Wilmington, Wayne, and Pottstown

Welcome back, everybody! Today we're finally gonna finish off this Delaware trip and I'm super excited about it. 

Eckerd/Rite Aid, Claymont, DE
This store opened as an Eckerd in the late 60's, and was sold to Rite Aid in 2007. Not only was it one of the few former Eckerds to not have been remodeled by Rite Aid, but it still had their 80's neon decor up until the end. Unfortunately, they closed down in mid-2018, probably at the end of a lease. There are a couple other Rite Aid's a stone's throw away from here, both of which are far newer and larger than this one.

Channel/Genuardi's/Safeway, Wilmington, DE
A terrible picture to open with, but I didn't check these before leaving. Thankfully I'd been here before. Since my last visit, I learned that this was actually built as a Channel Home Center in 1986 prior to Genuardi's opening, which would explain the unusual entrances here. In late 2018, this store closed in favor of the ACME across the street, leaving Safeway's Glasgow location as their only store in the Philadelphia market.

I'm pretty sure this sign's left over from the Genuardi's days.

Since my last visit, they added fluorescent lighting around the store in addition to the existing spotlights. I'm not sure I follow their logic , since they probably had plans to close this store ever since the Albertsons merger, which was before these lights were put in.

The floral department, or Poetry in Bloom, which has to be one of the cheesiest department names in the supermarket industry.

The new lighting made the store a whole lot brighter, but also kinda killed the classy look they had going before.

I'm surprised they didn't add any new lighting over the dairy aisle. It didn't even have spotlights to begin with, so it really needed it most.

I really like the red color these Lifestyle stores had in the prepared foods area. Since Genuardi's always had these separated from the rest of the store with an island, the red was in one part and yellow in the other.

Blurry look at the front of the front end of the prepared foods department.

The store had a WSFS bank branch inside, which closed shortly after my visit but long before the store's closure was announced. I'm wondering if this was still in preparation of the store's closure.

Exton Collision Services, Exton, PA
This service station opened up in 1957, and abruptly shut down in 2017 while they were in the middle of a remodel (hence the stucco only covering the top part of the walls). The property went up for sale, sold, nothing happened, and it went up for sale again. I'm curious to see what happens to the site.

Lionville Apartment Progress
Since my last picture, they've removed the back addition (don't worry- it'll be back!) and torn up the parking lot. What will the future bring? Stay tuned several months to find out... ;)

Mobil/Lukoil/Mobil, Wayne, PA
This place had an interesting story, it was divested to Lukoil after the Exxon merger, but then in 2011 they bought it back. During the conversion they added a canopy, which the station didn't have previously.

Maybe a Former Restaurant?, Wayne, PA
My earliest memories of this place were of it being vacant and gutted out. Just going by the way the outside looks, I wanna say it was built as a restaurant. A few years ago it was outfitted for a clinic, which closed in 2017. Anther clinic opened up in here the following year.

Outback/First Watch, Wayne, PA
Outback moved to the King of Prussia Mall in early 2017, leaving the space vacant for a little while. First Watch, which I believe is a breakfast place, moved in earlier this year. I'm not sure if they take up the entire space, but they did redo the entire facade to match the rest of the center. Everything else was redone in early 2016.

I got a few pictures through the windows, but none came out really well.

I think the one time I ate here I sat over to the left of this picture. I have eaten in the new location once as well.

Looking in through the windows on the other side. I'm surprised they left it fully furnished, though now that I think about it I have no clue what they'd do with the stuff once they got it out of here since their decor has changed quite a bit in the last few years.

McAmoBP, Pottstown, PA
This was one of the earlier Amoco-McDonald's hybrid locations. One thing I've noticed about these is that there is not a single one around me to have been "eyebrowed" (or whatever we're calling the latest remodels now). I'm wondering if there's something about sharing the space that gets them out of the remodel requirement, although that wouldn't make sense since I'm pretty sure most of these are McDonald's corporate-owned.

Farmer's Market, Pottstown, PA
I don't know too much about the history of this place, but it's got some really neat mid-century architecture. The inside was given a remodel in 2018, but thankfully they left the outside alone.

The Ice House, Pottstown, PA
According to their website, this place was originally an actual ice warehouse. It became a restaurant in 1989 (although that sign frame looks much older... there must have been something in between). The facade was redone in 2018.

I forgot to do a song on the last post, so to make up for it I'll post one of my favorites this time. It's good enough to count for two song's I'd say.