South 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.

A recent site visit by Philadelphia YIMBY has noted that construction is complete at a single-family residence at 2059-61 East York Street in Kensington. The building will span a 1,604 square foot footprint and will feature a roof deck. The structure replaces a three-story prewar rowhouse occupies the site at number 59 and a vacant grass lot at number 61. The project sits on the east side of the street, around midblock between Amber Street to the south and Coral Street to the north.