Wellness is a Journey. Just ask Karen Rossignol and Nancy Blum, your Neighbors.
It was a cool Saturday morning in early Spring, and I was driving to 4th and Thompson to show 2 women, driving up from VA, a church we had listed for sale. I had never met them before. As a matter of fact, I was not going to meet them at all due to my packed schedule that day. But, when I heard that Karen was looking to start a Holistic Health Practice in Philly, and her partner was an artist looking for a unique space to live in...I had a feeling in my bones that they could be really fun clients.
My bones were right! As I pulled over at the corner of N 4th Street and Thompson in Old Kensington, Karen, a then fiery redhead, with an infectious smile, and a certain positive attitude twinkling from her eyes, won me over before she could say hello. She and Nancy looked amazingly well-rested after their 6 1/2 hour drive from Richmond, VA. I've done that trek with Chris when we visit his folks. And believe me, I am not as charming at the end of that drive! Well, long story short, that day, the church property was definitely not for them but our first meeting pretty much sealed the deal for an amazing journey Karen and Nancy were about to take.
Karen was living in Richmond and Nancy in Manhattan when they began to investigate Real Estate in a 120-mile radius around Manhattan when they thankfully decided to narrow it down to good old Philly, specifically the cool area of Northern Liberties, Fishtown and Old Kensington. That is how they found me. They examined Graduate Hospital, Brewerytown, South Philadelphia and numerous other areas around Center City but found their groove in the Northeast corridor, which is where a lot of creative folks are putting down roots.
Karen and Nancy finally found their home in East Kensington (otherwise known as an arm of Fishtown) but it was not completely built yet! So, Chris and I offered our demure 2 bedroom rental property in nearby Old Kensington to them while they waited for their much larger home to be completed.
So, up from VA they moved all of their possessions and precious cargo including their 3 dogs: Ziggler, Coda, and Ellie, their 16 yr old cat Spice, and Karen's 16 year old daughter Chelsea. More recently when I was speaking to Karen she openly laughed out loud remembering her first winter in that 2 bedroom house...we had 3 feet of snow and they forgot to pack their winter clothes! Ha ha ha, good times, right?
Karen, Nancy, Chelsea, Ziggler, Coda, Ellie, and yes even Spice are now settled in their new home on Emerald Street. Chelsea goes to high school in Philadelphia and loves it. Nancy recently returned form Berlin where one of the pieces she has in a show there is rumored to be purchased by the American Embassy! And Karen is finally seeing her goals come together as she is now breaking into the Wellness Scene with a new office at 440 E. Girard in Fishtown.
I want to introduce you to Karen and Nancy, your neighbors, and share their Journey with you. Urban Roots Wellness Center opened over the weekend and offers massage, reiki, homeopathy, hypnosis, tinctures, and more.
"We plan on growing herbs in the backyard and offering tinctures to customers. We have infant massage sessions, where we can teach parents how to massage their infants. We really want to be able to give back to the community that we live in."
Right now the center is decorated with Nancy's amazing art work. Please stop by and meet Karen when you are in the area!
The Urbanrootswellness.com website will be live soon.
Urban Roots Wellness Center
440 E Girard Ave
267-886-8468
Mon - Fri: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Sat: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Related:
Nightmare on Hancock Street. A true story...
The Road to Wellness on Girard Avenue
Meet Your Neighbors: Borrowing a Cup of Sugar
Our of our newest neighbors is bringing new meaning to "Borrowing a cup of sugar" from the house next door.
The SugarHouse Casino. Not what you would expect us to write about in our "Meet Your Neighbors" spot of our newsletter, huh? Well, this neighbor quite literally sits on one of the sweetest pieces of Real Estate in Philadelphia. They are located on the rivers edge overlooking the Ben Franklin Bridge to the South and the winding Delaware River bank from the North. SugarHouse's waterfront view were held hostage for decades by an unmanaged, pollution ravaged, and ignored site that was once the location of a long forgotten sugar refinery in use from 1881-1984.
Ironically the news that SugarHouse was moving to the neighborhood was not so sweet, at least not according to the neighbors, community associations, and Casino-Free Philadelphia members who feared the worst would happen if a casino took up residence at the old refinery site. For the people who live in the riverside communities such as Old City, Northern Liberties, Fishtown, and Port Richmond, we had been looking at the SugarHouse site for the past couple of years with mixed emotions. Our SugarHouse neighbor was under a significant amount of scrutiny from the City of Brotherly Love.
With the many proposals, the city red tape, and countless protests behind them, the SugarHouse Casino opened their doors in October welcoming the community with open arms even though they were not overwhelmingly supported. We stopped by to check out the new neighbor. We thought we'd ask to "borrow a cup of sugar". Since our office and home is a stone's throw from the casino, we drive by often only to report that the parking lot seems to be filled with plenty of cars and people enjoying the entertainment being offered.
* 45,000 square feet of gaming floor
* A mix of the newest slot machines
* Live table games, including:
o Blackjack
o Craps
o Roulette
o Mini Baccarat
o Pai Gow Poker
o Three-card Poker
o Four-card Poker
3 Restaurants
So, has everyone shaken hands and made amends with the casino? Well, not exactly. The community still launches negative comments about what the future holds for Philadelphia and criticism has been heard on the streets about everything from being a lackluster architectural specimen to failing to cater to a high end audience. The positive comments are from those that love gaming as a form of entertainment and from those that simply see SugarHouse as a riverfront pioneer with the revenue to build a walkway and bike path behind the casino that provides public access to the long forgotten majestic Delaware River. Perhaps The SugarHouse Casino development can be the catalyst that will really sweeten up Philadelphia's most neglected feature.
We hope you enjoy our pictorial introduction of our featured neighbor. If you have not visited, we recommend it. Even if you do not gamble, you can make SugarHouse one stop as you tour Northern Liberties, Liberties Walk, and visit us The Somers at our office at 1033 N 2nd Street, 5th Floor of the oval shaped building in the Piazza.
Related:
A Riverside Retreat at…SugarHouse Casino
[image of Sugar Refinery via PhilaPlace.org]
Meet Your Neighbors: Yana of PlanEvent4You in Northern Liberties
YANA to the rescue! Meet Yana Kotlyarenko, our neighbor in Northern Liberties. Yana is a lifesaver! She is not a doctor, not a surgeon, not even an EMT. In fact, she has no medical training whatsoever. What she does have is an advanced certification in Event Planning from Temple University and what I call Super Party Planning Powers.
After hosting The Somers Meet the Builders Tour in August, We realized we needed help. It was nothing less than divine intervention when we bumped into Yana at the Piazza several weeks ago. Yana is the owner of a boutique event planning business called PlanEvent4You. Needless to say, that day, under the big screen TV, Yana became the event planner for The Somers next Real Estate event. Planning an event or party is like a full time job! And like I mentioned earlier... YANA to the rescue!
Yana Kotlyarenko made the September Meet the Builders Tour go off without a hitch. She made sure every detail was taken care of so that we could participate and enjoy our guests and the fun activities we had lined up.
Yana specializes in "the perfect intimate date, dinner party, and travel planning" as well as developing creative themes, gifts, and invitations. Yana has even orchestrated romantic marriage proposals for romantically challenged individuals and she has done so with a 100% "I Do" track record. Not too shabby. She can even work with shoestring budgets with "sky is the limit" type results.
Yana gets a lot of her inspiration from traveling. "I was born in Kiev, Ukraine and moved through Europe before settling in Northeast Philadelphia. I later studied in London and then traveled through Europe again. I moved to San Francisco for a few years, enjoyed that immensely, and hope to bring some of that energy to Philadelphia."
When she is not planning a party or traveling, you might find Yana in...Old City or Northern Liberties, strolling through the shops and galleries, at Bar Ferdinand for a glass of wine...at the Piazza, or at Octo, enjoying the river views.
So if you need a helping hand planning an intimate event, party, or celebration, even if it as small as 2 people or as large as a corporate gathering, we say YANA to the rescue!
Thanks, Yana for helping us and for letting us pick your party planning brain. I hope the next time we "bump into" each other it will be over a glass of wine at Bar Ferdinand. Hint! Hint! You can contact PlanEvent4You at info@planevent4you.com.
Who’s Hanging Out in our Office? Bruce Reinfeld
I have a
lways been a lover of the art scene and a quiet admirer of our urban landscape in Philadelphia. For some people it is hard to see beauty amongst concrete and steel. But not for me. It was about 2 years ago or maybe even 3 when Chris and I schlepped into one of our favorite local coffee joints, One Shot Coffee in Northern Liberties. There is always new local art on the walls of the cool cafe. Well, that day we saw this amazing photo on the wall. A color enhanced black and white print of train tracks. We fell in love with it!
Fast forward to today, and Chris and I now own that magnificent print along with another piece by a local artist, Bruce Reinfeld.
Let us tell you a little about Bruce...
Bruce Reinfeld's photography has been shown in galleries around the country - striking images in hand-colored black and white and mixed media prints. He finds his subjects in his travels across the country, but it's here in Philadelphia at Reinfeld's Old Kensington studio that the photographer and musician comes home to reflect.
Where do you live? What is your home like?
"Old Kensington. I live north of Girard on Mascher in a 3500 sq ft warehouse."
Did you grow up here?
"I grew up in Philly near Chestnut Hill and went to University of the Arts."
Can you tell us about your band? Any upcoming shows?
"Just finished recording and mixing a full project with Producer Brian McTear at his Fishtown studio along with Brian Christinzio (BC Camplight), Pat Berkery (Bigger Lovers), and Tommy Ciccone (Jealous Type). Should be released early 2011 with gigs to follow."
What is your favorite spot in Old Kensington to grab a beer or lunch? Any fave hangouts?
"When I am home it is usually Johnny Brenda's, El Camino, Standard Tap, 700 Club, N 3rd, 1 Shot Coffee. I am not sure what the other side of Spring Garden looks like anymore..."
We have both of Bruce's prints proudly hanging up in our office so we can see them every day. They are outstanding. We want to thank Bruce for letting us tour his studio and we wish him the best on his new CD to be released in 2011.
Please check out Bruce's website at:
http://www.highfidelitydisco.com/
FACEBOOK FAN PAGE:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/High-Fidelity-Gallery-Bruce-Reinfeld-Photography/183646567162
Meet Your Neighbors: Life Beyond Tweets and Texts in Old City
Preserve your history with Susan Hanson
Between our clients, our Blogs and our Tweets and Texts, we have come to know some of Philadelphia's most intriguing experts. Susan Hanson happens to be one of them. Why's that? Well, she currently runs a consulting practice called Perspective from History Behind the Scenes, which offers writing research and personal history services to individuals, businesses, churches, schools and other community organizations. Do you need your history documented? Leave it to Susan Hanson.
Since most of the writers we know focus on the future, present, or immediate past such as when the latest technology device will come out or the latest scroll on CNN, etc., it seems like many of us would rather not dwell in the past. We are constantly gazing ahead. Hanson's business gives us something different and truly wonderful, an opportunity to preserve stories in a very personal way, even though we are racing forward without the time to document beyond our daily tweets and texts.
"I established History Behind the Scenes, my consulting service for history museums, historic sites and cultural institutions, in 2001," explains Hanson, "With the slowdown in the economy, museums and other projects were being put on hold or disappearing altogether and with the rise of interest in memoirs and personal history, I decided to branch out and seek private clients earlier this year. Perspective is a new branch of my business in my new city. I certainly hope many here will be intrigued by what Perspective has to offer."
Through her work, Hanson has encountered stories with personal ties to her own history.
"I organized a large private archive and developed the life story of a woman, who lived an amazing life as an Office of Strategic Services (OSS) official during World War II and later as a high ranking civil servant. Since the archives were my aunt’s and the clients were members of my extended family, the project had aspects of both the professional and the personal. Most of all, it brought into focus the world of the “Greatest Generation” that is fast receding from living memory."
Hanson's office location of Old City puts her in the midst of some of Philadelphia's most well-preserved and storied historical sites. It's hard to walk the streets of Old City without feeling a little pang of nostalgia. How does Hanson like working in the Historic District of Philly?
"After a career in living history museums, it makes me feel very much at home professionally and personally. I feel especially gratified that so many visitors from all over the world walk our streets and take in the pivotal history that happened there. It really is my kind of place."
It can be challenging to dig deep into history and piece together a story. Heavy research and fact-checking are an important part of Hanson's writing. At the end of the project, she feels quite accomplished.
"Usually, I have mixed feelings that range between feeling deeply satisfied about the life story that has emerged from all of the research and writing and wishing that there was time or money to do more. People generally react positively, saying the client was lucky to have me around."
Thank you Susan Hanson, for offering us such a wonderful and meaningful service.
Let us not forget where we came from.
Meet Your Neighbors: Anthony Oriti of Tidy Dwellings
Tidy Dwellings. It just sounds clean. Say it out loud. Say “Tidy Dwellings”. I mean it. Say it nice and slow. “Ti-dy Dwel-lings” Doesn’t it drum up visions of clean linen wafting in the breeze on a sunny spring day? It sounds like something that Martha Stewart would say, “Tidy Dwellings. It’s a good thing.”
A tidy dwelling is something we all aspire to have. Isn’t it? Whether you own a home or rent an apartment, whether you are a guy or a girl, it is a universal desire. We all want a clean place to live. But as we all would agree, creating and maintaining a tidy dwelling is not as easy as it sounds. But we have found someone who makes it easy.
A few years ago we helped a young couple, Anthony and Jessica Oriti, buy a lovely home in Fishtown. Anthony was a relatively new local business owner at the time who started a cleaning and delivery service called... you guessed it... Tidy Dwellings! We hired Anthony to clean our condo and recommended him to many other friends and clients over the years. Tidy Dwellings is the service that we use to clean our Remax Access office. And ask Anthony, we are messy!
Today Anthony is not just the owner of Tidy Dwellings, he is a proud Daddy with another baby on the way and with his wife and partner Jessica by his side, Tidy Dwellings has taken off to become the premiere cleaning company for Philadelphia in our eyes. They have the white glove approach with homes, condos, apartments, and commercial businesses.
Take it from us, there is nothing like coming home to a clean house after a long day at work. It smells good, it looks good, and it feels good. Our cats even notice the difference! For those people who need a little helping hand keeping things neat and clean, we have 2 words for you. I think you know what they are.
Related:
Clean Up Your Act with Tidy Dwellings
Meet Your Neighbors: Gary Dawson of Locksmith on Wheels
Meet Your Neighbors: Gary Dawson of Locksmith on Wheels
"The only time I'm not working is when I'm on vacation!" says Gary Dawson.
The 55-year-old Fishtown native, owner of Locksmith on Wheels, lives above his 24/7/365 locksmith business at Columbia and Girard Avenues.
It's a good thing for locals that someone from Dawson's shop is always around to let them in when they're locked out or lose a key.
You could say that being a hard worker is in Dawson's blood. Back in the 1940's, his father ran Dawson's Butcher Shop on the first floor storefront on East Girard Avenue in Fishtown. He was the neighborhood butcher until the '60's, when he closed shop because he could not compete with the large supermarkets. Dawson's mother decided to step in and opened the store up again in the mid 1960's until 1991. Her shop was called Alice's Sandwich Shop, also known as Dawson's. Gary remembers his mother's handmade crab cakes and potato salad that would keep her working into the wee hours of the morning in preparation for the following day's sales. People knew she was committed to making everything by hand and always fresh. Alice was famous in the neighborhood for her Delicious Steak Sandwiches.
When not feasting on Mom's sandwiches, Dawson kept busy. He took up locksmithing when he was 21. He decided to take his gig mobile in 1981, calling it "Locksmith on Wheels". In 1991, he turned his father's butcher shop and mom's sandwich shop into a locksmith office. Dawson works the shop with his son, Gary Jr., and they live upstairs in the very same house they grew up in. There's a lot of history and family legacy in this building.
We've used Dawson and recommended his services countless times. Think Local and think Locksmith on Wheels next time you need a professional locksmith.
We admire and respect you, Gary, and wish you many more years of success!
Locksmith on Wheels
321 East Girard Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125-3930
(215) 425-0794
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