Inga Saffron (photo credit: Philadelphia Inquirer)
Philadelphia Inquirer architecture columnist Inga Saffron has quite a story. I’d call this aggressive negligence.
Once upon a time it was a stately Philadelphia townhouse…. Today the 19th Century building is a weed-choked wreck with bricks popping out of the facade.
Upper windows hang slack-jawed, like a drunk who just passed out. Graffiti dances across a side wall. A family of possums has colonized the interior.
It has been like this, neighbors say, for a good 15 years, perhaps longer. They’ve called building inspectors, signed petitions and corresponded with city officials – with little results.
Neighbors have even offered to buy the house from its owner, who currently owes $31,772 in back taxes.
Such tales of neglect and lax enforcement could be told about any number of blighted, vacant houses that litter the hardscrabble corners of Philadelphia. What distinguishes this one is that the property is located two blocks off Rittenhouse Square.
This kind of neglect has consequences — not just for the neighbors who live on that block, but in promoting civic apathy.
If even rich, well-connected people can’t get an eyesore like this taken care of, what chance do the rest of us have?
(As an aside, kudos to Saffron for re-imagining her role as an architecture critic and practicing actual journalism. I don’t always agree with her, but I’m grateful for her legwork and effort.)
BetterPHL 
What do you think?