In Bella Vista

Fleisher Art Memorial is one of Philadelphia's hidden treasures, tucked away in a former church on the 700 block of Catharine Street. For those unfamiliar with this fabulous institution, Fleisher is one of the oldest non-profit community art schools in America and holds free and low cost classes and workshops

Every block has its quirks, but the 700 block of Carpenter Street may be one of the most unusual in Bella Vista. Back in 2011, we visited this block and wondered about a number of properties on the north side of the street. We assumed that 723-25 Carpenter St. was

Several readers have reached out to us over the last year or more, wondering about the property at 817 S. 9th St. and concerned it might collapse. That's the sort of thing that happens when a building has a couple of wooden support beams attached to its facade for many months,

The northeast corner of 8th & Carpenter has improved dramatically since we first brought it to your attention back in the summer of 2011. Back then, we discovered a building with wonderful bones that had fallen on some really tough times. Though the wonderful bay windows were mostly intact, the

We told you about plans for a new mixed-use building at 7th & Kater a little over a year ago, generally pleased that a more productive use would be soon be coming to this corner. This property was a large garage at the time, and had been used to house

The story at 601 Christian St. has taken several turns since we last checked in on the property at the end of last year. In case you're walking into the movie halfway through, here's some background: Current viewA gas station sat on this triangular parcel for many years, and about half

Has it ever been a tough road for the retail space at the southeast corner of 10th & Carpenter. Over the last decade, we've seen a crazy amount of turnover in this space, with half a dozen coffee shops coming and going over that time. Can you remember all of

A neighbor reached out recently, wondering about 827 Carpenter St., a one-story garage that's just steps from the hustle and bustle of the Italian Market. This property has caught their attention of late, as a two-story addition has appeared atop the building. New addition at 827 Carpenter St.Perhaps the people who

When the Bean Exchange closed their doors last summer at 7th & Bainbridge after a nearly decade-long run, we simply assumed that another cafe would not replace it. We expected an apartment conversion, perhaps. After all, there are just so many coffee shops in the area, like Shot Tower at 6th

Bella Vista is getting some new mansions and now we know what they'll look like. Over the summer, we told you about plans for seven new homes at 711 Bainbridge St., pleased as punch that a surface parking lot would be meeting its maker as a result. From the summer, view