Inga Saffron
@ingasaffron.bsky.social
Pulitzer Prize-winning Arch. Critic phillyinquirer & author “Becoming Philadelphia”, 20 years of columns, from rutgersupress Lotsa buildings on IG.
This feels like the Sixers arena debacle all over again. Via @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Comcast promises to ‘turbocharge’ East Market revitalization efforts championed by Mayor Parker
The mayor unveiled a list of 60 people who will sit on her Market East advisory committee.
www.inquirer.com
November 7, 2025 at 11:35 PM
This feels like the Sixers arena debacle all over again. Via @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Fixing Market East should not be this hard, Philadelphia. Some thoughts on the latest mess. Gift link! share.inquirer.com/GQi8Wo
With proposed demolitions, a reinvention plan for Market Street is off to a rocky start
The new playbook is starting to look a lot like the old playbook.
share.inquirer.com
November 6, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Fixing Market East should not be this hard, Philadelphia. Some thoughts on the latest mess. Gift link! share.inquirer.com/GQi8Wo
Reposted by Inga Saffron
Fantastic reuse of a substation and arts anchor, but I have never seen a city oppose the drive to turn a corridor into an creative arts district as much as Philly has with N American St
Legacy arts institutions are struggling, and yet new ones are still being born in Philly. Today’s column looks at the ambitious Forman Arts Initiative, which will showcase for work by women, Black and brown artists in a fantastic clutch of industrial spaces. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
Forman Arts Initiative promises to turn North American Street into a grittier version of the Parkway
At a time when legacy institutions are struggling, newer, more nimble arts groups are expanding.
www.inquirer.com
November 2, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Fantastic reuse of a substation and arts anchor, but I have never seen a city oppose the drive to turn a corridor into an creative arts district as much as Philly has with N American St
Legacy arts institutions are struggling, and yet new ones are still being born in Philly. Today’s column looks at the ambitious Forman Arts Initiative, which will showcase for work by women, Black and brown artists in a fantastic clutch of industrial spaces. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
Forman Arts Initiative promises to turn North American Street into a grittier version of the Parkway
At a time when legacy institutions are struggling, newer, more nimble arts groups are expanding.
www.inquirer.com
November 2, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Legacy arts institutions are struggling, and yet new ones are still being born in Philly. Today’s column looks at the ambitious Forman Arts Initiative, which will showcase for work by women, Black and brown artists in a fantastic clutch of industrial spaces. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
When I started covering Philly architecture in the 2000s there were spate of garage proposals. The applications fell off for awhile, but now there is a new crop. Septa is still underfunded, it is still too easy to drive & the world is growing hotter. @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Is 2025 Philadelphia’s year of the parking garage?
An unusual number of stand-alone parking garages has been proposed in Philadelphia this year, even as costs to build and maintain them surge.
www.inquirer.com
October 23, 2025 at 3:38 PM
When I started covering Philly architecture in the 2000s there were spate of garage proposals. The applications fell off for awhile, but now there is a new crop. Septa is still underfunded, it is still too easy to drive & the world is growing hotter. @jakeblumgart www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Reposted by Inga Saffron
This deteriorating historic Point Breeze church is being turned into a brewery, and thanks to legislation Council passed in 2019 it doesn't need any zoning relief to make the change www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
A once-crumbling Point Breeze church is being preserved as a brewery and community space
A city incentive to protect historically significant churches paves an easier path to redeveloping Second Nazareth Missionary Church.
www.inquirer.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:24 PM
This deteriorating historic Point Breeze church is being turned into a brewery, and thanks to legislation Council passed in 2019 it doesn't need any zoning relief to make the change www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
I hate everything the vulgarian-in-chief is doing to the architecture of the White House right now, but I do think it should be noted that the current east wing was built in 1942 to provide office space and cover the construction of an underground security bunker. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Wing
East Wing - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
October 21, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I hate everything the vulgarian-in-chief is doing to the architecture of the White House right now, but I do think it should be noted that the current east wing was built in 1942 to provide office space and cover the construction of an underground security bunker. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Wing
Can we install updated versions of this on all of Philly’s surface parking lots?
September 26, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Can we install updated versions of this on all of Philly’s surface parking lots?
The @phillyinquirer ‘s first architecture quiz, courtesy of real estate editor @ericapalan www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Can you match the famous Philly building to its architect?
Who built that? Name the people behind some of the Philly area’s most recognizable buildings.
www.inquirer.com
September 22, 2025 at 1:16 PM
The @phillyinquirer ‘s first architecture quiz, courtesy of real estate editor @ericapalan www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Reposted by Inga Saffron
Follow-up: a stirring, thoughtful review from the incomparable @ingasaffron.bsky.social. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
Calder Gardens is a luminous, magical spirit cave that subverts the Parkway’s monumentality
The project offers Philadelphia a new way to think about the flawed Parkway.
www.inquirer.com
September 18, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Follow-up: a stirring, thoughtful review from the incomparable @ingasaffron.bsky.social. www.inquirer.com/columnists/a...
Reposted by Inga Saffron
I honestly don’t have enough luminous, magical spirit caves in my life.
Not only is Calder Gardens like nothing else on the Parkway - it’s like nothing else anywhere. This is a great building, as my review explains. To celebrate, a gift link: share.inquirer.com/1K33B0
Calder Gardens is a luminous, magical spirit cave that subverts the Parkway’s monumentality
The project offers Philadelphia a new way to think about the flawed Parkway.
share.inquirer.com
September 15, 2025 at 11:30 AM
I honestly don’t have enough luminous, magical spirit caves in my life.
Has ‘Go Birds’ fully replaced ‘Have a blessed day’ as the top Philly goodbye phrase?
September 15, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Has ‘Go Birds’ fully replaced ‘Have a blessed day’ as the top Philly goodbye phrase?
Not only is Calder Gardens like nothing else on the Parkway - it’s like nothing else anywhere. This is a great building, as my review explains. To celebrate, a gift link: share.inquirer.com/1K33B0
Calder Gardens is a luminous, magical spirit cave that subverts the Parkway’s monumentality
The project offers Philadelphia a new way to think about the flawed Parkway.
share.inquirer.com
September 15, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Not only is Calder Gardens like nothing else on the Parkway - it’s like nothing else anywhere. This is a great building, as my review explains. To celebrate, a gift link: share.inquirer.com/1K33B0
Wasn't it just a few months ago that the Sixers and the arena bros were telling us that no one takes the subway to the Philly Sports Complex? 🤔 www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
SEPTA will run sports express trains for Eagles home opener after sponsor steps in
FanDuel will cover the cost of an additional 10 sports express trains and fares for fans on their way home from the Philadelphia Eagles home opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday.
www.inquirer.com
September 3, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Wasn't it just a few months ago that the Sixers and the arena bros were telling us that no one takes the subway to the Philly Sports Complex? 🤔 www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
As storms become more intense, the flooding in Philly’s low-lying areas is forcing property owners to make difficult choices, and even abandon their buildings. My column looks at how a church was able to reuse a historic mill by balancing adaptation & preservation. www.inquirer.com/opinion/hist...
Manayunk church prepares for floods by turning a Main Street mill into a modern Noah’s Ark
The project offers a solution for preserving vulnerable historic buildings in a time of rapid climate change. But it might not work forever.
www.inquirer.com
September 2, 2025 at 11:34 AM
As storms become more intense, the flooding in Philly’s low-lying areas is forcing property owners to make difficult choices, and even abandon their buildings. My column looks at how a church was able to reuse a historic mill by balancing adaptation & preservation. www.inquirer.com/opinion/hist...
Putting a huge garage on a major transit corridor, within an easy walk of 30th Street Station’s regional rail, is another dagger in the heart of @SEPTA
www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
495-space parking garage is planned for 41st and Market in University City
A new almost 500-space parking garage is University Place Associates' latest development in this corner of West Philadelphia.
www.inquirer.com
August 21, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Putting a huge garage on a major transit corridor, within an easy walk of 30th Street Station’s regional rail, is another dagger in the heart of @SEPTA
www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
This is a really smart take on the Septa funding debacle. Where indeed is Mayor Parker right now? At the same time, the Joe Pittman video is a must-watch for everyone who wants to hate on rural PA. thephiladelphiacitizen.org/septa-reveal...
What the SEPTA Funding Saga Reveals about Parker and Shapiro
Mayor Parker's been silent on SEPTA. Shapiro is rallying the already converted. What happened to preventing a crisis before it starts?
thephiladelphiacitizen.org
August 15, 2025 at 3:10 PM
This is a really smart take on the Septa funding debacle. Where indeed is Mayor Parker right now? At the same time, the Joe Pittman video is a must-watch for everyone who wants to hate on rural PA. thephiladelphiacitizen.org/septa-reveal...
This story quotes the Robin Hood Foundation as saying 25% of NYers live below the povert line. If that’s true, then we have to stop saying Philly is the poorest big city in the US, with a rate of 20.3%. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/n...
Does Earning $142,000 in New York City Make You Rich?
www.nytimes.com
August 14, 2025 at 3:16 PM
This story quotes the Robin Hood Foundation as saying 25% of NYers live below the povert line. If that’s true, then we have to stop saying Philly is the poorest big city in the US, with a rate of 20.3%. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/14/n...
The imprisonment of this public art work is the latest example of how businesses on Philly’s Market Street will do anything to keep people away. When is that task force Mayor Parker promised going to start work on this problem? www.inquirer.com/columnists/m...
Walling off Market East’s public spaces will stymie its comeback
In a clumsy attempt to address drug use on 12th Street, the Marriott Downtown has locked up its outdoor cafe and a well-known sculpture.
www.inquirer.com
August 3, 2025 at 12:56 PM
The imprisonment of this public art work is the latest example of how businesses on Philly’s Market Street will do anything to keep people away. When is that task force Mayor Parker promised going to start work on this problem? www.inquirer.com/columnists/m...
Having lived in a Philadelphia historic district for 25 years and renovated my modest little rowhouse, I have to say the answer to this headline is, ‘no’. We all benefit when a house can been used and reused for 200 years. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Are Philadelphia’s historic preservation regulations too strict?
Homeowners and preservationists are clashing over the cost of building materials in some of the city's most historically significant spots.
www.inquirer.com
July 30, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Having lived in a Philadelphia historic district for 25 years and renovated my modest little rowhouse, I have to say the answer to this headline is, ‘no’. We all benefit when a house can been used and reused for 200 years. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Trump is systematically attempting to erase the history of American slavery from our historic sites - just in time for the country’s 250th anniversary. Great reporting from @phillyinquirer www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
More than a dozen slavery displays in Philly, including at Washington’s former home, have been flagged for a Trump admin review
Six displays at the President's House Site, which illustrates the paradox between freedom in the new nation and the ongoing horrors of slavery, were among those flagged for review.
www.inquirer.com
July 29, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Trump is systematically attempting to erase the history of American slavery from our historic sites - just in time for the country’s 250th anniversary. Great reporting from @phillyinquirer www.inquirer.com/news/philade...
Every word in this story will make your head explode. The death of a teenage boy riding a scooter is horrific. But it is not a ‘privilege’ to travel by scooter or bike. Make the streets safe. www.inquirer.com/news/pennsyl...
Delaware County township underscores electric scooter ban after 12-year-old’s death in crash with car
A local ordinance bans electric scooters on all township streets and sidewalks, Ridley Township commissioners said.
www.inquirer.com
July 21, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Every word in this story will make your head explode. The death of a teenage boy riding a scooter is horrific. But it is not a ‘privilege’ to travel by scooter or bike. Make the streets safe. www.inquirer.com/news/pennsyl...
This is more like it. But Philly’s Market East still needs a city and community-led plan. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Comcast and 76ers ownership purchase two swathes of East Market to redevelop
The new development partners say the purchase proves they are still committed to East Market Street.
www.inquirer.com
July 8, 2025 at 6:05 PM
This is more like it. But Philly’s Market East still needs a city and community-led plan. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Half a happy ending, but still painful to lose another Furness building. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Historic South Philly churches designed by Frank Furness slated for very different futures
19th Street Baptist Church is being demolished, while Shiloh Baptist Church will be preserved for generations to come.
www.inquirer.com
July 3, 2025 at 10:00 PM
Half a happy ending, but still painful to lose another Furness building. www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
Reposted by Inga Saffron
Thank you! According to researchers at Yale & Penn, the Medicaid cuts can result in 51,000 preventable deaths every year. It's heinous. Please tell friends to call, write, FB message, Tweet, etc our representatives . Americans are frightened & many will lose loved ones. We have to try.
Congress: Save Medicaid Now
Politicians are attempting to pass devastating cuts to Medicaid right now and we must act fast. Send a message telling your member of Congress to fight back now.
action.aclu.org
July 2, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Thank you! According to researchers at Yale & Penn, the Medicaid cuts can result in 51,000 preventable deaths every year. It's heinous. Please tell friends to call, write, FB message, Tweet, etc our representatives . Americans are frightened & many will lose loved ones. We have to try.