The Piazza at Schmidt’s

Great place to live– the apartments are located perfectly in the heart of Northern Liberties. I guess we’ve been having issues with people stealing packages, so in an attempt to remedy that, they now bring the packages into the leasing office (which I appreciate). The only issue is sometimes the leasing office is closed so we can’t get our packages delivered on time. In an attempt to remedy this new problem, they have installed a security guard in our building, which again, I appreciate them trying to help.
So thankful that they no longer have concerts in the courtyard, although it should be interesting to see how things fare with the New Years Eve party.
All in all, very happy with the apartment. Especially the fact that the walls in our building are cement blocks so we never hear our neighbors. :-)

I was at The Piazza for a concert & summer block party. I found it to be super-​crowded and unnecessarily difficult to get in and out of the square. Not my favourite venue.

You do not want to live here they constantly tow residence cars the heat isn’t efficient and they are so expansive and nothing is smooth the neighbors steel your groceries when you unloading in the lobby and bums run up on women and try to steal bikes it’s a great location but nothing but hassles and noise the entire place is under construction and it sounds like the jack hammer is in your house starting at 7am why would anyone pay $ 2,000 for no peace or safety they have no working cameras anywhere so that means that if your walking alone they say that your secure but your not they have no amenities that they say they have the gym is one machine that’s not a gym. I’ve lived here not even a year have a parking permit and been to get my car from the impound 4 times and I’m a resident they extort you for money tow cars that have permits and force you to pay even though they made a mistake

BE VERY CAREFUL of the «free» parking. Since the new management took over, the free section is getting smaller and smaller, and George’s tow truck is waiting in the parking lot ²⁴⁄₇ to tow cars. I’ve seen countless cars getting towed over the past few weeks in what used to be the free section. Now it seems that there is not enough permit parking so they are creating permit parking only sections of the formerly free parking section.

I just moved out after 4.5 years living at the Piazza. A few of the positives:
1. Great views from upper level units.
2. Lots to do in the area and very cool people in the neighborhood.
3. The noise level really isn’t bad at all, especially now that the 104.5 concerts have moved. The units are very sound proof as well. I hardly ever hear my neighbors.
4. Maintenance is very responsive and generally does a good job.
5. The people in the management office are incredibly friendly. Thanks so much for making my move-​out as easy as possible.
6. Easy access to the train and Fishtown is also right around the corner. If you feel like getting out of Northern Liberties, you can easily be in another part of town in 15 minutes.
7. Parking included in rent and pet-​friendly.
It’s not all great. Here are a few of my issues
1. Unpaved parking lot. When we get a lot of rain, it’s really a big mess.
2. Doormen/​Doorwomen don’t really do much… though they’re all friendly.
3. There’s so much turnover in the stores, restaurants, and bars. It’d be nice if they had a real master plan for all of that space. It really could be an incredible destination if they had the right tenants in the commercial space and the right events in the central Piazza space.
4. The noise isn’t that bad but sometimes in the summer, they let the restaurants project music outside until late night. They should have to stop projecting that music after a certain time.

We decided on the Piazza for New Years Eve thinking it would be a fun, new place to go to celebrate. In reality, it was a complete waste of money and a very frustrating experience overall. Without getting into detail, it was completely disorganized at the venue, buying tickets/​picking up tickets was a nightmare ($ 5 fee to pick up your own ticket?!), and the staff was rude and not helpful at all. Definitely make your new years eve plans elsewhere!

I just wanted to update on my living experience here at the Piazza. While I appreciate that they have hired more staff in the leasing office, their lack of training does not help their customers in any way. I lost my swipe card during the second week of September and asked for a new one. I was told that they were completely out of cards but they were ordered and on their way. I week later, I checked back in, and same excuse… the cards were «on their way.» About a week later, I check in again. Still no cards. This time, the shipping order was wrong. I waited until last week to ask again about the swipe cards. They still did NOT have cards. Their excuse last week was that their «system was down» and «the man» came out to «fix the system.» To make matters more frustrating, I cannot get into the gym without a card. They told us to ask the «security» in the Navonna building when we needed to get swiped into the gym. Today I went to ask him and he did not have a swipe card either… apparently his supervisor left it at home.
I have not had a swipe card for a month and a half now. They charge $ 25 for an additional card and I think I will politely ask for a free one considering the trouble I’ve gone through this past month and a half.

Review for living at the Piazza.
The apartments are quite nice, but I would really warn you about the noise. You hear absolutely everything. I keep later hours so both me and my neighbors downstairs lose on that one: I can’t have my friends over without constantly mothering them (don’t tap your feet on the ground, take off your shoes, etc.) because otherwise my neighbor ends up beating on my floor telling me to shut up (and rightfully so – I can hear a pin drop in my neighbors apartment above.)
You can hear everything from your neighbors on the side as well.
My point is, it’s a gamble. The chances that all your neighbors work a nine-​to-​five and don’t stay up past two is wishful thinking. That being said, some definitely do. So either you will be complaining about someone, or someone will be complaining about you. In my case, it’s both.

Pretty cool area of Philly and there is free parking unless there is an event being hosted. There are a bunch of cool shops as well as bars that all have their own feel and food. None are the same. There are also some good restaurants as well. It is good for groups or for a date. It is also not far from the frankford septa station if you want to park here and head into center city.

This place was really cool and fun back in ²⁰⁰⁹⁄₂₀₁₀ when the vibe was new and fresh but not anymore. It’s played out and the crowd has really gone downhill. Filled with ghetto and jersey shore types and of course… tons of lame hipsters.
Northern Liberties used to have a happy, friendly vibe when it all first started coming up. It seems everyone was excited for this new chapter in the city… there was an air of joy and friendliness… but now it’s filled with entitled, pretentious, self-​important douche-​bag hipsters and 43 y/​o hairy arm-​pitted female hippies that doodle on mason jars for a living… and criminals.
Try this… walk around the area and say «hello» to a bunch of random people in a totally normal, subtle, friendly way. You will be lucky to get 2 out of 10 people that say anything back, let alone even make eye contact. Everyone thinks they are so cool, yet they are actually about 7 years behind the times compared to a real city like NY or LA.

Always a great experience at the Piazza. From concerts to yoga festivals this is a space made for a fun time with good company. The only critique I would have is that acoustics are not the best if you’re in the back of the space, but compared to all the other pros it has with the restaurants and bars it doesn’t put much of a dent into the venue.

Northern Liberties, PA
Free tv viewing within an enclosed outdoor court with seats, and closed from the street view by trendy shops and apartments. A hipster and yuppish atmosphere. Businesses still developing in this area. Great for the neighborhood. There are events held here but I haven’t the chance to go yet– yeeek ! If you can imagine the parking would be nearly impossible. Have no idea how to find out about events held here yet.

Came here for Winter Jam Fest 2014. This place is amazing for holding outdoor concerts. The set up is wall to wall bars, with a large open courtyard. The walls are amazing at making the acoustics in this place perfect for angry rock music. This layout definitely has a lot of potential for bar hopping, even though most of the bars are pretty homogenous.
My only complaint about this place was the frightening lack of security during the concert I attended. I gotta give them credit though for allowing me to see three of the best fights I’ve ever witnessed in my life. The main event was a ten man brawl that went interrupted, and culminated with a guy getting kicked in the head.

I love coming here for the Radio 104.5 shows, but as a 21 year old haha. The general section is filled with high schoolers (or younger) constantly crowdsurfing, and while I enjoy that occasionally, they really need to calm down most of the time. The 21+ section is chill and you can happily enjoy a beer without having to worry about getting kicked in the head. It also has a pretty good view of the stage.
I’ve also come here for the Brooklyn flea market, and while the flea market didn’t have many items that I wanted, it shows the amount and variety of events held here. I believe they also host free yoga on Saturdays.
There are a lot of restaurants surrounding the piazza such as the P.Y.T. and it’s walking distance from any of the good spots is in Northern Liberties. Check out the events they have there!

I was in downtown Philly for one day with my brother and our respective girlfriends, we had a great day, went to a few bars and had lunch right next door to the Piazza ice skating rink, so when we walked by it again on our way back to our car, we figured we’d give it a shot.
After we paid, they told us it was fake ice. We got on the ice and immediately regretted giving them any money. Each square acts differently and you have no ability to skate at all. Basically you walk around on ice skates. As well, they gave me a broken skate and I would have hurt my ankle if my girlfriend hadn’t looked down and notice that the entire shoe was coming apart.
After 30 seconds of walking and tripping on something that didn’t resemble ice at all we went back in and asked for a refund. The woman was nice, but had no ability to give us a refund at all. So we waited since the manager was supposed to come down and «fix it» or give us a refund. He never came. Basically they stole our money for no service.
Do not bother.

This is a cool space for special events. I have seen a Phillies game or two here, and recently attended a beer festival at the Piazza as well. The space is large enough to accommodate concerts and other large scale events but not too large that it feels disconnected either.
The restaurant options aren’t bad. PYT is ok, and Emmanuelle is a really good cocktail lounge.
I don’t go out of my way to come to the Piazza, but I don’t go out of my way to stay away either.

Where would the piazza fall if it were to be compared? I believe it’s private property, no? Yet public enough to feel inviting.
What hasn’t already been said. The restaurants in the area will go further and further downhill as time goes on. PYT has already sunken to nope status.
Free concerts are nice, but I’ve never been to one. The Phillies game is usually on, but sports on tv bore me.
Overall: not worth the effort for a special trip unless you’re meeting people then it’s fun, but more of a vessel for the fun. I guess the crowd and your mood would either make or break this non-​business non-​green space in the city.
Last, I’m glad I don’t live there!

I’m not sure how I feel just yet about The Piazza, but I do know I’m a fan. I think. Yeah. Let’s go with that.
On my first trip last year, I unfortunately wore a skirt and the place seemed to act as a wind tunnel, which made the experience uncomfortable.
Yesterday, I attended the free 104.5 Metric concert with my boyfriend and his sister, and it was actually really fun. I’m not the most social person, and large crowds make me anxious, but I didn’t feel boxed in here — surprisingly.
I’d like to stop in a couple more times to really get a handle on the place. It’s a unique portion of the city for sure, with cute little shops and some restaurants to try!

There isn’t really a good way to explain it, but the Piazza is just cool. Hip modern architecture meets a social plaza in a way that just doesn’t seem common in American cities (re: Italy). I was pleased to discover a new place to go that exudes some of the same «commons”-type feelings as the market on 2^nd and Lombard, but with an updated feel. Bars and restaurants line the square and the apartments above make me just a little jealous of the occupants because of the proximity of the residents to all of the options there. The community feel is enhanced by people walking with their young families or their dogs; the Piazza is a great place to people-​watch, even on a normal day. There is even a giant TV at one end of the square, which is easily visible from the outdoor seating at some of the restaurants. I even saw people who lived in the apartment complex sitting on their balconies and watching the sports game on the big TV (admittedly, the sound wasn’t there, but that’s easily remedied)! Probably the best part about the Piazza for me is how the eating establishments seem to seep into the square– one can enjoy a meal outside and be entertained by all of the people wandering around.
In addition, yesterday I attended the free Winter Jam 2013 Concert sponsored by radio 104.5, which featured Matt and Kim (on crutches) and Teegan and Sara, among others. It was a great concert and caused the Piazza to become completely packed, even on a frigid January afternoon. The bars all had beer stands and were selling refreshments, which meant we didn’t have to leave our spots to sit down in the bars (which were already completely packed). We were even lucky enough to meet Matt after the show because we happened to be standing outside of the bowling alley that they went to after the show (he was really cool, came over and said hi, and even shook hands). The fact that the concert was free and surrounded by so many cool eating options for during and after the show really made the night, because we didn’t have to go far to find somewhere to stop.
Of course, I would guess that the main downside to the Piazza is living on the inside; the concerts and TV probably disrupt life a bit. However, at the Winter Jam, I saw tons of people on their balconies rocking out to the music. They seemed to all enjoy it, so my cautionary tale to potential residents is this: if you aren’t a fan of a large, bright TV in the square and frequent musical gatherings, get an apartment that faces the outside of the complex.

Free post-​summer concert? Outside? In a large area full of enthusiastic people?
What the what?!
Yeah, I was definitely stopping by the Piazza to check out Radio 104.5’s last Summer Block Party, especially since it featured AWOLNATION and Imagine Dragons. Throughout the summer I wanted to go to some of the previous concerts held here, which never worked out, but I’m glad I ventured into Northern Liberties for this one.
The Piazza itself is huge, surrounded by a few bars, restaurants and apartment buildings. At the end, the stage is setup in front of the far building with a large, video screen above it. I personally like how you can venture in and out of the piazza through the back of the local bars, making access to food, drinks and restrooms much more accommodating than I assumed.
This was also good because some were worried about finding shelter during Mother Nature’s forecasted oncoming storms, which eventually hit right after the Imagine Dragons finished their set. They sounded great and I can’t envision seeing them for free again anytime soon.
Even though the rain cut the entire concert short, I had a great time regardless. I’m looking forward to see which groups stop by here next summer.