Antique Row Shops Say End Is Nigh

Last week’s Center City Weekly Press did not contain any Bob Jovi references or 2003 Super Bowl previews. But it did contain a dire prediction for Antique Row!

The quaint strip of stores from 7th-13th and Pine St., which sell everything from antique books, collectibles, jewelry, furniture, household decor as well as gifts might soon cease to exist.

Oh no! Did somebody put Wilson Goode back in charge and have him drop a bomb on the whole strip?

Hmm, I see. Seems that the Philadelphia Water Department’s proposed “Pine Street Storm Relief Project” will rip up the street and sidewalks for two years, and the Antique Rowners (those are owners of shops on Antique Row, duh) are calling it the end times. For their shops, at least.

Says John Arneth of Adornamenti: “Business depends a lot on foot traffic. Wooden planks would be installed on the sidewalks and the kinds of people who shop along Pine St. are not going to want to walk along them.” Totally true. Those antique shoppers on Pine Street hate boardwalks. Hate ‘em! When they go down the shore, they go to Sea Isle City, because it has a promenade instead.

It’s almost certain the business owners are not playing Chicken Little here; construction usually impacts businesses, especially when it lasts for several years. (Plus, the Rowners say, this project will rip out all the trees!) But apparently the city needs to tear up some street for two years in order to prevent raw sewage from leaking into the basements of homes in the River Wards. However! The project was also going to go down the entire of pine street, but the Richie Riches of Society Hill — armed with the backing of the ghost of Edmund Bacon — put a stop to it. It’s war between the upper class and upper middle class!

Oh, and in case you’re worried about the potential construction on your favorite beer place, the Foodery, please don’t be alarmed.

“The only businesses that might not be seriously impacted,” added Arneth would be restaurants like Pine St. Pizza, Mixto or the Foodery, “because people will find a way to buy their beer.”

I have a solution: Do the construction, but let the shops on Antique Row sell beer. It’s a win-win!

Philadelphia Water Department puts Antique Row in jeopardy [Weekly Press via DesignPhiladelphia]

Photo by waving at you used under a Creative Commons license

Wildwood’s Feelings Run Over Like Tram Car

Jen Miller points out that Atlantic City and Ocean City were named among America’s top-10 boardwalks.

Atlantic City makes sense: Gambling, cute cats living under the boards — it is so adorable, really — and that super fancy mall that extends out into the ocean. Ocean City, too, for it’s ban on games of chance so fewer annoying people yell at you.

But — in a travesty — the world’s longest boardwalk, in WIldwood, was not named to the list. Gasp! Where else can you see drunk 18-year-olds at 5 p.m. and go to mass at the Boardwalk Chapel? (Plus: Sam’s Pizza.) Okay, basically I’m just writing this because it’s going to be 70 today and I kind of want to go down the shore.

Best Boardwalks [Down the Shore with Jen]
[Photo by Steve Longus]

Boardwalk Wood Protesters Have Already Lost It

The city council of Ocean City, New Jersey, voted earlier this year to buy Brazilian ipe wood that was certified Logged Friendly™ (or whatever) because of protests from environmentalists. After doing so, of course, what Ocean City got was lots and lots of protests from environmentalists.

Now Ocean City’s city council wants out of the deal. But, whoops!, they already bought the wood, and the mayor says if they pull out of the deal other vendors will be unable to trust the city and suddenly Mack’s won’t have any flour. So the Brazilian wood is coming in, costing $1.1 million to repair a block-long section of boardwalk. And protesters are ready with their over-the-top similes :

That has protesters like Georgina Shanley vowing to do whatever it takes to stop the plan. “We are considering stopping it physically from coming into Ocean City by standing in the middle of the road like that young man in Tiananmen Square in front of the tank,” she said. “It has to be stopped.”

Ahh, yes, it’s just like that, only without the chances an oppressive government will literally crush you into pieces with a giant tank. And we’ll know who you are, and you’ll be in a mob instead of just one person. Pretty much the same thing as Tiananmen Square, then.

Boardwalk plans set off huge protest [AP/The Courier-Post]