The Piazza

Pretty nice place to live but maybe not long term. Depending on what side you get, the view is nice. There are a lot of amenities to choose from like the gym and work areas at Alta. Sometimes it does get loud at night with the cars driving by and depending on what type of neighbors you have because the walls are thin. The concierges are nice and inviting take a really long time if something is broken in your apartment. I would recommend trying it out but it isn't for everyone.

Just don't do it. It is not worth it. Management? They do not respond. Molly Burns and her assistant Johnny Perez will outright ignore you. They simply do not care. You are better off avoiding this place completely. We had issues that would come up and it would take several emails over weeks to get a response, for it to be never resolved. Our lease ended over a month ago, no return of the deposit or any word of it. We have a friend who lived in the same building as us, who had their sewage pipe leak from their bathroom above, in to their kitchen ceiling, and they NEVER responded to fix it! Gross and a safety hazard. The property is poorly maintained. The parking garage for the Navona is under the pool. The pipes leak and the chlorinated water drops onto your car. Instead of buying new equipment. The gym often has out of order machines and weights taped for dear life. Also the golf simulator was out for months and often has issues. AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

This place sucks. The property manager, Johnny, doesn’t answer any email you send him. The walls are super thin and you can hear everything your neighbors do. The trash room is constantly over flowing with trash. They finally cleaned up the package room but that was a disaster for 6 months. Today, 2 kids followed and harassed me when I went to the gym and the front desk people were nowhere to be found. Would not recommend moving here.

I’ve been a member at the orange theory located in the piazza for over two years. The gym has designated parking spots on the side of the piazza only for its members which is awesome. This morning when I came to the gym there was an Escalade blocking 2 spots with a driver and man in a suit. When I asked them if I could have one of the two spots they were taking up since all the other ones were taken up by gym members the man in the suit said, “no I own this building.” You’d think the owner of the piazza would care about its patrons and franchisees but I guess not.

Wouldn’t recommend to live here long term. I’m in the Montesino building and there’s been constant construction and the one elevator has been out for months. Amenities are great, but not worth the price with all the negatives. Walls are extremely thin and I constantly hear my upstairs neighbor stomping and next door neighbor’s music playing. Maintenance is timely with any repairs within the apartment though. Getting packages delivered is a nightmare because the package room is not organized and anyone can take your package if it’s not put in a locker. Which it rarely is. Overall, the price of what I’m paying is not worth all the issues. Mainly because of the construction noise and neighbor noise

We love living at the Piazza. The pools, common spaces and amenities are unmatched; the gyms are nicer than the Equinox. Kevin Barney at the leasing office helped us. I can’t say enough about how wonderful Kevin was to communicate and work with. If you’re looking for an easy application process, ask for Kevin! *common space pictured with post

The amenities and apartment itself are beautiful, but beware that the package room is an absolute nightmare. Carriers leave the packages all over the place and even though I have a parcel box, the management does not enforce the use of it. 3 packages have been lost since we moved in in late July. When I called management asking how this could be improved, they said they had no plans to address this. For how nice the other amenities are, it’s a shame the package room is such a black hole.

The Piazza is an up and coming spot to be at in NoLibs. Decent amenities and access to pool, high-end gym, saunas, doorman service/package retrieval, great view of the city (if you’re lucky to be on the right side of the building). Reason for lower rating is because leasing management is not helpful at all—stereotypical responses (can’t help you because of upper management, rather than trying to work with residents to find solutions). The “older” buildings are also not as well cleaned, maintained, as the shiny new Alta buildings. The elevators are also incredibly slow. For the amount we pay in rent, there really should be some improvements to management and upkeep of the facilities.

I lived in the Schmidt Commons for slightly over two years from July 2015 until September 2017. Overall, it was a great experience and a beautiful place to live. I'll begin with the things I'll miss the most, my apartment. I used to live in the Erbe building, and it was 1) an incredible space and 2) very reasonably priced compared to the rest of NoLibs (and even Fishtown) for the value I was given. I moved in when parking was including, so I never had to "pay" to park. I did lose parking for about a month in 2016 when my parking lot suddenly became off limits, but they resolved that as timely as they could which I was grateful for. I also had the greatest view of Center City that made my friends and family insanely jealous, though my downstairs lost the view due to the building across the street. No fault to the Schmidt Commons, but it was the one thing that always stunk. I also loved the fact how dog-friendly the area is. I brought home over a year ago a 9-week-old English Bulldog, now fully grown, who had the best puppyhood. The fact a dog park was on the property and all the businesses were so dog-friendly made it a blast. Location, location, location was a huge plus. El Camino became my go-to spot. Urban Village is incredible. The fact there is a WeWork downstairs! I also ended up going car-less while living here, so the ease to the El on Girard (and Spring Garden) made life a-okay for me (and ended up saving me money vs. car payment, car insurance, gas, tolls, parking, oil changes, etc). The team at the Schmidt Commons were always good to me. Maintenance was super friendly and helpful. Leasing office always was friendly and loved my dog. They would also protect my packages if I weren't able to get it; which is great vs. having it in the hallway for someone to randomly take. Perhaps best of all, I had some great neighbors who have become lifelong friends. I moved into this area knowing no one and ended up with many friends from my time in the Erbe building. The only things I'd encourage the Schmidt Commons to improve on is their online billing system (auto-pay never worked for me, and I would make monthly payments just to find out weeks later it didn't go through even though it was successful) and to focus on fixing the elevators. It seemed every week at least one elevator is broken, and they take forever to go up only five floors (you start to think you live in a skyscraper by how long it takes to go up and down). Again, nit-picking there; but nothing to complain about. If you're looking to live in this complex, especially in the Erbe building, I encourage it. Only reason I ended up moving was that I was ready to be a homeowner vs. renter, or else I'd have no intentions on leaving :)

UPDATE! It's been about two months since I have been living in piazza. If you are interested in Piazza for its nice amenities, I suggest living in Alta, the newest building. It has direct access to the nicer pools and jacuzzi, more elevators, bigger gym. I highly recommend NOT living in the Navona - Erbe units. It is slightly cheaper and bigger square footage, bi level, but the building only has 2 elevators. Right now, the 1/2 elevators has been down for literally 3 weeks because the vendor they work with don't have the equipment they need to fix it.... my old apartment at the Griffin in center city never had issues like this before. It's also not that old of a building and it's part of a big apartment complex which I find surprising. Also my units kitchen sink faucet was so difficult to use. Never in my entire life have I struggled to find the right temperature or completely turn off without it dripping or have the water all over the countertop because of the hard pressure. I had to make 4 maintenance requests (one time because the water was not going straight). I personally contact the manager about why I needed the the sink facet either fixed or replaced - because it simply was not up par to the standards. Piazza mail system is just TERRIBLE. They have a package room where mail gets dropped off in kiosk. There is no front desk concierge to sort out the mail or notify the residents so the people dropping off the mail can either put it in the kiosk (whether if it is full or not) they can leave it anywhere in the package room amongst other packages. So basically you go in and go look for your packaging, hoping you can find your package like a needle in a haystack. I lost a good amount of my packages.

Everyone that works here is a snake especially Molly Burns. They will slap you with fees and take your security deposit. They can't maintain any of their amenities. After driving 14 hours on my move in day I got to my apartment and it was completely destroyed no where close to be ready for move in. I had no where to go. When you move out they take all of your security deposit and won't tell you why. Avoid this place

Once you move here, the management team could literally care less about your well being. The first day I moved in, I did not receive a key fob to access my building and the girl who was supposed to give me one left because it was 5:00 and she was done working for the day. I spent my first day waiting outside the Erbe building waiting for another tenant to let me in. My biggest issue is that they breached their contract with the security deposit, which I found out recently because I was able to get in contact with a higher-up of Post Brothers. I took over a sublease, and the management refused to give the deposit back to those moving out, and said we needed to handle it internally. So I ended up giving these random people I did not know over $1200 over Venmo. After deciding to move out after 3 months because the sub lease was over and I was having an insane amount of issues living here, they made the girl who was moving into my apartment give me the deposit and refused to hand me it back themselves. The way deposits are being handled not only shady but illegal. When I decided to move in and take over the sub lease, management refused to have the apartment cleaned Which is an extremely health hazard due to COVID, and is also disgusting considering the tenants who's lease we were taking over had a dog who shed all over the apartment. There were clumps of dog hair piling up throughout. The tenants who's sub lease we took over ended up having to pay over $400 to hire cleaners because the Piazza simply didn't care to do so. My worst situation was when I decided I was not going to renew the lease and they tried their best to keep me trapped for another year here. I gave them 30 days notice and they gave me the okay. My roommate at the time was still not giving them an answer whether or not she was renewing, so they decided two days before my move out date (which I already hired movers and had everything boxed up) to send me an email at 4pm on a Friday suddenly saying that my lease is set to automatically renew. I called them saying what is this email I already said I'm not renewing and they said since my roommate never let them know, I'm set to automatically renew. Why wasn't this discussed to me weeks before? Why are you literally renewing my contract when I said I do not want to live here? I understand they need to know from my roommate, but why am I being punished for this and threatened? Ive had two packages stolen and I was told by the Piazza that it was not their responsibility but the mail carriers (even tho I had confirmation that it was correctly dropped off at the correct location.) To access the room, you only need a key fob but it's out on the street so anyone can piggy back behind another person and steal packages. They're all left out in the open and it's a complete cluster of 100 packages not secured. My roommate and others also had issues with stolen packages from the mail room. You will be told rent will only increase to about 1-3 %. I took over a sublease for 3 months and they increased it by 6%. Three months of living here. Fire alarm testing during the work hours on weekdays so I could no longer work remote at the apartment. I had to go home to my parents house. I brought this up to management and they once again claimed this is not their issue. I have personally called management myself about the issues I was having and my last phone call resulted in the go-to management person going off on me, speaking over me in a condescending tone and refusing to help me because I left a bad review. There's a reason there's only about 5 units filled on my floor of about 50 units. Save your mental health, hard earned money and find somewhere to live where you're cared for and treated with respect and dignity. Moving out after only 3 months of living here was one of the best decisions I've made.

Has anyone ever read Dante's Inferno? You know, the book about the seven circles of hell and his journey through them? That's my experience at this joke of an establishment. Imagine the inner most circle of hell, then being surprised by an eighth circle, that being this trash of a complex. Illegal business practices, atrocious customer service, dangerous appliances and maintenance, and the absolute worst employees of any apartment I've ever experienced, and I've experienced bad...like live behind a Jack In The Box bad. I would have literally rather moved back in with my parents and accepted that stigma rather than spend another hour at this place. They even tried to take the entirety of my security deposit from me because I have 5 nails in a wall to hang a picture. Only after I threatened a lawsuit did I get my money back. Look elsewhere, I implore you all.

The best way to describe being a resident in these apartment complexes is to think of "Fyre Festival." The idea of the Piazza may seem nice to an onlooker, but once you actually put the money down and you begin living here, you quickly realize you've been scammed. I could easily describe the details that have made living here horrible, but the biggest annoyance of it all is that their management team has made it quite clear to us that they just do not care. As long as they are continuing to reel in the next blind-sided new residents, they ignore the fact that their current residents are all extremely unhappy. My roommate, myself, and others within our building have contacted the management team many times only to not get any reply whatsoever (after multiple attempts and weeks gone pass) or to get some robotic unsympathetic reply that makes you just want to rip your hair out further. We have continued to ask for the higher-up management contact information to voice our frustrations that have extended through our entire lease, which began in March 2019, and have been blatantly ignored. Then the team here tries to pretend they are sympathetic to us all waking up at the crack of dawn Monday - Saturday to construction for 4+ months (still ongoing to this date with no end in site) by putting up flyers for a free breakfast. LOL yea a pop-tart is really going to help make me feel better that we are paying higher than average rent prices for the area only to wake up to jack hammers every morning that last well into the evening hours. Some other quick side notes to mention: -the package room is unreliable - packages constantly do not get put into lockers until hours/days later, allowing anyone to grab yours to for you to just never be contacted you received one -the elevators move slower than a snail-pace. at least 1 of the 2 is normally out-of-order -parking in the garage costs $220 despite the fact it is never even close to being full -walls are paper thin between units -although you need a fob to access into the buildings, there is no security or safety whatsoever considering the construction workers all come here daily and prop open the door to leave it open, allowing anyone to walk on in -did I mention that management does and communicates NOTHING? If you or anyone know you know is considering living in the area, STAY CLEAR OF ANY BUILDING OWNED THROUGH CURRENT PIAZZA MANAGEMENT!! I wish I had realized the majority of these positive reviews are in regards to the general area/local businesses rather than the living arrangements when I was moving into Philly. I would have saved a lot of money and a whole lot of headaches from this ongoing construction.

I love coming to Piazza. They have events going on throughout the year and specially during the summer they have movie nights, salsa nights, beard competition, etc...the vibe is amazing. The restaurants and bars around it makes it even better as you can enjoy the food, drinks and events. It is pretty spacious and has good amount of seatings too. Looking forward to Movie nights on Thursdays and Dance/Live music on Fridays!!!

I have been coming to the Piazza or now the Schmidt's Commons since it was conceptualized. In the beginning there appeared to be a disconnect with the stores and restaurants that were located in the general area - now it appears that there has been a reconfiguration of the stores and restaurants/bars that have a more natural flow and connection. The outdoor stage is awesome and when events are hosted - it draws a nice crowd. I was please to see that Walhburgers purchased a space for "Free Parking" and this makes all the difference with accessing this area. I attending the "Art @ Night" show and it was a cool Burlesque and Acrobatic Show - What great fun! I plan to return to the area more frequently so I can keep up with all the fun and new things happening int he area.

My friend Kerwin Charles lived at a Post Brothers community until March of 2020 called The Pizaa - Ebre 332. On March 2020 and did final walk through with site staff. The apartment was left in pristine condition. As of October 2020, Kerwin has not received a security deposit refund or a final account statement. Kerwin sent multiple emails to management requesting an update on the receipt of his deposit since April of 2020. As of October 2020 he has not received a response back. Kerwin has also called multiple times and has left voicemails since April 2020 - no call has been returned. Business practices like this are unacceptable. If there is a reason his deposit is being withheld he has a right to be informed. It is embarrassing that this matter has come to this. Please reach out to Kerwin and refund his deposit if he is due a refund!

I moved out of Liberties Walk on August 23rd and it is November 15th and I have NOT received my security deposit return yet after many, many requests.

Many of you already know that I generally do my First Friday Arts Crawl in Old City since I carry a bit of respect for the OG. But the facts that Tom C. had a photo display in the area that was very documented on here (http://www.yelp.com/events/philadelphia-find-your-focus---photographs-by-thomas-robert-clarke), I needed to pay a long overdue visit to Area 919 (http://www.yelp.com/biz/area-919-philadelphia#hrid:iOvraMBsXeK0ANfuKlOqPg/src:self), and my friend Taryn had an goods on sale at the Piazza; it meant that I needed to take things to NoLibs For the first time, And now it's probably going to be a long time before I go back! With spots like Area 919, and Projects Gallery (http://www.yelp.com/biz/projects-gallery-philadelphia#hrid:xDkjLolfHr-xwTjfqK5ilA/src:self) there was already plenty of good reasons to hit up that area as part of the Arts Crawl. But the Piazza increased that number ten fold! I already included the Toothless Cat Gallery, and Pure Gold Gallery among my long list of reviews. But there's destined to be at least 4-5 others that will add on to my road towards 800 reviews (900 when you factor the added updates goal!). And that just shows the Piazza's dedication towards the local arts. But there's more! As I foreshadowed above my friend was part of a craft fair that they had going on. And she got opportunity from a random Facebook posting that I sent her *Hint Hint*! Not only that, but there was a DJ spinning some throwback tunes from Prince and Stevie Wonder. They also had the Phillies Game blowing up outside on the big screen. Do you want more? then how about the awesome spreads of food and libations that most of the Galleries offered for their receptions (a special occasion thing of course)? It got to the point that they had me needing the bathroom that most of the galleries seriously lacked. Good thing one of the main buildings had it's own built in public restrooms! So overall it was another awesome occasion at the Piazza!

Beautiful amenities Beautiful place to live, eat, shop and people watch. The Cove a new addition to the Piazza a beautiful in ground salt water temperature controlled pool opened all year around. Brand new state of the art gym facility which includes a dry sauna, steam room, massage chair and tanning booth. The staff is very friendly accommodating Dante, Johnny and Jared always goes above and beyond addressing any questions or concerns I have and my leasing agent Meaghan Nacey is very professional, She also followed up on me after signing my lease to make sure everything was to my expectations. I highly recommend anyone interested in living at the PIAZZA to reach out to Meaghan Nacey at the leasing Dept.

If I could give zero, I would definitely choose to give zero. After changing the management company post brother, this apartment became more and more unfriendly. The parking building was originally free. They later charged $ 75 a month. After a few months, it rose to $ 150 a month. In a few months, it rose to $ 225 a month, and the price was comparable to that of downtown parking. More than that, when you move out, they will try their best to deduct your deposit. I paid a deposit of $ 1860 before. When I moved out, the office found various reasons. I did n't receive any emails or letters at all. In the case, I found a third-party company privately, deducted my deposit, and asked me to pay $ 3,140. There was absolutely no reason. I previously emailed my address and said that the deposit would be returned to me. After I gave the address, I did not receive any deposit. A third-party letter was sent to my friend 's house. This is the new one. Please do not live here with the management company. They will try their best to exploit your deposit and even make you pay more than one month after you move away. And, for no reason.

This was my first time at The Piazza at Schmidt's and it was also the first day opening for their year 'round Farmer's Market. I need to be honest with my over all opinion of driving into Northern Liberties and thinking wow, no glitz, no glamour, old and run down came to mind. Keep in mind that I appreciate old cities and buildings and what they have to offer and I certainly did not explore the neighborhood, even though I would like to do this one day. The gated graveled parking lot across the street offers ample free parking. Walking into this large courtyard of shops, restaurants and galleries, your eyes sweep over the owners walking numerous friendly dogs, gardens and beautiful buildings that kiss the open sky. I was freezing as I was entering the courtyard, but all of a sudden the beauty of what the piazza has offered to Northern Liberties and the friendly folks at the open market made me forget all of that. There were probably a dozen and one half tables set up for the first day of this farmer's market, but they had some quality goods to sell and I bought my share of homemade soups, quiches, pot pies, salsa, breads and sweet baked goods. I had the pleasure of meeting beautiful Monica, our CM, as I smiled and scarfed some little yelp buttons and an ink pen. Funny, cause as we were talking, the guy at the next booth stepped up and said DJ? I said yes, come to find out he was a yelper at one time and a friend to many of us. This is certainly not like Piazza San Marco ( St. Mark's Square ) nor any other open square or market I have been to in Europe, however I am liking what I saw and I think it adds a lot to the area and Philly. I will certainly be back to watch as the year 'round Farmer's Market grows and to see what else they have to offer. I'm anxious to check out some of the restaurants and more of the shops and galleries. Piazza at Schmidt's, you have my vote. I found my glitz and glamour in Northern Liberties.

Is the mic on? Attention: How in the hell do you hate on a plaza? Better yet, how do you hate on a well-landscaped plaza that hosts a ton of free events? Seriously, is there some other plaza that I don't know about that's going to throw a Michael Jackson tribute party, have an outdoor market each week, host Questlove from the Roots, and feature a big ole screen to watch Phill's games? Someone please tell me about this OTHER place because clearly I'm missing out. Otherwise, the Piazza is one of the coolest places that Philly has going with or without the excess of hipsters. Like, so what... let them be hipsters. Shoot, you're probably a hipster yourself. So, go pedal your little road bike over to the Piazza you hipster! I know I will.

The place is really picking up as the summer rolls on. I've been going to various weekly events for the past few weeks, and just thought to post after a rather successful concert put on by the local radio station at the Piazza. The concert was splendid, and the venue was perfect for it. Swift Half pub had a packed beer garden, and I believe everyone present had a good time. I'm sure the various shops made out like bandits with all the consumers wandering around for the afternoon. For the most part, weekends are a pleasant stroll around here. I'm no fashionable or high-culture kind of guy, nor am I a quintessential hipster, so I usually only purchase stuff at the candy shop down liberties walk, or drinks/food from one of the bars/resturaunts/cafes. But it's worth spending free time just walking around, and as mentioned elsewhere, would likely make a good inexpensive night out with a significant other. Fantastic free dates would be their Friday night film series (usually an independant film, but they've been decent the past few weeks), or one of the summer block parties the first Saturday of each month. Even cheaper if you make a little picnic of your own to bring. PYT and Swift Half serve alcohol, though you are limited to purchasing and consuming within the roped off patios they maintain. During events, security will confiscate personal liquor and beer supplies, just as a fair-weather warning. I believe the only improvements I'd look for in the Piazza as a whole are a nice bookstore, and (as mentioned in some other posts) perhaps a bit more greenery. Ideally, I'd love to see them start hosting some more casual social events on weeknights like a karaoke or maybe bags tournaments. But it is really becoming something very nice for the community as is.

I really like the concept but something is just so .. off about the Piazza. First of all, I, like many others, am glad I don't live there. Secondly, the Piazza seems so popular since it's always crowded during warmer months, but none of the stores that were there last summer are there now! It's sad. I love the big screen and the lounge chairs and patches of astroturf that are sprinkled around. I love the people- and dog-watching. Everyone is usually pretty relaxed and trying to enjoy their afternoon/night. Maybe I'm just cranky because of how crowded it's starting to get, or the fact that the Arrow Swim Club has taken some of the already sparse (albeit free) parking spots.

A spacious area with plenty of bars and stores surrounding it. The stage area is great for big and small shows, and there are dogs walking around too because it's outside!

On my first visit to the Piazza years ago I remember thinking "This is exactly what Philly has needed for a long time." The Piazza brings Northern Libs together with the rest of the city. It's a venue, a destination, and truly a community. From showing movies and sporting events on the huge outdoor screen to hosting arts and craft fairs the Piazza does it all. I've been there for lots of fun concerts and although it does get crowded and a bit crazy it's always a memorable experience. I would give the Piazza 5 stars if they had a better selection of shops and more affordable restaurants. If you haven't been to the Piazza, what are you waiting for? Go to their website and check out their events page- there is something for everyone (even kids!).

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!

We really like The Piazza. I only wish it was around way back when I lived in No Libs. The city needed a place like this. So Italian-esque. I love that about it! The neighborhood itself is really booming continually so there's always somewhere new to try nearby, making this a central stop before or after a night out in thriving Northern Liberties. We have never had anything but a good time here.... burgers and the ball game on the big screen. Dinner after bowling down the street. Drinks outside on a gorgeous night with friends. Movie screenings, concerts, yoga and festivals too. Such a versatile place and very kid and pet friendly too! The restaurants directly in The Piazza aren't as wonderful as some of the surrounding ones but if you're looking to just kick back and grab some decent food and watch a game, they'll do just fine. We are actually sad to see PYT and Darlings go. There are a few neat shops...vintage, records, children's. Very fun and funky, but they do close earlier in the night. There's also a organic deli and convenience store for any last minute needs. Street parking on 2nd can be a tad tricky. There's construction constantly and many "no stopping" spots so keep your eyes open. It's not impossible, jus takes patience. Your best bet is the gravel lot behind The Piazza but be careful to only park in designated areas and no parking between 3-5am which basically means no overnight parking. You can bring blankets and your own chairs to certain events so essentially you can come here for a virtually free night just maybe grabbing a drink at one of the bars nearby! Fab Philly Mom says: absolutely bring the kids! Mine love dancing on the stage, running around and playing corn-hole. Bring bubbles or chalk, even a ball. It's nice to just sit back and not worry about them. You can keep an eye on them right there. So great.

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.

Is street level kind of like Millennial Times Square?

I love this place. I thank that my friends' friend lived here in the Piazza and am so blown away by all the things the Piazza offers! I was able to stay in one of these hip apartments for 4 days and over the course of my stay I discovered some very interesting things. First there were farmer's markets and cool concerts that happened in the Piazza. Next was a bunch of naked people on bikes for the Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride. Needless to say, it was even more exciting for me in Philadelphia because of the Piazza! I think in general, this place is pretty cool because they offer free concerts and a much needed freebie in this hipster area for sure.

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.

This place is terrible. Management is the worse. The do literally nothing. They put on a real nice show for people looking to rent but after you sign they suck. DONT MOVE IN HERE!!! 1 Star is to generouS. I currently live here and I'm counting the days down until i can move out.

The Piazza is such a warm and inviting place to be. With events nearly everyday from movies to games to concerts to yoga, there's always something to do and I look forward to coming to the Piazza every time.

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.

Okay. I'm over it. Everyone is going nuts over this space and yes, it has brought many businesses, lots of action and attention into this (my) neighborhood, but lord all-mighty, it's getting out of control here. Sure, the piazza has spurred development straight across my 'hood, south, west, east and especially North - but with this growth, has come, as expected, the crowds (more rowdy than not), and a kind of evolution for the neighborhood that I'm not terribly crazy about. I don't exactly know what Blastein had in mind when he came up with this development concept, but the end result is downright college frat party meets Jersey Shore (and it is especially more so, now with the addition of the Arrow Swim Club at its north east end). The piazza itself is about as coolly European as the PYT burgers and 'adult' milkshakes served there. Which is to say, not at all. This whole piazza stinks of 'try-hard' accompanied with bad music blasting at all times of the day. Speaking of PYT, along with the Pink Dolphin Market and Millesime, they are the only original tenants left at the Piazza. The businesses and galleries that were once here are no longer - hustled out, moved out, priced out, what have you - all I know is that there is such a HIGH turnover of restaurants and businesses here, it's enough to make one's head spin, even the Piazza people can't keep up (that is, their web page as of today still show the Appolinare restaurant as operating, while it's clearly visible by anyone there that it's been replaced by Kingdom's Oak - mind you this is the fourth restaurant that has been placed in this spot !). What is solid, genuine and local about that, I ask you? What does it say about the longevity of all of this? I am always in awe about how much this (my) neighborhood has changed in the six short years I've moved here. I am all for development, but really, it begs the question, at what cost?

Liked your college dorm experience so much and don't wanna lose that vibe when you move up on in to the real world? Have I got a place for you!?! It's called the Piazza at Schmidt's. Dude, what's happening on the Quad today? I hope something really ultra bitchin'.

I totally felt like I was in Europe! To be fair, I only knew beforehand that my friend had moved into a new apartment in no libs at 1050 Hanock. I had no idea the Piazza even existed. So when I saw it I blown away! Spacious open plaza, cute shops, bars, restaurants, diverse crowd with a hipster edge mingling about... and a jumbo-tron on one side showing the phils game. I wanted to become homeless right then and spend the rest of my bum life as a street artist there. Sorta. This place is beautiful, and kick-ass for people watching. My friend's balcony overlooks the plaza - it doesn't get better than that. I didn't get to spend a ton of time walking around, but it looks like there are definitely some great bars, restaurants and boutiques to check out. Or just spend a day chilling at one of the tables in the center of the plaza. Live music acts on the stage they have set up would be awesome too I'm sure. And there were so many dogs around it almost made me want a puppy. Almost. My only complaint is the techno music that was booming Sunday early afternoon. Cmon, my head is pounding already... But this place is fantastic. Just has a super cool vibe. I can't wait to hang out around here more... I had no idea a place like this even existed in philly! Felt like I was on vacation. Hands down best part though: FREE 24-HR PARKING LOT. 'Nuff said.

Do not live here. Do not fall for the idea of community living in a cool neighborhood. There are many many other places to pick from I promise you! The noise level here is unsatisfactory. The management company recently changed and could give two sh*its about you as a human. My rent rates increased over $400 and another $125 increase for parking. No improvements were done to warrant this raise. I don't have a dog so a new dog park doesn't pertain to me. They took away a 5%!!! Discount they offered to military. I begged them to reconsider bc not sure about you, but I didn't get a $400 raise in the last year to dump into rent. They didn't reconsider. The Montesino building is above we work who has parties and events on the regular that make your whole apartment vibrate if you are lucky enough to live above them. Ohhh and I had water leaking from my ceiling for two days after they swore they fixed it. After hours maintenance told me there was too much traffic to come back to fix it that night. I could go on. But you get the idea. Pass it up.

I saw the best minds of my generation Destroyed by making time, starving hypocritical ...naked? Dragging themselves through the northern streets at dawn Looking for Hedwig and some angry inch Angel-headed hipsters txting for the facebook connection To the PYT dynamo in the mockery of night. Umm... thank you Allen? Allen: Ginsboro. Me: Oh funny. Your poem was a lot like Allen Ginsberg's "The Howl" but you seemed to reword some of it. I'm sure you heard of him. He's dead by the way. Allen Ginsboro: No I have not. Girl: You are so lame. Me: Ya he kinda is. Girl: I wasn't talking to him. You're lame. Hey Allen read us some more! Allen Ginsboro: This next one is entitled "Why Adam Dislikes the Hip Piazza" Me: How do you know my name? Girl: OMG! He doesn't mean you! There are like more Adams than you loser. Me: Where the hell did you come from?! I mean this is a Yelp review that I'm writing about the Piazza @ Schmidt's! Dude: Woah dude! Deep! Me: Now where did you come from? Allen Ginsboro: Everyone be quiet! I am about to read my poem. Dude: Play Freebird! Girl: Everyone is so lame right now. Me: SHUT UP! EVERYONE! *silence* Sir? Are you alright? Me: Huh? Who? Waitress outside of PYT: Can I help you? Me: Oh it was all a dream. And you were there, and he was and and that Allen Ginsboro guy over there. And that girl on her iphone... Girl: Don't talk to me. You're still lame! Me: NOOOOOO!!!!! Narrator: There you have it. An ordinary hipster about to turn 30 has taken a wrong turn into "The Pizza Zone". Me: Don't you mean Piazza? Narrator: Shut up. Girl: I know... lame. Narrator: Hey do you play Farmville? Girl: OMG yes! Me: Get me out of this review!

I lived in the Navona building from June 1st, 2009 to November 2010. Here is what you should know before you consider leasing here. The Piazza is a ton of fun, and your friends will LOVE to come here and hang out. But YOU will have to be here 24/7. 1. Only VERY social people who don't mind music thumping through their walls, screaming drunk girls downstairs, mass crowds of the local city folk attending weekend events in their front yard, and light peeking through the blinds should live here. 2. Northern Libs, and especially the Piazza, are very pricing per square foot. $1800 a month won't get you much space here. Definably go for a place with an outside deck. 3. We have experienced two murders while living here. One in the building, and one as the girl was leaving the Piazza about three blocks away. "Todo, we aren't in Kansas anymore. " Don't let the crowd fool you...No Libs is still central Phila. All in all the 18 months were fun, but I moved out and on to quieter pastures. Good luck!

Pros: *Brought a whole bunch of local businesses and art galleries to a fun and up-and-coming neighborhood. *Provides a nice space to kill some time, watch a baseball game, or shop from local vendors in the "marketplace". *There is no other space like the Piazza in the city (that I can think of). Points for originality. Cons: *The apartments at the Piazza (and all other Tower Investments properties) are small, poorly designed, and overpriced. Tower Investments is single-handedly driving up rent prices in Northern Liberties while simultaneously lowering expectations for apartments both in size and character. *And speaking of character, the Piazza is so corporate, so vanilla, that it really detracts from the charm that NoLibs once had. *I'm really concerned that the local business and art galleries will not be able to afford to stay in the Piazza. If a two bedroom apartment is $1900 per month, I can't imagine what the rent for a storefront must be. That's it. That's the best I can do.

I live about 5 blocks from here and every weekend, the time I need to relax, I have to shut all my windows. The concerts here suck ass to begin with and the bands that play on Saturdays all scream at the top of their lungs. Why? I haven't a clue. All you hear is bass and shitty vocals. I've walked over there many times and even checked one out (instead of being a hater). Only one word came to my mind when I was there, "STUPID." I don't know how anyone could live near here and I'm sure after a while they will feel the way I do, extremely annoyed.

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.

I used to live in one of these buildings. First off its way too expensive, secondly you can hear everything! When my upstairs neighbor vacuumed it sounded like there were 2 vacuums in my apartment, no lie. And don't even get me started about the little dogs and her walking around in high heels at 10 in the morn. The other part about this place that bothers me is how artificial everything feels. Aly M. had a good point, why isn't there grass in the middle? The art and T-shirt shops are unique I guess, but I'm not really into dropping $50 on a shiny T-shirt. It seems like everything is the same there; t-shirt shop, art gallery, t-shirt shop, art gallery, lame bar, etc. I love Northern Liberties; I've been living there for the past 2 years. There are so many fun things to do here, and the people are awesome. But the Piazza just doesn't fit in, its too fake, and trying way too hard to be cool. Plus the restaurants in there don't even come close to what you'd get at a classic place like Std. Tap (excluding Bar Ferdinand of course).

Once again I'm comin atcha with another off-hour review. Your grandad and I like to avoid the crowds. Or whatever, we just happened to be in the neighborhood on a lazy Sunday afternoon recently. Cute little restaurants and shops, ya know, stuff to look at... Some people were laying about with their dogs, some people were having drinks...The huge TV was showing a hockey game but since the Flyers are outta it, I sourly shunned watching it. I appreciate the European style square. I definitely dig that idea. I'm no expert, and maybe it's just that I've been watching a lot of that show, 'House Hunters International' lately, but it feels very Eastern European to me...formerly-communist-Eastern-Europe-like. Am I crazy? It is also quite possible, perhaps, that the buildings surrounding the square simply remind me of those that I'd seen in 2003's foreign feature film, 'Goodbye Lenin.' Nice reference, Kathleen. Very good. That seems like a keen example to which everybody will be able to relate. I need an accompanying slide show for every conversation. It would come in handy, believe me. Mostly what I mean is, the architecture of those buildings, the windows, the look... it feels cold war, baby.

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 don't think of the Piazza as a place, but rather as a memory in my life. Or maybe it's iconic of modern Philadelphia, a display of of how the city can delight and depress simultaneously. A flat, descriptive review will not do for the Piazza. This review is not so much about the location, but a reflection of the 2 years I lived one mile due north of Northern Liberties. The Piazza has been a place I have visited countless times. The first time I visited this neighborhood was in 1993 where I attended a rave that happened to be a fundraiser. It was in this expansive warehouse in seemed to be a remote location. My second visit to Northern Liberties was to the Piazza in 2009, maybe an hour or two after the tragic murder of Rian Thal. The Piazza was a pickup location for a Making Time shuttle to a New Jersey pool party and I traveled to No Libs from distant Ardmore that day. Police cruisers were entering the area, but no one knew what the story was until later. So I had a peculiar introduction to the Piazza. I returned to the Piazza all summer to attend the Sundae dance parties. I loved those parties and marveled how the Piazza could host such an ethereal event where children and adults danced without spilling alcohol on each other. I felt so alive then and the party was compelling for me to commute over an hour to go there. And then I moved to South Kensington in October of 2009 and my relationship to the Piazza changed. It was no longer a distant relation, it was my next door neighbor. I know the Piazza's comings and goings as I pas it on 2nd street. I'd pop in when friends were there and would see what it's newest face lift was. I was annoyed by the ropes for private or paying events and got a sense of its true quasi-public nature. The non-public bathrooms were the greatest affront to me although kind residents would sneak in my friend with her little boy. But I still watched Phillies games and would wander in to eat at PYT now and again. I have decided to move from my neighborhood and back over to West Philly. Just yesterday as I walked past the Piazza to go to the Standard Tap. I wondered aloud if I'd ever be back to the Piazza. I suppose I will, but I have a "been there, done that" feeling. Why couldn't there have been even a patch of landscaping in that space, rather than PYT's tongue in cheek astroturf? Northern Liberties needs more green space.

I moved into the Piazza at Schmidt's 8 months ago based on the parking and location and could not be more angry with myself. Since I have moved into the building I have dealt with two shooting incidents. The first one occurred 3 months back when a stray bullet or bb hit the glass on the balcony - shattering it. It took 5 weeks for them to replace. The second incident occurred last night - where a man was killed after being shot 3 times right outside the entry to the building. As if that was not bad enough... there is never any parking. The lots are constantly filled, and chances are you will need to park on the street. Before you consider moving here, think very carefully about it. The staff is nice, but three people have been shot and killed here and it is only 3 years old!

The place has changed ownership a few times but I think the company who is running it now is going to be making a lot of improvements and actually taking care of the place. The management here (Sean and Mike) have been great guys through it all and have done a lot to take care of the people here, more than the residents probably know. It's a good place to live and the area is getting better.

Beautiful building but the walls are paper thin. You can hear conversations your neighbors are having regularly, you can hear people walking down the hallway. My floor has original floors and I can hear the people below us regularly argue. Management has been OK. The new gym is much better than what it use to be. The movies that they show outside are great and I appreciate the different events they have. I am looking forward to moving out of my apartment.

I've lived in the piazza for the past year. I am reviewing this as a resident. I have loved living here since the second I moved in. There's always people around, things to do, and awesome people in my building. I am reading some people complaining about the noise, but honestly are you surprised? Do you hear drunk people, of course. Is it sometimes loud, of course. I mean there's a giant TV screen in the courtyard. It's clearly a party place. Oddly enough living there, it becomes background noise. The bars IN the piazza are only semi ok. Max's and Gunner's Run are really lame, but if you go down 2nd street there are some gems. I am very bummed that the building was bought and the rent has gone up so highly. I think its not worth that price, and they will have a hard time filling it. However, I guess time will tell.

My first exposure was on a Sunday afternoon when Sundae threw their little get togethers and people danced, and played, hoola hooped and ate fire. it was fun, almost too nice and felt like it was a scene in a movie. then it stopped. it felt cold and people's faces turned into blurry objects. nobody danced. nobody laughed. the sun shone above, but it was cold and it was grey and it even felt more like a bad movie where sub titles were soon to appear. please bring back the music. i do like the markets and the food and the people, but I is too fat and needs to dance;p

I almost didn't write a review of this place because I just don't have too much to say about it. I just don't like it. I think it's stupid. The stores and restaurants are all overpriced. I couldn't agree more with the "6th borrough of NYC" comment and that guy didn't even have to go there to get that vibe. It's got all the trendy smugness of Brooklyn and it's only moderately as opposed to ridiculously overpriced. I'm not a huge Northern Liberties fan anyway, but crap like this is decidedly taking Philly further in a direction I'm not too excited about. Also, I wish there was grass in the courtyard instead of just a huge cement space, that'd be much cooler.

I came here during the day on a beautiful Saturday morning to grab some brunch and see what it was all about. First I suppose I should mention that I've never been here, so it is possible I was just caught up in the modernness of it all. I love the look of the place, kind of like a planned neighborhood (like suburbs) but prettier. I'm sure the stores are expensive, but when I was there I really just wanted to see what it was all about. I went to Darling's for food and had a pretty good experience. Afterwards we walked through the farmer's market and thought it was interesting that there weren't many 'farmers' there. There was a nut and dried fruit guy, a guy selling local meats and cheeses, a cheese/pie person, and a bread guy, but no fruits and vegetables, which I'm pretty sure is a requirement for a farmer's market. Anyhow there was also a fashion/craft show going on with lots of stalls with different products. I bought an awesome frilly headband from one vendor and am very excited to wear it out (it's a bit much for everyday wear). We walked around and talked to some of the vendors, and basically had a brilliant time. We ended our visit with a trip to Euphoria smoothies and coffee and grabbed some most excellent bubble teas. Truly, I thought it was a great time, and a very interesting space to hang out in. I like the idea that if feels so different from Philadelphia, it basically made me want to move to the neighborhood (probably not actually in the Piazza, but a house nearby could be pretty great.) I will definitely be returning in the future to see what it's like at different times and to visit more of the shops.

Wait, a cool concept that was well designed and executed?!? I am as shocked as you. The Piazza is certainly a nice place to catch a show thanks to the Summer Block Parties Radio 104.5 has been putting on the last few years. It is also a decent place to just hang out if you are looking for somewhere to go in the No Libs area. Am I going to make a point to go there every day or even once a week? Probably not, but then again I do live in Manayunk! The free parking (except for show day) and selection of food and drink make the Piazza worth a visit and a return trip. Enjoy!