Some West Philadelphia residents remember the buzzing Baltimore Avenue commercial corridor of the 1950s and '60s. Now, changes to the area provide a glimpse of that bygone prosperity.
New businesses, including a potential pizzeria and brewery in the firehouse at 50th Street and Baltimore, a wine and spirits store and a Vietnamese restaurant, are part of the movement.
Until last year, the firehouse housed the Firehouse Farmers Market, a community staple that many in the area say they miss.
However, owner Rosmarie Certo and husband Jeffrey Ware - who plan to operate the Dock Street Brewing Co. in the space - say they hope that their business will build on the community momentum established by the market.
While the brewery is still in the planning stages, Gail Fisher, University City District's manager in charge of the area, predicts it may open this spring.
University City District is a group that provides various services in the neighborhood, including providing public safety initiatives and promotions of area attractions.
Given the surrounding neighborhood, the brewery would likely fit in well.
The vicinity of the firehouse features both colorful and well-kept houses. And while there is an occasional abandoned building, residents say the decay is on its way out.
Muhammed Abd'allah, who has lived in the community for about 40 years, noted that it has "been gong through an ebb and flow," including urban decay, white flight and increased crime in the '80s.
But now the neighborhood appears to be moving in the opposite direction, he said.
As Penn invests in the community and professors move in, Abd'allah said he has seen improvement, but added that gentrification may follow this economic growth.
"If people want to come in and really change [the neighborhood], if they're really serious about it, I'm all for it," Abd'allah said. "I just hope they build the infrastructure of the schools" in addition to building businesses.
Eleanor Buffam, an employee of Satellite Cafe, also located in the firehouse building, said that new businesses such as the brewery should keep prices low and the needs of the community in mind.
Certo stressed that Dock Street would cater to locals as well as students and beer aficionados and would offer affordable to midrange prices. The brewery and restaurant would also yield up to 30 jobs for locals, she said.
"We always prided ourselves on having a cross-section of customer base," she said.
Certo added that the brewery would host home-brewing seminars and competitions, maintaining the firehouse as a community gathering place - a "home away from home."
Fisher predicts the brewery could make the neighborhood safer "because there's nothing like making a corner come alive to make it safe."
In recent years, UCD and community groups have provided initiatives - including funds to restore businesses' facades, free advertising and new trash cans - aiming to make the business corridor more popular and safe.
However, Buffam noted that if underlying problems like poverty aren't addressed, giving the community a facelift won't fix it.
New sit-down restaurants and retail are just what locals want, Fisher said, citing a 2001 UCD market study.
As more families move into the neighborhood, "the surrounding area is changing and the corridor will change if Baltimore Avenue can catch up with" the area around it, she said.
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