Whatever happened to ‘Umbria Village’?

The new Manayunk-centered name of an apartment complex at the Ivy Ridge SEPTA station has one reader perplexed. The answer: marketing.

PlanPhilly’s Amy Z. Quinn wrote in September 2011 about a plan to build an apartment complex called Umbria Village at the Ivy Ridge SEPTA station. The complex is now called The Station at Manayunk, prompting NewsWorks reader Kevin to ask:

“When did Umbria Village change their name to The Station at Manayunk apartments? I thought this was the Ivy Ridge Station. Seems a little deceptive.”

NewsWorks editor Megan Pinto checked in with Richard Hayden, Petrucci Residential’s lawyer, for an answer:

“Petrucci Residential has a development under construction in Bucks County called “The Station at Bucks County,” which is next to a rail station in Warminster, Pa. It’s an effort to draw a direct connection to transit, and it’s consistent with what they want to do here.

“While true that people who commute regularly know the difference between the Manayunk and Ivy Ridge train stations, we are marketing the community of Manayunk.

“The property actually falls within the postal code of 19127, or Manayunk. And Manayunk is a recognized neighborhood beyond the city now. Our target audience will have some familiarity with Manayunk.”