"Whimsy" probably isn't the first word you think of when it comes to the El tracks that hover above Front Street, and for good reason. It's the El! It's a sun-blocking steel superstructure that we all wish could be buried! Fortunately, things are getting a bit less grave on the

It was only a week ago when we dropped new renderings for the eagerly anticipated Calder Gardens, a brand-new gallery coming to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. We had some idea of what was to come, but details were scant, which was especially intriguing giving the unorthodox design featuring a mix

If you asked a random Philly dweller to talk about Ridge Avenue, you could get about a thousand different answers, as this jaunty street stretches across a huge swath of the city. From Chinatown to Roxborough, Ridge Ave. offers the full gamut of the urban experience, sometimes for better (pedestrian-friendly)

Fairmount Ave. west of Broad Street is one of the quaintest commercial stretches in the city. It feels like its own little hamlet, yet it sits remarkably close to Logan Circle and Center City, with the low-rise buildings lining the stretch creating a very human scaled experience. We were here

Drive on Lehigh Avenue, and it's nearly impossible to miss the huge, muraled wall that sits just past Tulip St. at 2157 E. Lehigh Ave., near the convergence of Fishtown, Kensington and Port Richmond. This hulking wall sits immediately adjacent to Lehigh Ave., with nary a sidewalk separating it from

It is most certainly fun to report on big news, especially when it's the type of news that has the potential to be a positive force within a neighborhood. Other times, it can be enjoyable when there are more subtle issues at hand, which is exactly why 416-24 Vine St.

It was just last week when we dropped the news that things appeared to be moving forward for the Alexander Calder "sanctuary" that had long been planned for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. We had zoning documents to give us some idea of what to expect, but we are happy to

It isn't often when large development projects fall off our radar, but consider 4900 Spruce St. one of those that slipped between the cracks for the last few years. We neglected to mention this project, which sits nestled up against Barkan Park, when we were nearby a couple months back

The building standing at 416-38 Spring Garden St. is certainly not one of the more memorable ones you'll come across in this lovely city of ours. Though it has served an important purpose for years while also sporting the lovely The Value of Family mural by artist Eric Okdeh, the

West Philly has long been one of our favorite parts of the city from an architectural standpoint, and we're not alone in that opinion. The wide variety of older homes and buildings gives this part of town a character all of its own. Like we've said many times, they don't