Neighborhood Profile: BALA CYNWYD

History:  Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1. It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community. Bala Cynwyd lies in the Welsh Tract of Pennsylvania and was settled in the […]

Greenest of the green: Top efficiency-boosting home improvements

Forget wondering who’s the fairest; when it comes to choosing home improvements that make your home look good — from the curb and to potential buyers — it may make more sense to ask “Who’s the greenest of them all.” Sustainable home improvements not only help reduce utility costs and boost owner satisfaction with their homes, […]

Neighborhood Profile: SOUTH PHILADELPHIA

History:   South Philadelphia began as a satellite town of Philadelphia, with small townships such as Moyamensing and Southwark. During the Industrial Revolution,  the area saw rapid growth, in part due to mass immigration from Ireland. Its urbanized border reached that of Philadelphia. Along with all other jurisdictions in the county, South Philadelphia became part of the City […]

As Seen on Philly.com: On the market: Mt. Airy mansion for $1.3 mil

(Hillary Petrozziello / Staff Photographer) Lauren Mennen, Philly.com   Thirty years ago, Carol Schwartz had a vision. She and her husband, Elliot, were going to move into the Mt. Airy Mansion located at 7360 Huron Lane. But there was one problem: It wasn’t on the market yet. A decade later in 1993, after Carol Schwartz kept […]

Neighborhood Profile: FAIRMOUNT

History:   The name “Fairmount” itself derives from the prominent hill on which the Philadelphia Museum of Art now sits, and where William Penn originally intended to build his own manor house. Later, the name was applied to the street originally called Hickory Lane that runs from the foot of Fairmount hill through the heart of the neighborhood. […]

Experience! Philadelphia

With springtime upon us, there is never a lack of exciting things to do in our fair city. In a recent article in the Philadelphia Sun, writer Renee S. Gordon takes us through some interesting options to Experience! Philadelphia

Neighborhood Profile: GERMANTOWN

History:   The Germantown area of Philadelphia is one of Philadelphia’s oldest settlements. It was originally settled by Mennonite and Quaker German speaking émigrés from Holland, Germany and Switzerland attracted to Philadelphia by William Penn’s promises of religious tolerance. When Philadelphia was occupied by the British during the American Revolutionary War, several units were housed in […]

It Wasn't Always The Avenue of The Arts

In this recent article in Hidden Philly, Rachel Hildebrandt, a recent graduate of Penn Design and Philadelphia native, illustrated the development of South Broad over the years, an area that has become in recent years a notable arts hub of the city. From a stretch of vacant lots and urban decay to a thriving arts […]

The Wayne Junction area is right on track

Elfant Wisshickon partner Paul Walsh was quoted in this story in yesterday’s Inquirer about Wayne Junction, the busy transportation hub that straddles the borders of Nicetown and Germantown. To read more, click HERE

Neighborhood Profile: SOCIETY HILL

History:   The district is named after the 18th century Free Society of Traders, which had its offices at Front Street on the hill above Dock Creek. Located close to both the Delaware River and Philadelphia’s civic buildings, including Independence Hall, the neighborhood soon became one of the city’s most populous areas. Several market halls, taverns and churches […]