Rich people have a message for the Philly suburbs: Suck it. That's according to a recent New York Times article that wants the world to know that rich people can afford the million-dollar condos popping up all through Philly (and Boston. And Atlanta. And DC.). They're so #blessed that they're swapping their big-ass mansions in the "affluent suburbs" for smaller, luxury condos like One Riverside because city life is where it's at! (Or, at least they're gazing longingly from their offices toward the 22-story condominium building that won't be open for another several months.) The article goes on to explain how baby boomers are basically reverting back into children, describing one of them as "a little boy awaiting Christmas" until his 11th-floor condo is ready so he can get the hell out of the 'burbs.
Carl Dranoff, the builder of One Riverside in Philadelphia, said he was in the high-end game for good now, after years of mostly middle-class residential development.
"In the past five years, Center City has become much more trendsetting, desirable, full of promise," he said. [...] He added, "The suburban housing market was depressed during the recession, but once that was over, the wealthy all seemed to want to be downtown — like they were kids again. I don't think that will slow down for a long time." But the winning quote is from a DC resident: "We never had it so good—pool, gym, concierge, everyone asking to do things for you. We have never missed the suburbs for a second."
My, that sounds quite lovely, doesn't it? Quite.
· Giving up the affluent suburbs for city living [New York Times]
· Introducing One Riverside: the newest jewel of the Schuylkill [Curbed Philly]
· Find out which Philly neighborhoods are gentrifying rapidly [Curbed Philly]
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