In Rittenhouse

The business district of Philadelphia, primarily centered around Market Street in Center City west of Broad, doesn't exactly exude warmth. The glassy towers that line the stretch shot up mostly in the 1970s through the 1980s, with huge (for Philly) office buildings looming along this central thoroughfare. From City Hall

The corner of 18th & Delancey is pretty much as prime a location as you'll find in the whole city. It's a block from Rittenhouse Square, some of the best restaurants in town are a stone's throw away, and it's surrounded by gorgeous examples of Philadelphia architecture. And yet, the

The Rittenhouse neighborhood is widely considered to be one of the premier parts of town, so it comes as no surprise that people want to live there. That being said, some parts of the neighborhood feel rather underdeveloped, or at least like they could take some steps toward higher and

The parcel at 500 S. Broad St. encompasses most of the block between S. Broad, 15th, Lombard & South Streets, save for a few row homes at the northwest corner. This block is best known as home to the a large surface parking lot, the former World Communications Charter School,

About a month ago, our gaze settled on the surface parking lot at the corner of Hicks & Pine, as we noted that this underused but excellently located property was likely on a path to leveling up. We pointed out that a project could rise here with a couple dozen

109-115 S. 24th St. finds itself tucked away in a curious nook in the Rittenhouse neighborhood. While sitting in close proximity to some of the poshest areas in town, this little section maintains a bit of its grittier past, with the Furness-designed Baltimore & Ohio Rail Station built in 1888

The 1500 block of Pine Street is a truly spectacular block, architecturally speaking. The south side of the block is dominated by four-story brownstones, most of which have either been well maintained or nicely restored. On the north side of the block, many facades feature brownstone on the first floor

The 2000 block of Chestnut Street might not brim with as much activity or beauty as some other areas around Rittenhouse, due in part to the fact that the former Philadelphia Housing Authority headquarters at 2012 Chestnut St. has been sitting vacant on the block for the last decade and

Back in November, we told you that developers were under contract to purchase 2021-23 Sansom St., a building which was home to the Roxy Theatre for the last few decades. The listing for the property advertised its turnkey possibilities as a theater and the potential of the vacant upper floors,

Center City has had a movie theater problem for years, which is almost inconceivable considering the history of downtown Philadelphia, where movie palaces were once as common as haberdasheries. These days, it's almost as impossible to see a movie in Center City as it is to find a nice Stetson.