Manayunk.com Summer Issue

manayunk Live|SHOP|DiNe|PLAY

.com SummER 2013

Rewriting History Arts Festival 2013 Where to Find the Action + Meet the Emerging Artists, version 2.0 The New Rules of Consignment Shopping A Community Grows its Own Grocery Store

Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown Ushered in a New Era of Design

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mAnAyunk.com Now oPEN

When winter finally broke, the towpath wasn’t the only landscape in Manayunk that entered a dramatic metamorphosis on fast-forward. Seemingly overnight, or at least every other day for a couple of weeks, new shops and restaurants cropped up all over town.

Here’s a rundown of most. You can also find a profile of the owners of the new garden design studio, Tiny Terra Ferma, deeper in the issue. (See “Things We Love.”)

Jeans, of course, are the main attraction at Bleu Denim (4329 Main Street), but this is hardly some disaffected hipster scene.

The jeans here are elevated to American icon status and they’re complemented by trending, well-made lines, every piece stitched in this country.

See past the ambiguous name at Smiley’s Café (110 Cotton Street) and you’ll discover a Mediterranean menu so thoughtfully put together that every morsel on it tastes as though it emerged from a generations-old recipe book, from the well-spiced falafel to the doughy flatbread. That it’s dirt-cheap and served by one of the warmest waitstaffs in the city is almost overkill.

The most head-scratching aspect of the JL Racing store (4361 Main Street) is that JL’s been making top-shelf rowing, cycling and running clothing for the last quarter-century and it’s only now opened an outlet in Manayunk.

With salons, there’s a lot to be said about attention to the details. Ground Zero Salon (4151 Main Street) has built a stellar reputation among (impossibly) both sexes for not skimping.

When does a blowout or a quick trim stop being a chore? When you’re offered a glass of wine or a beer—take your pick—before you’ve even checked in.

Your best friend never questions why you’re late for dinner, why you avoid exercise at all costs or why you slept through your alarm. Again. That’s unconditional love. And it should go both ways. Show your thanks (and discreet acknowledgement of his sour body odor) by booking a pampering session for your prized pooch at The Groom Room (111 Grape Street).

—SCOTT EDWARDS

contents 06

LivE ShoP DinE PLAy

June-August 2013

Mark Your Calendar The lowdown on the arts festival and summer’s other draws

07

Sneak A Peek A taste of the spring edition of the StrEAT Food Festival

08

Map: Downtown Manayunk

12

Cover Profile

LIvE

Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi redefined a good chunk of 20th-century architecture, both through their own buildings and their interpretation of others. And they did it in Manayunk

ShoP

14

Business Savvy The new rules of consignment shopping and selling, straight from the hotbed of the booming genre: Main Street

16

Things We Love Manayunk’s become a popular destination for pop-up shops.

One, in particular, was so warmly received, it planted roots

DINE

18

Around Town More than a year after the announcement that a food co-op was in the works in Manayunk, the progress is slow, but sure

PLay

22

What’s Happening The Emerging Artists exhibition is proof that Manayunk can produce, not just host, avant-garde artists and craftsmen

COVER Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi photographed

by SUSAN BEARD / SUSAN BEARD DESIGN (www.susanbearddesign.com) at their West Mt. Airy home. Assisted by Erika Smith.

Manayunk.com Magazine is published quarterly by the manayunk Development corp.

Manayunk Development Corporation 4312 main Street Philadelphia, PA 19127 215.482.9565 | info@manayunk.org 4

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

Editorial + Production Editor

Scott Edwards

Design

Cantor Design

Sales

LUXE Marketing & Promotions, Inc. 856.685.4365 martin@luxephila.com

2 BR Starting at $924

mark your calendar

JUNE THROUGH AUGUST

every sat.

june22-23

Saturday Summer Concert Series

Manayunk Arts Festival

One of the beautiful things about summer is that you never need an excuse to slip outside at every opportunity, and yet they’re in ample supply. The shopping and the outdoor eating were all the enticement that was needed to set aside a Saturday afternoon to stroll Main Street at a very leisurely pace. Now there’ll be a soundtrack while you do just that, or, maybe more appropriately, nothing at all. The Saturday Summer Concert Series will feature live performances on Main Street from noon to 5 p.m. every Saturday through the season.

These are the kinds of days you fantasized about when you were wrapped in a cocoon on your couch five months ago. Visit Manayunk.com to see a list of artists performing each weekend.

The Manayunk Arts Festival dwarfs all the other arts festivals around here. Three hundred artists and artisans from across the country, handpicked by a jury, will shut down Main Street for blocks over an entire weekend in June to flex their muscles in front of thousands. The art and craft covers virtually every medium—painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, jewelry and glass, just for starters—so there’s bound to be something that draws you in and forces you to reach for your wallet, impulsively. Back for a second round is the all-local Emerging Artist Showcase, which proved in its debut that if Philly isn’t the most innovative city in the country, it’s one of the most promising. (For the lowdown on some of the budding talent, see page 24.) All of this, of course, is on top of the savvy shopping and hunger-inducing eating that is Main Street, Manayunk. So, eat, drink and be cultured. The 24th annual Manayunk Arts Festival will run June 22, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and June 23, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

jun7 jul5 aug2 sep6

First Friday When First Friday finally arrived in Manayunk, it felt overdue. With the intimate shops and galleries along Main Street, and the ones just off the beaten path, along Shurs and Green lanes and some of the other quaint side streets, it’s the kind of downtown that’s begging to be discovered during some free-ranging exploration, display window by display window. And when there are restaurants, both intimate and lively, to duck into at regular intervals for a quick cocktail or a pint and a nosh, four hours can fly by rapidly. Follow the flags June 7, July 5, August 2 and September 6, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Event details can be found at MANAYUNK.COM 6

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

Sneak a peek

Hungry for More The spring edition of the Manayunk StrEAT Food Festival drew more than 30 food trucks and artisan vendors to Main Street on a sunny Saturday in April. It was easy to excuse the massive amount of calories being consumed as long as you kept moving, either from one truck window to the next, or tagging along on a tour of Manayunk restaurants or multitasking (eating and shopping).

Restaurant Week kicked off the next day.

Festival visitors had the chance to get their pictures taken with a giant fork in front of our Manayunk.com sign.

Did you make the cut?

Summer 2013 | manayunk.com

7

Live

SHOP

M A N A Y U N K

D I R E C T O R Y

All bolded businesses are members of the Manayunk Development Corporation

Y

<

SEPTA Regional Rail Station

Pretzel Park

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Cresson Street

Cresson Street

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Station St.

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D

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TOW PATH

TOW PATH

MANAYUNK CANAL

MANAYUNK CANAL

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Evening & Weekend Parking Only

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Main Street Lock Street

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Main Street Canal View Park

ue en Av ge Rid

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Shurs Lane

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Jamestown Street

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Rector Street

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Pensdale Street

Roxborough Avenue

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Cotton Street

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Grape Street

Levering Street

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Gay Street

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Connaroe Street

Carson Street

Green Lane

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Station St.

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Ridge Ave.

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SEPTA

Evening & Weekend Parking Only

To Kelly Drive

MAIN STREET, MANAYUNK SHOPPING & DINING DIRECTORY & MAP

To I-76

LIVE

Hotels & Inns

Crowne Plaza West Philadelphia X 4100 Presidential Blvd. 215-477-0200 Manayunk Terrace Bed & Breakfast Y 3937 Terrace St. 215-483-0109

Community & Non-Profit

Friends of Pretzel Park Friends of the Manayunk Canal Manayunk Sport & Social Club 4245 Main St. 215-696-7969 Manayunk-Roxborough Art Center 419 Green Ln. 215-482-3363 Manayunk-Roxborough Food Initiative North Light Community Center 175 Green Ln. 215-483-4800 Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers Support of Older Women Network 4100 Main St. Ste #200 215-487-3000

Professional & Creative Services Andropogon Landscape Architecture BKT Architecture BRR Architecture 3 Rector St. Suite #1 215-606-3440 Canal Cleaners Canine Clippers Drexel Family Medicine 10 Shurs Ln. Suite #203 215-482-1234 Drexel OBGYN Drexel Sleep Center 10 Shurs Ln. #201 215-482-0899 8

Q

N I G Q Q Q

East River Bank X 6137 Ridge Ave. 215-482-9401 Flat Rock Health R 4026 Main St. 267-437-3299 Hanson Associates, Inc. Q 4112 Station St. 215-487-7051 Intuitive Company N 3 Rector St. Suite #2 610-667-2492 J & J Computer Services M John E. McGovern & Associates O 4109 Main St. 215-483-5555 Liberty Insurance Services Q 10 Shurs Ln. Suite #104 215-829-1776 Loring Building Products A 4441 Main St. 215-483-7000 Lynece Austin Photography M Main Line Center For Bartending F Main Street Animal Clinic I 4331 Main St. 215-487-1037 Manayunk Cleaners H McCollum Insurance Agency Q Michael’s California Detailing D Northeast Parking System R Valet & Daily - Nights & Weekends 4000 Main St. Parkway Corporation I&K Monthly & Daily - 2 Cotton St., 101 Levering St., 112 Green Ln. Patricia Gorman & Associates J Performance Kitchens C ReVision Architecture G Richards APEX N 4202 Main St. #24 215-487-1100 Robert Kreider - New York Life Insurance

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

Safer Parking J Monthly & Daily-Indoor 4304 Cresson St. SERVPRO of Manayunk SES Advisors Q 10 Shurs Ln. #102 215-508-1600 Susan Beard Photography Z The Groom Room I The Multihull Company T Tiny Terra Ferma I 4324 Main St. 267-225-3478 Top Tails J 4374 Main St. – 215-508-1903 Venice Island Parking D Monthly & Daily - Main & Carson St. VSBA Architects & Planners N 4236 Main St. 215-403-0139 Walk This Way K William O’Brien-Manayunk Law Office H 4322 Main St. 215-487-3800

Real Estate & Housing

AAG Consultants Belvedere Business Group Canal House Apartments 4312 Main St. 215-483-9990 Century 21 Real Estate 4370 Main St. 215-483-3131 Flynn & Company Galman Communities 6725 Ridge Ave. 215-482-1100 Jennifer Colahan—Re/Max 77 Rochelle Ave. 215-266-4549

H K H Z

Kershaw & Esposito Real Estate Manayunk Garden Apartments 3901 Manayunk Ave. 215-232-5400 Neducsin Properties 161 Leverington Ave. 215-487-2700 Renaissance Properties RJS Properties Sagal Realty Group 115 Levering St. 215-284-7003 SC Main Associates 3901 Main St. 215-487-7873 Sorokin Associates Venice Lofts 4601 Flat Rock Rd. 215-483-4090

H Y Z

S F T

Z

SHOP

Apparel & Accessories Armen’s Custom Tailor Studio Bendi Jewelry Benjamin Lovell Shoes Bleu Denim Gary Mann Jewelers 4349 Main St. 215-482-7051 Greene Street Consignment Martin J. Pulli Jeweler 4337 Main St. 215-508-4610 Nicole Miller 4249 Main St. 215-930-0307 Octavio Miles Paula Hian Design ReMix 4355 Main St. 215-487-6590 Tag Denim 4358 Main St. 215-482-9656

F I J I G J I L L E G H

DINE

The Attic The Eyeglass Works 4407 Main St. 215-487-2711 VAMP Boutique Worn Yesterday

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M N

Galleries & Specialty

Ridge Ave. SEPTA

Artesano Iron Works Gallery 4446 Cresson St. 215-483-9273 Chrissy’s Flowers Clairvoyant Monica 4400 Main St. 215-508-1400 Fleur Flowers Good Vibrationz 4107 Main St. 215-483-6900 Hidden River Yarns Latitudes And Longitudes 4325 Main St. 215-482-0417 Main Street Music 4444 Main St. 215-487-7732 Manayunk Greenworks 4235 Main St. 973-698-7057 Meadowsweet Mercantile 4390 Main St. 215-756-4802 Mediterranean Accents Orbit Art Gallery 4312 Main St. 215-508-6728 Philadelphia Vintage Photo Revival Smith 4223 Main St. 215-509-6550 Soft Illusions Fine Art Gallery Spectrum Scientific Sunrise In Tibet The Bazemore Gallery 4229 Main St. – 610-909-4988 The Little Apple 4353 Main St. 267-335-4968 The Shops At Consignment Marketplace 4001 Main St. 215-298-9534 The Spiral Bookcase 112 Cotton St. 215-482-0704 Vision of Tibet

Health & Beauty

5th Avenue Hair Studio Art + Science Salon & Spa 4259 Main St. 215-482-2242 Autumn Nails & Spa Beans Beauty Store & Salon 4405 Main St. 215-487-3333 Chinese Tai Chi Center Christie’s Nails & Tanning Cinderella Nails CVS Pharmacy Euphoria Nail Bar 4430 Main St. 215-483-4341 Fedora Salon & Spa Ground Zero Salon Grimaldi’s Hair

A A H K Q H I B M H M K S M N F L I G T I M

F L M F D B G U D O O S

Kings Barber Le’ Pink Champu’ Lou Tallerico Rumi Tattoo Salon L’Etoile 4360 Main St. 215-483-2500 Starshine Salon 4456 Main St. 215-483-8180 Style MedSpa 4352 Main St. 610-616-5140 Style of Man Tutis Barber Stylist

L M C G H A H B H

Home Décor & Furnishings DIGS 4319 Main St. 215-482-0315 Carson Wood Furnishings Dwelling 4050 Main St. 215-487-7400 Furniture Lifestyle Furniture Workshop Nadeau Furniture Pompanoosuc Mills 4120 Main St. 215-508-3263 Sleepy’s Mattress Store TransAmerican Office Furniture 4001 Main St. 215-482-8550

T R H G O P Q U

Bars & Nightlife M E S E J J E C P M H Q A

Café & Counter Service Angelo & Josephine’s Gourmet Café Volo Caputo’s Pizzeria 4229 Main St. – 215-483-2780 Chloe’s Corner Dice’s Deli La Casa Bella

Main Street Munchies Mike’s Pizza Pat & Bobby’s Steaks 114 Levering St. 267-331-9492 Riverside Pizza Smiley’s Café Sorrentino’s Deli Starbucks The Couch Tomoto Café 102 Rector St. 215-483-2233 Tommy Gunns American Barbeque Yunk’s Café

J Q F

M I F E L X Q

Markets & Specialty J

DINE Bayou Bar & Grill 4245 Main St. 215-482-2560 Beat Street Station Castle Roxx Café Cresson Inn Flat Rock Saloon J.D. McGillicuddy’s 111 Cotton St. – 215-930-0209 Kildare’s Irish Pub 4417 Main St. 215-482-7242 Lucky’s Last Chance 4421 Main St. 215-509-6005 Mad River 4100 Main St. 215-482-2666 Manayunk Tavern 4247 Main St. 267-335-2121 Pitcher’s Pub 4326 Main St. – 215-866-7328 Sapphire 4141 Main St. – 215-508-0336 U.S. Hotel Bar and Grill

PLAY

M H M N B A

Agiato Bread Company Main Street Market Main Street Wine Cellar 4386 Main St. 267-385-7084 Palm Tree Market Sweet Elizabeth’s Cakes 4409 Main St. 267-331-8949 Whirled Peace Wine & Spirits Shoppe

G G X G F I W

Restaurants & Fine Dining Agiato Paninoteca & Enoteca Ali Baba Palace Bella Trattoria 4258 Main St. – 215-482-5556 Bisou Bistro 4161 Main St. 215-487-1230 Bourbon Blue 2 Rector St. 215-508-3360 Cactus Cantina 4243 Main St. 267-385-6249 Chabaa Thai Bistro 4371 Main St. 215-483-1979 Derek’s Restaurant 4411 Main St. 215-483-9400 Han Dynasty 4356 Main St. 215-508-2066 Hikaru 4348 Main St. 215-487-3500 Il Tartufo Jakes & Coopers Wine Bar 4365 Main St. 215-483-0444 Laxmi’s Indian Grille 4425 Main St. – 215-508-2120 Manayunk Brewing Company 4120 Main St. 215-482-8220 Manayunk Diner The Goat’s Beard The Tomato Bistro 102 Rector St. 215-483-2233 Winnie’s LeBus 4266 Main St. 215-487-2663 Yanako 4255 Main St. – 267-297-8151 Zesty’s Restaurant 4382 Main St. 215-483-6226

G O K O K M G F H H I G

PLAY

Activities & Entertainment Chew Philly Food Tours phillyfoodtours.com 855-CHEW-215 The Grape Room 105 Grape St. 215-930-0321 United Arts Movie Theater

I W

Dance & Performing Arts CTO Music Artists B 4450 Main St. – 877-286-6874 Merge Dance Studio Y 4047 Cresson St. 2nd Flr. 215-266-1311 Society Hill Dance Academy E 4401 Cresson St. 215-482-1611

Sports & Fitness

Awakenings Pole Fitness O 4151 Main St. – 610-348-7168 Bikram Yoga Manayunk G 115 Levering St. 267-336-7872 Bryn Mawr Running Company H 4320 Main St. 215-487-0220 Cadence Cycling & Multisport I Goals Fitness B Hotbox Yoga O Human Zoom Bikes & Boards O 4159 Main St. 215-487-7433 JL Design G 4361 Main St. 714-479-0240 Joltin’ Jabs J 4303 Main St. 215-482-4802 Never Give Up G 100 Levering St. 610-389-5077 RowZone Indoor Rowing Studio F Sweat Fitness O The Wall Cycling Studio F 100 Levering St. 267-336-7928 Triumph Motorcycles T Wallace & Nilan Physical Therapy and Fitness Q 10 Shurs Lane Suite 101 267-437-2486 Yoga On Main G

C C W M L K L H

Summer 2013 | manayunk.com

9

Live.Cover Profile

The Places They Built

Reflecting on the storied careers of two of Philadelphia’s most prominent architects. By Jane Lipton Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown are, most immediately, the husband-and-wife founding principals of the former architecture firm Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates, Inc., which occupied a significant place on Manayunk’s Main Street for more than a half-century. Venturi, who turns 88 in June, retired within the last year—Scott Brown continues to publish and present her work—and the next generation of the practice, known as VSBA, LLC, now resides in the office.

But Venturi and Scott Brown’s reputations and, increasingly, their legacies reach far beyond the Schuylkill River. As much attention as their buildings warrant—the Seattle Art Museum, the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame, the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery in London—it’s their often-perceived-as-radical thoughts on architecture that transformed them into pivotal figures. Their book, Learning from Las Vegas, stirred a tornado of controversy when it was published in 1972 for, basically, directing architects to stop acting so damn arrogant.

They very much worked in tandem, but they were rarely regarded as partners, largely because of the times in which they thrived. Venturi was awarded the revered Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1991. He asked that Scott Brown be named a co-recipient, but he was denied. Today, a petition is being circulated, independent of Venturi and Scott Brown, to right that wrong.

Denise, to start, tell me about the Pritzker petition.

D: The petition is trying to change the outlook of the givers of the prize. It was awarded to Bob, not to both of us, in 1991, and when Bob heard this, he asked that it be made jointly. But he was turned down. Things then simmered for 22 years, but over this period, awareness increased as women entered the profession in large numbers and the Pritzker name and mine were often linked by the word “unfair.”

Feminism was reborn in the US on the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, but I was a feminist before that. As a student, I’d sign my full name on my drawings to show they were by a woman.

Males predominated in architecture in the 1960s and women received lower pay, a lower status and fewer jobs than men.

The star system conditioned architectural practice, all-stars were male, and sexism was the norm. On occasion it would get back to me that I had been referred to in meetings as the “red headed shrew”. In my second teaching position, I had to struggle for tenure while a younger and less experienced male architect was offered a full professorship. But my standing was to decline yet further. When Bob and I married, people on meeting me would 10

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

exclaim, “So you’re an architect, too!” I learned to reply, “No, he’s the architect, too.” But it wasn’t funny. For some reason, critics and colleagues needed to show that I was just a helper to Bob. They could not conceive of a partnership between us in design. Yet, at VSBA, we were both leaders, and our firm was a joint endeavor of many creative people. The ping pong of ideas amongst us made us what we were.

Now the petition has more than 12,000 signatures and is still growing, and it’s worldwide—that’s viral in architecture. Although I had nothing to do with forming it, I’m very moved by it, and I’m so proud of its passionate organizers and supporters.

Now for some finish-this-thought probing. I was born in …

D: Zambia, in Southern Africa. It was called Northern Rhodesia

PHOTOS BY SUSAN BEARD / WWW.SUSANBEARDDESIGN.COM / ASSISTED BY ERIKA SMITH

then. People don’t know where it is. They can’t place me.

B: I’m a lifelong Philadelphian. I was born in Upper Darby, but we moved to the Main Line, then to an apartment building in Germantown and eventually to a house I designed for my mother in Chestnut Hill. In 1972, Denise and I bought the house in West Mt. Airy that we now live in.

My mother taught me …

D: to love architecture, art, writing and intellectual challenge. I inherited from her my interest in languages and my enjoyment of “looking around.”

B: to love architecture, especially Italian architecture. Even before I was born, she wanted me to be an architect. And as a child I would pore over my parents’ picture books of Italian

architecture. They made me fall in love with Italy.

My father taught me …

D: to love cities and learn from them. Before work every morning, he would walk the streets of Johannesburg. This was his research as a developer. Later, he tried it on other cities, including New York. He had a green thumb for cities.

B: to be concerned with family. The well-being of all our relatives was important to him, and it is to me and to our son. He, too, fanned the fires of my love of architecture. Once, as a small boy, I was driving with him in Manhattan when he stopped the cab at the old Penn Station and took me to see its great Roman interior. I was totally awestruck. It’s one of my most vivid early memories.

Summer 2013 | manayunk.com 11

Live.Cover Profile

Architecture piqued my interest because …

D: as an architect, you look out on the world and “make things” from what you see, from what you learn. Architects aim to design things that are sturdy and functional, culturally and socially useful, adaptable and beautiful, all at once. Architecture is an adventure, and clients, good clients, will want to explore with you.

B: my whole family, including me, took it for granted that I would be an architect. It was all I ever wanted. Had this failed, I would probably have been an architectural historian.

We met at …

B: a faculty meeting at the University of Pennsylvania.

D: It was my first faculty meeting, and there was a debate on whether a certain building on campus should be demolished. I made a passionate plea: “Tearing it down would be a huge mistake.”

B: After the meeting, I walked up to her and said, “I agree very much with what you just said. And my name is Robert Venturi.”

D: So the first thing I said to Robert Venturi was, “If you agreed, why didn’t you say so?” The building, by the way, was designed by Frank Furness and is now Penn’s Fine Arts Library.

My hero is …

D: I’m not sure about heroes or heroines, but I’ve had mentors, inspiring and nurturing women and men whose memory I love to honor. In my introduction to a book on Josef Frank, a 20th-century Austrian architect, I say why his buildings and thought inspire me and discuss his place in the history of architecture. Then I remember some other refugees, like him, from Hitler, those who helped to educate me on three continents.

B: A few years ago I wrote a list on the dining room wall of a dozen or so people that I admire and who inspire me. Now there are more than 30 names on that wall, and most are architecture professors. But, actually, if I had to name one person at this moment, it would be [Arturo] Toscanini. He’s up there, too.

I couldn’t live without …

D: intellectual/artistic work to do. I must be making something, 12

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

and making it beautiful. I need the challenge. Now that we aren’t making architecture, I write a lot, and I’m in touch with architects worldwide, mainly quite young ones, with ideas they want me to react to. I lecture too and illustrate my lectures with digital collages. The one I’m working on now is called “Encounters with the Palimpsest.” [What is a palimpsest? I ask.] It’s an ancient parchment that’s been written on, scrubbed and written on again, perhaps many times, and traces of all its manuscripts may

[“Stick to your guns, madam!”] remain on it. My point is that there are palimpsests in buildings and cities, too, and that architects must work with them.

We brought our firm to Manayunk …

D: in 1980, because we had outgrown our building in Center City. At that time, Philadelphia was distressed. Its streets were dirty, and it felt unsafe. We were looking without success for an affordable warehouse in Old City when we set out one weekend to visit Bob’s aunt on the Main Line and, passing through Manayunk, noticed a sturdy, red-brick warehouse on Main Street. It had ample space, lots of light and wonderful views. We fell in love.

B: Once we occupied the whole building. But when I retired, we were using only the top floor. We worked for more than 10 years on a succession plan for VSBA, allowing it to reduce slowly to a size appropriate to today’s needs before handing it over to its new owner, Dan McCoubrey.

The most underrated part of Manayunk is …

B: its early industrial environment: the loft buildings, their scale, the hills, the canal and rail, the present relation to industry. And Main Street. We’ve watched it grow from deserted to vibrant. With a big, open sky overhead, it’s quite different from a shopping mall. It has a unique charm.

D: I loved the era of antique and collectibles stores. In the 1980s, we built a collection of decorative arts from the merchants on Main Street. Working there, we were storekeepers among storekeepers, and that’s how we were treated. Bob’s father was a fruit and produce merchant on South Street, and for years, he, and later I, oversaw that business while working in the architecture business. So we felt a kinship with people on Main Street and the atmosphere was familiar and comfortable.

One thing Manayunk really needs is …

D: a return of the economy. Wearing my urban planner hat, I would say that parking should be thought of in two categories: visitor parking, which should be clear, immediately to hand and welcoming; and “Byzantine parking,” an informal sharing of spaces behind stores and elsewhere off Main Street, which storekeepers and other locals work out among themselves to leave street spaces for their customers. A church could make its lot available for residents at night and for business owners every day except Sunday. Customers can’t understand such a complex system, but storekeepers can and do. And a storekeeper who parks in front of the store can expect to lose several customers a day.

B: Our friends across from us on Main Street would let us park at the rear of their store, and we would leave our keys with them.

People tell us all the time that …

D: “You can’t be serious about studying Las Vegas.” And, “Your work in no way addresses social concerns.” Our book, Learning from Las Vegas, tries to explain why people enjoy, or are drawn to, places even when architects don’t appreciate them.

B: People were outraged that we paid serious attention to signs

and the Las Vegas strip. But that was nonsense!

The achievement we’re most proud of …

D: People want you to love one of your buildings more than the others, but we love most of them.

B: And we’re proud of Learning from Las Vegas. It’s still in print after 40 years, and it has changed how people do architecture and architectural research.

If I could redesign one building in Philadelphia, it would be …

B: We’d replace the Kimmel Center with the concert hall that we designed for the site. What architect wouldn’t feel the same?

One thing I would change about Robert is …

D: I would not change a thing about him now, but during his earlier career, I wish he could have had more opportunity to work in Philadelphia. I wish that his great desire to do architecture had not been accompanied by such pain, stress and disappointment. But I guess that comes with the territory.

One thing I would change about Denise is …

B: I wish that she had been awarded the Pritzker prize too.

Also, that she could have had more recognition in her work.

That we could be seen for what we are, true collaborators, not an architect and a helpmate.

The best piece of advice I ever received was …

D: Perhaps the most spirited was from Arthur Korn, in London, one of my refugee teachers and mentors. It was: “Stick to your guns, madam!”

My greatest unfulfilled ambition is…

D: My head is full of ideas I would like to work on but won’t have time for. So I hope to write them down for others to work on. Many of my ambitions were fulfilled in my last 20 years of practice through our large urban projects, especially those at Dartmouth, Penn and the University of Michigan, which brought the opportunity to do urban and campus planning, then move on to the design of a building complex within my plan.

B: The work we have done has been wonderfully fulfilling, and I have loved designing important buildings on several continents, but I wish I could have worked more right here in Philadelphia.

And, also, on a more intimate level, I would have liked to design Philadelphia townhouses. The townhouse tradition here is so interesting. Designing within it would have been fascinating.

I want to be remembered as …

D: a red-headed shrew! [Laughs.] No! I’d like to be remembered as an architect and urbanist who drew these fields together in her work and thought as an artist-architect who made beautiful things, and as a teacher. Yes, a teacher. I love teaching and I’ve loved my students. They were wonderful.

B: an architect and an artist who worked with passion and produced great architecture in his time.

Summer 2013 | manayunk.com 13

S h o p . B U S I N E S S S AV V Y

WORN YESTERDAY

REMIX

From Shopper to Bargain Hunter A field guide to consignment shopping and selling in Manayunk.

By Scott Edwards While talking heads continue to debate micro-retail trends on a nightly basis, far less ambiguity exists within the realm of resale, which boasts a robust seven-percent growth rate for each of the last two years, according to the Association of Resale Professionals.

With four such shops—Worn Yesterday, Remix, The Attic and Greene Street Consignment—clustered tight enough on Main Street to keep a bargain-hunting fashionista from breaking stride, Manayunk is revealing itself as a destination for the growing legions drawn to the art of rediscovery. Consider this: About 15 percent of Americans visited a consignment/resale store last year, according to a study by America’s Research Group.

Conventional clothing shops drew 19.6 percent, and department stores, 21.3 percent. That’s likely not quite the gap you imagined.

And for good reason: Top-shelf brands, worn or used a handful of times, are being sold for dimes on the dollar. For sellers, recouping some of that expense (to put toward new stuff) is always better than getting nothing (and leaving it to clutter the closet). But there are nuances to both sides of the experience. What follows is a field guide to shopping and selling consignment in Manayunk. It’s not likely to stem your significant shop14

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

ping habit, but it will mold you into a ruthless bargain hunter.

Do your homework. All of the aforementioned shops have Web sites, and all of them list the prominent brands that they sell (and buy) or, at least, a clear description of the styles (couture, vintage). Save yourself the time and trouble of shuffling bags of clothing from shop to shop and read up online first.

If you’re feeling especially studious, ask, by email or phone, what sells best at a store. After all, says Remix owner Ljupka Malinovska, “Our criterion for determining what to accept is basically whether or not we believe we can sell it, plain and simple.” (For the record, she can’t stock enough Italian- and French-made designer handbags.)

Featured just as prominently on the sites is a rundown of the stores’ expectations regarding the condition of the stuff they buy. Heed it. Just because an Alexander McQueen label is stitched to the inside of your V-neck dress doesn’t mean that anyone’s going to gloss over

THE ATTIC

the syrah stain just below the right shoulder.

“I turned away my own daughter’s stuff back in the day, when she was this age, because I knew just exactly where her spots would be,” says Davida Levin, who’s been buying and selling children’s and maternity clothing at her

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consignment store, Worn Yesterday, for the last 26 years.

Negotiate, but cautiously. There’s almost always some wiggle room with the price. But understand, first, that you’re getting a bargain to begin with, and, second, the price was agreed upon by the store and the seller, which places the salesperson in the somewhat precarious position of wanting to unload a given piece quickly, but doing so without undermining the seller.

The Attic operates a bit differently from the conventional consignment model. It buys the clothing it sells outright. Because owner Margo Kuronyi maintains complete control of the pricing, she has the flexibility to offer insider-type sales to email subscribers and Facebook and Twitter followers. She also runs a Sunday promotion that changes monthly.

Ask for help. This should go without saying, but, apparently, it needs to be said.

Approach consignment shopping with an open mind because, really, there’s no way to know beforehand exactly what you’ll come across. That’s part of the lure, after all. But should you hone in on something particular and don’t find it, leave your name and contact information with the store along with a description of the object of your desire. The inventory changes

every day, and even the store owners themselves don’t know what to expect. So, it couldn’t hurt to have an extra pair of eyes working for you.

“The only thing I can’t do is when somebody says to me, ‘Davida, could you call me when something cute comes in in size four?’ ” Levin says. “You gotta be specific. Ask for a Burberry plaid shirt in a size six. Because I see every piece that comes in.”

Be aware, though, that while most stores will act as a lookout, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’ll be inclined to act beyond notifying you when it surfaces. The inventory turns over quickly because demand is at least as high as the rate of supply. Basically, be prepared to move fast.

“In all reality, the best way is to stop in often because we’re adding new clothing every day, and since we only have one of every item, your dream piece of clothing could fly out the door before you ever see it,” Kuronyi says.

Even before that point, ask for guidance in case what you’re looking for is hidden in plain sight. Because of the aforementioned—the rapid turnover, one-of-a-kinds—even the most precise consignment shops lack the clean, sterile organization of Walmart. As Levin says, “You never know what’s hiding in a corner.”

Summer 2013 | manayunk.com 15

Shop.things we love

Tiny But Mighty

The stylish redo of a decaying garage confirms that there’s potential for green in every nook.

I

t sat dormant for years on Main Street, a concrete and brick garage studded with milled-wood beams.

In time, everyone learned to dismiss it without so much as a glance. Almost everyone. Annie Scott and Jeff Lorenz would peer in and feel the rush of possibility.

The decaying garage was the obvious choice as they began to fill in the details of their plans for an urban garden design shop. A month after Tiny Terra Ferma’s opening, it’s hard to imagine a better advertisement for it. Salvaged wood benches display a portion of the meticulously-edited collection of sleek but sturdy English-made tools. Hanging against a towering wall, a series of interconnected pallets serves as a massive planter. Small potted cacti are arranged around a found trunk and a replica human skull—a skull. Garden design has never had this kind of swagger.

Tiny Terra Ferma was conceived as a pop-up in February, but Scott and Lorenz (pictured) secured a handful of long-term design projects by March, which gave them both the confidence and the capital to open as a conventional shop come April.

Function and form follow hand-in-hand throughout the garage. The featured plants are beautiful, for sure, but they’re also drought-tolerant, native and even edible, making them every bit as capable of sustaining a habitat as turning it into eye-candy. This has been Lorenz’s element since 1997. He raises a pair of chickens in his backyard in Roxborough (and keeps in his neighbors’ good graces by doling out their eggs). Scott’s career, too, since graduating from the Conway School of Landscape Design in 2007, has had a decidedly restorative focus, including the creation of the master plan for the Upper Bucks farm owned by celbri-chef Jose Garces.

In that vein, their plan is to develop Tiny Terra Ferma into a neighborhood hub for the DIY set and the simply curious. A studio behind the shop hosts interactive workshops and, eventually, native plant lectures.

Behind the garage, a large backyard is being transformed into a demonstration garden. It all sort of undermines the excuses you’ve been mining for too long. —Scott Edwards

16

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

In recent months, Main Street’s become prime real estate for pop-up shops, which open in a conventional storefront and close a couple days later. Here’s a fittinglybrief introduction to two of the most prominent players.

Nadine Gelberg, the owner of the Roslyn-based athletic apparel company, DEVIGI, opened a popup over a weekend last March at Cadence Cycling & Multisport.

Designing and producing its lines remains the young company’s focus, which is why Gelberg’s not yet inclined to commit to a permanent store, or even set hours.

Why Manayunk: “A town known for The Wall, yoga studios, rowing centers and fitness classes seems like the perfect market.”

Long-term plans: “We need to figure out if retail sales can cover additional costs, such as rent and staffing. We’d need a mixed-use space, and that’s not easy to find in high-foot-traffic locations.”

The brainchild of local printmaker Christina Smith, UNION STOCK, open for a weekend amid the last Christmas rush, boasted a wideranging inventory that spanned reclaimed barn-wood furniture and screenprinted baby stuff, all of it handmade by artisans working in and around Manayunk.

“Moving these items into a storefront not only made them accessible to shoppers who don’t frequent craft shows but also changed the environment in which handmade items are viewed,” Smith says.

Back for more: “This is a big old yes. Union Sock has begun plans to expand to other areas throughout the rest of the year and hope to return to Manayunk again.” [When this issue went to press, Smith was planning to reopen Union Stock on Main Street during the arts festival, in June.] —SE

Photo: Carolyn Clement photography

Pop-ups Are Blowing Up

PHOTO BY CANTOR DESIGN

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Summer 2013 | manayunk.com 17

Dine.Around town

Growing Greener Pastures Among Concrete Blocks A movement to open a food co-op in Manayunk or Roxborough is inching toward existence. A months-long coming-out party begins this summer.

By Scott Edwards Fourteen months after a meeting held to gauge the community’s interest in opening a Weavers Way Coop in Manayunk drew more than 250 people—on the night of a Flyers playoff game, no less—the prospect remains years-in-the-making.

“When we started, David Woo [the immediate-past president of the Weavers Way Coop Board of Directors] said to expect it to take two to five years. And I thought, We’ll do it in a year-and-ahalf,” says David Schiman, who’s served as the chairman of the Manayunk Roxborough Food Coop Initiative Steering Committee since its formation about a year ago.

Schiman estimates he’s invested somewhere from 200 to 300 hours in the initiative. And among the 15 volunteers who’ve been consistently involved in the preliminary planning, including himself, their collective commitment touches a thousand hours, according to Schiman, who practices at the Roxborough Community Acupuncture clinic. An athlete, too, Schiman says he took a serious interest in nutrition when, years ago, he began studying its effects on fueling and recovering from training.

Weavers Way removed itself from consideration shortly after that first meeting because, Schiman says, it learned it was overleveraged with its newest store, in Chestnut Hill. Woo, however, has become an integral consultant to the Manayunk-Roxborough movement. Still, progress has come slowly.

“I have to say that we’re at least a year away to committing to any kind of location,” Schiman says. “And that’s probably aggressive because we haven’t even started the membership drive yet.”

A Taste of Things to Come 18

Three separate market studies, including one that’s being commissioned and shared by Weavers Way, will play a significant role in determining the future location of the co-op since a bank will award a loan based upon where it believes the co-op will have the best opportunity to thrive, not necessarily the steering committee’s personal preference.

“Ultimately, what we’re going to need is a rough-ballpark of about $400,000 in member equity and member loans to be able to put us in a position for bank financing for the rest,” Schiman says.

“The rest could be anywhere from oneand-a-half to four million, depending on the size of the store and whether it’s new construction or a retrofit.”

The preliminary research indicates that a retrofit is the more likely of the two routes, simply because undeveloped land comes at too high of a cost in either neighborhood.

Co-op members are asked to invest a specified amount upfront. That’s what’s known as member equity. Schiman says the steering committee is still discussing the amount that it will set as its equity, though it’s leaning toward $300. Nearby coops range from $200 to $400; Weavers Way equity is $400. The equity is fully refundable should a member decide at any point to withdrawal from the co-op.

The higher the equity, the fewer members that are needed, of course, to secure initial loans and maintain the co-op. But there is concern about pricing itself out of the reach of the community it’s intended to serve. Schiman expects the steering committee to settle on an equity amount in July or August. Also under consideration is a work requirement. It was once common practice for

The initiative launched a farmers market late in May as a means to court members and provide a taste of things to come. Through the summer, about 10 vendors, including the University City-based Philly CowShare, a chocolatier and an exotic mushroom connoisseur, will organize Saturdays in Pretzel Park, 4300 Silverwood Street, along with a band. The aim, Schiman says, is to foster something bigger than a cut-and-dry grocery-shopping experience. He envisions the market becoming a gathering place for neighbors to catch up, in turn, discreetly converting another dreaded errand into a brief retreat. www.facebook.com/ManayunkFoodCoop —SE

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

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members to work six hours per adult in the household per year at a co-op, but, increasingly, it’s being phased out or offered as an option, where members who work at the co-op are given a discount on their groceries.

The concept is built on the idea of providing better access to locally-sourced produce and conscientiously-raised meats and selling them at a lower cost. A co-op usually cannot offer a marked discount on products that are most commonly bought in bulk, like toilet paper and cat litter.

“It’s an answer to the problems that we’re facing in our economy where so few people own most of the resources,” Schiman says. “And the money that’s spent in your local economy often goes somewhere else.”

A membership drive should take root in the fall. Around then, a members meeting will be organized, and the Manayunk Roxborough co-op’s first board of directors will be elected. In the months in between, introducing itself to the community will become the initiative’s primary mission.

Schiman’s been a member at the Mt. Airy Weavers Way since he moved to Philadelphia six years ago. He’s seen the store develop into one of the catalysts behind the neighborhood’s recent revitalization. Businesses have opened around it. Real estate values are increasing. And he sees no reason why it couldn’t happen just that way in his own backyard.

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P l a y . W H AT ’ s H A P P E n i n g

The Next Big Thing Easily one of the most intriguing attractions in its debut at last year’s Manayunk Arts Festival, expectations are spiking for the sophomore edition of the Emerging Artist Showcase. Here, we offer an advance glimpse of the budding phenoms.

Edited by Scott Edwards

Vanessa Dugandzic | Fabric Designer ROXBOROUGH Ambition While waiting for the arrival of my daughter, Eva, I decided to start making the things I wanted to see in the stores where I was registering. Now, with the help of my business [Sassy Smidgens] partner, Brie Messier, I’m creating handcrafted tote bags, changing pads, diaper pouches, zippered wipes cases and children’s apparel, including garments and accessories for the LGBT parental community. In the near future, we’ll be launching home and pet lines.

Inspiration My mother, Patricia Rangel, taught me to sew and my grandmother, Josephine Rangel, taught me to handembroider. The fabric designers Riley Blake, Robert Kaufman and Michael Miller are hugely-influential. Their prints and colors ignite something within me that urges me to create, and the music I listen to—Gotye, The Zac Brown Band, Mumford & Sons—only enhances it. The things I see on Pinterest, too, whether it be pictures of nature or products people love, influence how I may use a certain fabric or color combinations.

Creative process I try to create an environment full of natural light, harmonious music and a clean workspace. I think it’s very important to maintain organization.

Inspiration Beautiful structures, such as the Manayunk Bridge and the architecture of Venice. I love trees of all kinds, too, and water, whether it’s the ocean, rivers or canals. I’m also inspired by my husband, Thomas Parker Williams, a very creative visual artist. We’ve collaborated on a number of artist books, including one on the Manayunk Bridge.

Creative process My photos are shot with film, both black-and-white and color. I have five pinhole cameras, three that use 2¼ x2¼ film, one uses 4x5 sheet film, and the fifth is a converted 35mm camera. Each one has different qualities; for example, one is somewhat telephoto, another is more wideangle. Images made with another camera are usually softer focus. So I have many ways to

Crowning achievement The first was our first international order (Australia).

Second, creating a personalized baby gift for the executive producer of a premier entertainment news channel. And third, getting agreements from three stores to sell our creations in New Jersey and New York.

Mary Agnes Williams | Photographer MANAYUNK Aesthetic Pinhole photography appeals to me because it is simple and direct (no lens or view finder), but it can yield complex images. Pinhole allows me to explore and create mystery and ambiguity—in many of my photographs the images appear to be emerging from, or about to enter, another time or place.

22

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

create a wide variety of images. We have a darkroom where we develop and print my black-and-white photos. Keeping true to the simplicity and directness of the pinhole process, none of my photos are digitally manipulated.

Crowning achievement I was very pleased to show my photos in a recent solo exhibition at The Spiral Bookcase, in Manayunk.

Derek Shaw | Leathersmith MANAYUNK Aesthetic Handcrafted leather goods that give a personal touch and help simplify lives.

Inspiration Necessity. In 2011, I bought some leather tools and started making slim, front-pocket wallets for myself and some friends after I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find one that I liked. Recently, I began creating larger leather goods, all born out of necessity as well. This spring, Waskerd, the company I co-founded, released The Manayunk Small Zipper Bag, The Lunch Box and The Dopp Kit. It was kind of surreal when I realized I could create things in a couple hours that people would carry for years and years. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been one of my motivators.

Creative process Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been fielding a lot of custom requests as of late. I really enjoy the challenge of working with someone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idea and creating a bespoke piece built for their unique needs. I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be able to sleep until Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve figured it out. I build it in my head over and over again, piecing the leather together, reinforcing certain stitches, envisioning the end result: simple and durable. By the time the pencil and paper come in, the designâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nearly complete. A sketch or two helps with the final tweaks. Then itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my hands and the leather tools.

Crowning achievement Being featured by Esquire.

In April, Waskerd was highlighted in an online shopping guide titled â&#x20AC;&#x153;The 15 Best Wallets to Buy This Spring.â&#x20AC;?

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P l a y . W H AT ’ s H A P P E n i n g

Arts Festival By the Numbers

4.5 million

11

The year the first festival was held.

Estimated number of people who attended the first 23 festivals.

Length in blocks that the festival spans, or three-quarters of a mile.

1989

Creative process After excising interesting images and assembling compelling backgrounds, I introduce each being to its new home and adversary/companion until I find a perfect fit. Not unlike child’s play.

Greg Trout | Mixed Media Artist MANAYUNK Aesthetic I was born in Elverson, PA (population 1,225), and I’ve resided in Philadelphia (pop. 1,526,006) since 1992.

After a lifetime of collecting arcane and mysterious printed matter, I’m now reassembling and re-assigning the images and creating new spirits and ideas.

Inspiration Past ideas of beauty, simpler times, heartbreak, heartache and the violet

hour. My list of influences is so myriad as to take up an entire page. Hieronymus Bosch, Robert Rauschenberg, Gray Morrow, Cornell Woolrich and John Waters spring to mind.

Crowning achievement Two successful solo runs at The Spiral Bookcase, creating a commissioned piece for former Onion editor Joe Garden and earning the accolades of fellow artists Zoe Strauss and Mitch O’Connell.

Michael Majewski | Illustrator ROXBOROUGH Ambition I want to publish my comic book and share my characters, stories and universe with everyone. It’s a fun, edgy book that targets a younger audience, though it can be enjoyed by all ages.

Inspiration People’s reactions, whether negative or positive. My wife’s supportive nature also influences me greatly. In terms of other artists: Salvador Dalí, Todd McFarlane and Greg Capullo. McFarlane is the first artist I remember copying when I was a kid collecting comic books in the mid- to late-‘80s into the ‘90s. Even now, his style heavily influences me. It wasn’t until high 24

manayunk.com | Summer 2013

school when I was introduced to Dalí and began painting. Capullo came later in my life, probably my mid-twenties.

Creative process I always emphasize something that’s sure to pop, like a pair of eyes, to a detail with dark blacks, something that jumps off the page. I tend to think the simplest things are more interesting, so I start from the simplest of shapes and add from there, without, ultimately, losing that initial simplicity.

Crowning achievement The creation of my comic book and pitching it to publishers.

It hasn’t been published yet, but editors are looking at my work and considering it, which is something I’ve dreamed of since I was a child.

300

2

1

The amount of artists and artists featured, on average. They hail from at least 30 states.

Women who’ve gone into labor at the festival.

One artist’s work is chosen each year to be featured in the festival poster and marketing materials.

Aesthetic It may sound superficial, but my creative pursuit is to add details that make things a little more beautiful than they would be on their own.

the Midwest, and was always enamored with the old Mail Pouch ads painted on the sides of barns and old buildings, and the retro ads and packaging on the tables of flea markets and garage sales. I collected those things, saved boxes and Coke bottles. My favorite part was the writing. On the other side of the timeline, I am also very inspired by modern typography. There’s something exciting and interesting about creating something that looks new with an old medium.

Inspiration My two biggest sources of inspiration at first seem diametrically opposed: the old and the new. I grew up in

Creative process A lot of trial and error. And tons of ink stains on clothing and my kitchen table. A lot of sketchbooks full of different

Kimberly Shrack | Calligrapher MANAYUNK

styles of writing. And a ton of hand cramps.

In all seriousness, it’s a look I’m going for.

I couldn’t tell you exactly what it is I am looking for, but I can tell you when it’s right and when it’s wrong.

Crowning achievement The first time someone ordered my calligraphy for their wedding invitations. It’s so great to be a little part of someone’s big day, to help them make their first impression.

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