rental market: Philadelphia Metropolis

The New Flophouses: Part Two

By Ryan W. Briggs» We're standing near the fenced-off grass lot in Kensington that adjoins the clubhouse, used for barbecues and lectures by The Last Stop's mercurial owner "Eddie Z", short for Edward Zampitella. A Kensington native who never learned to read or write, Eddie is a 20-year recovering addict who styles himself as champion of men struggling free from the grip of addiction. His brand of recovery uses tough talk and violent imagery to remind addicts what they stand to lose with their habit. The side yard features a handmade plywood coffin, spray-painted black, with a mannequin inside. A crude, grim idol, the mannequin represents the fate of everyone at the clubhouse, if they start using again. (Comments)

My Philadelphia: Spring Garden

We hadn't particularly meant to move to Spring Garden. In fact, we lived here for months--surrounded by drop cloths and buckets of joint compound and the implacable seepage into everything of the dust and grit produced when you demolish or repair walls made of plaster and horsehair, or so somebody said at the time--before we knew we had. (It's bounded by (Comments)

My Urban Love Affair

By Caitlin Croke» By Caitlin Croke I grew up in a Glenside, a small suburban town just five minutes outside the city limits. Yet I lived in an entirely separate universe. My parents grew up in Glenside, all of my friends' parents grew... (Comments)

Changing City: Frankford Ave.

Philadelphia is a city of change. In the coming weeks Metropolis will profile that change with a series of stories about its people, its neighborhoods and its businesses. We begin with a look at three major commercial corridors in the city and the changes they have undergone - positive and negative - in recent years. In Part One, reporter Nick Gilewilz chronicles the revival of Frankford Avenue in Fishtown. (Comments)

Rent to Own

By Lauren Hall Last summer, my husband and I relocated to Philly from Boston.  I gave myself a weekend to find an apartment in Center City, and lined up several appointments with local realtors well in advance.  I figured it... (Comments)