Mega Feast On Mini Pearl Street | Hidden City Philadelphia

 

One exercise asked users for their favorite memories in the neighborhood — and what they called it | Photo: Bradley Maule

Half a block north of Vine Street, neighbors of the neighborhood with many names got a taste of the future at a massive block party and feast on Saturday. The transformation of Pearl Street into a ribbon community space—driven by Asian Arts Initiative (AAI) and landscape architect Walter Hood—seemed less a far off vision and more a fast tracked reality, as hundreds came out for a block party featuring music, art (featuring by AAI and neighboring Vox Populi), Hot Tea, and the centerpiece feast.

Mega Feast On Mini Pearl Street | Hidden City Philadelphia.

Walking the Eraserhood: 9th and Willow Streets

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“Walking the Eraserhood” represents an ongoing street-level exploration of the Callowhill district and surrounding environs, a sort of virtual walking tour of the neighborhood.

The majestic bulk of the 1927 Willow Street Steam Generation Plant dominates this corner. Originally built by Philadelphia Electric Company, Willow Steam was once part of the third largest steam heating system in the United States. This is another one of the sites that David Lynch appears to allude to in the first ten minutes of Eraserhead. From here, one can look west to see another view of the various ages and styles of architecture that compose Esslinger’s site.

Copyright © 2009-2013, Bob Bruhin. All rights reserved.


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Walking the Eraserhood: 905 Callowhill Street

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“Walking the Eraserhood” represents an ongoing street-level exploration of the Callowhill district and surrounding environs, a sort of virtual walking tour of the neighborhood.

On days when the gate is open here, behind George Esslinger’s brewery, one can still see what appear to be empty brew tanks lying on their sides in the yard.

Copyright © 2009-2013, Bob Bruhin. All rights reserved.

Walking the Eraserhood: 10th and Callowhill Streets

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“Walking the Eraserhood” represents an ongoing street-level exploration of the Callowhill district and surrounding environs, a sort of virtual walking tour of the neighborhood.

Looking northwest along Ridge Avenue provides an excellent view of the Viaduct as it switches back and forth between iron and stone supports. The now empty triangle to the north, between Ridge and 10th is traditionally held to be the spot where Benjamin Franklin engaged a blacksmith to affix an iron point on his kite, prior to his famous experiment, supposedly also performed on this site. (The kite, itself, is held to have been flying over a spot several blocks away, where Assumption Church was later built.) On the northeast corner, one can see the former bottling line of George Esslinger’s brewery, as well as the taller, older brew house behind it. Here is an excellent example of an industrial site evolving in a specific location over the years. You can look at the various structures piled together and, if you have the experience, estimate the age of each. On the southwest corner is the former site of the site of the Philadelphia Circus and Menagerie, later rebuilt in 1874 as the New National Theater. Supposedly, with some modifications, the building currently on the site is the same building that once housed the theater.

Copyright © 2009-2013, Bob Bruhin. All rights reserved.


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