Concept

The High Line is a Depression-era elevated rail freight line that runs for almost a mile and a half above street-level and along and through buildings in a part of lower Manhattan that once bustled with factories and warehouses. Active for about 50 years, the steel viaduct was abandoned by the 1980s and became an overgrown secret garden for graffiti artists and urban explorers. In the last decade, that heady New York mix of citizens and celebrities came together to raise awareness and cash to save the High Line, which was threatened with demolition.

Strawbridge & Clothier will open its first free-standing home-furnishings store in the spring, the Philadelphia retailer announced yesterday. When it opens, Strawbridge will have two stores in the Concord Mall in New Castle County, Del. The store will be located in a former office building attached to the mall. Strawbridge will move its furniture, carpets, bedding, lamps and draperies from its mall department store, freeing that space for more men's and women's ready-to-wear.

Solomon had it easy: He had only to decide which parent the child belonged to. Solomon wasn't stuck figuring out which mother's egg and which father's sperm should determine parenthood, what womb would nurture the developing infant until birth, or whether the dangers of multiple pregnancies justify selective abortion to improve the odds for remaining fetuses. Today, ethicists puzzle over these concerns, while doctors present the hard choices offered by scientific advances to their patients - people who will have to live lifetimes with the choices they make.

Whether you're moving, remodeling or staying put, planning a retirement home is an opportunity to create a personal environment that takes into account your future accessibility, safety and financial needs. And, experts say, there is no reason to forget style. Accessibility concerns - whether because of aging or physical limitations - are part of Valarie Costanzo's practice as a real estate agent for Prudential Fox & Roach in Rittenhouse Square and Haddonfield. Costanzo, 57, began concentrating on the accessibility niche after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis two years ago. She began helping MS Society clients in search of affordable handicapped-modified housing.

Volvo's press propaganda for its redesigned Cross Country model, or XC, leaves the distinct impression that the Swedish automaker originated the concept of basing a sport-utility vehicle on a conventional station wagon. "In the truest sense, the Volvo Cross Country is a very Swedish vehicle, as Swedish as the the SUV concept is American," Volvo says. "The XC creation is Swedishness at its finest: a hybrid product that takes two unique concepts - the wagon and the SUV - and combines them into one vehicle that offers flexibility to meet many different tasks.

From a drive-by glance, it is tempting to dismiss the new GlaxoSmithKline building at the sedate, manicured Navy Yard as a fancy variation on standard office-park fare. Stretched long and low, its mass is broken up by a central atrium, its blue-glass skin as slick as a skating rink. That bulging west facade appears to be a wan attempt by New York's Robert A.M. Stern Architects to punch things up with Gehry-style curves and swoops. There's some truth here. But like many snap judgments, it is a superficial reading of a design that has huge implications for Philadelphia's downtown, and for office districts everywhere.

As regular readers of this column know, I consider parking garages the lowest form of downtown development. The uninhabited structures suck the life out of their surroundings and encourage people to choose cars over transit for trips into Center City. But if there is one thing worse than a free-standing downtown garage, it is a blighted free-standing downtown garage. Center City, unfortunately, is riddled with such eyesores, especially in the retail corridor east of City Hall, between Arch and Walnut Streets.

When Chester police raided a former drugstore in May 2011, what they found gave new meaning to the term high tech. In the basement was a hydroponic marijuana farm of serious sophistication. Nearly 100 pot plants, from seedlings to lush, 4-foot bushes, flourished in large tubs of water. Faux sunshine from dozens of commercial-grade grow lights powered by industrial generators shone down on a crop worth at least $43,000. The confiscated equipment typically would have sat in a warehouse until it could be auctioned or destroyed.

From the windows of her fourth-floor office at City Hall, redevelopment director Sandy Forosisky can see the front of 99 Cent Dreams, the 38,000-square-foot value store at the center of what has long been a languishing downtown. Starting in March, that view will change. The Landis Avenue dollar store is slated to be converted into a year-round public market, selling local produce, meat, seafood, specialty items, and prepared food. With it, Forosisky is hoping the city's center will change, too. The $5.62 million project, which Forosisky calls a "mini Reading Terminal," is the foundation for a $59 million city makeover.

Whether it has been investigating a possible ticket-less system for entry to the Wells Fargo Center or an in-arena motion sensor to detect which side of the building is cheering louder than others, the Flyers always have been interested in using technology to enhance the fan experience. This year, they've found a way to connect with fans without having them make the trip to South Philadelphia. The Flyers, unlike many professional sports franchises, are connecting with their most loyal fans through Facebook with the help of Buddy Media and another Comcast-Spectacor venture, Paciolan.