Free Rain Barrels

Were you aware the Philadelphia Water Department gives away free rain barrels? Check it out here.

Public Meeting Announcement - 24th Street Traffic

Evergreens: A Neighborhood History

A neighbor writes:


Hello Everyone,

I just purchased “Evergreens” written by Andrew Dalzell. It is about the SOSNA area ( South Street to Washington Avenue between Broad and the Schuylkill), but it should be of interest to everyone who lives nearby and to all those who are fascinated by Philadelphia’s history. It is also for people who think about what our community will be like in the future. The book title refers to the Pemberton family’s Evergreens estate, which in the mid eighteenth century was where 23rd, South, and Grays Ferry now meet.

The book is full of information. Want to know about: Alexander M. Calder, designer of the William Penn statue atop City Hall, who lived at 2020 Bainbridge; the fascinating history of the Christian Street YMCA; how Madison Square and St. Albans Place became garden blocks; the South of South Walkability Plan; the past and present demographics of our area? Read this book! “Evergreens” is lush with photos, historic and contemporary maps, and charts. It is worth the price just for the 1935 photo of the convergence of 23rd, South, and Grays Ferry in which the horse watering basin (now the fountain) sits forlornly in the middle of the streets.

I bought this fascinating book for just $20 at Neighborhood Books, our new bookstore at 1906 South Street. “Evergreens” is displayed on a table at the front of the store, but the store itself is a great place to browse.

 ------

 You can find out more about this book on the SOSNA web site: Announcing Evergreens: A Neighborhood History.

Royal Theater

PlanPhilly, in an article entitled Universal Seeks OK to Demolish Most of Royal Theater, indicates that Universal (the current owner of the Royal Theater) submitted this application to the Philadelphia Historical Commission on April 29. Universal is contending that "the city should grant a partial demolition permit because the non-profit developer faces financial hardship. That assertion, made in a sworn affidavit accompanying the demolition application, is difficult to reconcile with the fact that at least one buyer has made a contingency-free $3.1 million offer for the Royal and some surrounding lots to Universal."

PURE Design Made the Movies

Our local florist, PURE Design, at 22nd and Lombard Streets, posted the following on their Facebook site:

"In just two days, you can see PURE Design on the big screen! After Earth, starting Will Smith, was filmed here in Philadelphia and we provided the futuristic botanicals that graced the sets of the movie. Will you be going to see it? See if you can spot us! (We will post some images over the next few days so you can see what we did....)"

Visit PURE Design's Facebook page for more!

The Royal Theater

naked philly has an update on what's going on with the Royal Theater (1522-1536 South Street) in an article called A New Effort to Save the Royal Theater. The article gives a history of what's happened over the last few years and discusses a possible move forward with a suit being filed to take conservator-ship over the property.

What do you think should happen to the Royal Theater?

Monthly Triangle Clean-up Time

Join us 10am this Sunday, June 2, as volunteers from South Square Town Watch and SOSNA’s Grays Ferry Triangles Project get together for their monthly clean-up of the Catharine Thorn Park in front of South Square Market at 23rd and South Streets.

17th and South Streets

Slightly out of our neighborhood, but naked philly reports the possibility of Puentes de Salud opening an office on the south-west corner of 17th and South Streets. According to the article, "their focus is on promoting the health and wellness of the Latino community. They engage in these efforts through 'high-quality health care, innovative educational programs, and community building.'"

Check out the story at The Corner Of An Unfortunate South Street Garage Could Be Improved By Puentes deSalud.

Chick here to find out more about Puentes de Salud.

Rita's Water Ice

A question to Rita's about the proposed store at 2124 South Street yielded the following response. Keep informed at Rita's in SW Center City.

Mixed-Use Neighborhood or Not?

An interesting article on the flying kite web site about the rapid development of our neighborhood and its degree (or lack) of mixed-use. It states that we're not as mixed-use as other neighborhoods and that that might not be a good thing. Who's to blame?

A quote from the article, "A part of town once rich with corner stores and mixed-use buildings has become a homogenous bedroom community."

Read the full article at Where have all the corner stores gone?

21st and Fitzwater - Johanna Austin

From a once down-and-out commercial corridor to one of the hottest dining destinations in Center City, South Street West's upswing has been dramatic. That said, the stretch's revitalization makes sense -- one of the golden rules of commercial real estate is "retail follows rooftops." Or, more generally, commercial investors track thriving residential markets, capitalizing on demand.



 

SOSNA Super Saturday

Location: 

22nd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19146

See map: Google Maps

SOSNA SUPER SATURDAY - Saturday May 18

 

9 AM: Catharine Park

- Help SOSNA Clean & Green clean 22nd Street as part of the Neighborhood Clean Up Day. Meet at Catharine Park, 22nd and Catharine Streets.

10 AM: Catharine Park

- Meet your local police officers and fire fighters as part of the Officer Appreciation Event and SOSNA Social - coffee and snacks will be served - At Catharine Park, 22nd and Catharine Streets.
11 AM–6: Julian Abele Park

- The grand re-opening of Julian Abele Park! Kicking off an afternoon of music, fun and games at 22nd and Carpenter Streets.

• Dancers, bands, zumba
• Red Paw Adoption Event
• For kids: obstacle course, lawn games including bean bag toss and giant dominoes
• 50/50
• Silent Auction

12 PM–6 PM: SOSNA Arts Crawl - Click to see the list of artists and silent auction items.

- Stroll 20th, 21st and 22nd Streets for the SOSNA Arts Crawl, featuring local artists and businesses, a silent auction, and SOSNA- sponsored drinks at SoWe, Ultimo Coffee and Beauty Shop Cafe.

 

More info at: http://southofsouth.org/events/sosna-super-saturday

Welcome to the Revised South Square Town Watch Web Site!

With this new look and a blog format, we hope to provide you with relevant and timely information about what's going on in our neighborhood and allow you to share you thoughts about the events of the day.