There was dancing at the Piazza at Schmidts' weekly Sunday afternoon shindig on June 28.
It's the biggest draw at the expansive Northern Liberties plaza, with hordes of kids using the square as a personal racetrack, dogs stretching their legs, and wallet-wielding visitors stopping to indulge in a brick-oven pizza, a local brew, or a punk-rock T-shirt from one of the shops or restaurants.
The crowd hit quadruple digits for the day, not bad for a space less than two months old - and less than 24 hours removed from a double homicide.
Despite the murders, locals saw no reason to abandon the unique public space they had come to embrace. In fact, the media coverage of the killings gave many outside Northern Liberties their first exposure to the Piazza, often described as "trendy" and "upscale."
Most significant, the ostensibly premeditated nature of the killings seems to have prevented the crime from turning into a public-relations nightmare.
"Didn't deter me," said Will Brock, 35, a visitor from West Philadelphia. "It seemed like it was an isolated incident. It's not like they sprayed the Piazza."
"I feel safe here," said Anna Levin, 27, who rents studio space there. The murders don't "have anything to do with the Piazza. . . . That's pretty much the consensus."
Shop and restaurant owners have detected no dip in customer flow. David Steiger, general manager of Vino, reported that business even had risen.
As was the case before the shootings, the security presence in the Piazza is based on an event's expected attendance. Administrators declined to comment on changes in security.
The shrugs from the community are, in a sense, emblematic of the Piazza ethos: Put the surrounding chaos out of mind, if that's what it takes to enjoy the space.
Enclosed by shops and restaurants, the centerpiece one-acre courtyard plays host to activities as diverse as dancing, bingo, and canine playdates - sometimes all at once.
All but 20 of the Piazza's 375 apartments are occupied, said Andy Hurwitz, director of programming. Vive 1977, billed as a clothing store for "punx, rockers, and pirates," and Lyla Designs, which offers custom accessories, are among the retail attractions.
On the culinary front, Darling's Diner and Vino, a wine bar with brick-oven pizza, are getting up to speed. P.Y.T., a retro burger joint, will officially open Friday.
But it secures a steady audience, especially on weekend evenings, the Piazza's wide offerings and magnificent cacophony are both the attraction and the challenge.
Hurwitz defined the chief mission of Piazza programming as allowing a visitor to "tune it in or tune it out." Rich Medina, a DJ deployed for the weekend dance parties, aims to engage crowd members "from 8 to 98."
Naturally, the something-for-everybody vision can turn into an assault on the senses. So far, visitors don't seem to mind.
On a Friday night last month, an HIV-awareness gathering with live music evolved into an impromptu Michael Jackson tribute on the main stage. About 10 yards away, at the Swift Half Pub, straitlaced couples and dolled-up singles alike stopped in for a brew and a look at the Phillies score.
Toward the center of the Piazza, where umbrella-clad picnic tables abound, an elderly pair shared a cigar and a Pepsi, children zigged and zagged in pursuit of a soccer ball, guests plopped facedown on outdoor massage tables, and a dozen vendors at folding tables pitched their products - jewelry and fragrances, magnets and lotions.
"It's just really conducive to hanging out," said Bart Blatstein, developer of the venue. "It just takes time. Piazzas and grand spaces in Europe, they've evolved over hundreds of years. We're forcing this in a matter of months."
For newlyweds Mike and Trish DeBellis, who live two blocks away and stroll through nearly every night, the Piazza "brings a sense of community," Mike said. ("And we bring our own adult beverages," Trish added.)
For Michael Pollock, 41, it's a place where his young daughter can "run long distances" in an open square rife with potential playmates.
And for personal trainer Jennifer Alvarez, the site serves another purpose altogether. "I heard there was a party here," she said, bounding toward the dance floor with five hula hoops slung over her shoulder.
Not all of the Piazza's programming has found a consistent following. Turnout for Thursday night karaoke, packaged with the Phillies game on a 26-by-16-foot screen, has been sporadic. Wednesday morning's "Hump Day Yoga" draws a loyal contingent of three to five people.
Regardless, Blatstein and Hurwitz are pleased with the early returns.
"You don't just become the Rolling Stones, [where] everybody comes and you're selling out huge venues," Hurwitz said. Blatstein "wanted it to develop organically, through word of mouth."
Contact staff writer Matt Flegenheimer at 215-854-4193 or mflegenheimer@phillynews.com.
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