Sunday Out was the theme of the event at the Piazza in Northern Liberties. Chris and I were there with "a Bunch of Dummies" literally! See photo to the left!

But seriously folks, we were there with tens of thousands of incredibly awesome people! Take a peek below at the view of the crowd from our vantage point on the 5th floor balcony of our office located at 1033 N 2nd Street, the Remax Access office.

The Piazza was filled with vendors serving up food, spirits, and fun for all ages. It is amazing that within only a little more than a year, Northern Liberties has become on of the premiere destinations in Philadelphia along with Penns Landing, the Convention Center, the Art Museum, Rittenhouse Square, the Constitution Center, etc. It is a "Must See" for those who visit. And for locals like Chris and I, we take a special pride in participating, both as Northern Liberties Residents, Real Estate Investors, and as Philly Business Owners in the neighborhood. We still feel a little like tourists when we walk through the Northern Liberties neighborhood because there are new businesses, galleries, restaurants, and properties popping up all of the time! You gotta love that!

Everything was LIVE including the entertainment. There was a trendy fashion show featuring some scrumptious designs by our very own Delicious Corset Boutique. The dancing was expertly choreographed and sparkly. If you have not heard the band Chalk and the Beige Americans, you need to. They may just be the most awesome band I have heard play live... EVER!

If you have not heard the band Chalk and the Beige Americans, you can right here.

When people ask us, "Do you really think Northern Liberties is an up and coming neighborhood?" I think I am going to smile politely, point them to this blog post, and say, "What do I know? I like to hang out with a Bunch of Dummies!"


We invite you to get to know us and our city a little better.

Spelt pasta at Apollinare

Philadelphia is quickly becoming a city of sumptuous fresh pasta. If you ever plan on opening an Italian restaurant around town, be forewarned: you'd better crank out some fresh dough, because Philadelphians will know the difference. Homemade pasta cooks in minutes and is simple to make, but there are two new kitchens in town that are rolling out some particularly tasty noodles.

In Northern Liberties, Apollinare put in a direct call to Italy, sourcing  Umbrian restaurateurs Fabio Auguadro and Andrea Scotacci for the Piazza space formerly known as Vino. Now, you'll find pasta made on the premises, from traditional carbonara and potato gnocchi to spelt pasta ribbons and cauliflower tortelli.  The fresh pasta really makes a difference in a new restaurant that is trying to make a name for itself.

When Marc Vetri decided to open his third Italian spot in Philadelphia, a trattoria named Amis in Washington Square West, critics and fans everywhere were intrigued. Could Vetri bring a budget-minded trattoria to a quieter section of the neighborhood that bordered so closely to South Street? By the power of fresh pasta, he could. The casual restau-bar is still sharp and stylish, with sleek wood and plenty of group seating.  Like any Vetri affair, the service is superb and the food is exquisite, but the mood is toned down and the volume is definitely higher.  We bet that's because everybody is talking about the fresh pasta.  All pastas are housemade, but it's the creamy, peppery tonnarelli "cacio e pepe" that had us twirling our forks lovingly.

Forget the dry stuff. We recommend that you visit both A-lettered pasta houses for a plate of fresh noodles.

Apollinare, 1001 N. 2nd Street, the Piazza at Schmidts

Amis, 412 S. 13th Street

But on top of that, whenever I walk into 3rd Federal Bank, the folks are always friendly and fun.  I really feel at home versus some of the other banks I have used in the past.  When Stephanie and I popped in yesterday, Led Zeppelin was playing on the radio.  The time before it was the Foo Fighters !  How cool is that ?  Definitely not your ordinary bank !  On top of that, there is exposed brick and great art work by a local artist in Northern Liberties.  Below are a couple of photos of the branch right on N 2nd St in Northern Liberties:

Call The Somers 215-400-2620, RE/MAX Access, Northern Liberties, Philadelphia

820-24 N 3^rd Street $1,200,000

Attention all developers and builders! A buildable lot in the heart of Northern Liberties is an extremely rare find. This lot for sale in Northern Liberties is over 15,000 square feet (60 feet wide by 218 feet deep). Very successful new construction projects like The Piazza and Liberties Walk have paved the way for future opportunites like this. This is in immediate walking distance to N 3rd Restaurant, Liberty Lands Park, the Orianna Dog Park and all the wonderful Northern Liberties neighborhood restaurants and shops.

Photo Gallery for 820-24 N 3^rd Street

This lot for sale in Northern Liberties had approved plans in the past for new construction of four townhomes, 12 condominiums and a structure for parking. G2 zoning allows for a broad range of potential uses. Bring your imagination, creativity and passion to Northern Liberties and take advantage of this substantial opportunity. Seller is motivated.

Explore more about Life in Northern Liberties

Investors Search here

TheSomersTeam.com

215-400-2620

Remax Access, Northern Liberties

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If interested in buying or selling properties in Philadelphia, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com or 215-400-2612. For investment properties, check out our new investor site at Philly Investor Hub! If interested in checking out our new office in Northern Liberties, let us know !

The Somers Team - Philadelphia Real Estate

Search the MLS Properties Here in Philadelphia

Areas of specialty include: Northern Liberties, Old City, Center City, Fishtown, Graduate Hospital, Art Museum, Queen Village, Pennsport, Old Kensington, Port Richmond, Bridesburg, Society Hill, Loft District, Spring Garden and more !

It was the Friday night of the approaching snow storm that was predicted to hit Philadelphia hard. It had been a long and busy week for us in our Northern Liberties office. We had a fair dose of stress during the week, and to top it all off, The Snow was approaching.

The flurries falling down from the sky made me recall memories of my childhood, like invisible tattoos on my conscience. Once upon a time, in a land far far away, I used to love the snow. The more, the better, and the kind that was wet made the best snowmen. As my boots crunched across the parking lot, I knew instinctively. This was some good snowman snow.

Heading home the short way, rounding the corner around the back of the Piazza on N. Hancock Street, with our heads still spinning from the week, something caught my eye. A flash of light! A bolt of lightning! A dark figure! I squeezed my eyes tight and opened them again to see if I was imagining things. On this quiet Northern Liberties street filled with swirling white snow and dark shadows, I saw something amazing.

I was in awe. I stopped. I approached it. It was real.

It will be here until March 15.

“The Land of Love and No Fear”, a new work by Eric Eaton
Pure Gold Gallery at 1001 N Hancock Street in Unit 57

Our next unique opportunity to be a part of the remodeling process is at 208 W. Wildey Street, right off of 2nd Street in Northern Liberties. Northern Liberties is a neighborhood that thrives on the creative influence of its residents and you can do the same with a house like this. Wildey is one of the quieter blocks in the neighborhood. We've always loved this little block, which is right behind Liberties Walk and the Piazza at Schmidts. There are also some great shops worth checking out on Girard Avenue, like Quince Market, which is the place to go for cheese. The Girard Avenue trolley and the Market-Frankford line make it easy to get downtown or to Temple University. There's constant change and innovation in this neighborhood of restless artisans who take pride in making their community stand out with a vibe all its own.

If interested in buying or selling properties in Philadelphia, contact Chris and Stephanie Somers at thesomersteam@yahoo.com or 215-400-2612.


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]]> http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/02/make-it-your-own-208-w-wildey-st-in-northern-liberties/feed/ 1 http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/01/welcome-to-the-weekend-dont-go-too-far/ http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/01/welcome-to-the-weekend-dont-go-too-far/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 20:54:10 +0000 ssomers http://blog.thesomersteam.com/?p=433 The weather outside is not your friend. There's plenty to be done indoors, however, so here are a few options we'd put on our jackets for:

Open House at the Training Station Gym in the Piazza - This weekend, you can get a tour of the gym on the third floor of the Rialto building, right below our office. Phil Clark, owner of Run Shoe Store and the Training Station, gave us the rundown this morning. The unobstructed Northern Liberties view through the full-length windows is the positive reinforcement that you need for your treadmill session. There will be plenty of elliptical machines and weight stations, as well as a rowing machine that simulates a real rowing experience with a water wheel. The gym will be open for actual workout sessions by the second week of February.

The Philly Auto Show kicks off tomorrow. You can get a look at the featured cars on their website. Cars are warm. We like that.

We're betting that there's a Philagrafika exhibition somewhere near you, with 300 artists at 80 venues. The celebration of print in contemporary art is your chance to see some very cool printmaking work. Then proceed immediately to a neighborhood bar for a beet salad and a warming beverage. Meet you back here on Monday.



]]> http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/01/welcome-to-the-weekend-dont-go-too-far/feed/ 0 http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/01/the-darlings-diner-story-the-cheesecake-was-born/ http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/01/the-darlings-diner-story-the-cheesecake-was-born/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:53:35 +0000 ssomers http://blog.thesomersteam.com/?p=138

The thing that makes a local restaurant so special is their story. Darling's Diner and Famous Cheesecakes, located at N. 2nd and Germantown Avenue, at the Piazza in Northern Liberties is a great restaurant and has a great story. Ryan and Kara in the photograph (below) are an illustration in a simple snapshot of how Darling's serves up a delicious meal and a delightful atmosphere every day. The decor is a mash-up of Silk City meets Stephen Starr. But atmosphere and good food do not create themselves. So, we decided to find out what the story was behind all of Darling's good stuff, especially the cheesecake.

Harry Arnold admits he was born to be in the restaurant business. Thinking back at all of the years he had spent in the food service industry as a busboy, a server, a bartender, and reminiscing about pushing around his fair share of dessert carts, Harry happily admitted, "I really can't imagine myself doing anything else!"  Harry is the co-owner of Darling's Diner and Famous Cheesecakes. As we sat chatting in his diner over a piece of his insanely world-rocking chocolate mousse, Harry's confessions continued. "I had never cooked a thing in my life, but then one day I decided I wanted to try my hand at it."

The very first dish Harry ever tried to cook was cheesecake. By the fourth try, his chef friends knew he was on to something. "They really liked it!" As a waiter, in the back kitchens of Chickie and Pete's in South Philly, a restaurant that banned all desserts, he was turning his coworkers onto his secret cheesecake concoction. They loved his delicious recipes. Harry's friends and anyone who had the good fortune to taste one of his cakes wanted more. The more people tasted, the more they got hooked on his perfectly created recipes. Harry began to realize that he too was hooked. "I was addicted to the feeling I got when people said they loved my cooking." And so it was, Harry's career was born.



Breakfast at Darling's...retro grub for the modern set

Many people encouraged Harry to open a restaurant but his brother John was the man, the "pillar", who really stepped up to the plate as a business partner and investor. The two men opened a tiny 6 seat cafe with a chalkboard menu at 20th and Pine Streets in Philadelphia and within the first year of business they received the Best of Philly Award for desserts. A year later they opened a second store behind the Franklin Institute just off the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on 21st Street.

Business was cooking for a couple of years, though it was not always a sweet ride for Harry and John. Their big plans to move to a third location went sour when the stock market crashed and burned. John was devastated and Harry was in shock. But you know what they say, when one oven door closes, another opens and pretty soon they were planning the menus and hiring the staff for Darling's new location at the Piazza in Northern Liberties.

If you have not been to Darling's Diner yet, STOP what you are doing RIGHT NOW and go there! We mean it! What are you waiting for? We will see you there soon!

Darling's Diner at the Piazza is located at 1033 N. 2nd Street in Northern Liberties. For more info, visit their website at www.darlingsdiner.com



Have you met Darling's chocolate cheesecake?



]]> http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/01/the-darlings-diner-story-the-cheesecake-was-born/feed/ 2 http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/01/piazza-farmers-market-springtime-in-january/ http://blog.thesomersteam.com/2010/01/piazza-farmers-market-springtime-in-january/#comments Sat, 16 Jan 2010 19:03:24 +0000 ssomers http://blog.thesomersteam.com/?p=772 Piazza in Northern Liberties. Philadelphia Farmer's Market: Spring time in January For more information about Northern Liberties contact Stephanie Somers (215) 694-3707 The Somers Team

Piazza in Northern Liberties. Philadelphia Farmer's Market: Spring time in January

For more information about Northern Liberties contact Stephanie Somers (215) 694-3707 The Somers Team

This video is just another reason to love Northern Liberties in Philadelphia. Today is a sunny Saturday afternoon in January and it looks like Spring Time in the Piazza in Northern Liberties! We are so lucky to have our office overlooking this grand extravaganza. You should see it in the spring, summer and fall when the weather is more conducive to outdoor fun. But, it is just another day in the Northern Liberties Neighborhood where people come from far and wide to get a taste, quite literally, of the fresh foods and local delights offered in Philadelphia. If you are from out of the Philadelphia area and you have never visited the Piazza in Northern Liberties or the wonderful hot spots around the entire neighborhood, Chris and I personally invite you. It is a destination indeed. There are restaurants and shops, family and pet friendly, and plenty of smiling happy people everywhere. Including us!

You may have noticed a large flat screen TV hanging above a stage on the video I posted above. If not take another peek and look closer. The enormous TV is the center of attention at the Piazza in Northern Liberties during many of the televised sports games year round. There is outdoor seating provided and many of the restaurants and shops have a front row seat. In fact Swift Half Restaurant has the best location at the foot of the huge TV at the Piazza.

If you want to become a happier person, smile a lot, laugh, run, and play then visit Northern Liberties. If you want to really enjoy the lifestyle in Philadelphia, we highly recommend checking out the Piazza in Northern Liberties. It is located at N 2nd Street and Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19123.

Shiny Happy People:



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