Today, we discovered a new South Street West business that apparently opened last week.

Nice signs

If you can’t read the numerous signs, it’s a new pharmacy! Located at 1735 South St., this new pharmacy desperately fills a need in the neighborhood.

Oh, wait.

Actually, this is probably the most unnecessary new retail addition that anyone in the neighborhood could have ever imagined. Impressively, it’s even more redundant than the pharmacy that opened up last month, just across the street.

Pharmacy on the corner

Across from Walgreens

Oh, and the hospital across the street has a pharmacy, too!

That’s right. One corner. four pharmacies. Fighting together IN THE STEEL CAGE! Who will survive? For the record, at least the newest pharmacy’s windows aren’t…

We came upon this ditty during a West Philly stroll this week. If you’re a cigar aficionado looking for a new place to find fine-rolled tobacco leaves, The Urban Traveler (UT) on Baltimore Ave. may soon be your new away-from-downtown spot of choice.

Located at 4832 Baltimore Ave. next to the future site of the Mariposa Co-op market, The UT is set to open later this month, according to owner Han Pak. The store will sell cell phones, fashion accessories, jewelry ($10 – $30), tobacco, tobacco pipes and more. But hey, it’s better than a Subway, right?

Probably the most interesting aspect of this store is the small-study sized humidor room in the back, where Pak will soon pack the shelves that line the room like bookcases with different cigar varieties.

Future humidor

The…

A couple of readers have emailed us about 1802 Frankford Ave., a recently constructed property that just got some new signage out front. Yes, the signs on the window advertise “Jackpot Internet Cafe,” and “Cash Prizes.” And yes, that’s a letter from L&I tucked into the door.

Wow.

According to Fishtown.us, numerous people in the neighborhood are actively trying to get to the bottom of the situation and figure out whether some intrepid entrepreneur has, as it appears, decided to open up a neighborhood casino. Honestly, where do they think they are, England?

Interestingly, we did a write up about this building and the two on either side of it just a few months ago, highlighting the continuing construction activity in the neighborhood.

From back in August

Today

…

Over the summer, we lamented the number of vacancies on the 600 block of South St., pointing out prominent retail spaces that have been empty for years. According to a recent thread on Philadelphia Speaks, one (or possibly two) of those spaces will soon be filled.

Awesome sign

Progress coming soon

602 South St., formerly home of the extremely underrated Salsolito Cafe, will apparently soon become the second Philadelphia location for European Republic, a french fries and wraps place that currently operates out of a Chestnut St. address in Old City.

Quite the logo

Hilariously, on the About page of the company’s website, the first sentence characterizes the establishment as “a restaurant serving up fresh and healthy European wraps in the Philadelphia area!” Huh.…

Years ago, when we lived in the Passyunk Square neighborhood, we frequented ABC Wok, a takeout Chinese place at 1305 E. Passyunk Ave., just south of Pat’s Steaks. Shortly before we moved away, our favorite $4 dinner place closed up shop, eventually being replaced by a (totally boring) Metro PCS store.

Former ABC Wok

This building is closely tied to and possibly connected with 1304-06 S. 9th St., the building right behind it, even though they have separate tax ID numbers.The same people own both properties, and have tried to sell them in recent years. In 2006, they were asking over $1.4M for the pair, and in 2007 they came down to a much “more reasonable” $580K for the package. Needless to say, they didn’t sell. Earlier…

A new development is on the horizon at 3901 Walnut St. now that the Philly Diner in University City has closed after a decade.

No longer "open." Photo from the DP.

This block has been transformed in recent years with the construction of the Radian, a 14-story building with a numerous retail offerings including CVS, a Capogiro, Sweetgreen, City Tap House (try the filet), and others, along with scores of apartments on the floors above. With the new building’s ultra-modern, industrial, love-it-or-hate-it architecture, the former diner and the adjacent Campus Copy Center look just a little worn, if nothing else.

Under the Button first broke the news of the diner’s closing on October 16. The building is owned by UPenn, whose…