Around the Block: 5/12/2023

May 15, 2023 BY JEFF CITY BLOCK

Go vote! Our new and current listings and Philly happenings. If you’d like to discuss real estate or anything in this newsletter please send me an email: [email protected]. This edition of Around the Block was originally published on Friday, 5/12/23.

5/12/2023

Relevant Commentary, all information Philly (real estate and otherwise), Open Houses, Listings, Happenings, and More — by Jeff “City” Block

VOTE!

Of course, it has been in the local news, but quite a few people I spoke to are not familiar that this coming Tuesday, May 16th is Election Day.

Yes, the most important mayoral election in a generation is in four days!! Not to mention a wide-open election for the five majority-party at-large City Council seats, as well as competitive council races in a couple of districts.

And with the election being Tuesday, that means that all mail-in ballots must be received at the election office by Tuesday. Not postmarked by Tuesday. Received by Tuesday. In other words, if you have a mail-in ballot, it is already too late to mail it. If you do mail at this point, it is no more than a coin flip as to whether your vote will be counted. So, if you requested a mail ballot you have two options. The easiest and best option is to simply drop off your properly completed and sealed ballot at one of Philly’s official ballot drop boxes. There are a bunch of convenient locations throughout Center City and the neighborhoods. It takes less than two minutes. Simply pull up, drop it in the green box, and you are done. Here is the complete list of drop-off locations. The other option is to go vote in person, but if you have requested a mail ballot, you will have to vote by provisional ballot, which will ultimately be counted once they determine that your mail ballot was not submitted.

Of course, if you never requested a mail ballot then please go and vote at your polling place on Tuesday between 7 am and 8 pm! You can find your polling place and other useful information in BillyPenn.com’s helpful Procrastinator’s Guide to the 2023 primary election in Philly.

A few comments about this election and why it is so important-

Technically speaking, this is the primary election, where Democrats and Republicans choose their nominees to run in the general election in November. Practically speaking, however, Democrats always win in Philadelphia. There is a huge 8-1 Democratic voter edge. So, whoever wins the Democratic nomination this Tuesday, will be considered the presumptive mayor-elect.
This is unfortunate by the way. While I do belong to one political party, I vote for the best candidate and will absolutely split my ticket to select who I believe to be the superior candidate in any general election, regardless of party affiliation. I will write more about this after the primary, but for all practical purposes, at this time, the candidate who wins the D primary will almost definitely be the next mayor of Philadelphia.
I also think it is a shame that Pennsylvania does not have open primaries. This means if you want to fully take part in the electoral process you must be a member of a political party. Independents may not vote in primaries. And in Philly, if you want to have any part in choosing who will actually be elected, you have to be registered as a Democrat. It is that simple. An open primary would mean that any registered voter could vote for any candidate (regardless of party) in the primary as well as the general election.
It would also greatly benefit our city (and state and country) if we had one of the variations of ranked choice voting. This is a system where voters rank several choices rather than just pick one candidate. Ranked voting has many advantages including helping to deter more polarizing candidates from winning with a smaller plurality of votes.
For example, in this mayoral election, four of the five main candidates are more similar in views, and will likely cannibalize votes from each other. According to polls, these candidates and their more popular views represent about 60% of voters. Easily more than the 5th candidate and her views, which will likely top out in the 20-25% range. However, without ranked choice voting, a candidate with support from less than 25% of the electorate is the clear favorite at this time, because the other four are generally in the 15-20% range. If just one of those four had dropped out, the end result would probably be different and more in line with what Philly voters really seem to want. Alas, that did not happen.
So, ranked voting is not about any particular candidate or whom I support in any particular election. In the above example of the current mayoral primary, if voters were permitted to rank their choices (1-3 or 1-5, for example), then the candidate who won at the end would have the overall support from the largest number of voters.
This election is so important because the next mayor could be mayor through 2031. As a generally unpopular Philadelphia mayor and DA recently showed us, it is extremely hard to beat an incumbent in this town. It happens. But it is exceedingly rare.
After eight years of the unpopular Jim Kenney mayoral administration, and with a huge turnover in City Council, our city is at a crossroads. This election matters. I am not here to endorse a specific candidate or share whom I voted for, but I do love talking about Philly politics. So, if you ever want to discuss, just let me know.
Philly generally gets a very low turnout in local primaries. While that is quite sad, it means that your vote is worth even more.

I just dropped off my mail ballot today, so all good there. Regardless of whomever you plan to vote for, PLEASE VOTE!

Have a great weekend.

Best regards,

Jeff

Spotlight Property

MANAYUNK

4555 Riverside Way

Brand New Listing

Gorgeous, high-end <3-year-old new construction in the desirable Locks of Manayunk with 2-Car Garage and awesome views of both the Manayunk Canal and Schuylkill River.

3-4 spacious bedrooms, a family room, plus an office. Luxurious primary bedroom suite. (Two possible 4th bedrooms–Murphy bed on 1st floor offers ideal guest spot, while primary floor office is perfect for a nursery or smaller bedroom). Awesome roof deck for relaxing and entertaining. This spectacular, highly upgraded home offers high ceilings, hardwood floors, and tasteful custom finishes. So many Upgrades! Superb spaces. Ample storage. Recessed lighting and solid core door throughout. Tankless water heater. One of the few homes at the Locks with VIEWS OF BOTH THE CANAL AND THE RIVER. Great light.

FULL TAX ABATEMENT through 2030.

Spectacular location, on a quiet stretch of land separated from Manayunk by the Canal, but just steps from the heart of Main Street—the convenience without the hustle and bustle—truly the best of both worlds! Easy access to the Schuylkill River Trail. 12-15 minutes to Center City. One of Philly’s most convenient and accessible locations. 95 WalkScore.

View full listing here

Philly Fun This Week

Free Tours and Community Service

On the second Saturday of each month, Germantown’s historic estate, Cliveden, hosts free tours and community programming. This month’s theme is “pets” and visitors are encouraged to bring their furry friends and shop from the on-site local pet-friendly vendors.
Help clean up your local neighborhood park during Love Your Park Week. There are nearly 100 green spaces and parks participating, so check out the full list and sign up to help beautify our city. The event runs until May 21st, so there are plenty of chances to volunteer.

Photograph from uwishunu & content courtesy of thephiladelphiacitizen.org and uwishunu.

Newly Opened Attractions and Restaurants

Get ready to enjoy the warm weather with mini-golf, boardwalk games, carnival rides, the city’s largest outdoor roller skating rink, an arcade, and more at Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest. This annual seasonal attraction located at Penn’s Landing opened back up last Friday and in addition to all of the fun listed above it offers lots of beverage and food options including cocktails from The Lodge, Crabfries from Chickie’s & Pete’s, and funnel cake from Skelly’s. General admission is free and everything else is pay-as-you-go.
Who doesn’t enjoy lounging in a hammock by a river? Well at Spruce Street Harbor Park you can do just that and much more. This seasonal attraction also opened Friday and features patio and arcade games, musical performances, tasty food from local vendors, a boardwalk, and of course many hammocks.
Head to the Michener Art Museum to see a brand-new exhibition from Philly-based illustrator and designer Sarah Kaizar. Kaizar’s exhibition focuses on conservation and includes original ink artwork and paintings of endangered winged species, such as bees, bats, birds, and butterflies. Alongside the artwork, there are interactive installations that offer solutions to the many threats these species encounter. The exhibition opens this Saturday and runs until November 5th.
Midtown Village has a brand-new restaurant serving elevated comfort food that just opened up on 13th Street. Darling Jack’s Tavern was created by the same team behind popular eateries Little Nonna’s, Barbuzzo, and Bud & Marilyn’s. It offers a menu of refined comfort foods such as smoked bone-in short rib, curried beer-battered crispy fish, and a shareable “tavern-style pizza.”
If you’re a fan of Mediterranean food, you’ve got to check out the newly opened Lily’s Ferry, located at what was formerly The Victoria Freehouse. This new restaurant and bar offers shawarma plates, hummus platters, barbecue kabobs, and other non-Mediterranean options including seafood, vegan tikka masala, and steaks.
Looking for a new coffee spot to try? Bower Cafe just opened at 12th and Walnut in Center City. This combination coffee house and creative space offers open-face breakfast sandwiches served on pretzel buns, yogurt and chia bowls, caffeinated beverages, and more. The eatery also has some unique touches including a podcast-recording booth in the front window and a cured-meat case. You can listen to the podcast by scanning a QR code on your receipt.

Photograph from thephiladelphiacitizen.org & content courtesy of uwishunu.

Featured Listings

MANAYUNK

4555 Riverside Way

BRAND NEW LISTING

3 BD | 3.5 BA | 3,190 SF | $1,050,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

4721 Chester Avenue

6 BD | 3.5 BA | 6,623 SF | $1,300,000

COBBS CREEK

35 Property Portfolio in West Philly

NEW LISTING

35 Single-family Properties | $7,000,000

MOUNT AIRY

7111 Germantown Avenue #403

3 BD | 2.5 BA | 1,775 SF | $830,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

4632 Larchwood Avenue

NEW PRICE

5 BD | 2.5 BA | 2,718 SF | $967,500

MIDTOWN VILLAGE

105 S 12th Street #201

1 BD | 2 BA | 1,333 SF | $675,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

435 S 46th Street

NEW PRICE

5 BD | 2.5 BA | 2,721 SF | $725,000

FAIRMOUNT-ART MUSEUM

768 N 24th Street #1

2 BD | 1.5 BA | 1,169 SF | $535,000

WEST POWELTON

321 N 40th Street

5 Units | 5,792 SF | $1,595,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

245, 253-255 S 44th Street

3 Properties | 5,742 SF | $1,550,000

FAIRMOUNT-ART MUSEUM

768 N 24th Street #2

2 BD | 1 BA | 1,183 SF | $435,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

255 S 44th Street

4 Units | 2,000 SF | $550,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

4616 Paschall Avenue

NEW LISTING

3 BD | 3 BA | 2,800 SF | $550,000

MOUNT AIRY

7111 Germantown Avenue #102

3 BD | 2 BA | 1,670 SF | $540,000

MAIN LINE

533 Pugh Road

COMING SOON

3 BD | 2.5 BA | 2,450 SF | $925,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

632 S 51st Street

NEW PRICE

4 BD | 1.5 BA | 1,792 SF | $375,000

UNIVERSITY CITY

1055 S 50th Street

BRAND NEW LISTING

3 BD | 1.5 BA | 1,122 SF | $375,000

SOCIETY HILL

504 S Hancock Street

2 BD | 1 BA | 1,100 SF | $345,000

WEST KENSINGTON

2545 N 6th Street

COMING SOON

3 BD | 1 BA | 1,305 SF | $225,000

WEST MOUNT AIRY

153 W Weaver Street

NEW PRICE

4 BD | 1.5 BA | 1,240 SF | $289,000

Know Someone Looking to Buy or Sell?

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.

Some imagery in this e-newsletter was sourced via UWISHUNU, thephiladelphiacitizen.org, and Canva.

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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VOTE!

Spotlight Property

4555 Riverside Way

Philly Fun This Week

Featured Listings

Moving? Discover the value of your home.