The Divine Lorraine Hotel stands on the corner of Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue. It is a massive building that is abandoned and defamed with graffiti. If you take a drive by, you would never imagine the rich history that is behind this building.
This statuesque superstructure was built between 1892 and 1894 and originally known as the Lorraine Apartments. Victorian architecture and massive rooms housed the wealthy elite that lived in thePhiladelphia area. This apartment building was one of the first of its kind, especially in this area, boasting an in-house staff and central kitchen. It also housed two large ballrooms for various events. It was one of the first high rise apartment buildings in the city at ten stories high.
In 1948, the Lorraine Apartments were sold to George Baker, more famously known as Father Divine. Father Divine was the leader of the Universal Peace Mission Movement and, after purchasing the space, renamed it The Divine Lorraine Hotel. This hotel was one of the first to be racially and religiously integrated but, to stay here, you did have to follow the rules of the movement. Besides no smoking, no drinking, and no profanity, the two sexes had to reside on different floors. Father Divine converted a ballroom to a place of worship and also created a public dining room where people could purchase inexpensive meals. Rooms were given to the clientele that stayed, as all savings were supposed to be handed over to Divine. Other rooms could be rented but at an extremely low price.
Father Divine passed in 1965 and his followers continued to run the hotel until 2000. David Peace, a member of the International Peace Mission Movement, resided in the building from 2000 until 2006, maintaining the space to the best of his abilities. In 2002, the Divine Lorraine was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There have been recent plans to restore the building but they have all been unsuccessful. The most recent, by developer Michael Treacy, Jr. was, in fact, just a farce, and workers began to tear the building apart, selling whatever they could.
Today the Lorraine is just a vacant and damaged shell. Its wonderful features and beautiful architecture are hidden by boarded up windows and graffiti covered walls. This building that was a first in its own right has now been left in awful disarray waiting for someone to come along and rehabilitate it. On February 6, 2012, Mayor Michael Nutter claimed that the building was the focus of efforts to revitalize the area. He was quoted saying that he was “actively pursuing opportunities to finally transform the Divine Lorraine.” As an avid lover of the building and its rich and complex history, I certainly hope what he says is true.
Pinterest, the newest part of the still recent Social Network phenomena, is best described as a large virtual pinboard. You can create different boards, share them with your network of friends, and follow those that you want to. What’s great about this network is that you are speaking through these pictures; it is a way for you to categorize your favorite things– animals, books, artwork, real estate etc., and share them.
There is so much you can do with Pinterest. Don’t limit yourself. It is a way for you to virtually have a collection, create your own cookbook, decorate your dream house, etc. When using for a business, remember who your followers are. Highlight your assets, promote other businesses that you work with or that you’re friendly with, use it to show who you are as a company.
The Kensington Renewal Project
Our Philadelphia real estate brokerage is in Fishtown, right next door to the Kensington neighborhood, so we’re well aware of the economic, crime, and housing-related struggles that the area has gone through (… and continues to go through). Unfortunately, Kensington is well known throughout Philadelphia as a place that people just don’t want to go. This negative image is not completely unfounded – every day there are reports of theft, burglary, drug use and other crime. Just driving through the area will show you abandoned houses, littered streets and other signs of poverty. The problem is that this negative image, however true it may be, has created a cycle that the neighborhood can’t escape. Because the area has become so unattractive, new residents don’t want to move in there, new businesses don’t want to open there, and the cycle of poverty and crime continues on. This affects the businesses there (those that remain), the crime rate there and, what we care most about, the people currently living there.
50 years ago, Kensington was full of textile mills, restaurants and small businesses; the employment rate was high. Today, well, we all know what the area has become.
I just came across one group in particular who are taking a proactive approach to turn it all around for Kensington
The Kensington Renewal Project
Kensington Renewal Promo from Jamie Moffett on Vimeo.
Their goal? “Turn blighted houses into owner-occupied homes in Philadelphia.” They’ve named the abandoned buildings in the neighborhood “Abandominiums.” They want to buy these abandoned buildings and sell them, ideally, to families who currently live in the neighborhood and who otherwise can’t afford to buy. They want to keep out “slumlords” and promote home ownership in the belief that this ownership creates closer-knitted communities. Closer communities encourage growth. As they write ontheir website, “home ownership rates have a direct correlation to both violent and non-violent crime statistics.”
While I’m generally pretty skeptical about the success rate of such endeavors, I of course support their effort. More positive focus on Kensington is always beneficial. This is a project worth keeping an eye on. At the very least, they are increasing awareness through their photography and film of just how horrible many living conditions in this area are.
For now, they are focusing their efforts on fundraising (Donate to Kensington Renewal Project Here). Later, they will be accepting volunteers for the physical work of rehabbing philadelphia properties. We will continue to track their progress for you.
Black History Month in PhiladelphiaOur Philadelphia Property Management Company is dedicated to staying aware of all the local events happening so that we can offer the best suggestions to our landlords and tenants. While you may call one of our Philadelphia apartments home, we want to give you a heads up on where to go during the day as well!
With a history rich in African American legacy, Philadelphia has a plethora of events to celebrate Black History Month. Here are some of the best that Philadelphia has to offer:
There are so many opportunities this month to embrace and learn about African-American history and appreciate how far we have come not only as a nation but also locally. For more information, you can go to http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/.
This weekend in Philadelphia…As a Philadelphia Property Management Company, we also care about the events and places outsideof the apartments, condos, and homes we represent! So we wanted to give you all a run-down of some of the best local events happening in the city this weekend. Happy (First) Friday!
There are many things going on it’s hard to keep track. Hope you Philadelphia real estate owners and tenants can enjoy some of the events we, at JG Real Estate, have recommended.
Philadelphia Apartment Rental – Testimonial from Renter!
Keith and his roommates will be moving into their new Manayunk home today! We were so happy to have been a part of their Philly rental search. Our clients, the landlords, are thrilled to have these guys moving in.
As a Philadelphia Property Management Company, we understand the importance of finding tenants for your property quickly so that it doesn’t remain vacant for long, but we also realize the necessity for ensuring that those tenants have the smoothest experience throughout their lease – from the moment they receive their key to the day they move out. We’re dedicated to making that happen.
Please let us know how we can help you find tenants for your Philadelphia property!
