Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 13/09/2026There’s an important new cultural building in town and once again they forgot the door. Read my review of the Phadelphia Ballet’s new home on North Broad.https://www.inquirer.com/real-estate/ballet-broad-street-venue-dance-20260913.html 161
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Urbanists talk a lot about reducing car use and increasing bike and transit use, but they rarely tell you how to make that work in your life. So I figured it was time for an easy step-by-step guide on how to give up your car. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comHow to give up your car (sometimes), save money, and save the planetIt’s a big life change, so take things one step at a time. 1247
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 12/08/2026It’s a lovely summer day in Philadelphia, my windows are open and a pick-up truck has been running its engine for the last 45 minutes. Can anything be done to stop this? It’s becoming almost a daily occurrence. 440
Reposted by Inga SaffronThe Madness Of No Kings George @gmnorth.com · 26/07/2026This hits close to home. I lived in Philly 1982-2006. I knew William Way, the Center's namesake. I was there at the Center's opening. I even remember the building's firmer life as the Engineer's Club. The building was never perfect, but its legacy is unmistakable. 021
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 26/07/2026What would Philly’s Gayborhood be without William Way? The decision to demolish the center was made abruptly without consulting those who consider it their beloved third place and would destroy an LGBTQ landmark. My column looks at what’s at stake for Philadelphia. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comWilliam Way center’s proposed demolition would erase an important Philly landmarkWhat’s the Gayborhood without the William Way LGBT Community Center’s historic home? 392
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 13/06/2026‘Bout time New Jersey got its own rock museum. @cookfox did the design. My piece on what it means: www.inquirer.com/columnists/b...inquirer.comThe new Bruce Springsteen museum is a giant scrapbook that validates New Jersey’s role as a music incubatorIt’s the latest pilgrimage site on New Jersey’s rock-and-roll trail. 182
Reposted by Inga SaffronThe War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 15/05/2026Thanks @pasenatorsaval.com and @ingasaffron.bsky.social for joining us at our LIFE AFTER CARS live show in Philadelphia! And thank you @5thsqadvocacy.org and @bikeaction.org for hosting us. And thanks to everyone who came to the show. Philly was our 30th city since we kicked things off in October! 57713
Reposted by Inga Saffronapps4philly.bsky.social @apps4philly.bsky.social · 09/05/2026www.inquirer.com/real-estate/... @ingasaffron.bsky.socialinquirer.comMeet the architect who’s trying to revive Market East with retail pop-upsThis summer’s experiment could help Philadelphia develop a strategy to counter the retail apocalypse. 011
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 09/05/2026This is not cute. It undercuts @amtrak financially and pushes up prices for regular travelers. Manipulating fares should be a crime. www.inquirer.com/sixers/amtra...inquirer.comA Sixers fan is taking extreme measures to keep Knicks fans from Philly — by trying to mess with Amtrak’s pricing modelA fan from Fishtown cannot stomach the notion of an orange and blue takeover in South Philly. 360
Reposted by Inga SaffronThe War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 07/05/2026Up next on the LIFE AFTER CARS book tour: Philadelphia! We'll be there for a big show on Thursday, May 14th with @5thsqadvocacy.org @bikeaction.org @ingasaffron.bsky.social @pasenatorsaval.com. It should be a blast, as one would expect in Philly! Get tickets: 5thsq.app.neoncrm.com/nx/portal/ne... 0213
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 04/05/2026The first experiments to bring neighborhood-style retail to Market East are starting this week. Can they change the way we think about this struggling corridor and help transition it to residential?Today’s column:inquirer.comMeet the architect who’s trying to revive Market East with retail pop-upsThis summer’s experiment could help Philadelphia develop a strategy to counter the retail apocalypse. 1131
Reposted by Inga Saffronlawliberg @lawliberg.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you got till it's gone? 031
Reposted by Inga SaffronBeachrave @beachrave.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Lessons in transit-oriented communities for #Cleveland and #Akron. Cleveland has great rail it's barely using. bsky.app/profile/beac... 032
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 06/04/2026Unlike other cities squeezed by high housing costs, Philly has plenty of land for construction, even in its transit-rich downtown. I recently counted two dozen surface parking lots, many 70 years old. Here’s some ideas to put them into productive use. www.inquirer.com/columnists/c...inquirer.comPhiladelphia needs more housing. So why does Center City still have so many parking lots?More than two dozen sites continue to be used for public parking in Center City, one of Philadelphia’s most desirable residential areas. Those lots are a valuable, untapped resource. 24610
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 17/03/2026As much as I hate to lose neighborhood schools, @PhillyInquirer Paul Davies’ column pushing back against the idea that all Philly’s underused school buildings can be kept open is really smart. www.inquirer.com/opinion/phil...inquirer.comObjections to the public school closure plan are plentiful. Viable alternatives? Not so much. | Paul DaviesSchool Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. acknowledges criticism of his plan to close 18 school buildings. But he argues it does “the greatest good for the greatest number” of students. 031
Reposted by Inga SaffronEdward Russell @byerussell.com · 12/03/2026Solari, or split flap, boards, in the words of @ingasaffron.bsky.social, are the "physical manifestation of motion. You are traveling even before you’ve left the station." open.substack.com/pub/byerusse... 1347
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 06/03/2026The block where the William Way center is located is a mostly intact stretch of Civil War-era buildings. Now that the Washington Square West Historic District has been overturned, there will be no design oversight for what gets built in its place.  www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comWilliam Way will demolish its historic LGBT Community Center and construct a building with affordable apartmentsPlans have become clear after months of confusion over the building's future. 110
Reposted by Inga SaffronThe War on Cars @thewaroncars.bsky.social · 04/03/2026Philadelphia! Pre-sale tickets are now on sale for our LIFE AFTER CARS live show on May 14, featuring moderator @ingasaffron.bsky.social & guest @councilmemberjg.bsky.social. Become a Patreon member or support @bikeaction.org & @5thsqadvocacy.org for presale access. www.patreon.com/posts/152168... 12311
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 03/03/2026Historic preservation is not the villain! My column (which I wrote before yesterday’s devastating news that a judge had overturned the WSW historic District) shows how we can preserve our heritage and still make sure everyone has housing. www.inquirer.com/columnists/h...inquirer.comHistoric preservation isn’t the villain in the debate over housing affordabilityBy practicing ‘gentle density,’ these architects create more housing for less money, using fewer natural resources. 091
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 14/02/2026What a tragedy to lose the @curbed digital archives. We saved hundreds of years of newspaper archives. We need to value and preserve our digital production, too, especially in a time of AI and so much disinformation. www.archpaper.com/2026/02/curb...archpaper.com 0100
Reposted by Inga SaffronAlexandra Lange @langealexandra.bsky.social · 13/02/2026Shakes fist at sky (aka Vox Media): "thousands of now-historic regional urbanism stories are not readable, linkable, and searchable." (They haven't given me my clips yet either) www.archpaper.com/2026/02/curb... 3325
Reposted by Inga SaffronBen S @bensh3.bsky.social · 22/01/2026The common denominator in all these privatization moves, including FDR Park is Kathryn Ott Lovell. I understand our Mayors and Council have continuously underfunded Parks & Rec, but these measly revenues ($200K/yr for Water Works!!) are not worth the loss in access and just lower support for funding 0124
Reposted by Inga SaffronTyler Green @tylergreenbooks.bsky.social · 22/01/20261/ This museum and its leadership are a laughingstock. 2/ This "old movie prop" is not art, but the embarrassing director and curatorial leadership of the PMA, which did not object, don't seem to know that. Big, big problem. 282
Reposted by Inga SaffronPropriety @proprietous.bsky.social · 22/01/2026Also is Stallone really who we should be valorizing at this moment? It all feels rather pathetic, like we can't imagine Philadelphia beyond a pop culture reference from the 70s. Imagine if Boston moved the Cheers bar to the middle of the Public Garden! We'd rightly call them pathetic. 1121
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 22/01/2026Selling Rocky merch from a shipping container. The takeover of the Fairmont Water Works. And now the elevation of the Rocky statue to a prime perch overlooking the Parkway. Today’s column looks at Philly’s zeal to monetize the art museum’s landscaped grounds. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comYo, Philly! There’s no need to move the Rocky statueRelocating the statue to the top of the museum steps is part of the creeping privatization of the Art Museum grounds. 2183
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 21/01/2026The best thing about this viral spat between a conservative influencer and a WHYY intern is that it happened on a SEPTA bus. In what other city could that happen! whyy.org/articles/sep...whyy.orgAltercation on bus with conservative influencer and former WHYY intern goes viralThe two participants, including a former WHYY intern, in the chaotic scene knew each other during their time at Community College of Philadelphia. Elon Musk chimed in on X. 170
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 19/12/2025How insane does a bill have to be for Philly’s City Council not to vote on lockstep? Where does Jay Young think those commercial office tenants are coming from? www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comCity Council bill would ban housing from former Hahnemann University Hospital areaCouncilmember Jeffrey Young said the goal is commercial preservation and creating jobs in that part of his district. 240
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 19/12/2025Consider the arch. And how it’s reappearing in new buildings all over Philly and beyond. My latest architecture column for the Philadelphia Inquirer. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comGrids are out, brick is back, and Philadelphia architects have rediscovered the archThe urge for the curve extends to interior design, furniture and restaurants. 1150
Reposted by Inga SaffronMatthew Yglesias @mattyglesias.bsky.social · 03/12/2025Woke is over 741780290
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 02/12/20251) A bit of backstory on @jakeblumgart story aboutCoucilman Squilla’s latest developer pandering to make historic teardowns easier. This is the same pol who stopped Alterra from building apartments to protect the Society Hill Acme site. So what changed? www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comGood government fix or a demolition derby? Historic preservation bill is provoking debate in Philly.Supporters say the bill gives more notice and power to property owners. Opponents say it will damage the city's heritage. 220
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 24/11/2025A W. Philly apartment building was destroyed in a suspected arson right after its tenants were evicted and the building sold to shell company. What is this, the ‘70s? Great reporting by Ryan Briggs and William Bender. www.inquirer.com/news/phil-pu...inquirer.comLandlord Phil Pulley transferred ownership of West Philly apartments days before suspected arson, records showProperty records show the notorious landlord signed a deed transfer two days before the June 2025 fire. The new owners are now demolishing the building. 06326
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 07/11/2025This feels like the Sixers arena debacle all over again. Via @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comComcast promises to ‘turbocharge’ East Market revitalization efforts championed by Mayor ParkerThe mayor unveiled a list of 60 people who will sit on her Market East advisory committee. 261
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 06/11/2025Fixing Market East should not be this hard, Philadelphia. Some thoughts on the latest mess. Gift link! share.inquirer.com/GQi8Woshare.inquirer.comWith proposed demolitions, a reinvention plan for Market Street is off to a rocky startThe new playbook is starting to look a lot like the old playbook. 2212
Reposted by Inga SaffronBen S @bensh3.bsky.social · 02/11/2025Fantastic reuse of a substation and arts anchor, but I have never seen a city oppose the drive to turn a corridor into an creative arts district as much as Philly has with N American St 1194
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 02/11/2025Legacy arts institutions are struggling, and yet new ones are still being born in Philly. Today’s column looks at the ambitious Forman Arts Initiative, which will showcase for work by women, Black and brown artists in a fantastic clutch of industrial spaces. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...inquirer.comForman Arts Initiative promises to turn North American Street into a grittier version of the ParkwayAt a time when legacy institutions are struggling, newer, more nimble arts groups are expanding. 2265
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 23/10/2025When I started covering Philly architecture in the 2000s there were spate of garage proposals. The applications fell off for awhile, but now there is a new crop. Septa is still underfunded, it is still too easy to drive & the world is growing hotter. @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comIs 2025 Philadelphia’s year of the parking garage?An unusual number of stand-alone parking garages has been proposed in Philadelphia this year, even as costs to build and maintain them surge. 190
Reposted by Inga SaffronJake Blumgart @jblumgart.bsky.social · 21/10/2025This deteriorating historic Point Breeze church is being turned into a brewery, and thanks to legislation Council passed in 2019 it doesn't need any zoning relief to make the change www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comA once-crumbling Point Breeze church is being preserved as a brewery and community spaceA city incentive to protect historically significant churches paves an easier path to redeveloping Second Nazareth Missionary Church. 0111
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 21/10/2025I hate everything the vulgarian-in-chief is doing to the architecture of the White House right now, but I do think it should be noted that the current east wing was built in 1942 to provide office space and cover the construction of an underground security bunker. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Wingen.wikipedia.orgEast Wing - Wikipedia 391
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 26/09/2025Can we install updated versions of this on all of Philly’s surface parking lots? 4728
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 22/09/2025The @phillyinquirer ‘s first architecture quiz, courtesy of real estate editor @ericapalan www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.comCan you match the famous Philly building to its architect?Who built that? Name the people behind some of the Philly area’s most recognizable buildings. 2203
Reposted by Inga SaffronJerome Hodos @jhodos.bsky.social · 18/09/2025Follow-up: a stirring, thoughtful review from the incomparable @ingasaffron.bsky.social. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...inquirer.comCalder Gardens is a luminous, magical spirit cave that subverts the Parkway’s monumentalityThe project offers Philadelphia a new way to think about the flawed Parkway. 141
Reposted by Inga SaffronRyan Godfrey @ryangodfrey.com · 15/09/2025I honestly don’t have enough luminous, magical spirit caves in my life. 2133
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 15/09/2025Has ‘Go Birds’ fully replaced ‘Have a blessed day’ as the top Philly goodbye phrase? 040
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 15/09/2025Not only is Calder Gardens like nothing else on the Parkway - it’s like nothing else anywhere. This is a great building, as my review explains. To celebrate, a gift link: share.inquirer.com/1K33B0share.inquirer.comCalder Gardens is a luminous, magical spirit cave that subverts the Parkway’s monumentalityThe project offers Philadelphia a new way to think about the flawed Parkway. 0398
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 03/09/2025Wasn't it just a few months ago that the Sixers and the arena bros were telling us that no one takes the subway to the Philly Sports Complex? 🤔 www.inquirer.com/news/philade...inquirer.comSEPTA will run sports express trains for Eagles home opener after sponsor steps inFanDuel will cover the cost of an additional 10 sports express trains and fares for fans on their way home from the Philadelphia Eagles home opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday. 2113
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 02/09/2025As storms become more intense, the flooding in Philly’s low-lying areas is forcing property owners to make difficult choices, and even abandon their buildings. My column looks at how a church was able to reuse a historic mill by balancing adaptation & preservation. www.inquirer.com/opinion/hist...inquirer.comManayunk church prepares for floods by turning a Main Street mill into a modern Noah’s ArkThe project offers a solution for preserving vulnerable historic buildings in a time of rapid climate change. But it might not work forever. 092
Inga Saffron @ingasaffron.bsky.social · 21/08/2025Putting a huge garage on a major transit corridor, within an easy walk of 30th Street Station’s regional rail, is another dagger in the heart of @SEPTA www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...inquirer.com495-space parking garage is planned for 41st and Market in University CityA new almost 500-space parking garage is University Place Associates' latest development in this corner of West Philadelphia. 192