PHILADELPHIA | The Development Thread VIII

[SkyscraperGuru]

Originally Posted by summersm343

It's obvious that Philly is growing again and I am very happy about that

All of the residential construction happening in the city currently is just proof that the city is growing. One step at a time! Next steps will be to fix the businesses taxes, public schools and crime rate

First is encourage population growth AND lower business taxes, then encourage job growth.

MUCH easier said then done.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by summersm343

One step at a time! Next steps will be to fix the businesses taxes, public schools and crime rate.

In fits and spurts, this is already happening. There are many more public schools that are real options for families than there were even 5 or 10 years ago. Did anyone read the article about Mifflin today in the Daily News?

http://www.philly.com/philly/educati...laneczky_.html

The same thing happened at Cooke-Wissahickon in Roxborough just 5ish years ago. Now, in that part of the NW (Roxborough, Andorra, Manayunk, East Falls), Cooke-Wissahickon and Dobson are so popular that they're at capacity and performing at high levels. Levering, the only school which was struggling, is closing, and I assume, the catchment will be re-drawn so that all kids in that sector of the city go to Cooke-Wiss or Dobson, which are already high functioning, or Mifflin, which is improving quickly. Of interesting note as well from that article is that for the new combined elementary parish school in that neck of the woods, enrollment (which closes Monday) is 200 students BELOW projected enrollment. Where do you think those 200 kids are going? They're not moving to the suburbs. They're going to Cooke-Wiss, Dobson, and Mifflin, or Green Woods Charter, which is high achieving and building a new campus in Roxborough, as well.

It's an exciting time to be in the city. Period. It feels like a lot of things are starting to hit on all cylinders (in spite of the economy). That the SRC spared schools slated to close that are high functioning (Shepard and Stanton). That the poorest performing schools in other areas are closing (Levering), that facilities continue to be proposed and built for other high functioning schools (Masterman, FLC, Parkway NW).

Business taxes too are improving. Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Bill Green have some interesting legislation on the table to stream-line taxes and make them more fair and predictable in the future. They'll likely still be high(er), but start to come down relative to our own past. It should help our competitiveness as a city.

Now. If only I could get a job here so that I could stay here.

[SkyscraperGuru]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Now. If only I could get a job here so that I could stay here.

This interests me, people are having trouble finding jobs in the Philadelphia area - Yet the population continues to climb (and it's growth is speeding up too).

The business taxes should certainly be lowered, we need some office buildings (preferably 1000ft+) in the city in my opinion, the city really needs to drop those taxes.

But... I'm only a high school student, to be honest with you all. Looking to get into a Philly-area college and major in something that can leave an impact on this city.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by SkyscraperGuru

This interests me, people are having trouble finding jobs in the Philadelphia area - Yet the population continues to climb (and it's growth is speeding up too).

The business taxes should certainly be lowered, we need some office buildings (preferably 1000ft+) in the city in my opinion, the city really needs to drop those taxes.

Me: Ivy League education. 10+ years experience in Operations Management and Transformation, Strategy, and Project Management. Post graduate coursework (non-degree) in Business, professional certification (PMP). I've managed and successfully transformed organizations with multi-million dollar budgets and hundreds of employees, for a multi-billion dollar company.

I can't find work here in Philadelphia or it's environs. I'm up to 100 resumes submitted. I've interviewed for jobs in Seattle, LA, and Denver. I've had only 4 interviews in the Philadelphia area, one of which I got through 4 rounds, yes 4 full day rounds to ultimately lose out to the other "finalist". I've been unemployed for a year. Spent the first 6 months traveling the world and the last six months looking for a job. I should be employed. I am not.

The fact that I'm unemployed, in my opinion, means there is something seriously wrong with this economy. I've applied for five jobs at Comcast alone, in its Business Operations unit...jobs that I am more than qualified to fill. I've been rejected for 3 of them. I received 1 rejection a day after I hit submit on Comcast's website. The job is still open (it was just re-posted on TheLadders today). I've yet to hear about the most recent two.

I guess Comcast doesn't want me because it would rather fill the job with a Drexel or Temple alum. No offense, but this must be one of the reasons why top grads by-pass Philadelphia for other cities. Because frankly, the employers here don't give them the respect they should garner in the marketplace.

It's very frustrating.

On that note, I'm available for work. So, if anyone has an interesting opening in his/her firm that he/she thinks I might be qualified for, let me know (PM me). At this point, I'd even be willing to come on as a 1099B contractor (which sucks) to prove my worth, hopefully for a full-employee position down the road.

If this persists, it's back to grad school for me (MBA).

[PhiLaw]

I would guess that both the residential and the leisure population of this city has grown immensely since 2010. Just walking around the city today, it's rife with people doing god knows what. I walked down Walnut St. today and had to remind myself I wasn't in NYC. Looking forward to the pictures I know will be posted due to this great weather!

[SkyscraperGuru]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Me: Ivy League education. 10+ years experience in Operations Management and Transformation, Strategy, and Project Management. Post graduate coursework (non-degree) in Business, professional certification (PMP). I've managed and successfully transformed organizations with multi-million dollar budgets and hundreds of employees, for a multi-billion dollar company.

I can't find work here in Philadelphia or it's environs. I'm up to 100 resumes submitted. I've interviewed for jobs in Seattle, LA, and Denver. I've had only 4 interviews in the Philadelphia area, one of which I got through 4 rounds, yes 4 full day rounds to ultimately lose out to the other "finalist". I've been unemployed for a year. Spent the first 6 months traveling the world and the last six months looking for a job. I should be employed. I am not.

The fact that I'm unemployed, in my opinion, means there is something seriously wrong with this economy. I've applied for five jobs at Comcast alone, in its Business Operations unit...jobs that I am more than qualified to fill. I've been rejected for 3 of them. I received 1 rejection a day after I hit submit on Comcast's website. The job is still open (it was just re-posted on TheLadders today). I've yet to hear about the most recent two.

I guess Comcast doesn't want me because it would rather fill the job with a Drexel or Temple alum. No offense, but this must be one of the reasons why top grads by-pass Philadelphia for other cities. Because frankly, the employers here don't give them the respect they should garner in the marketplace.

It's very frustrating.

On that note, I'm available for work. So, if anyone has an interesting opening in his/her firm that he/she thinks I might be qualified for, let me know (PM me). At this point, I'd even be willing to come on as a 1099B contractor (which sucks) to prove my worth, hopefully for a full-employee position down the road.

If this persists, it's back to grad school for me (MBA).

Wish you best of luck... advice is to check out some other PA/NJ/DE cities like Allentown, Trenton, Wilmington, Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg. It'll keep you close enough to Philly you can visit it often. I heard that Pittsburgh had a recent job-boom.

[3rd&Brown]

Originally Posted by SkyscraperGuru

Wish you best of luck... advice is to check out some other PA/NJ/DE cities like Allentown, Trenton, Wilmington, Pittsburgh, Erie, Harrisburg. It'll keep you close enough to Philly you can visit it often. I heard that Pittsburgh had a recent job-boom.

Thanks.

Trenton and Wilmington show up in the Philly job boards. As for those other places, I'd rather go ANY major metropolitan city in this country before I went to Erie. It's not worth my sanity.

[SkyscraperGuru]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Thanks.

Trenton and Wilmington show up in the Philly job boards. As for those other places, I'd rather go ANY major metropolitan city in this country before I went to Erie. It's not worth my sanity.

Haha yeah, from what i've heard Erie is not a great place to work or live.

[Skyscraper.Phanatic]

Attn: 3rd and Brown I put over 3,000 resumes out in Philly and NYC and many times I went down to the final 2 or 3 people. If your looking for the big time job it can take a while.

[summersm343]

http://planphilly.com/three-story-to...treet-old-city

Plans for 38-unit townhouses at the corner of Front and Callowhill Streets on the Delaware Waterfront. Looks like the waterfront is starting to see a lot of development. Let's hope momentum kicks up even more for this area

[bucks native]

source: http://www.bizjournals.com/philadelp...r_housing.html

LGBT senior housing

Philadelphia Business Journal by Natalie Kostelni, Reporter
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 2012, 3:41pm EDT

An affordable senior housing project in Philadelphia that is LGBT friendly.

The new housing will be in the heart of Philadelphia’s downtown lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender neighborhoods, and is considered to be among the first such elder housing facilities of its kind in the United States.

The six-story building will be on 13th Street between Locust and Spruce streets on land that will be bought by the Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority. It will have 56 one-bedroom units which will be available to seniors aged 62 and over who earn less than 60 percent of the Philadelphia median income.

[pwp]

Originally Posted by summersm343

http://planphilly.com/three-story-to...treet-old-city

Plans for 38-unit townhouses at the corner of Front and Callowhill Streets on the Delaware Waterfront. Looks like the waterfront is starting to see a lot of development. Let's hope momentum kicks up even more for this area

This is very, very, very, very good news!

[Jelly Roll]

Originally Posted by summersm343

http://planphilly.com/three-story-to...treet-old-city

Plans for 38-unit townhouses at the corner of Front and Callowhill Streets on the Delaware Waterfront. Looks like the waterfront is starting to see a lot of development. Let's hope momentum kicks up even more for this area

Since this is one big lot zoned C-4 are these units going to be one big condo project or are they going to be single family?

[Cro Burnham]

Anyone heard anything more about this 278' apartment proposal reported in Hidden City Philadelphia?

http://hiddencityphila.org/2012/04/2...-and-chestnut/



It would be a fantastic project to enliven 38th Street. Hope it goes through (obviously).

[summersm343]

hmmm interesting.

[Londonee]

Originally Posted by PhiLaw

I would guess that both the residential and the leisure population of this city has grown immensely since 2010. Just walking around the city today, it's rife with people doing god knows what. I walked down Walnut St. today and had to remind myself I wasn't in NYC. Looking forward to the pictures I know will be posted due to this great weather!

Hey PhiLaw...I wouldn't be surprised if a ton of the extra folks you saw walking around that corridor of the city are part of a huge Insurance/Risk Management convention that has taken over the Westin, Latham, Sofitel, and Radison (all on 17th st.). I noticed the same thing the other day, a huge influx of people (many in suits, or look like they sell insurance) wandering around Walnut...as this is on my daily commute the difference in total number of people was impressive. Unfortunately its temporary...if you do that same walk next Tuesday...it will be a little more subdued.

I think it all speaks more to what Center City could always be like if we had just a few more big businesses in town. Those who think that we are big enough to have multiple central business locations--shrugging as GSK takes thousands of workers away--should take heed at just how much more vibrant and alive the city feels with the boost of people.

[Jelly Roll]

Ground broken for a new Center City hotel
By Suzette Parmley

Inquirer Staff Writer

The city's first new ground-up hotel since 2000, and the first tailored to support the expanded Convention Center, broke ground Tuesday at 12th and Arch Streets.

Under a cavernous white tent, about 60 feet from the Reading Terminal Market and diagonally opposite the Convention Center, nearly 200 gathered to shovel the first dirt for the $60 million extended-stay Home2Suites by Hilton.

Some say the development may represent a thawing of the lending markets for new hotels here.


http://www.philly.com/philly/busines...ity_hotel.html

[pwp]

Philadelphia is ranked number 10... lol

http://travel.yahoo.com/ideas/americ...-hipsters.html

[acenturi]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Me: Ivy League education. 10+ years experience in Operations Management and Transformation, Strategy, and Project Management........

There's obviously no way to tell without reviewing your interview/resume analysis results, but I would guess that potential reasons for your difficulties may be your previous Salary and the "6 months traveling the world". It's usually OK to travel the world right after school, but in your case it may be viewed as somewhat of a lack of dedication to your career, etc.. The salary situation is hard to remedy, other than to possibly state that you will consider a lower salary if the position is challenging and offered significant promotion potential. If it where I, I'd drop the 6 month vacation acknowledgement and just let them assume you have been looking for the entire year. In this economy, that is not likely to be a detriment to the selection criteria. Oh and one other thing, which you probably already know, consider not presenting yourself as "begging for the job" because of the above 2 potential negatives. Going into an interview with the attitude of "I'll take any job at any salary" will likely get you an exit stage right veto.

[Jonboy1983]

Originally Posted by 3rd&Brown

Me: Ivy League education. 10+ years experience in Operations Management and Transformation, Strategy, and Project Management. Post graduate coursework (non-degree) in Business, professional certification (PMP). I've managed and successfully transformed organizations with multi-million dollar budgets and hundreds of employees, for a multi-billion dollar company.

I can't find work here in Philadelphia or it's environs. I'm up to 100 resumes submitted. I've interviewed for jobs in Seattle, LA, and Denver. I've had only 4 interviews in the Philadelphia area, one of which I got through 4 rounds, yes 4 full day rounds to ultimately lose out to the other "finalist". I've been unemployed for a year. Spent the first 6 months traveling the world and the last six months looking for a job. I should be employed. I am not.

The fact that I'm unemployed, in my opinion, means there is something seriously wrong with this economy. I've applied for five jobs at Comcast alone, in its Business Operations unit...jobs that I am more than qualified to fill. I've been rejected for 3 of them. I received 1 rejection a day after I hit submit on Comcast's website. The job is still open (it was just re-posted on TheLadders today). I've yet to hear about the most recent two.

I guess Comcast doesn't want me because it would rather fill the job with a Drexel or Temple alum. No offense, but this must be one of the reasons why top grads by-pass Philadelphia for other cities. Because frankly, the employers here don't give them the respect they should garner in the marketplace.

It's very frustrating.

On that note, I'm available for work. So, if anyone has an interesting opening in his/her firm that he/she thinks I might be qualified for, let me know (PM me). At this point, I'd even be willing to come on as a 1099B contractor (which sucks) to prove my worth, hopefully for a full-employee position down the road.

If this persists, it's back to grad school for me (MBA).

3rd&brown, I'm right there with you! I do have a job tho -- one that I rue and LAMENT with a passion (as a caregiver barely making enough to cover my living expenses). I have a masters degree in geography and planning, granted not from a top-notch Ivy-league school, but a good one nonetheless, West Chester University. I, too, am having a very difficult time finding employment. I have interviewed with planners and engineers alike. One engineer in Baltimore apparently didn't give a shit that I have been working in a nursing home instead of in my field. What the hell does he expect? Forget recession, we're going through a DEpression. Every 3 out of 4 people under 34 are either unemployed or severely underemployed. (The Philly Inquirer states that roughly half are unemployed, and that may only refer to Philly, but still)

It seems to me that people in this field, to make an NFL reference, are more interested in free agency rather than the draft... In reality, they are writing off not only our generation, but our future. We have new ideas we picked up in college, and how are we putting them to use? Performing custodial duties? Wiping asses? Flipping burgers and asking "do you want fries with that?"

Our country's economy is in peril...