if these dumbfuck neighbors have a problem, they should check out radegast in williamsburg, brooklyn. no, this is not an endorsement of williamsburg, but it is a good example of how awesome a good beer garden can be.

Actually, I was at the neighborhood meeting, and people were generally for it, with the only real concerns being noise and parking. That doesn’t mean that the zoning board won’t swat it out of the sky, but this has momentum, and last night’s meeting seemed to be geared toward rallying support.
The name on the facade read BIERGARTEN in typical one-word-per-concept-because-our-words-are-like-legos German styling, but we’ll see what he settles on. The general look if it was again, very Stephen Starr like all the other Todd Oldham-looking places he owns, and pretty huge.

Something odd about that spot, though — KD Financial Services JUST opened a new office in that space (per the all-caps announcement at http://fishtown.us/node/15190, plus I’ve seen the signage when walking past there to the El). Is it possible it’s the space next to it (with the two garage doors) or even further down the block, the 5-story building in the background of that picture?

Lawrence, It’s both the white building and the brown brick garage next to it, to be used as a mixed indoor / open roof patio layout.
Mike, This developer did the KD financial building as well. He owns a lot of the area, but I’m not so sure that big=bad, before you get too fearful. He was talking about the awful ideas he’d turned down for the spaces that he owns, included bars that would be undeniably douchey and loud, a taxi hub, a VW repair shop, etc. He seems to want to shape the area in some at least debatably improved direction. He lives in Northern Liberties.
Gabbage, I agree. My neighbors are simply concerned about the direction of the neighborhood. The reason that we bought houses in Fishtown is because we wanted to live here and not in Old City. There’s nothing “dumbfuck” about watching what comes into your neighborhood. I used to live near South Street, and I’ll be damned if Girard becomes another gigantic shoe / cheese steak / lingerie outlet full of cruisers and beach cops.

i prefer all of the empty store fronts on girard instead. and the hookers one block over under the el.

I live in Northern Liberties and yes, I just recently moved there from the Jersey Shore, and no, it’s not like the show. I moved because of work and my wife going to school. I like that this area is not quite as city as other parts, but to have some nostalgia for the way Girard is right now is like having nostalgia for a garbage dump. It might have been nice years ago, but now it’s so filled with trash it’s sickening to walk down. It seems to me the poeple of fishtown don’t care all that much about their neighborhood. Why are people so affraid of Gentrification, it will bring your property values up and make your neighborhood safer. I think a beer garden would be a great addition.

Mbk, The meeting was held in a private residence. If you live in that immediate area and want to be involved in the future, please send an email to f.towncollective at gmail.

Other Matt, We care a lot about the neighborhood. We just don’t want to live in Old City. It’s nice to be able to walk to the piazza, but it’s also really nice to be able to walk away. For some people, it may very well be petty hipsterdom, but to echo Dan’s point, sleeping through the night and being able to park within a block of your home are some nice features. We’re just being selective about what comes in, which quite literally is caring about your neighborhood.

Bryant: It is my understanding the Fishtown Neighbors Association was against the Roy Rogers/KFC.

Why do people always assume that an alternative to a Stephen Starr beer garden must be something bad. It could be a hardware store, or a Hispanic grocery, a farmers marker, a center for technology startups. It could be an architecture or design company or perhaps a doctors office. Jobs created by restaurants are not very high paying. I would much rather see businesses opening that provide high paying jobs so that educated professionals can live, work, and play in Fishtown.

It’s crucial that residents have a say in the direction of their neighborhood’s development. We all have to realize however, that the change is on it’s way and the money will win. This site will inevitably be developed and judging from it’s proximity to the existing night life and future casinos, we may only have a short time with which to choose wisely what new influence we have over our neighborhood. Frankford and Girard is not exactly a cozy nook in the village of fishtown, never has been and should not be expected to be. This is an ideal location, right off of the EL which puts a huge relief on concerns of parking ( though I know does not have a huge influence on peoples choices on whether or not to drive). What should be a concern is aiding motivated local start up businesses along with influentiall entrepreneurs to get a foot hold before the influence of big money is too great.

Stephen Sterr is not the end all be all of Philadelphia. Its narrow minded people who think that way. It amazes me that people treat him like the re-incarnation of Will Penn, as if without him we would just roll off the map into the murkey depths of the Delaware. What I am saying as a 4th generation Fishtowners is that a mere 7 yrs ago Fishtown was a true neighborhood, cozy with a sense of community; a throwback, if you will, to what made neighborhoods great when they were full of hardworking people. The reason there is blowback to developments like this and to gentrification (Matt) is that as these developments take place the people that made this neighborhood attractive to recent transplants are being forced out. I can no longer afford my own neighborhood and my families lineage in the neighborhood may now die. Whats even more infuriating is that some of these newcomers look at us with contempt. Where do you get off. Certainly Fishtown had its lion share of problems in the past but innundating Girard or Frankford Ave with sexy bars and restaurants does not make for a better neighborhood.

Dan–normally, the restaurant comes first, the high paying professional jobs *maybe* second (those are relatively rare jobs). the low paying jobs come first because there’s less capital costs. I’m not saying one or the other…having a high quality beer garden can help bring in these professional jobs. Setting it up as either/or is creating a false dichotomy.

He is Ringo Starr’s son?

the success or failure of this enterprise turns on one detail: will they have deviled eggs?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=nimby

Matt from Fishtown- I completely agree with your last comment.

I also live in Fishtown and have been here for 4 years. I am excited to hear about the new Stephen Starr possibly opening in our area. I live closer to York St, so the parking and noise issues will not effect me, but I can certainly understand the concerns of those who live within a few blocks of Frankford and Girard. I would love to see Frankford Ave and Girard Ave build up (not with multiple nail salons and convenient stores) but with nice restaurants, maybe a gym, farmers market…

I love the ‘neighborhood’ feeling of Fishtown, and I think the location that the restaurant would be placed in is perfect, being that it is close to the El and at one of the busier intersections. I think this could be a good thing. Maybe it will bring in people who would not normally travel into Fishtown, and other local businesses with trigger their interest and they will come back and spent their money at our local shops and restaurants (Hot Potato Cafe, Sulimays, Johnny Brenda’s, Sketch Burger…)

I believe the next Fishtown neighborhood meeting in March will have a big discussion about the restaurant. Maybe there will be a way to convince them to also add a small parking lot, so that parking isn’t too much of an issue?