1825 Diamond 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.

The southern portion of Northern Liberties, situated between Center City and North Philadelphia, is located between Spring Garden Street, Interstate 95, the Vine Street Expressway, and 9th Street. The area has notoriously languished as a dead zone for years, comprised of surface lots and  industrial buildings, save for a few surviving pre-war artifacts. To the south sits one of Philadelphia’s most desirable neighborhoods, Old City, where history permeates every block. To the north, the core portion of Northern Liberties also features rich history while showing a trendy and modern flare that makes it one of Philadelphia’s hottest neighborhoods. A massive amount of development has taken place in recent years in these two districts, making it even more surprising that the abysmal area between the two has remained as it has for such a long period of time.  Thanks to a collection of recent announcements for planned developments, however, this looks to be changing in a big way in the near future. With the recent flurry of announcements, Philly YIMBY makes a brief overview of the proposals.