My peeps from 215 Magazine kept me in the loop all weekend while I was in Philly. On my last night in the city they invited me to join them for a ?uestlove DJ set on the other side of town. The location was called Liberties Walk and it was a funky little community that has arisen from the industrial blight.
How funky is Liberties Walk? So funky and that it has a MySpace page. Okay, not hip enough yet for a Twitter page, but still… Female? And 29yrs old? Holla!
Liberties Walk is some of the best urban planning I have encountered EVAR. It reminded me of a college campus for adults. The layout was open but not overwhelming. It was perfect for walking and browsing and shopping. In a word I would say simply living. The commercial establishments at the ground level were all inviting and the central courtyard would be great for a Sunday afternoon of relaxing.
Kids jumped rope and played with their hula hoops while the big kids sipped beer and enjoyed the music.
Liberties Walk didn’t feel forced to me either. It felt organic and natural as if this neighborhood had been here for the last twenty years. I wondered what the residency component was comprised of because the apartments looked like some major money duplex condominiums. They certainly got the mixed use aspect down pat. I wonder if the mixed income component was left out?
We’ve been trying to figure out how to accompolish this same type of community here in NYC. The Atlantic Yards project has had fits of starting and stopping because it can’t seem to blend the need for the developer to have a return on his investment while keeping the context of the downtown Brooklyn neighborhood. Maybe BRUCE RATNER ought to hire ?usetlove?
^ Where are you Yeezy?!?
?uesto spun the entire afternoon up until the evening. He treated us to all kinds of great music from classic soul and R-n-B to new wave and rock favorites. ?uestlove surprised me with his house music set which was deeper than I imagined he could go [ll]. I was reminded of years back when I would visit Philly for the Greek picnic in Fairmont Park. Good times…
^ Colt 45. It works everytime.
^ ?uestlove made everyone do the electric slide! LMAO
We partied until sundown and before my chariot back to NYC turned into a pumpkin. I’m definitely on the Bolt Bus coming back to Philly in a few weeks because the hospitality and culture were what I always envisioned this town could deliver.
Philadelphia is one of the hardest working cities in America. They are blue-collar through and through so when they party they know how to have a good time. Thanks to 215 Magazine and the Roots crew for giving me an unforgettable, legendary weekend.
