55-588: Washington Square West is a neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , United States. The neighborhood roughly corresponds to the area between 7th and Broad Streets and between Chestnut and South Streets, bordering on the Independence Mall tourist area directly northeast, Market East to the north, Old City and Society Hill to the East, Bella Vista directly south, Hawthorne to
110-410: A residents' committee ; these are subdivided into residents' small groups of fifteen to forty families. In most urban areas of China, neighbourhood , community , residential community , residential unit , residential quarter have the same meaning: 社区 or 小区 or 居民区 or 居住区 , and is the direct sublevel of a subdistrict ( 街道办事处 ), which is the direct sublevel of a district ( 区 ), which
165-559: A 300-unit luxury rental tower called St. James Court, named after an adjacent street. The high-rise would still incorporate the preservation efforts for the 19th-century buildings it agreed to in 1995. P&A Associates received final approval from the city zoning board and the historical commission in August 1999, but continued to seek more financing, which it was able to secure from Corus Bank of Chicago in September 2001. To develop
220-703: A 60 feet (18 m) swimming pool, a private courtyard, and a nine-story parking garage that makes up the base of the building. The site of The St. James was formerly occupied by a group of historic 19th-century buildings that lined Walnut Street in the Washington Square West neighborhood in Center City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The most notable of these was the former headquarters of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (PSFS). Designed in 1868 by Addison Hutton ,
275-469: A fortune by buying, improving, and then selling run-down properties, announced in 1989 that he planned to turn the building into his own personal headquarters and add a glass-enclosed ballroom on its top. Rappaport also planned to have an apartment in one of the York Row houses. However, like many other Rappaport-owned buildings, they ended up being left vacant and neglected, becoming a target for vandals and
330-449: A four-pipe heating and air-conditioning system, and every unit, except for the studio apartments, has a private balcony. Building amenities include an 11th-floor health club and a 60 feet (18 m) swimming pool. The first nine floors of The St. James house private parking for building residents. The street-level retail floor is occupied by a Starbucks and an Oceanaire seafood restaurant. Along Walnut Street, The St. James incorporated
385-561: A group of three brick three- story rowhouses called York Row. Built in 1807 in the Federal style , they are an early example of speculative housing development. York Row was built at a time when Philadelphia's population was shifting westward, away from the Delaware River . The buildings were bought for US$ 4.7 million(equivalent to $ 12,108,000 in 2023) in 1988 by real estate investor Samuel A. Rappaport. Rappaport, who made
440-800: A high level of regulation of social life by officials. For example, in the Tang period Chinese capital city Chang'an, neighbourhoods were districts and there were state officials who carefully controlled life and activity at the neighbourhood level. Neighbourhoods in preindustrial cities often had some degree of social specialisation or differentiation. Ethnic neighbourhoods were important in many past cities and remain common in cities today. Economic specialists, including craft producers, merchants, and others, could be concentrated in neighbourhoods, and in societies with religious pluralism neighbourhoods were often specialised by religion. One factor contributing to neighbourhood distinctiveness and social cohesion in past cities
495-664: A leading regional medical university and health care center, are located within the neighborhood. The one-time headquarters of the former Curtis Publishing Company and the University of the Arts lie at the edges of the neighborhood. Washington Square West's real estate is mixed commercial, residential and service industries, characterized by two, three, and four-story rowhouses interspersed with condominiums, mid-rise apartments, hospitals and offices with ground-floor retail. The neighborhood follows William Penn 's original grid layout for
550-420: A small area within a town or city. The label is commonly used to refer to organisations which relate to such a very local structure, such as neighbourhood policing or Neighbourhood watch schemes. In addition, government statistics for local areas are often referred to as neighbourhood statistics, although the data themselves are broken down usually into districts and wards for local purposes. In many parts of
605-496: A specific geographic area and functionally as a set of social networks. Neighbourhoods, then, are the spatial units in which face-to-face social interactions occur—the personal settings and situations where residents seek to realise common values, socialise youth, and maintain effective social control." In the words of the urban scholar Lewis Mumford , "Neighborhoods, in some annoying, inchoate fashion exist wherever human beings congregate, in permanent family dwellings; and many of
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#1732783545117660-490: A unit of analysis. In mainland China , the term is generally used for the urban administrative division found immediately below the district level, although an intermediate, subdistrict level exists in some cities. They are also called streets (administrative terminology may vary from city to city). Neighbourhoods encompass 2,000 to 10,000 families. Within neighbourhoods, families are grouped into smaller residential units or quarters of 100 to 600 families and supervised by
715-585: Is a 45-story, high-rise luxury residential skyscraper in Center City. At 498 feet (152 m) tall, it is the 15th tallest building in Philadelphia . The US$ 80 million, Chicago-style high-rise was designed by Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates Inc. with assistance by architectural firm Bower Lewis Thrower . Located between 8th Street, Walnut Street, St. James Street, and Washington Square , The St. James stands two blocks from Independence Hall . The glass and concrete skyscraper's east and west facade
770-426: Is a geographically localized community within a larger city , town , suburb or rural area , sometimes consisting of a single street and the buildings lining it. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition, but the following may serve as a starting point: "Neighbourhood is generally defined spatially as
825-578: Is a luxury residential skyscraper in Washington Square West , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , United States. The 498 feet (152 m), 45- story high-rise stands along Walnut Street and Washington Square and is the 15th tallest building in Philadelphia . The Chicago-style , glass-and-concrete skyscraper incorporated into its design several historic 19th-century buildings that lined Walnut Street. These buildings included three Federal-style rowhouses built in 1807 called York Row and
880-476: Is so-named because of its large concentration of LGBT-friendly small businesses, services, restaurants, and gay bars . It was also a red light district and center of Philadelphia's gay bathhouse culture in the 1970s and 1980s. The area is the location for Philadelphia's annual OutFest: National Coming Out Day celebration . On 18 April 2007, the city of Philadelphia officially recognized the area by adding 36 gay pride rainbow flag symbols to street signs within
935-491: Is split between a curved wall, a squared-off wing, and a strip of blue glass that separates them. The St. James contains 415,790 square feet (39,000 m ) of residential and commercial space. This includes 8,290 square feet (770 m ) of office space, 14,500 square feet (1,300 m ) of retail space, and 393,000 square feet (37,000 m ) of residential space. The 306 residential units feature 9 feet (2.7 m) ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows. The building features
990-424: Is that its lots were 20 to 25 feet, which allowed for a door and two windows. It's a falsehood to put a big building behind them. But it's preferable to demolition." The Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron was critical of the parking garage on the lower floors, saying it "detracts from [The St. James's] crisp, vertical lines and bumps clumsily against the historic buildings. The garage also makes
1045-597: Is the direct sublevel of a city ( 市 ). (See Administrative divisions of the People's Republic of China ) The term has no general official or statistical purpose in the United Kingdom, but is often used by local boroughs for self-chosen sub-divisions of their area for the delivery of various services and functions, as for example in Kingston-upon-Thames or is used as an informal term to refer to
1100-570: The Italianate-style former headquarters of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society , built in 1868–1869. After lying vacant and neglected for years, the only part of York Row preserved were the rowhouses' facades. Only a back portion of the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society building was demolished, the rest being incorporated as retail and office space. Developer P&A Associates first attempted to develop
1155-493: The gay village area of the neighborhood commonly known as the Gayborhood , which hosts annual events celebrating LGBT culture in Philadelphia , including OutFest . Philadelphia's Antique Row lies in the area, as does the nation's oldest hospital, Pennsylvania Hospital , and Philadelphia's oldest Jewish burial ground, Mikveh Israel Cemetery . Educational and medical facilities associated with Thomas Jefferson University ,
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#17327835451171210-403: The "Blocks Below Broad" or "B3", with the launch of several new retail establishments. The attempt failed but was repeated in 2006 by a merchants association organized by James McManaman. While the organization has attempted to re-brand the neighborhood "Midtown Village" and launched new retail establishments along 13th Street, long-time residents, professionals, and proprietors refer to the area as
1265-565: The 1900s, Clarence Perry described the idea of a neighbourhood unit as a self-contained residential area within a city. The concept is still influential in New Urbanism . Practitioners seek to revive traditional sociability in planned suburban housing based on a set of principles. At the same time, the neighbourhood is a site of interventions to create Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC) as many older adults tend to have narrower life space. Urban design studies thus use neighbourhood as
1320-406: The 1990s and early 2000s, the neighborhood had transformed into an economically vital community. In 2003, construction began on what was to be (for a time) the city's tallest apartment building, The St. James . The structure also incorporates the 1869 Philadelphia Savings Fund Society Building and the facades of York Row, a series of antique townhomes. The Washington Square West Historic District
1375-556: The 306 available were leased out and they were pleased with the leasing activity and monthly rents from $ 1,500 to $ 6,000 (except penthouses). Construction was completed later that month, with finishing touches added later in the year. By 2005, in a move that surprised many real estate experts, the building was put up for sale where it was expected it would obtain a selling price between $ 122(equivalent to $ 190,327,000 in 2023) to $ 137 million(equivalent to $ 213,728,000 in 2023). P&A and Clark Realty, operating as 700 Walnut LP offered
1430-539: The Barton Group announced its plan to build a 37-story, 322-unit luxury residential tower. The Barton Group's plan would also incorporate the PSFS headquarters building and York Row into the tower. At the end of the 1990s, Philadelphia was experiencing a condominium boom, with more than 70 Center City office and manufacturing buildings being converted into rental and condominium apartments between 1998 and 2004. With
1485-526: The Gayborhood area. 32 additional signs were added in June 2010. On 25 June 2015, rainbows, indicating LGBT pride, were painted onto crosswalks at the intersection of 13th and Locust streets. Its success as a city neighborhood has led to several attempts at large-scale private development in the Gayborhood in the 2000s. In 2002, developer Tony Goldman attempted to change 13th Street and its surroundings into
1540-507: The Gayborhood or Center City. In 2019, the Gayborhood saw its first LGBTQ landmark with the addition to the city historic register of the Camac Baths, which was a meeting place for gay and bisexual men as early as the 1930s. The nomination provides a history of the bathhouse and its LGBTQ associations, which include Christopher Isherwood . Neighbourhood A neighbourhood (Commonwealth English) or neighborhood (American English)
1595-563: The UK wards are roughly equivalent to neighbourhoods or a combination of them. In the United States and Canada , neighbourhoods are often given official or semi-official status through neighbourhood associations , neighbourhood watches or block watches. These may regulate such matters as lawn care and fence height, and they may provide such services as block parties , neighbourhood parks and community security . In some other places
1650-496: The York Row houses were preserved. Calling them "facadectomies", vice president of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia J. Randall Cotton felt that saving the facades did not preserve the essence of the buildings, but that it was better than nothing. Cotton said, "At the eyeball level, it will give something of the coherence of the Philadelphia cityscape, which is a human scale. The beauty of Philadelphia
1705-507: The block on Washington Square (described as “long-neglected”) into a 35-story rental property, including rehabbing the “derelict” PSFS Bank and York row houses. As part of his financial package, Dranoff would use “tax increment financing” (TIF) approved by the Philadelphia City Council. The complex, to be named St. James Court, would be the first new Philadelphia high rise since 1987. In March 1999, Chicago-based developer
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1760-465: The city in the 1960s and 1970s were left as empty lots and the neighborhood was left in a state of decline. Through the late 1970s and 1980 began a slow recovery without the aid of the large-scale redevelopment that had occurred in Society Hill. The 1990s saw a shift in the neighborhood as Mayor Ed Rendell encouraged investment in Center City and gentrification began to take hold. By the end of
1815-473: The city, with many one-lane and pedestrian side streets added later as the population became denser. In addition to the block-sized Washington Square Park to the East, the neighborhood contains the smaller Kahn Park, named after the Philadelphia architect Louis Kahn who resided in the neighborhood. The name "Washington Square West" came into official use in the late 1950s and early 1960s as part of Edmund Bacon 's comprehensive plan for Center City. In this plan,
1870-543: The construction of the project. . Ground was broken for the now 45-story residential tower and the building would open in fall 2003. Philadelphia had not seen any residential high-rise development since the 1980s, and The St. James was one of the first to begin construction in the city, preceded only by the 16-story Residences at the Dockside, which broke ground in 2000. It became Philadelphia's largest residential project. In 2004, P&A reported that over 100 units of
1925-719: The control of city or state officials. In some preindustrial urban traditions, basic municipal functions such as protection, social regulation of births and marriages, cleaning and upkeep are handled informally by neighbourhoods and not by urban governments; this pattern is well documented for historical Islamic cities. In addition to social neighbourhoods, most ancient and historical cities also had administrative districts used by officials for taxation, record-keeping, and social control. Administrative districts are typically larger than neighbourhoods and their boundaries may cut across neighbourhood divisions. In some cases, however, administrative districts coincided with neighbourhoods, leading to
1980-576: The early 1960s, the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority turned to Washington Square West. In the late 1960s, the Redevelopment Authority bought and demolished buildings and, by the mid-1970s, owned one-fifth of the neighborhood. By this time, however, federal money available for urban renewal had declined and the city was no longer able to fund the renewal of Washington Square West. Buildings razed by
2035-435: The early 2000s, Community Development Corporations, Rehabilitation Networks, Neighbourhood Development Corporations, and Economic Development organisations would work together to address the housing stock and the infrastructures of communities and neighbourhoods (e.g., community centres). Community and Economic Development may be understood in different ways, and may involve "faith-based" groups and congregations in cities. In
2090-527: The equivalent organization is the parish , though a parish may have several neighbourhoods within it depending on the area. In localities where neighbourhoods do not have an official status, questions can arise as to where one neighbourhood begins and another ends. Many cities use districts and wards as official divisions of the city, rather than traditional neighbourhood boundaries. ZIP Code boundaries and post office names also sometimes reflect neighbourhood identities. The St. James The St. James
2145-489: The front facade of the houses, back to the roof ridge line. After its announcement in 1995, the project stalled because P&A Associates was unable to obtain financing. Investors were skeptical about the success potential for luxury residential apartments outside the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood in Center City. In 1998, developer Carl Dranoff, from Narbeth Pa, announced his firm was considering developing
2200-473: The front facades of the York Row houses, while the rest of the buildings were demolished. The main tower is set 15 feet (4.6 m) from the York Row facades to preserve the Row's original look. All but the rear wing of the PSFS headquarters building was incorporated into the tower. The demolished portion of the PSFS building was converted into a hidden courtyard for residents. Preservationists were critical of how
2255-585: The functions of the city tend to be distributed naturally—that is, without any theoretical preoccupation or political direction—into neighborhoods." Most of the earliest cities around the world as excavated by archaeologists have evidence for the presence of social neighbourhoods. Historical documents shed light on neighbourhood life in numerous historical preindustrial or nonwestern cities. Neighbourhoods are typically generated by social interaction among people living near one another. In this sense they are local social units larger than households not directly under
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2310-520: The granite-faced Italianate-style building was the second headquarters building that PSFS had built. Construction began on the building on June 13, 1868, and it was opened for business on October 11, 1869. An addition designed by Hutton was added in 1885, and another designed by Frank Furness in 1895. The building served as the PSFS headquarters until 1932 when the company moved to the PSFS Building on Market Street . The other buildings are
2365-488: The homeless. Rappaport died in 1994, and in January 1995 developer P&A Associates announced its agreement to buy the properties from his estate. The developer also disclosed plans to build a luxury residential tower at the site. The plan called for dismantling part of Furness's additions to the PSFS headquarters, which would serve as the tower's lobby. The York Row houses would have been completely demolished. The plan
2420-431: The neighbourhood as a small-scale democracy , regulated primarily by ideas of reciprocity among neighbours. Neighbourhoods have been the site of service delivery or "service interventions" in part as efforts to provide local, quality services, and to increase the degree of local control and ownership. Alfred Kahn, as early as the mid-1970s, described the "experience, theory and fads" of neighbourhood service delivery over
2475-529: The precarious effects of the Covid lockdown, was put up for sale and expected to retrieve in excess of $ 200 million. In December, Clarion announced it had sold the St. James to an undisclosed buyer for $ 220 million (over $ 700,000/unit), one of the largest apartment building sales in Philadelphia history. The new owner of the St. James is 220 West Washington Sq, LLC, according to Philadelphia County records. The St. James
2530-571: The prior decade, including discussion of income transfers and poverty. Neighbourhoods, as a core aspect of community, also are the site of services for youth, including children with disabilities and coordinated approaches to low-income populations. While the term neighbourhood organisation is not as common in 2015, these organisations often are non-profit, sometimes grassroots or even core funded community development centres or branches. Community and economic development activists have pressured for reinvestment in local communities and neighbourhoods. In
2585-412: The property in a complex but reasonably common method of major real estate purchases, subject to a buy-sell agreement with 700 Walnut’s anonymous equity partner. In this scenario, 700 Walnut would buy the property from the unknown partner and immediately sell it to the new buyer. The building was purchased by Clarion Partners for approximately $ 137 million. In 2022, the building, now 95% leased even with
2640-415: The residential market in Center City growing, P&A Associates found financing by going into a partnership with real estate firm Boston Financial to fund its planned residential tower. Around the same time, the Barton Group ended its intentions with the site and sold its interest in the property to P&A Associates and Boston Financial. The tower announced by P&A Associates and Boston Financial would be
2695-470: The site in 1995, but was delayed because of a lack of investor confidence. When the Philadelphia residential market improved in the late 1990s, St. James Associates Joint Venture, a joint venture of P&A Associates and others, began construction in November 2001. The high-rise building, completed in 2004, features 306 units, with each but the studio apartments having a private balcony. Its amenities include
2750-493: The south-east quadrant of center city was split into Washington Square East (more commonly known as Society Hill ) and Washington Square West. Both neighborhoods were scheduled for urban renewal by Philadelphia's City Planning Commission and Redevelopment Authority. After a period of decline in the early 20th century, city officials hoped that redevelopment would clean up the neighborhood and clear blighted areas. After large-scale renewal of Washington Square East/Society Hill in
2805-450: The southwest, and mid-town Philadelphia and Rittenhouse Square to the west. The area takes its name from Washington Square , a historic urban park in the northeastern corner of the neighborhood. In addition to being a desirable residential community, it is considered a hip, trendy neighborhood that offers a diverse array of shops, restaurants, and coffee houses. Washington Square West contains many gay -friendly establishments, especially in
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#17327835451172860-409: The tower, now called The St. James, P&A Associates formed the St. James Associates Joint Venture with Clark Realty Capital LLC and Lend Lease Real Estate Investments, which represented an undisclosed client. With financial backing from its partners and tax breaks for new residential construction passed in 2000, construction began on November 28, 2001. BACE Construction (Philadelphia based) was awarded
2915-563: Was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The 61-acre (250,000 m) area encompasses 450 contributing buildings. Located in the district and separately listed are the Clinton Street Historic District , Roberts-Quay House , and Portico Row . The area approximately bounded by Chestnut, Pine, Juniper and 11th streets within Washington Square West is known as The Gayborhood . It
2970-778: Was controversial as preservationists wanted the buildings to remain unchanged. P&A Associates met with representatives of the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia and in February 1995 advanced a new plan that would preserve most of the PSFS headquarters and the York Row facade. The new plan, which was approved by the Philadelphia Historical Commission , included renovating the PSFS headquarters and converting it into restaurant and office space. The York Row building interiors had been stripped of everything except for one fireplace mantle and could not be restored. P&A Associates would instead preserve
3025-482: Was the role of rural to urban migration. This was a continual process in preindustrial cities, and migrants tended to move in with relatives and acquaintances from their rural past. Neighbourhood sociology is a subfield of urban sociology which studies local communities Neighbourhoods are also used in research studies from postal codes and health disparities , to correlations with school drop out rates or use of drugs. Some attention has also been devoted to viewing
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