6044 Chestnut Avenue

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.

A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has noted that a vacant site where a three-story prewar rowhouse formerly stood at 1937 West Norris Street in North Philadelphia West remains vacant well over a year after the demolition. The former single-family dwelling stands on the north side of the block between North 19th Street and North 20th Street and will be torn down as part of the City of Philadelphia Demolition Program at a cost of $16,961. The City of Philadelphia owns the property. Thomas Curran is the listed contractor.