Tag: Frankford Is Waiting

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Frankford is Waiting – The Box Factory Lofts

The next entry in the Frankford is Waiting series are the Box Factory Loft at Front and Columbia( err Cecil B Moore):

Welcome To The Box Factory! Originally Built In 1901, The Box Factory Housed Heavy Machinery To Make The Boxes They Shipped Worldwide. Currently Underway Is The Conversion To Twenty Loft Condos With All Of The Original Elements, Such As Exposed Brick Walls, Massive Wood Beams, High Ceilings, Huge Windows With Great Light & Citywide Views. Standard Finishes Include Hardwood Floors, Stainless Steel Appliances, & Granite Countertops. This Is An Elevator Building In A Great Location W/ Remote Access To Gated Parking. There Is Affordable Pre-Construction Pricing From $199,500 – $344,000 + A 10 Year Tax Abatement & Low Association Fees ~ 100% Financing Available For 1st Time Buyers~


Isn’t that a pretty picture?  Lofts up to 344K…NICE. That even beats out the Thompson Street Lofts.  But why do we care?  Check out the pic from under the El.

Awe man, what do you think?  Is that 60 feet to the MF el?  What do you think?  Is anybody else noticing a trend?  4 dollar gas and the idea of mass transit start looking a whole lot more appealing.  If they’ve started putting granite countertops into buildings in Kensington, Frankford will be soon to follow.  We’re just 3.35 miles from the Frankford Creek.  FRANKFORD IS WAITING!!

Posted on by

The Frankford spirit

The lead, front page story in the Northeast Times this week is Frankford.  Jon Campisi gives us a once over and comes up with a balanced view of what is going on along the Avenue.  It’s business, with its ups and downs and it’s Frankford. 

The businesses that are covered are good examples of what works.  Now how, with the assets we have in this community, can we attract more businesses.  People don’t want to have to drive with gas at $4.xx per gallan if they don’t have to.  The walkable community is here waiting to be discovered. 

The next great neighborhood in the next great city.

Read the entire story here.

Posted on by

The new urbanism

This is the first time I have heard this term.  For the old folks like me, it recalls the times past when people did not live and die for their cars.  Now what was old is new and the circle has come round once again.  Jon Campisi of the Nottheast brings us:

In her former life, Sandy Sorlien was an accomplished photographer who traveled the world and visually documented her encounters.
She also taught her art form of choice at various area colleges and universities, and even had a book published of her works.
Then Hurricane Katrina hit. From that point on, everything changed for the Roxborough resident.
After seeing the devastation wrought by that natural disaster in August 2005, Sorlien’s interest turned from taking snapshots of communities to helping them change in another way.
Today, Sorlien is certified by the Pennsylvania Humanities Council as what is known as a Commonwealth Speaker, eligible to put on presentations throughout the state on her topic of expertise. For Sorlien, that subject is new urbanism.

Read his entire piece here.

Posted on by

Frankford is Waiting – Thompson Street Lofts

The second post in our series is a set of treasures I had initially found back in January on realtor.com:

Beautiful Modern/Industrial Renovation
Status Active Listing
Type New -Condominium/Townhouse
Price $295,000
Location 1301 N Front St
Philadelphia , PA 19122
Country USA
MLS# 5156895
Beds 2
Baths 2
Sq.Ft 1,150

A turn of the century industrial warehouse, the THOMPSON STREET LOFTS, conveniently located on the border between Northern Liberties and Fishtown is a tasteful conversion into 8 modern bi-level lofts while retaining much of the building’s original charm.Since the early 1900’s, 1301 North Front has been a stable, candy store, and an automtovie business. The developers have left the original exposed beams roof(w/5 inch thick foam roof insulation on top), metal beams, planks, trusses and brick. Modern efficiency such as triple layered brick facade and 4 layers of drywall and sprayed insulation for excellent sound insulation between units bring this building to modern standards and beyond. Each unit features Brazilian Cherry Wide plank flooring, slate tile,double pane argon insulated windows, full size laundry stack, GE Monogram appliances, metal doors, sprinkler systems, alarm systems, rainfall shower head, hand held, and 4 body sprays, granite counters… Come see!

Awesome, great, fantastic, more lofty type joints in Fishtown/Olde Kensington. What does this have to do with Frankford you ask? Google Map’s Street View shows these bi-level lofts are 10 feet from the El at Front and Thompson. The BRT website says Units A,D,E and H don’t appear to be sold yet but Unit B went for $255,000, Unit F went for $276,500 and Unit C went for a whopping $302,000. That’s 256 dollars a residential square foot TEN FEET FROM THE EL; now that’s impressive.  So I’m making the call, we’re now 3.68 miles from the Frankford Creek. C’mon bra, FRANKFORD IS WAITING!!

Posted on by

Frankford is Waiting – Trax Foods

Nothing grows under the el. Nothing good anyways. I’ve heard that forever, and I’m too young to remember things being any different than they are now. But nothing stays garbage forever. And it’s already started creeping, albeit a few miles from our southern border at the Frankford Creek.

This is the first post in the Gazette’s meager attempt to track prosperity as it begins it’s climb up the spine the Market Frankford El.

First up is Trax Foods, a 24 deli strategically located under the massive shadow of the Girard Ave el stop. Now what makes this noteworthy? It doesn’t cover it’s windows with ciggy ads, nor takes access cards and it doesn’t even sell loosies!! It services those glorious yuppies and hipsters of Northern Liberties and Fishtown.

So I’m making the call, it’s 3.79 miles from Frankford. Come on people, FRANKFORD IS WAITING!!!!!