Drive-By Photos 33 (Plus a Stour or two)
I realized I'm going to still be over Flickr's limit if I keep all my stours up there. To compensate, I'm gonna also include some stours here, and leave the ones on Flickr that focus on defunct chains like Clemens, Genuardi's, and A&P's stores.
On the way home from the retail road trip I've been covering the last several weeks, I drove by the Norristown ACME once again. This was shortly after I uploaded my original coverage of this store, and the horrifying quality of my last photos were still fresh in my mind. I stopped here with the intent of redeeming myself, which I feel I did. Update: This store has since been remodeled.
While this old gas station still has not found a new tenant, they sure fixed it up.
One of the classier stone-designed Commerce's, which closed sometime after TD took over.
As Citgo continues its slow death, many of their stations are becoming independent. (Fun Fact: Citgo is owned by the Venezuelan Government, who is trying with no avail to sell the company). Due to political and economic troubles in their homeland, Citgo's are dropping like flies up here.
Even though the façade is still a mess on the old ACME, the building already looks a thousand times better than it used to.
Villa Maria is a school for girls located just north of downtown Malvern. After dropping my sister off for a soccer game here, I decided to go for a little walk. This building in particular caught my eye, so I got a picture of it.
This restaurant has been operating here for a while. It is a little nicer than the name would imply.
Malvern is a somewhat small chain of banks, mostly located on the western part of the Main Line. Although this one is one of their smaller branches, I believe this is the flagship location.
This was built as a Shop 'N Bag, probably in the late 50's or early 60's. That closed by 1980, and the space was divided up between Kohlerman Pharmacy (part of the Good Neighbor franchise), and a Wawa. I imagine it is only a matter of time before Wawa relocates from here. Update: Remodeled early 2018, so evidently they're going to stay.
I love the architecture on these 50's post offices.
This was built in 1704. I'm going to assume that it was originally some form of commercial building, possibly a tavern or an inn. It has been operating as a post office now for quite a while (possibly even as early as the 1800's)
This was previously a Goodyear tire center, but was rebranded as United Tire when they bought the Goodyear franchise. Part of the building was vacated at the time of the conversion. I believe it has since been turned into a florist shop.
Wawa opened here in the 60's or 70's. It never received the roof peak over the entryway in the 80's, which means they did not have big plans for the future here. I actually can only think of 2 operating stores without the peak, both of which are close to Wawa's origin. This was closed by the mid-90's, but Wawa returned to with a new store nearby in 2009. It is currently an Italian restaurant/food supplier, which has kept the Wawa interior surprisingly intact.
This store was built in 1988, replacing a (now demolished) 50's-era store that stood next to it. It is in a pretty bad location, but is always busy. In 2012, the site of the former store was used to build a shopping center onto the formerly standalone ACME.
Citizen's Bank. This was carved out of the sales floor probably when the store was remodeled.
If you look at the ceiling near the strip lighting, you can see where the original recessed fluorescent strip went. No idea why they changed, but it seems like a but of a downgrade.
This bank was supposed to be a relocation for one deeper in West Chester. It opened around the time WSFS bought Penn Liberty. As a result, it became a relocation for a nearby Penn Liberty as well.
This opened in late 2015, shortly after the Wawa next door. From what I can see through the windows, it looks like they went with the old interior style.
With the exception of the name change, I doubt this place has changed since day 1.
This is a surprisingly long-lived GreenDrop. It has been in operation since 2012, shortly after Exxon vacated the property. Normally GreenDrop just occupies a building until someone can find something better to do with it.
Giant built this across the street from their store around 2010. This is the first time I've seen one with an attached convenience store. Update: Giant actually tried operating a chain of convenience stores in the late 2000's called Giant Express. It didn't last long- most were sold to Turkey Hill a year later. Small ones like this were kept open.
Like most businesses in Chester, I can't tell it this is even open. They all look abandoned, but a lot of places are still operational.
This was built in 2007, replacing one next door.
I'm starting to feel like 90% of my upload sets have Wawas in them. I really have no intent to change that, but I'm going to try to boost the frequency of some other stores so it balances out a bit.
This store is one with entrances on both the front and back. I think they build these a little wider to account for the space that would otherwise be taken up by the rear vestibule. They usually just have the two entrances in the front, but will add a rear one when there is parking behind the store.
Memories
While the site is currently just a hole in the ground, I still have a few pictures in the queue of happier times. I'm going to lay off the weekly updates until construction of the new store gets out of the ground.
I think Turkey Hill pulled out of here long before they became Kroger. It never had a gas station attached to it. Turkey Hill does not do very well in Chester County, probably due to Wawa competition.
I finally learned why Tractor Supply didn't open here- they wanted to build a fenced-in garden center-type area in the parking lot, and stock merchandise outside along the road. The township refused to let them do that, so they just gave up trying to move in. (Opinion time: I personally hate this township's government. They think they are way too high-and-mighty with building codes and the like. It just bothers me. A lot.)
Another improvement over the old look.
Hobby Lobby is almost done rebuilding the façade. Huge improvement over ACME's "brick fortress" look. The interior construction appears to be complete, as well.
Advances in Construction Progress
The glass doors are in, and the building is now weather-tight. All that's left to do on the exterior is adding paint, signage, and lighting.
I found a hold in the fence and grabbed a brick through it. Apparently there was a mall cop watching me from down towards Boscov's. When I stopped again around the front of the mall, he told me I wasn't supposed to do that. I was worried he was going to make me put it back, but thankfully he didn't. He also made no comment on me taking pictures, which I thought was strange, considering my track record with mall cops and photography.
I realized that I didn't have any good pictures of the section of shopping center that was cleared for Giant, so here's one. Citizen's Bank remains standing, as does half the store next to it. I think the building was cut off three pillars from the bank drive-through.
National Penn, West Chester, PA
This opened in 1987, and closed in July, 2016. BB&T decided not to take this, since they wanted to keep the nearby former Susquehanna Bank. It is currently vacant, and does not look like it will be leased anytime soon.
Typical late 90's location. It had the big arch window at one point, but has since been remodeled.
Stocking is well underway, but not quite there yet.
Found this little guy sunning himself on out back patio. To keep the dog away from him, I carried him to the woods across the road. Quite a photogenic turtle, I'd say!
I think RediClinic must be a relatively new concept. I've only seen them in new or remodeled stores.
Franklin Mint signage facing Baltimore Pike. Between being closed for a decade and having a new (albeit temporary) tenant, I would have expected this sign to be long gone. It has achieved a sot of landmark status, but that doesn't change the fact that the building is supposed to be demolished at some point, either.
This is surprisingly intact, despite not having been a Sunoco an about 30 years. I like how the parking lot light pole is the same shape as the roadside sign pole would have been.
This is the only Texaco I have ever actually gotten gas at as a Texaco. It was rebranded to Shell around 2004, along with the other few remaining locations in the northeast. It is also one of the few gas stations that still have exterior restrooms.
I don't think this place has sold gas in a while, it probably closed as a BP in the 90's. The shield sign frame remains out by the road. It looks like Andy's went cheap with signage- none of those letters are the same width.
I remember hearing that they have since closed. It has since reopened as another repair shop.
Turkey Hill, Downingtown, PA
I'm pretty sure this one was built in the 80's. It has a gas station in front, which originally served as an Amoco (What's funny is that there was a BP next door at one point). I think the branding was changed when Kroger took over. (Sorry about the order- this was supposed to go first. Blogger is hard to organize photos in).
I believe this location dates back to the 70's or 80's. Aside from a couple repaints over the years, it has never been remodeled, inside or out. Earlier this year, they replaced the lights at every McDonald's in the area with LED's. This one only had the parking lot ones changed out, making me think they have bigger plans for either rebuilding or remodeling in the near future.
This was originally another bank, that PNC purchased in the late 80's or early 90's. It operated as a PNC up until 2014. I don't think the building was ever vacant, ReMax opened up here almost immediately.
Old meets New
This was a pretty old Family Dollar location. Around 2012, it had fallen into bad enough shape that they spent some money fixing it up. They repainted the building and updated the logo. Unfortunately, it closed in 2015. The building is in the process of being converted.
In an effort to sell the old Getty, the signage has been taken down and painted over, and the concrete slab/gas pumps were pulled out. Update: Demolished spring 2018.
The store has been painted, the parking lot finished, and most of the exterior lights are up.
This store has an unusual layout (Which it was built with, not as a result of the remodel). Only a couple stores have it. The coffee and Deli are along the back wall, wit the Deli counter bowing out into the center of the store.
This is one of several libraries in the area. I think it is the largest one.
This closed as a 7-11 in late 2013 or early 2014. Work began converting the building almost immediately. Santander was open by the end of 2014.
This opened as a Sears Hardware store in 2002. We used to do most of our hardware shopping here, but they started going downhill fast around 2005. For the next 10 years, I have no idea how they held on. I would say the store was only about 60% stocked on a good day. Finally, they decided to turn it into an outlet store, which seems to be doing better. Update: Closed late 2017.
The one remaining checkout. The area behind it used to be customer service, and a popcorn machine.
Come to think of it, I don't remember seeing any employees in the store.
Giant kept the dumpster cage from Eckerd, although they do not appear to be using it. It looks like they made a deliberate effort to save it.
Eckerd was built here in 2000. I don't believe this ever actually became a Rite Aid, since they were close to opening a new store right across Nutt Road from this one. Apparently, they did keep the staff from this store and move them to the new one. A couple years after it closed, Giant demolished the building to make room for a gas station. The rest of the site remains undeveloped, the parking lot retains some Eckerd markings, directing people to the nonexistent drive-thru pharmacy. Update: Bank of America is opening on the site as of early 2019.
This was built as a deli in 2007, on the site of another restaurant that burned down. In 2012, it became Saladworks, which operated here until 2015. More recentli, it has become EatNic, which looks like some kind of diner targeted toward hipsters, or as they bill it, an "urban farmhouse eatery." Update: As of late 2018, it is now Olive Tree, a local Greek pizza place.
This was something I found when they first closed in 2012. They shipped off all their carts shortly after shutting down, but forgot one in a retention pond behind the store. Naturally, I took it. Makes a good firewood carrier. I actually like it better than the wheelbarrow.
An update to my previous picture. They have done a lot of work on the exterior in a relatively short amount of time. Won't be long until they're open!
Diary cases, and a hallway leading to the restroom.
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