The other day while walking up Lancaster from about 35th to 38th I noticed there was renovation going on, visible from the street, in front of at least 3 buildings. I particularly appreciate that the four rowhouses in the 3400s just west of the 7-11, which I think are mostly occupied by students and have looked rather dilapidated, are getting their front porches and roof columns torn out and presumably replaced--if the facades get cleaned up, it would do a lot for the streetscape here.

This seems to be a time when this corridor is really coming together. It will probably never be as connected to the rest of West Philly as it could be because of the big institutional buildings in between, but it's still showing the potential to generate some real foot traffic, especially with the Second Friday events that were recently created to generate activity.

Lancaster is an interesting corridor, with potential. It is, after all, "the Rodeo Drive of West Philadelphia."

Niel - that has to be the all-time greatest sign in Philadelphia.

It's like the "Miller High Life - Champagne of Beers" slogan

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where is the sign? how funny.

I haven't driven along there in quite a while, so I can't remember exactly, but you see it as you're driving in (i.e., east). It's a faded sign painted on the side of a building on the right (south) side of the road. Those words exactly.

Yes it is on the SW side I think near 40th, above a nail salon place. Its very faded. Actually a guy has a T-shirt with the exact lettering from the weathered sign on it. Look for it very soon in MiaLou or currently at that other "boutique" - you know the one with the color and the animal.

Sorry it took me so long to reply to this thread. I agree that Lancaster Avenue is getting better, but I also agree that Lancaster Ave b/w 34th and 39th will probably never become a huge destination. Just in the past two years, several businesses have opened up and UCD has set up its "Second Friday" event. The four townhomes are you mention above are owned by an absentee landlord, so I would only expect the bare minimum. Sadly, these homes were once gorgeous Victorian places, but have now fallen into disrepair. Their porches are being replaced out of bare necessity, and because L & I had them condemned (these homes are ironically on the national register of historic places). Nonetheless, we're all grateful some work is being done to save them

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- George -

http://www.barackobama.com

Actually, if you walk down Lancaster Ave there are huge medallions embedded into the sidewalk that bare this slogan. Kind of like the Hollywood walk of fame. They are somewhere around 40th to 42nd street. I don't know much about the history of Lanacaster Ave, but at some point in time that thoroughfare could've been a shopping mecca for Philadelphia. The medallions look like they could be 100 years old.

Most people probably don't take the opportunity to walk that far up on Lancaster. When I was a college student, 10 years ago, I would rollerblade up there and the members of the community were not very inviting. I would hear comments such as, "Hey white boy, you're in the wrong neighborhood!" I don't know if its any different today.

We have those shirts in stock by the way. Pics soon.