This past week CITYSPACE had the honor of shooting video of Developer Jim Maransky talking about the sustainability of the IceHouse Condo Development in Fishtown. This three part series explores the basement and garage including the rainwater harvesting system, the common green roof and the interior of a unit. Enjoy Part One of the series below:
Check out this great cleaning company we just heard about! Thinking of having some cleaning done? Why not go enviro?? Check ‘em out!
Ecofresh has emerged as an industry leader in residential and commercial cleaning. Centered on our revolutionary cleaning product and state of the art equipment, we are able to provide our customers with the healthiest living conditions possible. Our dedication to detail ensures the most thorough clean every time we visit.
We developed our PureGreen* and PureSteam* cleaning system to promote the health and safety of your family. All of our products are 100% non-toxic, biodegradable and safe for people, pets and planet. Producing and maintaining a “green” environment in your home is proven to reduce the effects of allergies and asthma in children and adults. Providing better air quality and living conditions is our mission at Ecofresh. Our well trained clean teams will demonstrate why we are the most thorough cleaning service available on the market.
Whether it’s our meticulous maid service or our advanced carpet cleaning system, you can be sure that that you will be getting Philadelphia’s best and safest cleaning services available. For more information on Ecofresh services please visit our website at www.myecofresh.com. Also, don’t forget to check out our revolutionary cleaning product called CLENZ. It’s the strongest, safest most versatile cleaning product on the market. In fact, were so confident that you will love this product that we’re giving away a complimentary bottle to all of our first time clients. So call Ecofresh today and let us help you start living “green”.
Green House - Denmark
Ok I admit it. I have a bias toward the Danish people and their totally awesome country. They just really know what they are doing over there… which you would expect because they have been doing it so much longer than we have in the good ole US of A. Denmark is full of green roofing, energy efficient buildings and appliances, and wind turbines, and it isn’t even necessarily innovative to the people there. When I get all excited about it they look at me like, isn’t this how it is everywhere? We aren’t there yet, but hey we’re really trying in Philadelphia! Check out these awesome LEED certified green projects in Northern Liberties — these are the real deal people, not sorta green, not “bamboo flooring”… these are practically DANISH – now that’s sayin’ something!
Want Green Housing in Philly? Go here!
http://www.onionflats.com/nl_onion.php
http://domanidevelopers.com/
We have all heard that Mayor Michael Nutter wants Philadelphia to emerge in coming years as The Green City in America. If you are not on the band wagon yet, it’s time to jump aboard! One of the great aspects of this goal is that he actually has a plan, and a realistic one at that!
The Mayor wants to throw some $6 million in the next year, and $25 million over the next five years at recycling. Currently, as a city, we are at the low, low collection rate of 6%. With this added money in the budget, Nutter aims to start collecting on a weekly basis instead of every other week, and make the system more user friendly to participation. In addition, he wants to implement a city-wide litter prevention strategy based on the prior effort of Councilman Frank DiCicco.
Another effort will be directed at Fairmount Park. He wants to raise it’s budget, plant more trees, and really focus on making it an epicenter of the city, drawing more visitors and residents.
Finally, and here is the big Kahuna, Nutter is aiming to get an energy audit for the city, get all existing city buildings to qualify for LEED certification, and develop a Sustainable Building Code for all future new construction. Whether this will be just for city owned buildings are all new commercial buildings downtown is not know yet at this time. We do know the new Comcast Center, though, will be a fantastic sustainable model for all things to come!
He may be our superhero Mayor, but he knows that he cannot accomplish all aforementioned goals alone. He is now in the market to name a Director to a new Office of Sustainability and establish a Cabinet for this Director. So, if you know anyone…
-Rachel Lipton
(Get To Know Rachel A Little Better @ LiveGreenInPhilly.Com)
Many Philadelphia real estate owners question the economics in spending money to make their home more energy efficient if they plan on selling it in the near future. Depending on how long you will live in your home you may never recoup the money you put into upgrading your home from your monthly utility savings. In today’s market however, Green is becoming the norm. With rising fuel cost and utilities buyers are purchasing homes with this in mind.
One thing that you can do is have a home energy audit performed. This will tell you what you can do to improve your home’s overall energy efficiency. Sometimes minor and inexpensive repairs can be made that would save you big money. You would then be able to provide the energy audit to interested buyers.
If you’d like to do a Home Energy Audit online, check out this Web-Based-Do-It-Yourself Energy Audit Tool from the Environmental Energy Technologies Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
Another quick fix is to replace old appliances with newer and more efficient models. You can go to www.energystar.gov to learn more about the appliance rating system and which brands are rated higher.
So not only will upgrading your home save you money in the short term but it can also possibly help sell your home quicker as well as for a higher price. Buyers may see a reduction in anticipated monthly utility costs as justification for shifting their monthly mortgage payment budget a little higher.
And while making your home greener could add to more dollars in your pocket, you’ll be able to sleep better knowing that you are consciously helping the environment.
Sean Dundon
Interested in becoming more eco-friendly but don’t know where to start?
Check out this You Tube video featuring the founders of the Ideal Bite, an organization who’s message of “incremental environmentalism” advocates making small everyday changes that add up to make a major impact on the environment.
Read more about the Ideal Bite at www.idealbite.org and click here to sign up to receive daily tips that offer great suggestions about how you can make the world around you a little greener. 
Don’t miss our newest green listings, 1317 East Berks Street and 1346 East Berks Street.
For more information or to schedule a showing, contact Melissa Barrett at 215.300.4604 or mbarrett@phillycityspace.com.
You can have a tree planted in front of your house at no cost as long as you live within the Philadelphia city limits. The Fairmount Park association is responsible for all city trees that line the streets and grow in the parks (so this does not count the one in your back yard!).
This not only means that they are responsible for upkeep, pruning, and removal of dead trees, but by filling out a simple request form, you can get on the list, however lengthy, to have them plant one in front of your home! All you need to do it make sure it gets enough water.
Studies show that trees can reduce energy costs by casting shadows on buildings and absorbing wind and snow that would otherwise be directed at the home. In addition, urban trees and surrounding soil play a significant role in absorbing rain water that may otherwise cause street or sidewalk flooding. For those of you who are more worried about the economic benefits, research shows that houses on block without trees sell up to 20% less than similar houses on nearby streets that are lined with trees. An even more astounding study showed that there is less crime committed on streets with more foliage!
Bottom line? Get a tree! It’s free, but they take donations of course!
Here’s an attachment for your own Fairmount Park Association Tree Request Form http://www.fairmountpark.org/pdf/FPC_tree_request.pdf
To search for properties with Rachel, click here.
Rachel Lipton, REALTOR ®
RE/MAX City Space
Platinum Collection Team Member
632-34 North 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Main: 215-625-3650
Direct: 215-625-7940
Fax: 215-625-4721
Cell: 215-868-5972
Email: rlipton@phillycityspace.com
CITYSPACE 2200 WALNUT STREET PHILADELPHIA PA 19103 t:215.625.3650 f:215.625.4721