While still a strong presence on Germantown Avenue, One West draws up to its neighbors as comfortably as an easy chair before a fire. That has as much to do with the placement of the retail as it does the superb architectural craftsmanship and wedding-cake setbacks on the upper floors. The brick-and-stone building was a joint production of Runyan & Associates and SPG3 Architects, which designed the Whole Foods building on South Street.
Apartments in small commercial districts (and not just Center City) are a growing trend. As the population ages, they allow people to downsize while sticking around the neighborhood. Residents like the activity, explains Snowden, who owned hundreds of apartments near Germantown Avenue, including one he lives in. "You walk out your front door and it's a party," he says.