And 19103 is the 10th wealthiest ZIP Code nationwide.
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ZIP Code 19103 is the 10th wealthiest nationwide, according to CCD’s new report.
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Center City District Retail Report: Keep Shopping, You’re Good at It
Center City District just released its annual Retail Report, and downtown is apparently doing okay. Here are some of the bullet points.
Open Streets is good for business. The 10-year-old program prohibiting car traffic during certain times on certain days has led to a 39 percent increase in sales and a 65 percent increase in overall foot traffic.“Neighborhoods in and around Center City make up eight of the top 10 wealthiest U.S. ZIP codes in our region, with 19103 ranking 10th nationwide and first locally in terms of wealth concentration.”Retail storefront occupancy from South Street to Vine and river to river is at 84 percent.The city’s population is on the decline, but Center City is up 4.4 percent since 2020.Approximately 74 percent of Center City storefronts are occupied by independent and local businesses; 19 percent are national, 7 percent are regional.The first-ever location for Nike’s new sports/fashion store Jordan World of Flight opened at 16th and Walnut in October, which is nice.Also, Abercrombie & Fitch and Veronica Beard recently opened local stores, and Mitchell & Ness is expanding.According to two recent surveys, most people who live in Center City don’t have cars, “but the ones who do cite the need to access retail destinations unavailable on foot as the most common reason they drive.”Shopping is good for the city and we should do more of it.We should all just go downtown and buy ourselves something because we are good people.Perhaps some new Nikes?
Detail from the CCD report
A Beheading in Manayunk
Like any good cargo cult, the people of Manayunk adored the 300-pound concrete T. Rex that mysteriously appeared in Manayunk Bridge pocket park one day about four years ago. They named her Bridget the Dino. They decorated her for Pride, Easter, Halloween, and other holidays. They added other dinosaurs throughout the neighborhood.
They gasped, collectively, when they heard somebody had somehow knocked her head off last weekend.
“Bridget wasn’t just a statue. She was a symbol of creativity, joy, and the magic our community builds together,” said one post on Facebook. “Seeing her damaged feels like losing a small but meaningful piece of our shared space.”
The Inquirer story on the history and importance of Bridget, and discussions about replacing her, is worth your read.
Secret Recordings of Unhinged Rant by Campbell’s Soup Exec?
A former cybersecurity employee at Camden-based Campbell’s says he was fired soon after reporting that a security VP used a salary discussion to rant about Campbell’s workers, customers, and product. Robert Garza recorded the offensive remarks allegedly made by executive Martin Bally and released them along with a wrongful termination lawsuit filed last week.
In addition to the racist things Bally allegedly said about the company’s Indian employees and its “poor” customer base, he supposedly said its chicken was “bioengineered” and made using a “3D printer.”
After denouncing the other offensive remarks, Campbell’s addressed the chicken allegations.
“The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate — they are patently absurd. The chicken meat in our soups comes from long-trusted, USDA approved U.S. suppliers and meets our high-quality standards.”
Then they pointed out that comments were by somebody who works in IT “who has nothing to do with how we make our food.”
Nonetheless Florida attorney general James Uthmeier announced he would investigate the matter, noting that “lab-grown meat” is outlawed there.
It’s kind of silly to think major company would in 2025 “cut corners” by secretly replacing chicken with a much more expensive bio-engineered alternative, but who knows? Let us know what you find out, Florida.
Little Bits
And now, for no reason: