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Relevant Commentary, all information Philly (real estate and otherwise), Open Houses, Listings, Happenings, and More — by Jeff “City” Block
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Some Philly Talk About
the Chiefs
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Needless to say, as you drive through basically anywhere in Philly, you see green. Midnight Green. Throwback Kelly Green. Sometimes an unofficial random green. (If you don’t know what I am referring to with this different color green jawn, then click here.) You will see little flags and bumper stickers on cars, and big flags, placards, lights, posters, and all kinds of stuff on homes and businesses. This is certainly as true in South Philly as it is anywhere else. No doubt that South Philadelphia bleeds Eagles Green.
Except at the corner of 11th & McKean that is. Here they bleed plain ol’ red, specifically Kansas City Chiefs red. Ok, now I have driven by this intersection tons of times over the years and have always laughed to myself (is LTM a thing?) when I drove by Big Charlie’s Saloon. Because this standard-looking South Philly dive bar is all decorated up with Chiefs flags, placards, etc. I don’t mean this is some goof for the Super Bowl. I mean Big Charlie’s has been a full-fledged Chiefs bar since the mid-80s. Unlike some other more transient cities, Philly is not known for its out-of-town bars. Like, if you are in Los Angeles, for instance, you can go to a number of bars and watch Philly games with Philly fans. It is a known thing. Not so much in Philly. So how random that the one real out-of-town sports bar is for a team in Kansas City. I mean no doubt there are some transplants here from western Missouri and Kansas and wherever else KC fans are traditionally from, but Philly is no KC hotbed. So Big Charlie’s always struck me as a curiosity. I never really thought much about it until now. When the Eagles face the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII.
So, it turns out Big Charlie’s is a real thing. Here is the bizarre story about why they are a Chiefs bar in the first place. Like Birds fans, the Chiefs fans at Big Charlie’s do not mess around. Eagles fans have been welcome virtually every Sunday since the bar opened. But that is because the Eagles and Chiefs have only faced each other nine times since the NFL-AFL merger in 1967. Nine times in about 55 years. The series results could not be closer. The Chiefs won 5 and the Birds 4. The Birds scored 219 points to KC’s 218. Anyway, Big Charlie’s wants nothing to do with opposing fans. Accordingly, Eagles fans will be persona non grata on Super Bowl Sunday, but I guess Raiders, Broncos, and Chargers fans will be A-OK.
Philly is a city of curiosities, and Big Charlie’s is certainly that. Good for Big Charlie’s Saloon. I think it is hilarious. And while I am no hater of the Chiefs (hard to feel particular ill-will toward a team you have faced only a handful of times in a half-century), I hope the Big Charlie’s denizens are crying in their Bud Lights on Super Bowl Sunday. That is for sure. GO BIRDS!!
A few other notes on Big Charlie’s. They are not Philly haters. They just love the Chiefs. And as mentioned above, we are not natural rivals. Other than the Chiefs, Big Charlie’s patrons generally root for the Philly teams. And here is an article from a KC news site about Big Charlie’s. For past Chief’s Super Bowl appearances, they set up outside as well, with big screens and such. Next week, however, they will keep the Chief fandom on the inside to “respect the city we are in.” And I respect that. Good for them. I hope they have fun up until the Chiefs lose.
Finally, despite our few head-to-head appearances and this random Chiefs bar, the teams do have some strong connections—none bigger than the man known as “Big Red”—Andy Reid.
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Andy is the all-time winningest coach in Eagles history, by far. He took us to the Super Bowl in 2004, though as mentioned in a recent ATB, he milked the clock… while we were behind. We lost and Andy Reid never brought the Eagles to the Promised Land. He next went to KC where he turned the Chiefs into a perennial contender and finally won the Super Bowl in 2020.
But that is not all. After the Eagles’ disastrous Chip Kelly coaching experiment following Reid’s tenure, the Eagles’ next coaching hire was Doug Pederson—off of Reid’s KC staff. Reid highly recommended his then Offensive Coordinator to the Eagles and helped facilitate the hire. Pederson, of course, went on to lead the Eagles to our only Super Bowl Championship in 2017. So ultimately, Big Red gets some credit for helping the Birds win the Super Bowl, three years before he finally won one in KC. Veteran Philly sports writer Paul Domowitch wrote this piece, which covers this story in more detail if you have any interest. And for those who remember, Andy Reid brought Doug Pederson in as the Eagles backup QB during Donovan McNabb’s first season in 1999. As a QB, what did they say about the generally ineffective Pederson? That he will make a great coach one day.
I am obviously pumped about next week’s game! E-A-G-L-E-S, EAGLES!! GO BIRDS!!
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2 BD | Office | 1 BA | 802 SF | Renovated Kitchen | Excellent Light | Gated Courtyard | $360,000
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Perfectly cute. 2 bedroom plus office, extended trinity in a gated brick courtyard in an awesome Society Hill location, less than one block from Headhouse Square and its awesome Farmers’ Market.
Exposed brick, hardwood floors, high ceilings, excellent light. The renovated eat-in-kitchen is a lovely space. It is in the lower level and offers surprisingly nice light. Central air (just replaced in 2022), Nice closets and storage.
Most convenient location—easy walk to so many restaurants and coffee shops, groceries, shopping, Spruce Harbor Park, the new Delaware River Trail, and more.
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4 BD | 4 BA | 2,750 SF | $1,165,000
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3 BD | 2.5 BA | 1,725 SF | $545,000
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3 BD | 2 BA | 1,785 SF | $544,000
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2 BD | 2 BA | 1,481 SF | $320,000
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Here is a list of the 4 other properties the City Block Team sold in January:
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Fun this Weekend and Onwards
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Get into the Valentine’s Day spirit at Franklin Square with its special Valentines-themed mini golf course open through February 26th. This course includes the usual recreations of Philly landmarks in addition to romantic décor, lighting, and music to transform it into the perfect date night location. And while there grab some delicious grub at the on-site Square Burger.
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This Friday is the premiere of the Philadelphia Ballet’s brand-new performance series, Forward Motion, running until February 11th. This program includes three world-premiere dances from renowned choreographers, including Philadelphia Ballet’s own Juliano Nunes, winner of the prestigious Danza Award for Best Choreography, Andonis Foniadakis, and Hope Boykin. Shows take place at the Perelman Theater.
Photograph & content courtesy of uwishunu.
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Feel the New Orleans spirit in Philly this month at Craftsman Row Saloon. This Jewelers Row spot is transformed for Mardi Gras with awesome decorations and some wild menu items such as purple King Cake Fries and the King of Bourbon Street Milkshake. The pop-up begins this Friday.
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February is Black History Month and at Cray Taste Chef Saquan Howard gets in the spirit with a special menu that honors famous Black artists and icons. Some of the featured items include the Uzi (named after Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert) which is a herb-crusted salmon with asparagus and rice; and the Bob Marley, a dish with oxtail, steamed cabbage, rice, and peas. The menu is available until the end of the month.
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Bread lovers have even more to be excited about as Kismet Bagels just opened a new spot in addition to their shops in Fishtown and Rittenhouse Square. This new location is a bialy shop inside Reading Terminal Market. Bialys, similar to bagels, are traditional Jewish bread rolls stuffed with savory and sweet fillings.
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2 BD | 1 BA | 802 SF | $360,000
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5 BD | 5 BA | 3,250 SF | $599,000
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2 BD | 1.5 BA | 1,166 SF | $385,000
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Duplex | 1,591 SF | $215,000
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5 BD | 2.5 BA | 1,710 SF | $685,000
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3 BD | 2 BA | 1,446 SF | $725,000
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4 BD | 1.5 BA | 1,792 SF | $429,000
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4 BD | 4.5 BA | 2,800 SF | $598,000
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Know Someone Looking to Buy or Sell?
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As always, please know that I’m humbled by and appreciative of your introductions and referrals. If you have a friend, colleague, or family member that is in need of Expert Real Estate Representation, please have them contact me.
Be assured, I will do my best to exceed their expectations! Thanks for taking the time to read this issue of Around the Block.
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Some imagery in this e-newsletter was sourced via UWISHUNU, kismetbagels, and Canva.
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Office: 212-913-9058
Compass RE is a licensed real estate broker. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.
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