Archive for the ‘Pennsport’ Category

Have you recently purchased a new Philadelphia home and now you need to furnish it? Of course  there are always the Big Name Stores like  West Elm conveniently located in Midtown Village and IKEA farther south in Pennsport.

However, if you’re in the market for unique furniture for your new Philadelphia apartment or house, then stop into Curated Goods, located at 421 Fairmount Avenue in Fishtown. This upscale vintage store sells new and second-hand mid-century and modern furniture including couches, tables, lamps and chairs. You can also pick up a chic new outfit for yourself as well!

Finally, a few more uniquely Philadelphia furniture stores include:

Material Culture has amazing finds from every corner of the world.

Dwelling in Manayunk has an unbelievable showroom and is pretty affordable. Well you are up there you can check out the classics Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn. These 2 stores have been furnishing Philadelphia homes for years.

Usona in Rittenhouse is expensive, but oh sooooo beautiful.

Host in Old City is awesome, although their website shows the range of their selection more so than their stores.

BoConcept just around the corner from Usona also should not be missed!

Luxe Home right next to West Elm is a little pricier, but they are ready and willing to negotiate.

Three Potato Four You may not find a couch or dining room table there, but they have great vintage home accents. They are only open once a month, but with a little planning its worth the trip.

Finally, need a bathroom upgrade? Look no further than Simply Kitchen and Bath, a custom design store located along North 3^rd Street in Northern Liberties. Simply Kitchen and Bath carries a large selection of well-known brands including Inax USA and Aster Cucine, perfect for adding trend to any boring bathroom.

The new store, which sells and designs funky fixtures, is appropriately located in Northern Liberties, and has undergone recent renovation and construction itself.

Part of the fun of buying a new home in Philadelphia is decorating it. Be sure to stop by these stores today!

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

Come check out the following Philadelphia Real Estate Open Houses this  Sunday, September 23:

• 729 Sears St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 - $359,900 - Passyunk Square - 2-4pm
• 912 Kimball St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 - $379,000 - Bella Vista -12-3pm
• 1424 S. Orianna St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 - $169,900 - Pennsport - 12-2pm
• 122-124 Chestnut St. 300 Philadelphia, PA 19103 – $259,900 – Old City- 12-2pm
• 210 Locust St. 14G Philadelphia, PA 19147 – $289,000 – Society Hill – 12-2pm

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

Here are some amazing homes around the country listed just under $200K.  Check out similar priced homes in Philly!  Here is every active Philadelphia Real Estate Listings just below $200,000.

Or search by ANY Neighborhood:

• Rittenhouse Square Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Society Hill Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Washington Square Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Art Museum Area Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Avenue of the Arts Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Bella Vista Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Chinatown Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Fishtown Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Northern Liberties Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Graduate Hospital Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Fitler Square Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Old City Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Queen Village Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Powelton Village Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• University City Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• South Philadelphia Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• East Passyunk Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Girard Estate Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Marconi Park Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Newbold Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Passyunk Square Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Pennsport Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Whitman Real Estate Listings under $200,000

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Those are some amazing homes around the country listed just under $300K!  Check out similar priced homes in Philly!  Here is every active Philadelphia Real Estate Listings just below $300,000.

Or search by ANY Neighborhood:

• Rittenhouse Square Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Society Hill Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Washington Square Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Art Museum Area Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Avenue of the Arts Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Bella Vista Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Chinatown Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Fishtown Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Northern Liberties Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Graduate Hospital Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Fitler Square Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Old City Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Queen Village Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Powelton Village Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• University City Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• South Philadelphia Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• East Passyunk Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Girard Estate Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Marconi Park Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Newbold Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Passyunk Square Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Pennsport Real Estate Listings under $300,000
• Whitman Real Estate Listings under $300,000

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

Here are some amazing homes around the country listed just under $400K.  Check out similar priced homes in Philly!  Here is every active Philadelphia Real Estate Listings just below $400,000.

Or search by ANY Neighborhood:

• Rittenhouse Square Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Society Hill Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Washington Square Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Art Museum Area Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Avenue of the Arts Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Bella Vista Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Chinatown Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Fishtown Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Northern Liberties Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Graduate Hospital Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Fitler Square Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Old City Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Queen Village Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Powelton Village Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• University City Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• South Philadelphia Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• East Passyunk Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Girard Estate Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Marconi Park Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Newbold Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Passyunk Square Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Pennsport Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Whitman Real Estate Listings under $400,000

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

Here are some amazing homes around the country listed just under $200K.  Check out similar priced homes in Philly!  Here is every active Philadelphia Real Estate Listings just below $200,000.

Or search by ANY Neighborhood:

• Rittenhouse Square Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Society Hill Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Washington Square Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Art Museum Area Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Avenue of the Arts Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Bella Vista Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Chinatown Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Fishtown Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Northern Liberties Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Graduate Hospital Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Fitler Square Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Old City Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Queen Village Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Powelton Village Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• University City Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• South Philadelphia Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• East Passyunk Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Girard Estate Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Marconi Park Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Newbold Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Passyunk Square Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Pennsport Real Estate Listings under $200,000
• Whitman Real Estate Listings under $200,000

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here are some amazing homes around the country listed just under $400K.  Check out similar priced homes in Philly!  Here is every active Philadelphia Real Estate Listings just below $400,000.

Or search by ANY Neighborhood:

• Rittenhouse Square Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Society Hill Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Washington Square Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Art Museum Area Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Avenue of the Arts Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Bella Vista Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Chinatown Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Fishtown Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Northern Liberties Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Graduate Hospital Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Fitler Square Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Old City Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Queen Village Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Powelton Village Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• University City Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• South Philadelphia Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• East Passyunk Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Girard Estate Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Marconi Park Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Newbold Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Passyunk Square Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Pennsport Real Estate Listings under $400,000
• Whitman Real Estate Listings under $400,000

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here are some great deals around the country.  Check out similar deals going on in Philly.  Here is every active Philadelphia Real Estate Listings under $250,000.

Or search by ANY Neighborhood:

Read the rest of this entry »

Come check out some Philadelphia Real Estate Open Houses this Sunday, January 29th.

• 774 S. 3rd St. F Philadelphia, PA 19147 - $219,900 – Queen Village: 1-30pm
• 326 Queen St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 – $159,000 – Queen Village: 12-3pm
• 433 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19106 – $895,000 – Society Hill: 12-2pm
• 309 Earp St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 - $198,000 – Pennsport - 1-3pm

Check out every active listing in these neighborhoods:

• Queen Village Real Estate Listings
• Society Hill Real Estate Listings
• Pennsport 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

Come check out some Philadelphia Real Estate Open Houses this Sunday, January 22nd.

• 774 S. 3rd St. F Philadelphia, PA 19147 - $219,900 – Queen Village – 11:30-1:30pm
• 422 Green St. Philadelphia, PA 19130 - $519,000 – Art Museum Area – 1-3pm
• 309 Earp St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 - $198,000 – Pennsport - 12-2pm

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

Come check out some Philadelphia Real Estate Open Houses this Sunday, January 8th:

• 433 Spruce St. Philadelphia, PA 19106 - $895,000 - Society Hill - 12-2pm
• 626 S. 16th St. Philadelphia, PA 19146 – $324,900 – Graduate Hospital - 3:30-4:30pm
• 774 S. 3rd St. F Philadelphia, PA 19147 - $219,900 (JUST REDUCED $10.1K) – Queen Village – 1-3pm
• 422 Green St. Philadelphia, PA 19130 - $519,000 – Art Museum Area – 1-3pm
• 309 Earp St. Philadelphia, PA 19147 – $198,000 – Pennsport - 12-2pm

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

Don’t miss this gem on a quiet block in the heart of Pennsport! Check out the features:

• Hardwood floors in living & dining rooms
• Nice size patio off the kitchen
• Storage shed
• New Systems throughout
• Balcony off the 3rd floor
• 2 blocks from the famous Federal Donuts
• Easy access to Columbus Blvd and Interstate 95

See all the listing details for 309 Earp St. Philadelphia, PA 19147

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

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

231 Fernon St.

Pennsport

Today’s listing is priced to sell!

• Original hardwood floors
• Beautiful living/dining area, kitchen and half bath
• Back door leads to patio
• 2 good sized bedrooms and a possible smaller 3rd currently used as an office
• Open House this Saturday from 1-3pm

Check out more about about 231 Fernon St.

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

1332 S. Hancock St.

Pennsport

Highlights:

• Tucked on a quiet block in Pennsport
• Packed with character and charm
• Hardwood floors throughout
• Wood burning fireplace in living room
• Oversized eat-in kitchen leading to outdoor patio
• Deck off the master bedroom

Check out all the details for 1332 S. Hancock St.

This is brought to you by Philadelphia Real Estate Blog

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

324 Gerritt St.
Pennsport

Today’s listing is a charming 2 bedroom hidden gem that’s very affordable and would make a great first time home. Some highlights include:

• Lovely secluded back patio
• Hardwood Floors
• Full sized basement with washer/dryer
• New appliances/heater
• Lots of light and closet space

Check it out today!

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 newest proposal for Foxwoods Casino is the possibility of centering the project around the SS United States on the Delaware River.  The idea includes plans for a 10-story parking garage with gaming space on the first two floors.  Renovating and refitting the vessel to have gaming on board would consist of a plan costing between $150 and $200 million.

“We can place the SS United States into the Foxwoods property in a way that showcases a national treasure and makes it a tourist draw” – Ken Smukler, advisor to the SS United States Conservancy.  Mayor Nutter’s thought the idea to be “certainly one of the most unique, dynamic, and exciting plans for a casino anywhere in the United States of America.”

The ship has been out of service since 1969 and has been docked at pier 82 on the Delaware River near the Whitman Section between Oregon Ave and Jackson St. since 1996.  The SS United States is on the National Register of Historic Places.

See the full article at Philly.com

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

According to PlanPhilly, Foxwoods attempts at opening a casino in South Philadelphia are not looking promising.  Attorneys for the state gaming board said at yesterday’s meeting that Foxwoods Casino “has made so little progress towards its spring 2011 opening that its license should be immediately revoked.”  They don’t have the finances or backers to be able to build within the time frame allotted.

Foxwoods attorneys fault the extraordinary economic, political, and other circumstances for the struggles and claim that evidence shows Foxwoods has made great efforts including bringing on Harrah’s and Steve Wynn despite these factors.

The board continued listening to both sides and will make an announcement at a public board meeting on November 18^th.  Foxwoods will be filing for a change in ownership and may ask for an extension to December 2012.

If they can get their act together, a  casino in South Philly could really boost the local economy.  Sugarhouse Casino took in 4.7 million in their first week! Check out the clip from FOX 29.

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 newest proposals for the vacant areas alongside the Delaware River were presented last week.  The plan consists of a waterfront that would mostly contain mid-rise apartments and rowhouses. They expect this proposed housing to take 30-50 years to fill in the vacant land and they hope for the waterfront to eventually evolve into streets resembling Center City with a mix of uses and variety amongst buildings.

The planners are telling the city it should invest in some “high-impact” infrastructure projects in order to stimulate other private development projects. One such major project would be a landscaped deck sloping from Front Street down to the river between Walnut and Chestnut Streets.  Another is a 5,000 seat open air venue.  They are trying to persuade the city to ban entertainment from Penn’s Landing and Festival Pier in order to make their new sites more marketable.

Also in the plans are 10 parks at half-mile intervals along the river, each the size of Rittenhouse Square.  The parks would eventually be linked together by a recreation trail along the edge of the river and a bike path on Delaware Ave.

For all of this to be possible it is essential for the city to be able to creatively raise money to jump-start these targeted improvements. Good Luck Philly!

Check out the article by Inga Saffron from the Philadelphia Inquirer.

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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

Steve Wynn showed his vision for the South Philly to the Gaming Control Board 3 weeks ahead of schedule. He also had a private meeting with Mayor Nutter, that the mayor characterized as cordial. He stated that more important than the design is how to establish a working relationship with community groups to move it forward.

Wynn acknowledged that many neighbors and officials have expressed concern about the site location, but responded “The site is the site, it has been adjudicated by the courts.”

He said that restaurants would be kept separate from the casino so non-gamblers could enjoy his facility as well.  He also mentioned acquiring the two neighboring lots of Comcast and the Sheet Metal Workers Union to expand and include a hotel. He is intent on breaking ground by September.

So this begs the question, how will this effect nearby Philadelphia neighborhoods, like Pennsport and Queen Village, and their real estate values.  Unlike Waterfront Square who is banking on the Casinio to attract out of area buyers interested in purchasing a pied a terre for weekends in hte city, the South Philly neighborhoods are truly family neighborhoods. Queen Village is loaded with familes who moved their specifically because they want their children to attend The Meredith Public School which is one of the best elementery schools in the city.

At this point it is anyone’s guess how the casinos will effect Philadelphia Real Estate, or really if they will even be constructed because the neighborhood groups are so staunchily opposed. However, after years of wrangling,it looks like we will finally have an answer to this  by the end of the summer.

This is brought to you by Philadephia Real Estate Blog

Philadelphia Real Estate – Townhouse For Sale

Sprawling N.Pennsport Federal Style home, overlooking Historic Jefferson Square Park, 5 Bedrooms, 1bath, C/A, beautiful hard-wood floors. Large light-filled living area with high ceilings/ recessed lighting. Gourmet kitchen, granite counters, stainless steel appliances, glass tile, overlooking garden. Sweeping large steps lead to new large bath with marble and wood floors, home office suite, and roof access with 360 city views. New HVAC/mechanicals. Lots of parking available.

See Full Listing Details

Call 215-592-9522 or Email assistant@atacangroup.com

…to Schedule your viewing!

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All Philadelphia Real Estate listings are found at www.CenterCityRealEstate.com

Philadelphia Real Estate Market Update for Pennsport, 2008 4th Quarter

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

Read the rest of this entry »

The following is a recap of every home that sold in the first half of 2008 in the major neighborhoods surrounding Center City.  Center City neighborhoods are broken down by area and are analyzed in seperate posts below.

                                                                     Low Sale         High Sale        

Chinatown/ Loft District                  $182,320           $350,000             

University City/ West Philly        $105,000          $562,000       

Fishtown                                             $35,000            $492,000       Read the rest of this entry »