42-739: The Laurel is a luxury residential skyscraper in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood of Philadelphia , Pennsylvania that cost $ 350 million to build and is 604 feet (184 meters) tall. The building contains condominiums, luxury apartments, and retail space. The residential tower was developed by Southern Land Company, a national real estate development company based in Nashville, Tennessee . The Laurel includes 66 condominiums and 187 luxury apartments spanning 48 floors. The building also features 43,000 square feet of retail space that wraps around Walnut , Sansom and 20th streets. The retail space
84-530: A highly desirable address. James Harper , a merchant and brick manufacturer who had recently retired from the United States Congress, was the first person to build on the square, buying most of the north frontage, erecting a stately townhouse for himself at 1811 Walnut Street (c. 1840). Having thus set the patrician residential tone that would subsequently define the Square, he divided the rest of
126-457: A major location. Limitless (2011) – A dive bar scene was filmed at a location near Rittenhouse Square. The Upside (2019) – Features several notable Philadelphia sites, including Rittenhouse Square. Silver Linings Playbook (2012) – Features various Philadelphia locations, including the square. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009) – Some scenes shot in nearby areas include
168-611: A new Home Rule Charter was instituted. In 1949, Bacon succeeded Mitchell as executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. Serving under Mayors Samuel , Clark, Dilworth, and Tate , his work brought him national repute along with his counterparts Edward J. Logue in Boston and Robert Moses in New York City during the mid-century era of urban renewal . His face appeared on
210-616: A permanent position for Bacon at the Flint Institute for Planning and Research. Bacon became very active in civic life in Flint, helping to establish the Flint Housing Association and reforming the city's Planning Commission. During his time in Flint, Bacon witnessed the 1936-37 Flint Sit-Down Strike , and felt empathetic to the workers. Bacon gained close contacts with individuals who were active in establishing
252-753: A state historical marker honoring Bacon's memory and commemorating his work. Bacon was awarded the Frank P. Brown Medal in 1962, the American Institute of Planners Distinguished Service Award, the Philadelphia Award , and an honorary doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania . In 1983, Bacon was elected into the National Academy of Design as an associate member, and became a full member in 1994. From 2004 until his death at
294-530: Is Philadelphia's tallest residential skyscraper and the city's 10th-tallest overall skyscraper . Rittenhouse Square Rittenhouse Square is a public park in Center City Philadelphia , Pennsylvania that is the center of the eponymous Rittenhouse neighborhood. The square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century. Together with Fitler Square ,
336-679: Is a bas-relief bust of J. William White done by R. Tait McKenzie . Billy , the goat was created by Philadelphian Albert Laessle, who also designed the Penguins statue at the Philadelphia Zoo . Residents are in the Albert M. Greenfield School catchment area for grades kindergarten through eight ; all persons assigned to Greenfield are zoned to Benjamin Franklin High School . Previously South Philadelphia High School
378-541: Is a popular dog walking destination for area residents, as was shown in the fictional film In Her Shoes . The Square was discussed in a favorable light by Jane Jacobs in her seminal work, The Death and Life of Great American Cities . The Rittenhouse neighborhood is home to many cultural institutions, including the Curtis Institute of Music , Philadelphia Youth Orchestra , the Ethical Society,
420-527: Is accessible via several forms of public transportation . All SEPTA Regional Rail lines stop at Suburban Station , about six blocks north and east of the Square. The PATCO Speedline , a rapid transit system connecting Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, has its western terminus at 16th and Locust Sts., two blocks east of the Square. The SEPTA 9, 12, 21, and 42 buses westbound run along Walnut Street. The 17 runs northbound along 20th Street and southbound along 19th Street and Rittenhouse Square West and
462-609: Is known as Rittenhousetown , located in the rural setting of Fairmount Park along Paper Mill Run . David Rittenhouse was a clockmaker and friend of the American Revolution , as well as a noted astronomer; a lunar crater is named after him. In the early 19th century, as the city grew steadily from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River , it became obvious that Rittenhouse Square would become
SECTION 10
#1732794192054504-411: Is on the building's first two floors. The building includes onsite and offsite parking with partnerships with nearby parking garages. Condominiums start in the low $ 2 million and go as high as $ 25 million for the penthouses. The Laurel includes multiple amenity areas for all residents, with condominium owners having access to the 26th-floor featuring a spa, meeting areas, and fitness amenities. The Laurel
546-470: The Far Northeast . The Center City Commuter Connection , a seemingly radical idea at the time, was conceived during the 1950s by Planning Commission staff member, R. Damon Childs, who succeeded Bacon as executive director. Not all of the concepts that Bacon supported materialized. One proposal that he inherited from Robert Mitchell was to encircle Center City with a series of expressways, including
588-663: The Philadelphia Art Alliance , the Rosenbach Museum & Library , Plays & Players , the Wine School of Philadelphia, and the Civil War and Underground Railroad Museum. Delancey Place is a quiet, historical street lined with Civil War-era mansions and the setting for Hollywood movies, located only two blocks south of the square. The square is home to many works of public art. Among them
630-462: The cover of Time magazine in 1964, and in 1965, Life magazine devoted its cover story to his work. That same year, Bacon was appointed by President Johnson to serve as a member of the White House 's Conference on Recreation and Natural Beauty. In 1967, he wrote Design of Cities , still considered an important architectural text. It’s a seminal work on urban design that illustrates
672-545: The 2 runs northbound along 16th Street and southbound along 17th Street. The SEPTA Subway–Surface Trolley Lines have a station at 19th and Market Streets, two blocks north of the Square. The Walnut–Locust station on the Broad Street Subway is four blocks east. Trading Places (1983) – Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) pretends to be a blind cripple in the park. In Her Shoes (2005) – Scenes were filmed throughout Philadelphia, with Rittenhouse Square as
714-623: The City Policy Committee, a grassroots movement of young Philadelphians, established by future civic leader Walter M. Phillips, that was instrumental in Philadelphia's political reform movement. Members of the Committee went on to become leaders in Philadelphia government after 1952, when the reform Democrat and later ( U.S. Senator ) Joseph Sill Clark was elected Mayor , Richardson Dilworth became District Attorney, and
756-577: The Crosstown Expressway proposal depressed property values and rents in the South Street corridor, leading to a turnover of the neighborhood's character from largely Jewish-owned garment shops to the thriving commercial and nightlife center that it is today. Other concepts conceived during Bacon's tenure, such as Schuylkill River Park, included in the 1963 Center City Plan, came into being many years later. After Bacon's retirement from
798-629: The Federal Housing Authority, such as Catherine Bauer and Lewis Mumford . Through these contacts he helped secure federal housing dollars for Flint. However, the local real-estate industry came to see this Federal funding for public housing as a threat to their business, as was the case in several cities early in the history of the FHA. The funding was turned down, and Bacon was effectively run out of Flint in 1939. From Flint, Bacon returned to Philadelphia to serve as managing director of
840-744: The Philadelphia Housing Association. He served in the United States Navy aboard the USS Shoshone in the Pacific in World War II . In 1947, he joined the staff of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission under executive director Robert Mitchell, and served as co-designer to the 1947 Better Philadelphia Exhibition in collaboration with Oscar Stonorov and Louis Kahn . Bacon was also an early member of
882-570: The Planning Commission in 1970, he served as vice president for the private planning firm Mondev U.S.A., was an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and at the University of Pennsylvania , from 1950 to 1987, and narrated "Understanding Cities", an award-winning series of documentary films describing the history and development of Rome under Pope Sixtus V , Paris under Georges-Eugène Haussmann , Regency London under John Nash , American cities, and cities in
SECTION 20
#1732794192054924-625: The Rittenhouse neighborhood and the square comprise the Rittenhouse–Fitler Historic District. Rittenhouse Square is maintained by the non-profit group The Friends of Rittenhouse Square. The square cuts off 19th Street at Walnut Street and also at a half-block above Manning Street. Its boundaries are 18th Street to the east, Walnut Street to the north, and Rittenhouse Square West, a north–south boundary street, and Rittenhouse Square South, an east–west boundary street, making
966-510: The Square to resemble Paris and the French gardens, adding classical entryways and stone additions to railings, pools, and fountains. After World War II , Rittenhouse Square's Victorian mansions began to be replaced with high-rise residential and office buildings such as Claridge and Savoy. Vacant lots were converted to apartments and hotels. Still, some prominent Italianate and Art Deco buildings remain, and Rittenhouse Square has changed
1008-699: The age of 95 the following year, Bacon helped found and served as an honorary director of a foundation that bears his name, the Ed Bacon Foundation, whose programs are now managed by the Edmund N. Bacon Memorial Committee at the Philadelphia Center for Architecture . Bacon was the father of six children, including two sons, actor Kevin Bacon , musician Michael Bacon , and four daughters, Karin, Elinor, Hilda and Prudence (later Kira). His wife
1050-430: The area around the park. The Wrestler (2008) – Key scenes use the park as a backdrop. Creed (2015) – Honors the “Rocky” legacy with scenes near the square. Twelve Monkeys (1995) – Bruce Willis's character visits various Philly landmarks, including near the park. Philadelphia (1993) – Tom Hanks's Oscar-winning role features scenes in and near the square. National Treasure (2004) – Some scenes show
1092-648: The father of actor Kevin Bacon . Bacon was born in West Philadelphia , the son of Helen Atkinson ( née Comly) and Ellis Williams Bacon. He grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and graduated from Swarthmore High School in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania in 1928. He attended Cornell University , where he studied architecture. His senior thesis at Cornell made the case for a new civic center for Philadelphia that included an urban park where LOVE Park
1134-682: The future of Philadelphia's downtown. Bacon continued to assert his vision for Philadelphia's future actively in his later years. During the 1990s, he proposed new concepts to improve Independence Mall, Penn's Landing, and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway . During the same period, he promoted a design competition for North American cities to design the best "Post-Petroleum" city. Only one municipality, in Ottawa, Canada, committed to it. In 2002, at age 92, he skateboarded in LOVE Park ,
1176-454: The future post-oil era. He vociferously but unsuccessfully opposed the development of skyscrapers in Center City Philadelphia taller than Philadelphia City Hall , which until 1984 set the informal height limit for downtown at the hat of the statue of William Penn . That custom, known as the " Gentlemen's agreement ", was broken by developer Willard G. Rouse III 's One Liberty Place . The New York Times correctly noted Bacon's opposition to
1218-766: The land into generously proportioned building lots and sold them. Sold after the congressman's death, the Harper house became the home of the exclusive Rittenhouse Club , which added the present facade in c. 1901. From 1876 to 1929, Rittenhouse Square was home to several wealthy families including Pennsylvania Railroad president Alexander Cassatt , real estate entrepreneur William Weightman III , department store founder John Wanamaker , Philadelphia planning commission director Edmund Bacon and his son, actor Kevin Bacon , as well as others. Elegant churches and clubs were constructed by John Notman and Frank Furness . In 1913, French architect Paul Philippe Cret redesigned parts of
1260-781: The least out of the city's initial squares. Journalist and author Jane Jacobs wrote about two main ideas in Cret's redesign: intricacy and centering. In the mid-20th century, the park became known as a safe area for gays and lesbians to meet in Center City . Rittenhouse Square is surrounded by high rise residences, luxury apartments, an office tower, restaurants, and other businesses and residences. Its green grasses and dozens of benches are popular lunch-time destinations for residents and workers in Philadelphia's Center City neighborhood , while its lion and goat statues are popular gathering spots for small children and their parents. The park
1302-456: The park approximately two short blocks on each side. Locust Street borders Rittenhouse Square to both its east and west in the middle of the square. Originally called Southwest Square, Rittenhouse Square was renamed in 1825 after David Rittenhouse , a descendant of the first paper-maker in Philadelphia, the German immigrant William Rittenhouse . William Rittenhouse's original paper-mill site
The Laurel - Misplaced Pages Continue
1344-676: The park's surroundings. The Sixth Sense (1999) – Locations around Rittenhouse contribute to the film's ambiance. The Age of Innocence (1993) – Historic sites, including Rittenhouse Square, appear for authenticity. The Happening (2008) – M. Night Shyamalan's thriller used several Philly landmarks, including the park. Beloved (1998) – Includes exterior shots around Philadelphia and near Rittenhouse. Marley & Me (2008) – Some scenes were filmed near Broad and Walnut streets, close to Rittenhouse. Law Abiding Citizen (2009) – Intense scenes filmed near Rittenhouse Square. Rocky II (1979) – The iconic training montage features
1386-500: The plaza he founded and designed at Cornell University in 1932, as a protest against the city's ban on skateboarding in the park. In 2003, he appeared in the documentary My Architect about Louis Kahn , a Philadelphia architect . In September 2006, at the northwest corner of 15th Street and J.F.K. Boulevard, by LOVE Park, The Ed Bacon Foundation and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission dedicated
1428-404: The project, but it was incorrect in saying that "in opposing the skyscraper One Liberty Place, Mr. Bacon refused to attend the tower's 1986 groundbreaking and stopped speaking to his friend Willard G. Rouse III, who built it. 'I think it's very, very destructive that he and he alone has chosen to destroy a historical tradition that set a very fine and disciplined form for the city,' Mr. Bacon said at
1470-518: The relationship between historical and modern principles as well as practices of urban planning, applied particularly to Philadelphia. It was during his tenure at the City Planning Commission that Bacon and his staff conceived and implemented numerous large and small-scale design ideas that shaped today's Philadelphia. These design concepts became Penn Center , Market East , Penn's Landing , Society Hill , Independence Mall and
1512-632: The so-called " Crosstown Expressway " ( I-695 ) and the Vine Street Expressway ( I-676 ) linking the Schuylkill Expressway ( I-76 ) with the Delaware Expressway (I-95) via South Street . Three of the four expressways were built, however the Crosstown Expressway faced significant local opposition and was never built, while a scaled-down expressway was built at Vine Street. As an unintended consequence ,
1554-454: The square's surroundings. Dispatches from Elsewhere (2020) – The series prominently features the square in its episodes. Rittenhouse Square (2022) – A film that pays tribute to the park’s cultural significance. Mannequin (1987) – Features key scenes shot at various Philadelphia locations, including around Rittenhouse Square. Edmund Bacon (architect) Edmund Norwood Bacon (May 2, 1910 – October 14, 2005)
1596-476: The time." Bacon was present at the groundbreaking, which took place in May 1985. Of course, Rouse was not capable of single-handedly changing the custom, even if it was not formally legal. Rouse's enormous project had the support of Mayor W. Wilson Goode , Philadelphia City Council, and the City Planning Commission, which was forced by the announcement of Rouse's plan to admit that it had no up-to-date plan of its own for
1638-399: Was an American urban planner , architect, educator, and author. During his tenure as the executive director of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission from 1949 to 1970, his visions shaped today's Philadelphia , the city of his birth, to the extent that he is sometimes described as "The Father of Modern Philadelphia". He authored the seminal urban planning book Design of Cities . He was
1680-597: Was awarded a scholarship to the Cranbrook Academy of Art , in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan , with Finnish architect and planner Eliel Saarinen , who Bacon revered and whose theories about the city as a living organism as expressed in Saarinen's book The City were a basis for Bacon's later work. Saarinen sent Bacon to Flint, Michigan to guide a WPA traffic survey. This project transformed into
1722-546: Was the neighborhood's zoned high school. The Curtis Institute of Music , University of the Arts , and Peirce College are all in the Rittenhouse neighborhood. The Free Library of Philadelphia operates the Philadelphia City Institute on the first floor and lower level of an apartment complex at 1905 Locust Street ; the apartment building is known as 220 West Rittenhouse Square . Rittenhouse Square
The Laurel - Misplaced Pages Continue
1764-647: Was ultimately built. After college, while traveling the world on a small inheritance, Bacon found work as an architect in Shanghai , China in Henry Murphy's office. He was responsible for designing the Nanking airport. With Murphy, he visited Beijing, a city that exerted a deep influence on his thinking. After a year in China, he returned to Philadelphia where he worked for architect William Pope Barney . He soon
#53946