Drive-By Photos 11
This is the underside of the Market-Frankford El. The concrete portion was rebuilt in the 70's and the steel part beyond in the 20's.
I really don't know much about this store, except that it has been a Shoprite since at least the 90's.
Built in the 1990's, was converted to a Speedway after this was taken.
More information courtesy Alexweb8, "An old Merit site but with a Hess Express store built ground-up. Most were left as-is. There is only one on Long Island I can think of where they did that."
Our local crummy shopping center finally got a facelift sometime last year. It looked like something out of a horror movie previously.(The building in back is what it looked like)
Stillman Volvo, West Chester, PA
Opened in the 80's, was undergoing a strange remodel last year- they built a new store around the old one before taking it down!
Connecting Chester, PA to Logan Township, NJ. This is one of my personal favorite bridges to go across.
Gino's was a regional chain that was bought out and closed down by Pizza Hut. it's now an ice cream place. ACME opened in 1969 and relocated around 1995. It is supposed to become a Save-A-Lot in the future. There are two restaurants in the building to the left of ACME. Those are the sole surviving businesses.
Just across the Delaware from the future Port of Paulsboro, we can see Philadelphia.
A 1930's aerial of the site. BP closed here in 1995, but still maintains a groundwater treatment facility here. In 2010, everything except for the office and treatment facility was demolished. A port is currently being built here. The office building will be reused as the port's office, as BP moved across the street.
This was a 70's location that expanded in the 90's. In 2011, the adjacent stores were knocked down so they could have a fuel center.
There is a good chance this could have been a Fay's originally, but I can't find anything on that. I know Eckerd opened up in the mid-90's, and became a Rite Aid in 2007.
Hill Theater, Paulsboro, NJ
It hasn't been a theater for a while. The former mayor now houses his antique fire truck collection here. No, seriously.
Some information from l_dawg2000, "Certainly looks like a Grant's sign to me! Southaven had a Grant's (known as "Grant Plaza"). It opened about 1970 and closed when the company went bankrupt in 1976.
Do you know much about the history of this sign? Maybe these were just for the Grant Plaza version of Grant's. Never even thought I would see another one! I was very young when it was still in Southaven, but I seem to remember it was like a super-sized version of a department store.
I did a small photoset for the Southaven Grant's back in 2012: www.flickr.com/photos/l_dawg2000/albums/72157632436462445"
The small white kiosk would have been a Fotomat developing center originally.
Grant's/Kmart/Ames, Paulsboro, NJ
Grant's-1969-1977(?)
Kmart 1977(?)-1983
Ames 1986(?)-1992
It was later split between an auto shop and another store, which changed several times. It has been abandoned since before 2010, while the last tenant in the shopping center was evicted in 2013 when it was deemed unsafe.
The Garden center. This is in worse condition than the rest of the store (though that's not saying much!), likely due to the fact that the half-dozen or so stores after Grant's left in the 70's didn't use it.
ACME, Paulsboro, NJ
It took a lot of self control not to bust through the window and take the signs. Based on the amount of boarded up windows, others have tried before.
Sunoco, Paulsboro, NJ
The thing that really catches my interest here are the lights. They have to indicate some previous occupant. Besides, they are pretty cool.
I think Texaco took this over after Arco left, as they have a tendency to paint the entire station black when they leave. Correction: Actually became a Shell.
This opened in 1951, and is one of quite a few old 50's businesses still standing along this stretch of road.
This must have come around before 7/11 started selling their own gas. On the utility pole, you can see the solar panel for one of Jersey's famed all-solar streetlights.
Strange name for a bar. That neon sign screams 1930's.
This must have been real nice back in the day. It's a shame they let it fall into this state.
I love finding these places. That roof is so distinct.
I'm probably posting way too many photos of this, but here's another one anyway. From left to right: Former Glaxo-Smith-Cline (medicine company) headquarters. They relocated a couple years ago to the former Navy Yard for a tax credit, despite the former headquarters being less than 15 years old. Franklin Plaza/Sheraton Hotel (tall yellow building), built in the 1980's, converted to Sheraton in the 90's. Liberty Place (pointy roof), Comcast Center (boxy glass place), Archdiocese of Philadelphia (dome roof and the building to the left of it), Bell-Atlantic Tower/3 Logan Square (red building) was built in 1991, and renamed around 2010.
Comcast Center I, Philadelphia (Center)
Comcast's headquarters, built in 2008. Previously, they operated in the Bell-Atlantic Tower (that's ironic) across the street. They still have some offices over there strangely enough, even though they don't even occupy all the floors in their own building! There is a really good food court in the basement. That should change within the next couple years, when they complete Comcast Center II next door.
Eckerd/Rite Aid, Boothwyn, PA
I think they are both local chains. I don't think they are related at all, but their locations always tend to be very close to each other. Plaza Azteca was formerly home to a Lone Star Steakhouse.
A 3-building center built in the 80's. This building features: DMV, Dollar Tree, Rite Aid (Former Eckerd. It's pretty easy to miss, as it has no windows to the exterior), Verizon, Giant (Former Clemens), Wine & Spirits, QVC Outlet, and a former True Value/ACE.
This was built in the 80's, so I doubt it was always a Carrabba's. It and the store next door have the same style roof, which doesn't match up with the rest of the shopping center, making me think this would have been an anchor.
Phillips 66/Citgo, North Coventry, PA
I feel like I already have a dozen pictures posted of this place, but since it is no longer with us, I feel morally obliged to upload it. For those who didn't see the update posted on one of my other photos, this place disappeared within the last month or so.
(Sorry about the pole) This location was not so fortunate. It was stripped of it's Lukoil décor, revealing the old Mobil sign! That hasn't seen the light of day in over a decade! Update: Being demolished as of October 2016.
This was built in the 90's, and redone 2014. The façade kept the same shape, but some new siding really improved the looks. My favorite restaurant is at the other end of the center, which has been slowly growing over they years. I think they're up to 5 original storefronts now.
McDonald's closed here in the 90's. There are a couple in the mall, so it didn't really make sense to keep this one open. Gino's was a chain of pizza restaurants in the Philadelphia area that Pizza Hut bought out years ago. However, someone decided to bring back the name a couple years ago. Long story short, it didn't last. Update 6/2016: this was demolished earlier this summer.
1st Resource was originally one small location in Exton, which relocated and started opening new locations left and right in 2014. They always take a small cinderblock building built in the 70's, take out everything except the walls, and essentially rebuild the place. This was early in the project here.
Opened in the 80's. We bought a car here once, and were pretty pleased. I'm not sure what they are doing to it now, but the entire right side has been bricked up and all the parking lot lights replaced.
An evening view of the store.
After Giant and TJMaxx moved out in 2010, this center dried up fast. There are 6 stores left, out of about 30 spaces. Does anyone know what the store on the left was?
Mobil/Lukoil, Paoli, PA
Probably built in the 60's. The canopy poles indicate it would have been a mushroom-style originally.
This opened in 1960 as a Grant's. After they closed, it became Thrift Drug, and subsequently Rite Aid in 2007. They moved to a freestanding location across the street in 2014. This space was then split up between True Value and Michael's.
Probably built in the 40's. Hills has been there for a while, I think this is their original location.
Boat Dealer, North Coventry, PA
Probably built in the 60's. There are no signs indicating what this is, besides a neon "open" in the window. Considering that the lot is always filled with boats, I would assume that's some indication as to what they deal with. Update: They have since relocated and this building has been demolished.
This was probably built in the 70's or 80's. Produce Junction moved in around 15 years ago.
Wawa, Audubon, PA
Built in 2014. This is their latest prototype.
Comments
Post a Comment