and every one of us can connect and contribute to its realization. A vision based on the belief that by doing good deeds, positive thinking and affirmative choice of words, feelings and actions, we can enhance goodness in the world.”

– Shari Arison

Who We Are

Jumpstart Germantown, an initiative spearheaded by Philly Office Retail to facilitate the revitalization of the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia through high quality residential renovations. We are working to identify fellow developers who share our interest in investing in the future of Germantown. Through mentoring, networking and providing financial resources to these developers, Jumpstart Germantown will remove blight and deteriorated properties from its residential neighborhoods, making Germantown a better place to live, work and enjoy.]

Loan Program

The Jumpstart Germantown Loan Program provides financial resources for the acquisition and construction of residential and mixed use properties in Germantown, loans that often cannot be obtained from financial institutions. The Loan Program is available to both experienced and novice developers but novice developers are encouraged to first participate in the Mentoring Program.

Download a Jumpstart Germantown Loan Program Handout for additional information.

Loan Details

  • Up to 85% of total cost of acquisition and construction.
  • Funding will be advanced as work is completed. No construction funds disbursed at settlement.
  • Take up to 9 months to buy, construct and sell/refinance (3 month extensions available).
  • 1st Lien placed on property – additional collateral may be required.
  • Lender’s title insurance policy required.
  • Personal guarantee of borrower and spouse, if applicable, required.
  • Interest only loan payments due after construction is completed.
  • All fees and expenses, other than the administration fee, can be financed.

Cost Details

  • $1,500 administration fee – up to 4 inspections (Each additional inspection is $250).
  • Cost to extend loan for each additional 3 month period – 1% of initial loan amount.
  • All expenses are the responsibility of the borrower (legal, environmental, title, recording, transfer tax, etc.)
  • Legal fees – $250 if mortgage and promissory note templates are used, actual cost if legal negotiations are required
  • 6.75% Annual Interest
  • 2% Loan Commitment Fee

Loan Application Process

Loan applications are accepted anytime. After receiving your completed online application, Jumpstart Germantown staff will evaluate your application and respond with any questions or concerns. You will then be contacted, usually within 24-48 hours, to set up a time and date to tour your proposed property acquisition and construction project.

If the property is not yet under contract we can issue a pre-approval letter if the application is accepted. Please note all pre-approvals require an application and 24 hours.

If your loan application is approved, we will issue a Letter of Commitment which you must sign within 15 days and return to the Philly Office Retail office with your $1,500 Commitment Fee. Before settlement we will need a lender’s title policy, proof of builders’ risk insurance and a copy of your LLC’s operating agreement (if applicable).

> More: http://phillyofficeretail.com/loan-program/

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TRANSPORT is a key factor - and should help the Wayne Junction, Logan/ Stenton Park, Nicetown area to go on improvingYp9rPer.png : w/o labels :

Wayne Junction is walking distance from BSL stations: Wyoming Station & Hunting Park station (about 6 blocks south) on Broad Street

Also nearby is Stenton Park (a rarely-visited Historic home)

(from the article, above):

"Transit oriented development surrounding Wayne Junction brings the area back to its roots. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the convenience of the station led to the development of industrial buildings all around it, allowing thousands of workers to commute in every day from all over the city. Workers who lived nearby at the time could potentially use the station to travel to all corners of the United States.

Wayne Junction station was built by the Reading Railroad in 1881 under designs by Frank Furness and was reconstructed into its current form in 1901 by Wilson Brothers. It was created to be an answer to Pennsylvania Railroad’s nearby North Philadelphia Station."

> more

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Stenton House is in Stenton Park

Stenton Mansion, also known as the James Logan Home, was the country home of James Logan, colonial Mayor of Philadelphia and Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. The home is located at 4601 North 18th Street in the Logan neighborhood of North Philadelphia.
Stenton, which was named for Logan's father's Scottish birthplace, was built between 1723 and 1730 on 511 acres (2.07 km2) as the country seat of James Logan, who was recognized in his lifetime as "a universal man in the Renaissance tradition." Arriving in Philadelphia in 1699 as William Penn's secretary, Logan occupied pivotal roles in the colony's government—including that of chief justice of the Supreme Court and acting governor—for 50 years. He assembled one of the best libraries in colonial America. Stenton, now open as a historic house museum, part of the Historic Germantown Historic Society is an outstanding example of early American Georgian architecture.
==
> wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenton_(mansion)

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North Smedley Street is a lovely Street, just south of Stenton Park. It is one of the most beautiful streets in the Logan / Stenton Park area

 

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Christ the King Ukrainian Church (viewed here from N. Smedley St.) is 1629 W. Cayaga St.

- it is a few minutes walk down W Wingohocking St. to the East from Wayne Junction :

 

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Exterior of the Christ the King Ukranian Catholic Church located at 16th and Cayuga Streets in the Nicetown Section of Philadelphia. Title from verso of photograph.

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