Last year, the City released Phila2035, a comprehensive plan for shaping the city for the next 25 years. Sure, sounds great. But how?

Plan for the future

Adopted by the City Planning Commission last June, the plans were organized into four chapters, defining the context, building on our strengths, framing our future, and making it happen. Simple enough? Filtering down from the citywide version, Phila2035 has divided the city into 18 districts, decreeing a plan that incorporates collaboration between residents, community organizations and city officials.

This month marks the first planning meetings for the Central district, an area that includes, Northern Liberties, East Poplar, West Poplar, Callowhill, Old City, Chinatown, Society Hill, Washington Square West, Queen Village, Bella Vista, Hawthorne, Francisville, Fairmount, Spring Garden, Logan Square, Rittenhouse Square and Southwest Center City. Yes, just about every part of…

A reader checked in, asking about the vacant building at 311 S. Broad St., directly across the street from the Kimmel Center. We were reminded that we wondered about that very building some ten years ago, around the time the Kimmel Center opened, thinking it would be a slam-dunk location for a fancy bar/restaurant. Alas, the building is being used now for pretty much the same purpose as it was back then- a pigeon coop.

Awesome building

All 19,500 sqft of 311 S. Broad St. were purchased by Assorted Music Partnership, back in 1997, for $400K. The (former) Philadelphia International Records office was located in the building next door, until it caught fire last year. Both Assorted Music Partnership and Philadelphia International Records, in case you didn’t already assume, are owned by gated-mansion loving,…

The PIFA Street Fair will be coming to Broad Street on Saturday, April 30. With an already abundant art scene in Philadelphia, this is an innovative idea that will only add to the artistic caliber of the city. The street fair will come towards the end of the month-long Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), which will be taking place between April 7 and May 1.

With the Kimmel Center spearheading the project (using the city of Paris as inspiration), the Festival will take place between Chestnut and Lombard Streets and will include plenty of food vendors, street performers, two stages for musical performances (please say Nicki Minaj), a public outdoor garden including an area for the kiddies, and, oh yeah…a giant Ferris wheel!

You may be thinking that you have no recollection of there being a park or garden in this…