Yesterday, we passed along the news that Sneaker Villa, a national shoe and apparel chain, would be taking over the large space on the 600 block of South Street that was last home to a Walgreens. Today, we have news of another national chain on the horizon for a recently vacated space just a couple of blocks away.

The building

For decades, Philadelphia Bar and Restaurant Supply held down this corner of 5th & Bainbridge & Passyunk, offering restauranteurs and neighbors alike a chance to purchase commercial-grade kitchen wares in a very unique environment. Whether you enjoyed the friendly service, the challenge of locating what you were looking for, or the old timey cash register, this store truly had something for everyone. Especially those looking for the odd coffee airpot, chef’s knife, or china set for ten. In conjunction with the

As we sit here on Good Friday, we have news about another church that’s slated to be demolished in order to feed the ever-hungry development monster. The newest House of God on the outs is St. John the Evangelist Episcopal Church, according to Hidden City. The church, located on the northwest corner of 3rd & Reed, was built before 1895, and closed last month.

The church

Hidden City tells us that a salvage crew was on the site last month, preserving pews and the like for reuse in another church or perhaps a yet unopened gastropub. In the coming months, the building will be demolished, and Passyunk Post shares that twelve new homes will rise in its place. This will mark the third large new townhome development to come to light in this neighborhood this month. You…

Way back in the summer of 2011, we first brought the vacant and blighted armory building at 1221 S. Broad St. to your attention. At the time, it was mentioned as an aside to the building that was being constructed next door, which obstructed an underwhelming Frank Sinatra mural. According to Hidden City, the property has been tied up with deed restrictions for the better part of a decade, and even though it was purchased by its current owners for a low price, maintaining the building has been extremely onerous.

Looks rough

The old entrance

With the introduction of a bill by State Senator Larry Farnese, property owner Tolentine Community Center and Development Corporation will now finally be able to sell this property. And according to Passyunk Post, the…

Everybody loves a good limoncello. And in an age where farmer’s markets are all the rage, microbrews are commonplace, and artisanal goat meat is something that people actually buy, why not locally distilled limoncello? And after a successful presentation to the East Passyunk Crossing Zoning Committee last week, it seems that’s exactly what will soon be making an appearance on Passyunk Avenue.

The building

Presuming everything goes ok with the application to the LCB, and at the ZBA (which will be much easier with the support of the neighborhood), Pollyodd Limoncello will soon be opening a retail location at

The transformation of East Passyunk Avenue over the past decade has been well documented, with numerous new businesses of all shapes and sizes coming to the Avenue. At the very southern end of the Avenue, however, at 1934 E Passyunk Ave., Colombo’s looms as one of the properties that has not really changed too much as the street has evolved.

A structure that sits on a 2,500 sqft, awkwardly shaped lot, Colombo’s has a restaurant set up inside with a liquor license, as well as permanent outdoor seating. With a well-marketed, properly conceived concept, we could imagine a business finding considerable success at this location. Meanwhile, it’s sat barely used in recent years, offered for sale to anyone willing to meet the owner, Maurice Pisano’s price.

In the past

The property was listed for sale back in 2004 for…