Philadelphia: A New Upscale Artist Community

What happens when a big-time developer has big plans for a thriving artists' community?

1 minute read

September 23, 2001, 6:00 AM PDT

By Chris Steins @planetizen


The artists of Northern Liberties form a close-knit community, and not just because they all show up on summer nights for the 'lawn-chair drive-in' movie in Liberty Lands park. Their community is close-knit because the people who live in the neighborhood actually own the neighborhood. Many of the homes are owner-occupied. Monthly rent checks often stay within the 19123 ZIP code.The main exception in this locally owned neighborhood is multimillion-dollar real estate developer Bart Blatstein. The developer, who lives in the suburbs, owns a huge swath of Northern Liberties, where he plans to build an 'artists community.'"

Thanks to Tom Collins

Saturday, September 22, 2001 in Philadelphia City Paper

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