As marginalized urban areas transition into desirable neighborhoods, seemingly problematic contextual elements like adjacent vacant land and elevated railroads can be treated as productive design constraints. Historically a divider, the elevated train line running along Front Street in Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood is becoming an attractor for new retail and nightlife.This 6-unit apartment building shifts program to the long edge of a narrow site along the busy Frankford-Market elevated Blue Line in East Kensington, creating an interior façade facing an adjacent vacant parcel. A ground floor commercial space faces Front Street, activating the urban edge under the El.As a reaction to the owner’s concern about living directly adjacent to the elevated train, the project emphasized an intimacy with the railroad that looked to turn a liability into a surprisingly novel asset.With a roofline that connects the dots of a quirky zoning envelope, the elevation juxtaposes housing above with a storefront tucked underneath the elevated train line. The north-facing blank property line facade creates an opportunity for art and signage oriented toward viewers riding south on the train.