May 12, 2008

Condo Destroying Earth One Trip At A Time

There's a story in today's Inquirer about the residents at the new condos at Liberty Two. The cheapest place in the skyscraper is $1 million, but you do get perhaps the best view of the city. There are only about 20 residents in the building, but they already have four concierges doting on them 24/7, a complimentary driver and Mercedes from 7 a.m. - 11 p.m. and probably anything else you could imagine.

Then there's the story of Michael Beautyman, who used the driver to help him find a couch.

A health-care attorney, world-class athlete and divorced father of two from Flourtown, Beautyman is still decorating. Last week, he asked the Residences' driver to take him around the city in search of a sofa. No hunting through Macy's for a floor model. No flipping through Pottery Barn catalogs, or testing the springs on a garage-sale special. The driver took him from store to store. [...]

So, did he find the couch? "No. I found three possibilities. More important, I found an interior decorator at Mitchell Gold who's helping me."

Liberty Two: 16th and Chestnut streets. Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams: 13th and Chestnut streets. I would always suggest driving when attempting to hire an interior designer from down the block. Fortunately for Beautyman, even if all the ice caps melt he'll be about 700 stories up, sitting on his comfy oatmeal-colored couch in peace.

Tip-Top Service [Inquirer]

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December 03, 2007

'Bonnie & Clyde Of ID Fraud'

The Daily News ' Regina Medina has a great story today about a pair of alleged identity thieves. Penn grad Edward K. Anderton, 25, and Drexel student Jocelyn Kirsch, 22, allegedly stole the identities of their neighbors at a $3,000-a-month Center City condo.

They had the newest electronics and traveled around the world. But for some reason they also shopped at Ikea. Do we have a nickname? "Bonnie and Clyde of ID fraud." Thanks. Kirsch allegedly tried to pass a bad check in order to get hair extensions and threatened the person attempting to contact him.

Also, the pair used Penn's student newspaper as a resource:

After obtaining a search warrant, cops found three safe lock boxes in their apartment and confiscated $18,000 in cash, a Rolex watch, counterfeit Georgia state driver's licenses, credit cards in the names of neighbors, and a 2005 article from the Daily Pennsylvanian - Penn's newspaper - on "How to Spot Fake IDs."

Come to think of it, it looks like Anderton got a nose job or something. Or maybe he just lost weight.

Living Large [Daily News]

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November 27, 2007

Knocking At Death's Door (In Center City, At Least)

Today's Inquirer has a story about empty nester couples moving back to Center City, because they're sick of living in suburbia and have enough money to afford to live in Center City, unlike you.

And, as such, the Inquirer profiles a couple who has moved from Elkins Park to an unnamed ritzy Center City condo. Oh, and the paper predicts the date of their deaths.

But three of their four children are in Center City. So is the theater. Ballet. Opera. Restaurants. So in the spring of 2005, they moved to Center City. One of the glam condos that are shooting up in Philadelphia like gold-leafed sunflowers. Just the right perch for a couple with another good 10 or 15 years left to get their urban groove on.

Well, at least the paper gave them a range. "You're going to die by the time you're 90, but you will live until at least 85!"

Second life as urban hipsters [Inquirer]

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February 05, 2007

Prison To Close; Worse People To Move In?

See the people in the photo at right? That is the America's new enemy. (Not specifically them, but I was searching for "white affluent-looking couple with no taste" and I think this stock photo fits it perfectly.)

But, anyway, the white suburban family with at least one kid is America's new enemy not so much for what it it -- though its members are usually annoying, natch -- but for what it brings: Traffic. And on suburban Philadelphia roads originally designed for plows and the Amish and the one motor coach owned by the Pitcairn family (or whatever), traffic is a major problem with new developments sprout up and suddenly you're sitting in traffic on Old Goat Road, one lane each way, and it takes you 45 minutes to get to the ACME down the street.

In fact, traffic is such a problem that Skippack residents are ready to rally to keep a jail in their community. The state is contemplating moving decades-old Graterford Prison, and Skippack Township residents are worried about new condos and other houses, and worried about the extra traffic it would bring.

The site is currently only zoned for a prison, farming or open space, but if the state can make a killing off of a nice-sized plot of land if Graterford were to be closed... well... let's just say if you live in the 'burbs, you're going to be stuck in traffic for the remainder of your natural life. Maybe longer.

Worse than jail? Sprawl [Inquirer]

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January 10, 2007

'Inquirer' Building To Get Even Whiter?

Have I got a new condo for you. It's big, white (and sometimes green) and it's located at Broad and Callowhill, the greatest intersection in the city. Yep, that's it: The Inquirer Building might be for sale.

The Inky Building was completed in 1925. It was actually the union who suggested the paper sell the building originally -- although clearly it was already in management's plans. Byko & Co. thought it'd be a good way to lay off fewer people, but the company said it had already earmarked building sale funds for other uses.

The Associated Press reports the company is doing a review of all its real estate holdings, and while Brian Tierney says there's a "very small chance" the building would be sold... damn! Could you imagine the money suburbanites would pay to live in that kick-ass building? A one bedroom would be like half a mil. Think how many Phillycars.com ad spots that could buy!

Inquirer Owner Reviewing Real Estate Holdings [AP/6 ABC]
Jan. 2: Phillycars.com Ignites City With New Anthem
Photo by Brad Maule of Phillyskyline.

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December 07, 2006

Just Wait 'Til The Trouble When Symphony House Opens

Police busted a marijuana-growing operation yesterday, seizing 30 pounds of marijuana plants worth around $70,000. Neighbors tipped off the officers to the operation. Police also confiscated heat lamps and related equipment and charged Saji Ravindran with conspiracy, recklessly endangering another person, risking a catastrophe, drug possession and possession with intent to deliver. (Hmm, will some news organization bring up the firefighters who died while fighting a marijuana growing operation blaze in 2004? KYW 1060's Tony Hanson, there we go.)

What makes this bust notable is that it happened at the Dockside, the condos on the Delaware River waterfront just south of Bainbridge. Ravindran was leasing a condo on the 10th floor of the building, and he probably won't be getting his security deposit back. Units in Dockside sell for about $600,000.

In related news, police broke up a meth lab at The Victory.

Law enforcers sack pot-growing biz [Daily News]
Phila. Police Bust Marijuana Operation [KYW 1060]

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November 10, 2006

Philly: A City That Can't Even Fix Its Most Famous Bell

Julia Vitullo-Martin can't just stop bashing Philly. The Manhattan Institute fellow who wrote a strange piece in the Wall Street Journal about how Boston is better than Philadelphia recently continued her screed against the city in an email newsletter from the Manhattan Institute. (If you're one of the Philadelphians who hasn't heard of the Manhattan Institute except when it's talking about Boston or Philadelphia, raise your hand. Thank you.)

In it, she picks up on the designation of America's Next Great City bestowed upon our 135-square miles by National Geographic Traveler. (Way to get that one while it's still hot.) She also writes about how the murder rate is high. And then she goes in this direction:

As Captain Jesse G of South Philly's Italian Market said recently while selling crabs, "This place was 95 percent Italian. Then the entire neighborhood moved en bloc across the river to Washington Township, New Jersey. People. Businesses. Everything. Now it's 5 percent Italian." Vacant property, perhaps waiting for development, mars the local cityscape. Down the block from Captain Jesse, a dilapidated former market stall carries a for-sale sign. Across the street, a huge Chinese restaurant has opened, signaling at least one ethnic group ready to bring new capital to the neighborhood. Right behind a sign announcing The Italian Market, a small Vietnamese restaurant does a good business, attracting customers from the Korean and Vietnamese shopping centers.

The townhouses are in part a product of the 10-year abatement of real estate taxes on any improvement—a program former Mayor Rendell started to jumpstart development. ... The city's bet—and it may pay off—is that the tax breaks will attract so many new residents and businesses that by the time the abatements expire, the value of the property will have increased sufficiently to placate property owners about the steep taxes they will have to pay. But what about current property owners, who now shoulder the entire tax burden? "Last year the city of Philadelphia raised real estate taxes for the building in which I live, while granting abatements to many new or to-be buildings," says business consultant Arthur Cohen, who lives in rural Pennsylvania while maintaining a condo in Philadelphia. "This tends to lower the market value of our building, and of course asks us to pay more than our share of the city's burden. The city of Philadelphia has become a desirable place to live and developers can make money without the abatement, which is a give-away."

If you were too busy to read that, here's the problems with Philadelphia, aside from the post-war population decrease: The Italian Market has Asian businesses, and business consultants with a house in rural Pennsylvania are paying more taxes on their second house (a condo) in Philly.

Gasp! This is a problem. Perhaps the Manhattan Institute can import some Boston politicians for us to fix this mess. Hey, we already have a toilet from Beantown.

Will Philly Be The Next Great City? [Manhattan Institute]
Oct. 31: Erie Canal Takes Center Stage In Boston-Philly Debate
Nov. 2: Flushing Philly's Troubles Away

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October 25, 2006

Giant Drink Tumbler Just What Wildwood Needed

In case you were wondering if Wildwood could get even more condo-fied, well, you're in luck. The answer's yes, and the results are... well... that thing at right (click to enlarge).

The monstrosity at right is none other than the Wildwood Beach Hotel & Resort, slated for completion in 2009. It'll sit directly across from the Wildwood Convention Center, which puts it at around Ocean & Montgomery. It's not the only new high rise going in on the tiny island. The Atlantic City Press reports that Wildwood recently raised its height maximum -- 12 stories -- allowing this 25-story resort as well as a bunch of other high rises that already have city approval. (There may be an issue clearing some of the high rises with the state's Department of Environmental Protection, because of bird migration patterns or something.)

But back to the Wildwood Beach Hotel & Resort. It's clearly positioning itself as a year-round destination, since it will feature a spa, indoor shopping, an indoor beach and wave pool (!) and a convenient hop, skip and jump to the Convention Center. (The website also calls Wildwood's sand "finer than any you'll find in the Caribbean." There's more kids' urine in it, too.)

The design is pretty good up top, with the yellow and oldish motel look. But, uh, giant drink tumbler? Giant lava lamp? Guhwha? It'd look nice and even appropriate without the giant tumbler and lava lamps, but with them, it's... uh... is there a stronger word than kitschy?

Of course, the $225 million, 190-condo, 150-hotel room resort isn't just about making money. No, it's about helping families victimized by 9/11, according to Christian Nickerson (the head of developer Princeton Junction Development Partners):

"As a survivor of the 9/11 attack on Tower One of the World Trade Center, I believe people think differently about travel," Nickerson says. "Many families would like to have a taste of the Caribbean without the hassles of airport security, passports and a long plane ride. Even in winter, visitors would be able to relax at our indoor beach."

Oh. Well. God bless your resort, then, Christian. But if your indoor shopping forces the Boardwalk Mall to close, well, there will be hell to pay. There's a bunch of links below if you want further info on the de-Wildwoodification of Wildwood.

Wildwood Beach Hotel & Resort
Holy Cow, Batman, Wildwood's Never Gonna be the Same! [Phillyblog]
Coming 2009: Wildwood Condos! Plus Waterpark! And 9/11 Exploitation! [New York Observer Real Estate Blog]
Wildwood developers look to sky [Press of Atlantic City]
Developers Unveil $225M Hotel/Condo Project [Globe St.]

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August 21, 2006

Leftovers: The Place That Loves You Back (Unless You Overdosed On Heroin)

• If you read PW regularly, you probably already know about the state of the city's ambulances. (Hint: Not good.) But now, an Inquirer investigation has revealed that not only is the city failing to revive heroin victims with the drug Narcan, but the city's chief paramedic didn't know it worked as a treatment for fentanyl, which has been tainting heroin up and down the East Coast. Sigh. [Inquirer]

• The Divine Tracy Hotel in West Philly has been sold. But where will we go to dress modestly? The story doesn't say who the buyer is, but I think we all know what's being done with it: Condos. [KYW 1060]

• Dr. Dean Richardson, who last operated on Barbaro, is now going to perform surgery on a polar bear with a broken leg. But of course. [AP/CNN.com]

• Matt Ciotto, Chad B. Archer and Wilbert S. Kollie. Name three people not likely to win their fantasy football league this year. [Metro]

• Geeze. We need to get a union job. [Blinq]

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June 28, 2006

Blogicized: Tremendous Upside

• Hey, the NBA draft is tonight! Get ready to watch the 76ers pick the player who will disappoint fans at least 41 times next season. That is, if he shows up. [Philly-Sports.Net]

• Alert! You can buy FireCharlieManuel.com if you really, really think that firing him will solve all the problems of the Phillies. Or if you have a lot of time on your hands. (Incidentally, the Phillies are losing 6-0 today.) [The 700 Level]

• The body of this blog entry about the housing bubble in Philadelphia is essentially just C&P'ed from the Inky's story the other day, but the comments are somewhat interesting. Yes, it's a slow day. [The Housing Bubble Blog via Phillyist]

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June 16, 2006

Leftovers: F---ing Interesting

• The Language Log investigates the history of using asterisks or dashes to block out those d--- curse words. Turns out it goes back to 1680! Fucking interesting, I say! [Language Log]

• Philly gets some love from CNN for not being as fat as we used to be. Yes, they're praising our city for a woman (Fitness Czar Gwen Foster) who came up with the plan of "virtual 'trips' to creatively named cities such as Hon-A-Lose-It, Hawaii; and Las Veggies, Nevada." Eh, sounds good to us. Hooray for a more fit Philadelphia! (Well, according to suspicious magazine rankings.) [CNN]

• Puppy in a hose! [Cute Overload]

• The Philadelphia Archdiocese is being sued under federal racketeering laws. Legal experts -- surprise -- say it's a long shot. [Inquirer]

• Philadelphia's Planning Commission seems kind of like every other kind of government in this town. Maybe the world. [Changing Skyline]

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May 25, 2006

Leftovers: Beerleaguer, International Megastar

• Congratulations to Jason Weitzel, who's featured in Metro today -- talking about his Beerleaguer blog -- and about 'Phlogs' (sigh) in general. And his modeling headshot was way better than a photo of a fat guy in a Love Park t-shirt, which was a photo of some local blogger a few weeks back. [Metro]

• Hey, the Phillies won, too! [AP/Yahoo!]

• The best part of this anti-Barnes Tower website is not the design, not the fact that words like GHASTLY MONSTROSITY are used (yes, in all caps and bold) but the fact that something actually topped StopWoodhavenRoad.com in terms of overstatement and poor design. [Fight The Tower]

• Phillyist jumps in on the photos of doggies action. But of course. [Phillyist]

• The biggest question half the city is asking about the mail carrier who dealt drugs while on his route: Damn, why don't I live on his route? [Metro]

• Yesterday, President Bush pledged support for nuclear power. Or, of course, as he calls it, nucular power. Ba-dum-pum. [Bucks County Courier Times]

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Your Guide To Everything Philly Construction

With all the new construction going on in our fair city, it's a little hard to get your head about everything. Is it the Comcast Center or the Comcast Tower? How tall is that building going to be at 15th and Market? Are they really turning Liberty Two into condos?

Fear not. Brad Maule at phillyskyline.com has broken it all down for you in helpful charts that explain all the ins and outs of our city's booming construction biz.

Pretty much, this should answer all your questions except for the whole "who the hell is going to live in all these condos" one. That inquiry, sadly, will not be answered until they're all done. Which, at this rate, should be about 2542.

The Skinny [phillyskyline.com]

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February 20, 2006

Blogicized: Prime Meridian

• Fifteen years ago this Wednesday, One Meridian Plaza went up in flames, killing three firefighters. And today, construction began on a replacement condo tower (what else). Glad to see everyone worked really quickly on this one, really. [Changing Skyline]

• Instead of vetoing bad legislation -- I mean, really, if you needed an ID to vote there's absolutely no way I would remember it, and absolutely no way I would go back to the polling place after going home to pick it up, and I'm not that much more forgetful or lazy than the rest of the general population -- wouldn't it be awesome if he could just eat the bills? Oh, man, he'd totally clinch up re-election right then and there. [ACLU's Speaking Freely]

• The Phillies' secret weapon for next year isn't a front-line pitcher. (That would make too much sense.) It's former newsman Scott Palmer, the Phillies' newest PR guy. Start the parade down Broad Street! [PhilliesNation]

• And let's do some more Attytood love, since it's a very slow Presidents' Day: When Will Bunch just tears into his own paper -- even if it is just one of the columnists (and Christine Flowers at that) -- we should all thank God for the Internet, free speech, snark and American journalism. [Attytood]

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February 01, 2006

Sharks (for jumping) invade Wildwood

Looks like you're going to have to go to Seaside Heights from now on, middle class families of the Northeast.

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January 24, 2006

Blogicized: Good news, bad news

• Will Bunch tell us all what we already unfortunately know: If Knight-Ridder is sold, bye bye Daily News. Sigh. [Attytood]

• Phillies outfielder and cop puncher Jason Michaels is reportedly being traded to the Indians for reliever Arthur Rhodes. Uhh, boo? Yay? No idea. [Beerleaguer]

• Photoblogger Brad Maule has a detailed photo essay on the South Street Bridge and its crumbling facade in 2003. [Phillyskyline]

• The Inquirer's Inga Saffron has more commentary on Trump's condo tower as well as a recap of Penn's seminar on the Philly construction boom (that I forgot to go to) last night. [Changing Skyline]

• The Philadelphia Business Journal reported today that 36 cruise lines will leave from Philadelphia in 2006, and the economic impact of the cruises went up $42 million dollars. Wow. Donald Trump should build a cruise ship instead of a condo tower. [America's Hometown]

• Dueling blog posts in the race for the Democratic nom for U.S. Senate: Alan Sandals says he won last night's debate, while Chuck Pennacchio says that nobody won the debate and chides the Sandals release for spelling his name wrong. Meanwhile, the Flash-laden website of Bob Casey -- who didn't attend, and who might be a mute -- crashed my fucking computer and made me re-write this post. You're in deep water, Mr. Casey. Deep.

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Trumptastic!

Okay, class participation time. Who woke up this morning and said, "You know what this city needs? More condos!" Oh. None of you did? You mean you think the current 15 condo towers under construction -- 16 if you count 10 Rittenhouse Square -- and 20 delayed or proposed ones aren't enough? (All those stats courtesy of Phillyskyline's The Skinny and me counting them up. This doesn't include townhouse/rowhome-style condos, too.)

Well, you know who did think that? (To get back to my "class participation" metaphor.) That's right, the purveyor of bankruptcy, bad ideas and bad hair, Mr. Donald Trump! Today, Trump announced his plans to build a 45-story tower of luxury condominums on the waterfront.

According to the Inky, the tower is a $190 million project on Penn St. right at the start of Spring Garden St. (The exact location wasn't disclosed.) Compared to other waterfront residences, it'd be five stories higher than Waterfront St., which is further north on Penn Street.

Of course, Trump also applied for a casino license in Nicetown (along with Pat Croce and members of Boyz II Men and no, I'm not kidding). But while the slots game in Philly is new, Trump seems to be getting into the condo boom in the city a bit late, especially as all the hype is showing signs of starting to wane. But, really, they could still sell out -- Trump said that's what happened at his 110-story Chicago condo tower. As long as it doesn't have "TRUMP" in giant letters at the top of it.

Then again, maybe it's part of a cross-promotional deal. Over at Wookified, the blogger speculates that inevitably the winner of the next Apprentice will make the short trip down to Philly (perhaps NJ Transit-to-SEPTA?) and manage something at the new Trump Tower. Maybe he could then do a crossover with American Dreams, if it hasn't been cancelled yet?

Trump plans luxury condos [Inky]
The Skinny [Phillyskyline]
The Seal [Wookified]

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January 09, 2006

Demolition, man

From Inquirer architecture reporter Inga Saffron comes the news that demolition on Rindelaub's Row has begun. (The photo's from her blog, too. I suppose I could have also gotten the news by walking down the street and looking, but, you know.)

The buildings are being demolished to make way for a 40-story condo tower designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern. (And despite the fact Saffon calls him a "world class hack architect," I think the building looks outofsight cool.) The whole project is the brainchild of developer Hal Wheeler, and has been opposed by "Save Our Square" and the Weekly Press, home of such community paper stalwarts as Thom Nickels and alt-weekly hatin' Donald True Van Deusen.

Saffon says that, although Save Our Square is appealing the ruling that allowed for the demolition of the buildings, they didn't get a stay of demolition -- so, bang, down go the buildings. They had all been vacant for months, anyway, with places relocating or -- sob -- closing, like Lombardi's. (Brad of Phillyskyline says that the developer has offered Lombardi's a spot in the new building. Let's cross our fingers.)

The whole thing seems a bit overblown to me; I'm all for saving history buildings, but with the tower set back from 18th Street and the front of the Beaux-arts Rittenhouse Club (which is one of those neat old buildings you pass and go "Ooh! It's neat and old!") remaining, these four nondescript, ugly buildings can probably go.

I know it's Philly's "French Quarter" (ha) and all, but was a block with a bakery, a hardware store, an Italian pizza place and that art gallery really necessary of all this uproar?

Demolition on 18th Street [Changing Skyline]
News index [Phillyskyline]
Sept. 29, 2005: The Weekly Press, bastion of journalism
Photo taken from Changing Skyline, taken by Inga Saffron's daughter, Sky Kalfus

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January 05, 2006

The real truth about high prices

As you may have noticed, condo (and house) prices in the city are soaring. Yea, yea. But have you ever thought just who is responsible for the high prices (and, therefore, high property taxes)?

That's right: Comcast. From a letter in today's Northeast Times:

Real estate prices in this city have gone through the roof when a house in Mayfair — a rowhome on the 6600 block of Montague St. where I grew up — goes for $140,000.

No, don’t get excited about how much money your house is worth without considering that your property taxes are the next in line to go up. [...]

Somebody let this happen, and I would like to know who is to be held accountable for it. The middle class of this city now have to work a hell of a lot of overtime to afford a decent down payment to have a comfortable mortgage so that we can at least enjoy and afford to live our lives other than just for our homes.

Let's not forget Comcast. They don't want to have to charge people just for the stations they watch so that cable will be more affordable for the families of this city, because they will lose millions of dollars. Well, boo-hoo to you, Comcast.

About 10 years ago, the officials in our state capital proposed a plan to put a cap on the cost of cable. Of course, after greasing a few politicians' campaigns, the cap was forgotten.

The families of this city have made you, Comcast, and you owe us for everything you own today.

Yeah, Comcast, where's the love for those of us who liked you when youse was underground?

Call it Philadelphia greedom [Northeast Times, 3rd letter]

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