Center City's 13th Street is transformed into "Midtown Village"

When James McManaman decided to switch careers from hotel industry executive to 13th Street art gallery owner, he didn't just want to be another retailer. He wanted to help change the face of the entire community.

"I didn't want to just open a store - I wanted to bring new business to the area," he said.

McManaman moved to the neighborhood from Washington D.C., about two years ago. He and partner David white own Absolute Abstract Art, which opened in March at 141 S. 13th Street. They are one of around 30 new businesses which have opened in the last ten months alone in this neighborhood.

Center City's 13th Street area has a sordid past of prostitution, drugs and vacant buildings, and it used to be avoided by shoppers and onlookers as recently as five to ten years ago. However, with new high-end restaurants, boutiques, loft's and other development the neighborhood has staged a remarkable comeback in the past few years.

McManaman and other business owners decided that with a new look, the area needed a new name. In July, he began helping to organize the nearly 180 business owners in the 13th Street District, which spans the area from Market to Locust streets, and Broad to 11th Streets. Few large businesses are located here, with most of the store owners preferring to keep their businesses small and unique.

"The reason why I came here was because I saw how up and coming the area was," said Gavin McKay owner of Fusion Cross Training, one of the newest businesses in the area. Located at 105 S. 12th Street, Fusion opened in November and will have its Grand Opening part Friday, January 19th, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

"This area is all about local, small business people creating unique and high quality places to shop, eat and work out," McKay said. "All of these people are passionate about what they do and they want to invest in it."

On Nov. 7, 2006, 61 area businesses within the newly formed district cast ballots at a Center City hotel and chose the name "Midtown Village" in a landslide vote. Business owners hope that with increased name recognition and a strong marketing effort, Midtown Village will become as much of a destination neighborhood as Old Cit, Northern Liberties and Rittenhouse Row.

"People have been saving, it's about time!' No one has worked to market the area before," McManaman remarked, " I want people to come back across Broad Street from areas like Rittenhouse Square."