1500 South 25th Street

Urban development is a delicate balancing act, and sometimes we must say goodbye to cherished local destinations in order to make way for a plan that is ultimately more beneficial to the community and to the city at large. One of such trade-offs is slated to occur at 7619 Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, Northwest Philadelphia, where the Trolley Car Diner is set to meet the wrecking ball, to be replaced by a six-story, mixed-use residential development designed by Morrissey Design. Although the charming chrome, neon, mural, and freestanding trolley of the diner will be missed, the proposal at hand makes for more effective use of the site, bringing significant residential density within a two0-block walk of the Mount Airy Station of the SEPTA Regional Rail and replacing the auto-centric restaurant with pedestrian-friendly retail.

Recently, Philly YIMBY has covered the rising Philadelphia skyline from the Interstate 95 South and the Walt Whitman Bridge. Today we look at the skyline from the outlook at the Interstate 676 in Camden, New Jersey, which reveal a unique view of Philadelphia’s skyscrapers. The I-676 circles around the city as the Vine Street Expressway cuts through the north side of Center City, then heads south toward the Sports Complex and turns back to the Walt Whitman Bridge. The I-676 then heads south and becomes Route 42, while heading north on the highway takes one toward Camden and onto the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, which leads back to the Vine Street Expressway and further in University City and beyond.