“The coolest shipyard in America”
-POLITICO
The first naval shipyard in the United States operated for two centuries, closing most of it’s activities in the 1990’s. It is now a mixed-use industrial campus that includes not only a commercial shipyard, but cutting-edge businesses such as Urban Outfitters.
We find this a fascinating place to photograph, and we have visited many times. The fleet of decommissioned warships serve as a dramatic reminder of the Navy Yard’s history. They are massive in size, and impressive to photograph.
The Historic Core of the Navy Yard is a certified district on the National Register of Historic Places that stretches from the front gates, down Broad Street, to the Delaware River waterfront. Late 19th and early 20th century buildings along with an abundance of red-brick buildings populate the Historic Core’s rectangular street grid, adjacent to the waterfront featuring several hulking naval vessels.
One of the Navy Yard’s best-known tenants is Urban Outfitters. The international clothing brand outgrew its beginnings in a West Philadelphia rowhouse, and eventually opened it’s headquarters in the Navy Yard. The distinctive industrial buildings appealed to URBN officials, and their reuse of several adjacent buildings in the Historic Core is a fascinating mix of the old brick structures with modern amenities and artwork blended together. The cafeteria-style restaurant is open to the public, and we have enjoyed a delicious lunch there, although we do feel like we stand out a bit as the average age of the employees at URBN appears to be under 30! But everyone is friendly, and we enjoy watching the activities in the open areas outside the main building which includes a dog park. Employees apparently are encouraged to bring their pups to work!
Jim took this shot of a white dress hanging in the window of one of the Urban Outfitters buildings. It has won a ribbon at the Chester County Camera Club, and was featured in an exhibit at Penn State Great Valley.
Another award-winning image by Jim. He was fascinated by the shadows created by one of the picnic tables outside Urban Outfitters cafeteria. Using a fisheye lens, he climbed up on a chair to get a unique perspective.
In 2017, in collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia, multiple artworks were installed around the Navy Yard adding to the arts & culture mission, establishing the Navy Yard as a site for creative experimentation and exploration. We especially liked this temporary installation of an octopus appearing to swallow one of the buildings.
Here is a gallery of some of our favorite images. If you go for a visit, be aware that the URBN cafeteria is not open on weekends. But this is a really great place to photograph at anytime of year.
Take a tour of City Hall.
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