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Moose2157 t1_jdhemyj wrote

Not only functional, but also a real feast for the eyes.

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CerealJello t1_jdhfn3r wrote

What a waste of space that lot is. Keep the diner, but put 5 or 6 stories of apartments above it. Right next to the Snyder Station and directly along the 37 bus route which gets you to the airport in 30 min.

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skip_tracer t1_jdhkvbz wrote

this is just a random story, but I was talking to my aunt about a month ago and telling her about a parking issue I had. About 35 years back she lived at 8th and Reed before moving to the burbs, and she said something to effect of "oh I used to just park in the lot there on the corner of 9th" (or something).

She asks if I just have a corner lot that residents park in, for free mind you, anywhere near me. I tried explaining that that's not a thing, and that there isn't a chance in hell that whatever lot she parked in from the mid 70's to mid 80's is still there. She refused to believe her lot was gone, and that the (nameless/faceless) owner of that property would ever undercut the neighborhood just to make a buck.

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CerealJello t1_jdhn4rr wrote

Replying to bobanforever (#2,335,005)

Because property is underutilized along our main transit corridors both in and out of the city limits. The tax structures make it so that land owners can sit on basically empty pieces of land right on top of subway stops for minimal cost as long as they don't build. Higher taxes on the land itself would force them to shit or get off the pot. This is why you see land in center city being used as surface parking lots. LVT makes it harder to hold empty plots of land (like Broad and Washington was for so many years) in order to speculate on the future value. Land speculation raises the price for the rest of us who want to actually use the land for housing or business.

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CerealJello t1_jdho4dc wrote

Replying to Aromat_Junkie (#2,335,123)

Not true. You can have a diner below an apartment building. That kind of mixed use development creates a better, more walkable neighborhood.

Edit: Ellsworth Federal is one of the best examples of terribly used land. We have a surface lot in front of a diner at Ellsworth and a Pep Boys with a surface lot at Federal. Keep the businesses, remove the lots, upzone with more housing.

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77darkstar77 t1_jdhp5l5 wrote

Replying to skip_tracer (#2,334,809)

To relate to this, before I lived in the city I used to drive to visit my friend at 10th and carpenter near the Italian market. It seemed to be a sort of unspoken rule that the residents were able to park in the paid lot across the street for free. I parked there almost every time and walked right past the attendant and into his house.

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schwnz t1_jdhq9i1 wrote

I was walking past it this morning and wondered why nobody has snatched up the Melrose yet. Make that parking lot into an outdoor eating area. Passyunk between broad and 16th should be restaurants and shops. That whole piece could close down to traffic and be a cool open air market.

I don't get the love of dropping condos everywhere. It's weird to put condos and beer garden's everywhere and call it a day.

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menunu t1_jdht95d wrote

I walk by this almost every day it's depressing. At least it's still a Pokemon Gym or whatever. Bring back my Melrose!!!! </3

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jedilips t1_jdhvhiq wrote

In South Philly, if you abandon it, they will park in it. Without fail.

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skip_tracer t1_jdhwkoe wrote

Replying to 77darkstar77 (#2,335,279)

Yo I had a similar deal in the early 2000s til about 08. We used to park in the school lot at 4th and George, they’d keep it open and the deal was just be gone 7am. New residents started abusing it so they started locking up; on the one hand I was pissed, but on the other I used to love seeing people bug out that their car was trapped

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SaltyLorax t1_jdhyndn wrote

I had their deluxe pancakes as a reward for passing a drug test. That was good breakfast cake, went right to bed.

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NonIdentifiableUser t1_jdi6b7r wrote

It’s also littered with needle caps which is lovely. I will say that the Passyunk Avenue BID cleaning seems to have been extended somewhat at least to Snyder and maybe even to Jackson so that’s been nice.

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jeffseidl92 t1_jdiaw87 wrote

So pissed about this still. Was so nice to walk there and get breakfast any time I wanted.

Regarding parking- Acme on East Passyunk isn’t even abandoned, yet that is like the most abused parking lot I can think of. You go there and it’s like a full lot, then there’s 10 people inside shopping 😂😂😂

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CerealJello t1_jdie0ys wrote

Replying to TheGangsHeavy (#2,337,764)

Not necessarily. If you shift the tax burden from land + improvement to just land, most property taxes probably won't be impacted unless it's a vacant or underutilized lot. Usually a tax policy change like that would have to be done on a revenue neutral basis to prevent the average homeowner from seeing a big spike in taxes owed.

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VinoMaker65 t1_jdifn0p wrote

Is south filthy on oregon ave across from the new aldis, the only remaining business in the small strip mall is china house, parking lot is full. Uncle oogies left, pretzel factory left, jackson hewitt left, pella, all gone.

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7AutomaticDevine7 t1_jdigfki wrote

I saw a guy beating on cars in that lot about a month ago, for no reason other than drugs/mental illness

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relocationist t1_jdisy80 wrote

Don’t forget, it’s also a crucial new bypass, to avoid the Snyder + Passyunk traffic light.

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am_gov t1_jdj4uhu wrote

Aw! When’d this close down??

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zocean t1_jdj5yzo wrote

wow. just wow. i really hope someone saves the diner

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jeffseidl92 t1_jdj96if wrote

Replying to leninboarrir (#2,340,955)

Honestly, I don’t mind it because there’s still spots available and it’s never really that busy in there anyway, and since people aren’t actually shopping they tend to take the spots near the street- as opposed to the ones up front near the entrance. Seems like a functioning ecosystem to me.

It’s just funny bc you’d expect like 100 people in the Acme fighting to the death over the last bag of chips if you went by the parking lot alone without the local knowledge.

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SBRH33 t1_jdklplz wrote

Wont be long before a South Philly Towing sign goes up.

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golevka6489 t1_jdkp45w wrote

Buffalo chicken wrap there was dope. Shame the restroom urinal was a full ten inches higher than my pelvis as someone who is 5'10" I was always confused about that

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SouthPhilly_215 t1_jdlnprt wrote

Hipsters wanna ban parking in parking lots now I see… The owner is a total slum lord about his stewardship of The Melrose. Why you riding for him?

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N8TheGreat91 t1_jdm1ppy wrote

Melrose is where I closed out the night on a first date 5 years ago, we got apple pie and we’re so smitten of each other. Now she’s my wife, so heart broken over this place

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Darius_Banner t1_jdmnup8 wrote

That blue car and the minivan are never getting out

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skip_tracer t1_jdu13ml wrote

Replying to justanawkwardguy (#2,336,297)

ok so I'm following up to your comment late here.

I was out on my motorcycle today for the first time this year burning off the old (but stabilized) gas. You're right. The lot she was referring to is on the Southeast corner of 9th and Reed. I cannot believe it's just free; you're telling me it's just a random lot that is first come first serve? No way. My friend lived half a block down on Reed at that side street and I don't recall ever being able to park there. Are we sure it's not connected to the adjacent property? Maybe for the residents of that? I need to know more, I just can't believe there's a communal free lot that anyone is welcomed to park in.

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