On Hazel Avenue

Here in West Philadelphia, almost all of the standing houses were built between around 1897 and the early 1920s. In many cases, a row would go up on one side of a block and there would be woods or a farm field across the street from it for twenty or more years. In the picture is the easternmost block of Hazel Avenue, built after WW1 after all the adjacent land had been developed about a decade earlier. Its architecture looks nothing like that of any other in the area, and all but three of the addresses have retained all their external features and are painted the same original yellowish-cream color. The paint color was once enforced by the local historical society. I remember when the upper facades of two houses crumbled during a freezing winter, being repaired with flat brick-faces, which you can just about see on the left, half-way along.

I painted one of these houses about fifteen years ago and I know one of the street's residents. I've heard more of the block's history, but I'm using only what I can remember here. It was raining, I have a slight flu, and I needed a blip before returning to bed!

This is one of the small developments in this part of the city that were commissioned by a company or university to house its officers or faculty in a way where they could be better observed by their actual bosses. I used to know a family who lived on a similar block a few miles to the north.

The 4600 block of Hazel Ave is considered a desireable choice in the local real estate market, because of the unique design, the sky blue color of many of the porch ceilings, and the good stand of street trees. What you see is a two-minute walk from my place and is both close to everything one needs and has a tucked-away feel to it.