Phillyist Cruises the Schuylkill

It's no news that Penn's got plans to develop some real estate on the west side of the Schuylkill, but Phillyist didn't know there were plans for the river and river banks as well. Phillyist and a friend were offered free passes for a boat tour of the Schuylkill in exchange for being booted out of a local coffee shop before closing (nicest.bum's rush.ever), where we learned the following things:
*The Water Works are much lovelier viewed from the Schuylkill River than the Schuylkill Expressway.
*One can take the river trail from Locust Street to Valley Forge.
*There are a large number of "prominent" and "well-known" architects we've never heard of.
*Stetson hats used to be made in Philly and then shipped to Texas.
*The Schuylkill River is tidal.
*There's a statue of a fisherman on a rock it is difficult to see from anywhere but on the river.
*Condos are going into the old armory building. Floors being strong enough to hold tanks, the condo concept involves residents being able to drive their cars into the building and up to their front door. This strikes us as both luxuriant and ludicrous.
*There are plans to build a pedestrian bridge across the river, joining West Philly to Center City, so at long last these two warring nations can find peace. (Ok, we added that last bit. But they way they went on and on about how these two city areas would finally be brought together, one got the impression that the Schuylkill River was Philadelphia's answer to the Berlin Wall. As it happens, Phillyist has used the existing bridges to traverse between West Philadelphia and Center City numerous times, and hadn't been aware there was need for another.)
*There is a tree named after Ben Franklin.
*The Schuylkill was originally used for recreation...a use they hope to renew. (It's nice enough to cruise on, but you won't catch this Phillyist kayaking in it. It's a bit too murky for us to chance falling in.)

More info on the banks and the tours here.

Photo by author