Tag Archives: Center City

Two Philly Families, circa 1790

Posted on July 26, 2014 by

LAST WEEK, I FINALLY ACHIEVED ENTRY into a pair of restored 18th century houses in Philadelphia that had eluded me for years. The modest 1776 Todd house, above on left, and the elegant 1786 home of Bishop William White are … Continue reading →

Posted in HISTORIC PRESERVATION, PHILADELPHIA, TRAVEL | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fishtown Jumping

Posted on October 3, 2012 by

Photo: Alexis Olsen THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF CORNER BARS in Fishtown, a historically working-class Philadelphia neighborhood that has been steadily mutating, these past few years, into a more upscale one (so what else is new?) Some of those drinking establishments … Continue reading →

Posted in ARCHITECTURE, PHILADELPHIA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Heart of NoLibs 2-Family 329K

Posted on August 20, 2011 by

Northern Liberties street scene NoLibs? WTF is NoLibs? You might well ask. It’s a silly acronym (is there any other kind?) for Northern Liberties, one of the most happening neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Think of it as the Williamsburg of Philly … Continue reading →

Posted in PHILADELPHIA, PROPERTIES FOR SALE, REAL ESTATE/INVESTING | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Italianate Investment in NoLibs 619K

Posted on September 29, 2010 by

I THINK WE’D CALL THIS PAIR OF TOWNHOUSES ITALIANATE, or maybe Second Empire, with their mansard roof and curving window lintels. Whichever, they’re 1850s through 1880s, so pay no attention to the listing, which says 1930. The house for sale … Continue reading →

Posted in PHILADELPHIA, PROPERTIES FOR SALE, REAL ESTATE/INVESTING | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chip Off the Old Block

Posted on June 17, 2010 by

WELL, I HOPE I’M SLIGHTLY MORE DELICATE THAN THE PHRASE ‘old block’ implies. But I use the expression because my 25-year-old son and his girlfriend just closed on an old house in Philadelphia, following my lead in acquiring vintage real … Continue reading →

Posted in PHILADELPHIA, REAL ESTATE/INVESTING | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Bright Top Floor 1BR in Prime Philly $975

Posted on May 2, 2010 by

UPDATE: This apartment has been rented. YOU WERE THINKING OF MOVING TO PHILADELPHIA, weren’t you? Or maybe you already live there and need new digs. The town is hot hot hot, so hot that the popular Brooklyn-based real estate blog, … Continue reading →

Posted in MANAGING RENTAL PROPERTY, PHILADELPHIA, PROPERTIES FOR RENT | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Philly’s Secret Gardens

Posted on March 29, 2009 by

This is adapted from my article in the April 2009 issue of Garden Design magazine. THE GREENING of Philadelphia goes back to 1683, when founder William Penn modeled its four park-like squares (still there!) on those of Europe’s “green countrie … Continue reading →

Posted in GARDENS & GARDENING, PHILADELPHIA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments