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Archive | East Passyunk Crossing

Real Estate
What's Happening in:  East Passyunk Crossing 

SoPhilly Spotlight

By on July 27, 2012

This bilevel, two-bedroom apartment right on E. Passyunk and Moore seems pretty nice — good location right next to Stogie Joe’s — but it’s kind of small for $1,200 a month not including utilities.

Bilevel 2BR avail on Passyunk @ Moore (next door to Stogie Joe’s).
Wood floors throughout.
Ceramic tiled floor, Kitchen
Dishwasher
Front loading Washer-dryer from Maytag
Roof access. Views of Center City
Tenants pay all utils.
Avail: ASAP/August 1st.

What do you think? Is that what $1,200 gets these days in the hood?

Pretty good, pretty good, but is that a bedroom or living room? 
Little old, but it’ll do
Skyline view, and the beautiful Today’s Styles
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Events
What's Happening in:  East Passyunk Crossing 

Hot rod heaven, circus performers

By on July 27, 2012

The Car Show and Street Festival returns to EPA for the seventh year on Sunday, July 29 from noon to 5, and this time the party looks bigger than ever. The EPA Business Improvement District, which puts on the show, expects more than 140 classic and tricked-out cars, spread out over the blocks between Broad and Dickinson.

Car show last year, thanks to EPBID

We’ve been to the show before, and the cars are pretty cool, but the best part is the food, the booze and the scene. That all promises to be even better this year too. There will be live music on every block with stages in front of Le Virtu, El Zarape, Mamma Maria, Stogies Joes and Birra and a DJ most of the day at the fountain (for the schedule and more info…). An expanded roster of food trucks will line the street and the restaurants will open up to the sidewalk serving food and drinks. The Bang! Boom! CRAFT! show, sponsored by our very own Nice Things Handmade at 1731 EPA, will bring dozens of vendors to the fountain.
The biggest improvement over last year? Circus performers from the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts.

Then if you’re just getting going when they’re closing up shop at 5, head to Stogies Joe’s and the party outside keeps rolling till 9.

It’s a big change from the car show’s paltry beginning, when lonely clusters of people would shuffle the wide, empty gulf between vendor tables. People would take to the old Phillyblog to complain that the BID shouldn’t even stage events like these because hardly anyone showed up. Actually, it was only two years ago that the event was labeled the “DooWop Car Show and Street Festival,” no doubt catering more to some of our grayer neighbors. Kudos to Renee at the BID for sticking through it all.

Also, the car show is nominated for the best local event by PHL17’s hot list contest, which could use your support, by the way…click

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Retail
What's Happening in:  East Passyunk Crossing 

Sign of the times for St. Jude’s?

By on July 25, 2012

The building at 1805 E. Passyunk Ave., which houses St. Jude’s Shop next door to Stogie Joe’s, was sold in May for $875,000, slightly down from the original list price of $899,000. Then paper went up over part of the window display last week, making us wonder if the end was near for the communion dress and nativity scene emporium.

What does the paper foretell? Maybe nothing

The DiCocco family that owns the store, plus locations in Havertown and Cherry Hill, was less than helpful. Louis DiCocco was fairly short with us when we reached him at the Havertown location.

“We’re still there and selling, and that’s all you need to know,” he said before rushing off the phone.

He declined to say how long the lease was. That doesn’t necessarily mean the store is closing, but he sure wasn’t happy that we were asking. Back in the day, the family also had locations on Castor Avenue and at 21 S. 13th St, steps away from another restaurant renaissance in Midtown Village.

The new landlord didn’t immediately return a call, but we do know that the paper at this point is only covering up renovations to the stairs that go to the apartments above the store. The window display to the right of the door is still in tact.

That slide would only cause butt splinters
Around back, you can see work crews gutting the second and third floors. Judging by the size of the building, they could fit up to six apartments in there if they wanted, though zoning may not allow that. Add the 12 apartments proposed for the King of Jeans building, and you’ve got some serious new residential life coming to the Avenue.
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Retail
What's Happening in:  East Passyunk Crossing 

Ratty awning says it all

By on July 24, 2012
The neon has gone dark

Tom’s Prime meats at 1729 E Passyunk Ave. has closed. A quick call to the number shows it’s disconnected.

Of course, that awning has looked like it had been devoured by moths for the last couple years. Maybe the lack of care for its appearance had something to do with the closure. Or maybe it was this, from Philly Speaks:

The only experience I’ve ever had with Tom’s Prime Meats is when I accompanied a friend there some time ago who made a purchase there. While I didn’t buy anything (and, therefore, can’t report on the quality of the product), I can tell you that the guy behind the counter left a very distinct impression on me: an extremely negative one. First of all, even though the shop was completely devoid of other customers, he seemed to be annoyed that he had to wait on my friend — no smile, no hello. I was new to the neighborhood at that time and tried to strike up a conversation with him about it, and all he did was bad-mouth South Philly. After we left, I asked my friend what the guy’s problem was, and she told me he’s always miserable, hates the city (lives in Jersey), but she shops there because it’s convenient.

(from poster Oladybug, who’s usually very sympathetic)

The biz appeared to never have attracted the newer residents of the neighborhood, and talking shit about South Philly in front of newcomers won’t help. It’s also never a good sign when a business in one of the city’s most gentrified neighborhoods has zero reviews on Yelp. At this point, if you don’t get the yelpers, you don’t get new customers.

We couldn’t track down a number for the landlord, who’s owned the building since 1956. He’s up to date on his property taxes, according to city records.

Is decor is from 1959? Might not be bad in the hands of the right owners.

Although the butcher’s shop’s demise might be bad news to some — Tom, for instance — it opens up an opportunity for another, less surly butcher to set up shop. With actual prime meats, a smile, and dare we ask, a new awning. Hey, Plenty! You wanna open a butcher shop?

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Restaurants
What's Happening in:  East Passyunk Crossing 

Will BYOB’s coming along (updated with pics)

By on July 23, 2012

Update:

Here are some more pics:

If it looks good from the outside, it’ll probably be pretty good inside
Forgive the reflection, please
Like a stalker, peeking through the window
Another view. They can pull this together by Aug. 24, right?
Original Post:
Meal Ticket checked in with Christopher Kearse, the chef/owner opening Will BYOB at 1911 E.P.A. near the end of August.

MT says he’s in the process of hiring his staff, plucking from his former employers Pumpkin and Lacroix (Kearse has a mile-long resume of short stints at stellar restaurants, including Napa’s French Laundry and at Charlie Trotter’s and Alinea in Chicago).

From the outside renovations appear to be progressing smoothly. New, black fling-out windows are installed and lighting and the paint job look complete. A quick peek inside showed plenty of work to be done though, so hopefully late August isn’t too optimistic.

Kearse seems to think not, though. His Open Table site is up, which is a good sign even if their map is wrong.


Oops, that’s West Passyunk
Check out this incredible story about Kearse from May in City Paper.

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Retail
What's Happening in:  East Passyunk Crossing 

ENKI/Soap/New Soap, and now…

By on July 22, 2012
The new, temporary sign

Soulistic Natural and Spiritual Healing, a one-stop shop for herbal remedies and gifts, opened in the troubled storefront at 1742 EPA.

Paper went up over the windows a few weeks after the second Soap incarnation closed, and owner Delphine Dos Santos opened last week with the ENKI name still painted above the store. She said she was waiting for some help from the East Passyunk BID to make changes to the facade. The sign went up Saturday.

Delphine, who’s French and was a professional dancer, said she can create customized homeopathic remedies for various ailments. From her Facebook page (no website yet):

Our mission is to provide well-being, healing, personal growth and spiritual reawakening through natural remedies, affordable inspirational gifts, individual and group spiritual healing sessions and workshops .

Also on sale were earrings, geodes and other items, plus a couple shelves of new age literature. Also, fittingly, some natural, handmade soaps.

Interesting side note, Delphine said she also owns a capoeira studio.

The location also housed a used CD store a few years before ENKI opened and before that, it was a cigar shop. Hopefully, they have more luck than the previous tenants.

Taken from the street (and from store’s Facebook page)
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