Archive for the ‘Italian Market’ Category

(Photo courtesy Roosevelt Peterson Photography)

The weather is breaking and your calendar is starting to fill up with weekend plans for the spring and summer months.  Save some room because Philly has some of the best festivals scheduled for April, May and June.  Check out UWISHUNU for the full rundown of all the festivals in chronological order.  Whether you are Tech guru, a Rittenhouse regular or a Craft beer snob, there is something for everyone!   

May

Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival: Along with the blooming flowers of spring comes the Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival on Saturday, May 18. The event is Walnut Street’s annual fete with food, fashion, music and art, plus a slew of activities for kids.

• Italian Market Festival: On May 18 and 19, the nation’s oldest outdoor market and the already-bustling heart of South Philadelphia welcomes the city for the Italian Market Festival, a foodie’s dream with flavors from its restaurants and shops, along with the Annual Procession of Saints and plenty of activities for kids.

June

• Philly Beer Week: The local obsession with all-things fizzy and fermented comes to all new heights during Philly Beer Week, a regional bacchanal with special dinners, tastings, pub crawls and brewery tours from May 31 to June 9. Venues across the city open their doors for tons of events during this festive week.

• Odunde Festival: Based on Yoruba traditions, the Odunde Festival on June 9 celebrates the coming of another year for African-Americans and African people around the world with a procession, ceremonial offering and African marketplace, along with live music and dance.

• Manayunk Arts Festival: Billed as the largest outdoor juried art show in the region, the Manayunk Arts Festival welcomes nearly 200,000 collectors, buyers and designers to peruse fine art and handmade goods along charming Main Street on June 22 and 23.                                                                                                                               

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

912 Kimball St. Philadelphia, PA 19147

Bella Vista

Amazing opportunity to own on one of the quaintest blocks just steps away from the famous Italian Market & Bardascino Park!

• Spacious 3 story / 3 bedroom Bella Vista home is located on a quiet, low traffic, gorgeous tree lined street
• Open and airy first floor with beautiful Acacia wood flooring and recessed lighting
• Kitchen features an open plan including maple cabinets and corian counter-tops.
• Sliding glass door leading  out to a zen like setting patio.
• Third floor master bedroom with en suite bathroom, a generous walk-in closet and cozy balcony with skyline view.
• Convenient to shopping, restaurants, and public transportation

See all the listing details for 912 Kimball St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 and check out all the other Bella Vista Real Estate Listings

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

There is a very thorough section in philly.com about the 2011 Home Price Survey for Philadelphia Real Estate that is worth checking out.  They have analyzed more than 376,000 sales in the Philadelphia region from April 2005 – June 2011.

Here are the top Median Home Prices by Area in Philadelphia:

Median single-family home prices in Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, especially Center City, have fallen 15.8 percent – much less during this downturn in housing than the last one in the late 1980s to mid-1990s – said Kevin Gillen, vice president of Econsult Corp., who collected and analyzed data from 376,257 sales regionwide from April 1, 2005, through June 30, 2011.

But lower-income neighborhoods have suffered more than their upscale counterparts, Gillen said, as the struggling economy has edged out less-well-off buyers.

“The tightening of credit has skewed home sales toward the upper end of the market,” Gillen said. “So when you compute the average price decline for the entire city, versus computing the average price decline across all zips [zip codes] in the city, you get two different numbers.” – Philly.com’s In Center City, home prices holding their own

They also have a very insightful interactive map that is worth playing around with:

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

Photo courtesy of crossingbroad.com

I had the pleasure of attending the miserable NLDS Game 5 between the Phillies and Cardinals on Friday night.  While Ryan Howard lay on the field, writhing in pain after making the final out (2nd year in a row) and simultaneously blowing out his Achilles, the St. Louis Cardinals celebrated their advancement to the NLCS right next to him.  I was as stunned, disgusted, and upset about the way the 2011 Phillies season ended as everyone in the ballpark, but the last thing I thought about doing was throwing my trash onto the field.  That’s exactly what many of my fellow fans did think to do as you can see in the above picture.  It’s a pretty low rent way of expressing oneself.

There happens to be an unrelated article on philly.com today called LITTER-ALLY DISGUSTING about the littering that goes on in Philadelphia.  One major issue is the businesses that shove circulars, menus, and printed ads into door cracks and mailboxes.  They usually wind up blowing away into the street.  The other big problem is the people who blatantly just drop their trash on the ground and then go about their business (or throw trash on a baseball field to express anger and frustration.)

More than 100,000 fines were issued for trash-related violations in 2011.  More than 600 tickets went to business that ignored residents with the no-circular sticker.  21,219 tickets were issued to people not separating recycling from trash and 1,429 littering tickets were given out.

Among the several difficulties in the struggle to enforce litter laws, [Deputy Streets Commissioner Carlton] Williams said, is that it’s hard to fine people for littering because offenders must be caught in the act. SWEEP officers have partnered with police to keep tabs on high-grime areas, Williams said.  Although officers could sit in high-traffic areas watching and waiting to issue people tickets for littering, Williams said that that type of stakeout would be impractical.  “It is very difficult to sustain such an operation because of the tremendous amount of resources needed from the Streets Department and the Police Department to change and deter this behavior long-term,” he said. -Philly.com – LITER-ALLEY DISGUSTING

Come on people… it’s 2011, there are trash cans and recycling containers on every corner of the city, please stop littering already!  Here are some more tips from Philly.com on how to play a part to keep Philly clean: A cleaner city? it comes down to you

1 Become a block captain. Or if there’s already a block captain, find one for a neighboring block. The city has programs that are available only if there is a block captain to take the reins. For one, “Adopt A Basket,” the block captain takes responsibility for maintaining a trash can on a residential block.

2 Keep an eye on your trash collectors. If your block is dirtier after the truck comes on trash day, call 3-1-1 to report it. Every truck comes with a broom and dustpan, and it is every crew’s job to pick up after themselves. And keep your 3-1-1 tracking number. Without it, you won’t be able to check progress on your complaint.

3 Get a “circular-free-property” sticker. The sticker is supposed to deter businesses from putting fliers in your door, railing, etc. You can get the sticker by calling 3-1-1, or by going to philly.com/pickitup. When it doesn’t work – and it won’t – complain to 3-1-1 and the business will be fined $100.

4 Enlist your local school. The Streets Department’s Litter Free School Zone program recruits students to pick up around their schools. They also run assemblies that teach kids not to litter and about the benefits of a litter-free life. The school district has committed to promote the program this year, but parents should contact administrators at their kids’ school and urge them to participate.

5 Pick up after yourself – and others. The UnlitterUs antilitter program sponsors blocks and commercial corridors that have shown a dedication to sweeping up after themselves and others. Contact them at 215-686-5560 or call the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee at 215 685-3981 to coordinate regular neighborhood cleanups, and UnlitterUs will give you signs declaring a Litter Free Zone. Or, when you see a piece of trash on the ground, pick it up. -A cleaner city? it comes down to you

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

There are many factors to consider when selecting a neighborhood that is right for you. Below are just a few of the many factors — you may think of others that are important to you.

Neighborhoods have characteristic personalities designed to best suit single people, growing families, two-career couples, or retirees. 

SCOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD!

• It is important that you scout the neighborhood in person. You live in more than your house.

• Talk to people who live there.

• Drive through the entire area at different times of the day, during the week and on weekends.

• Look carefully at how well other homes in the area are being maintained; are they painted, are the yards well cared for; are parked cars in good condition, etc.

NEIGHBORHOOD FACTORS TO CONSIDER

• Look for things like access to major thoroughfares, highways, and shopping.

• Listen for noise created by commerce, roads, railways, public areas, schools, etc.
• Smell the air for adjacent commerce or agriculture.
• Check with local civic, police, fire, and school officials to find information about the area.
• Research things like soil and water.
• Look at traffic patterns around the area during different times of the day and drive from the area to work.
• Find out if the neighborhood is near parks, churches, recreation centers, shopping, theaters, restaurants, public transportation, schools, etc.
• Find out if the neighborhood belongs to a Homeowner’s Association.

Here is a list of links to more information about specific Philadelphia Neighborhoods:

Art Museum Area, Avenue of the Arts, Bella Vista, Chinatown, Fishtown, Fitler Square, Graduate Hospital, Logan Square, Northern Liberties, Old City, Powelton Village, Queen Village, Rittenhouse Square, Society Hill, University City, Washington Square, East Passyunk, Girard Estate, Marconi Park, Newbold, Packer Park, Passyunk Square, Pennsport, Whitman.

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

Philly.com has a nice piece about the aura of living as a resident in South Philly when the Phillies are in town and playing at Citizens Bank Park down the street at Broad & Pattison.  Check out some of these quotes from the article and check out all of the South Philadelphia Homes For Sale!

“They all speak with awe of the rare treat of being so nearby, night after night, win after win,…  It’s a treat, they say, to know something’s up moments before it’s on television, a joy to maintain such a visceral relationship with a team, a ballpark, a game.”

“‘I’ve got a front-row seat,’ says Guerrera, 58, who says she’s out on the steps for nearly every home game. She cannot see the field, but it does not matter. The rhythm, sounds, the masses in view, are enough.”

“‘It gets crazy,’ said Dennis, who did not give his last name,… ‘You can hear the hits and everything. It’s perfect. When the World Series is on, you turn down the TV and listen for the screaming and then go in and see what happened.’”

Read the rest of the article, Close Play, by Amy Rosenberg

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

“There’s no better place for lunch on a roll than Philly” -Saveur Magazine

Places mentioned in Saveur Magazine:

J&G Lunchmeat Villa – Ardmore

Chickies Italian Deli – South Philly

Chink’s Steaks – Tacony

Jim’s Steaks – West Philly, South Street, Northeast, Springfield

DiNic’s - Reading Terminal Market

John’s Roast Pork – Whitman

Johnny Hots – Fishtown

Pat’s King of Steaks – Passyunk Square

Shank’s Original – Center City

Check out the articles on Saveur.com – The Sandwich City & Philly Tastes

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

According to a new report, since 1993 the rate of people moving into Philadelphia has steadily increased while the rate of people leaving has dwindled.  This report was released on Wednesday by the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Philadelphia Research Initiative, based on IRS data.

The number of people moving into the city has steadily increased from 31,837 in 1993 to 52,096 in 2008.  Population growth in Philadelphia is due to a greater number of births than deaths and an increase of immigrants and empty nesters moving from the suburbs to the city.

These trends point to a reversal of long-term decline in the city’s population.  For six decades people generally fled Philadelphia for the surrounding suburbs.

Check out Philly.com for more on this story.

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

To view every Philadelphia Real Estate Listing, including Philadelphia Condos visit www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

The following is the address of every home that sold in the first half of 2008 in  South Philadelphia neighborhoods.  

                                     Lowest SOLD Price                 Highest SOLD Price

Pennsport                        $70,000                                     $545,000

Italian Market               $139,850                                   $340,500

Passyunk Square           $160,000                                  $305,000

Grays Ferry                      $12,000                                    $126,000

Girard Estates               $37,000                                      $524,900

Packer Park                    $230,000                                    $559,000

Point Breeze                   $45,000                                       $159,000

Whitman                        $90,000                                        $210,000

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