Please Preserve Wanamaker's (Macy's) in Center City Philadelphia, One of America's Last Grand Department Stores

It is pretty depressing learning of the news that the historic Wanamaker's Department Store, which is currently a Macy's, is set to be closed. We went to an Eagles game back in November and went to the store and ended up shopping. It was a lovely experience. I even commented that it was a really special experience getting to experience a downtown department store experience after having lost the former Kaufmann's in downtown Pittsburgh, which was also being operated by Macy's. The redevelopment of that building is complete now, which is something that is pretty disappointing as it currently stands. A Target store is in the center of the grand cosmetics hall that greeted shoppers and looked absolutely spectacular. They kept the floor but otherwise it looks like any old big box store now. No charm, nothing. I fear this happening to Wanamaker's, with spaces getting chopped out of the building with no regard for the aesthetics, which would really be a great loss for not just Philadelphia, but the entire country. These downtown department stores are getting rare. This is the last one left in Philadelphia, and one of the last remaining ones in the entire country. It is a gathering place and a national historic landmark. It adjoins City Hall and Dilworth Park, which is home to many seasonal events and activities. 

It might be the end for one of America's last remaining grand department stores. Home to the world's largest operating musical instruments, and so much more. We are so glad to have gotten to visit the store in the wind up to what might have been its final holiday season after a run of a department store running at the site since 1868. Please save this treasure and ensure that it is preserved, Macy's and TF Cornerstone, the New York based real estate holdings company that own the building. This place is a national treasure and needs to be preserved.   

It was really special stepping into the cosmetics area after not having done so in a really long time in a downtown department store. I wonder how interested a Ulta or Sephora would be in operating this area with minimal change. 

The organ is the largest operating musical instrument in the world with 28,750 pipes stretching seven floors from the base of the giant 12 floor building. For more history and technical details on this organ, check out the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ. I hope that if the building ends up getting utilized by multiple retailers, that they work to keep the Grand Court and first floor completely intact in some way. Both the organ and the Eagle statue were related to the St. Louis Worlds Fair, with the organ having been originally built for the exhibition and the eagle being on display at it. 

I feel so fortunate to have enjoyed time in the store during its last wind up to the holiday season at the store, especially before the shadow of closure loomed over the store. With it also feeling especially amazing having seen the Eagles win during their Super Bowl winning season last year. In its next incarnation, please preserve the first floor as retail space, at least leaving the cosmetics area alone, and leaving the grand hall as an open space. 

Lehigh Parkway: Allentown's Great Urban Park, Museum of Indian Culture/Lenni Lenape Heritage Museum, Covered Bridge, Trout Hatchery, & More

One of the finest things in city planning that was done in the city of Allentown was the creation and preservation of the Lehigh Parkway. It is a beautifully wooded, 629 acre park in the heart of the city of Allentown. It and the bulk of the Allentown City Parks, and regional attractions like the Trexler Game Preserve, and Hickory Run State Park were founded under the vision of industrialist and philanthropist Harry Clay Trexler. 

Lehigh Parkway serves as a year round community gathering spot with its trails, historic structures including a covered bridge, an old iron through truss bridge, and a historic stone buildings. Much of the development of the park can be credited to Depression era WPA projects. Over the holidays, the road that runs through the park is decorated for a beautiful drive through lights display called Lights in the Parkway. In my humble opinion, after having gone through many drive through displays across the state, it is one of the best, if not the best, drive through lights display around. It is simply stunning. 

If you have read our blog for any period of time, you may notice that urban parks are a heavy focus of ours. Public green space that everyone has access to has huge quality of life benefits to communities. They serve as natural gathering places for communities to come together and celebrate. The trees and vegetation create oxygen that create clean air to breathe. These large urban parks serve almost like the lungs of their regions in converting that CO2 back into oxygen for us to breathe. The creek that flows through the park is a renowned trout habitat, one that I often fished in my youth. People jog, hike, and walk their dogs on the paths and trails throughout. Since the area sits in one the lowest lying area in the city, during heavy rains the valley serves as a flood plain, preserving many of the occupied property areas in the city. Additionally, the numerous historic structures located within the park are preserved for future generations to learn about the region's heritage. 

Nearby, there is also the Lil Lehigh Trout Hatchery and adjacent Museum of Indian Culture that showcases the culture of the local Native American tribal unit, the Lenni Lenape/Delaware Peoples, whose land covered basically the entirety of both the Philadelphia and New York Metro areas, and all of New Jersey. They were the tribal unit that first interacted with William Penn and they got seriously hurt by the Walking Purchase and further policies pushing them out of their native lands. The museum is lovely and informative, a wonderful part of the overall community and my first introduction to the world of Native Americans. They also cover a series of other native cultures across the Western Hemisphere.

Bogert's Covered Bridge is 145 feet long and crosses the Lil Lehigh Creek and dates back to 1841. 

Be sure to check out the nearby Lil Lehigh Trout Hatchery as well. There are also a bunch of covered bridges within about a 15-20 minute ride of here that are well worth checking out. Here is a link to our guide to Lehigh County Covered Bridges.