SpringGarden Deli/Restaurant closing

[phillysleuth]

While most of you are probably more concerned about whether a "fine dining" establishment is going away, I feel very sad that the SpringGarden Deli/restaurant is closing this week. It was a great place for decent food at inexpensive prices and catered to its regulars, both from Parkway House and outside. You could count on being allowed to read your newspaper/book, do the crossword puzzle, or just hang around over your coffee, without feeling you were being rushed out the door. They were open til 9 PM so if you got hungry late, there was always a friendly place to drop in to. I really wonder what some of the older folks who live at Parkway House will do without this place, since they came down often to buy a few basic grocery items.

Does anyone know of a similar place around Fairmount, where you can get a grilled cheese and bacon sandwich in a low key environment, or do I have to drive down to a South Philly diner?

Jo

[Titus]

Little Pete's in the Philadelphia offers basic simple foods as well as more elaborate meals at very reasonable prices. But yeah when I lived nearby I'd often hit the SG Deli - too bad.

[SpectrumSci]

That's a shame. I have a lot of memories of eating there. Not the best food but not bad either. They used to be open until midnight, then 10PM, and more recently 9PM. I wonder what is happening that is leading them to close? Is something else going in its place?

[phillysleuth]

Little Pete's in the Philadelphia offers basic simple foods as well as more elaborate meals at very reasonable prices. But yeah when I lived nearby I'd often hit the SG Deli - too bad.

Every time I eat at Little Pete's, I feel like they just want to get rid of me since I'm a party of one, not a gang. It doesn't have the intimacy that SG Deli had. I like smaller places.

[phillysleuth]

That's a shame. I have a lot of memories of eating there. Not the best food but not bad either. They used to be open until midnight, then 10PM, and more recently 9PM. I wonder what is happening that is leading them to close? Is something else going in its place?

Kim implied that business had declined to the point where it wasn't sustainable (not exactly her words... she just said "business").She had told me before that business was off. Don't know what will be in its place, but it would be nice if it were another low key "restaurant" and had basic groceries. The Parkway House residents are going to miss the convenience.

[Frejo]

2201 Pennsylvania Ave. (The Parkway House). The owners were seeking to use basement and first floor space to install 10 additional apartments, eliminate one retail and one office space, and add a first floor leasing office. The zoning hearing was May 23rd. This site has had a chronic trash problem, with several exposed and overflowing dumpsters in plain view on 22nd Street, and debris heaped next to them. It also has a barren look on the 22nd St. and Spring Garden St. sides. As part of the zoning process, the Civic Association zoning committee met with the owners; and they agreed to shield the dumpsters from view, remove the illegal signage, and landscape the Spring Garden St. and 22nd St. sides, including planting trees. Our zoning committee found the proposed screening to be inadequate, but the ZBA approved the zoning in any event, with a proviso to install the screening and remove the signage, per a proposal from the owner’s attorney. The owners failed to include the landscaping in their provisos, and we do not yet know if they will be reneging on that part of the agreement with the community. This site continues to be one of the worst eyesores in the neighborhood. It has been nearly 3 months since the zoning approval, yet no work has begun to comply with even the inadequate screening proviso. Stay tuned to see what happens next.

[FMT]

Every time I eat at Little Pete's, I feel like they just want to get rid of me since I'm a party of one, not a gang. It doesn't have the intimacy that SG Deli had. I like smaller places.

Sit up at that little bar area and you won't have that problem.

[Titus]

I agree -it's where you sit that matters.

[Moonraker]

I had assumed it was closing for business reasons. Like the Blue Jay at 3000 Girard, I assumed it was a Tired Business, in need of new ownership. Which would need an economic lift from the CDC.

If you look around there are other tried businesses which need new blood. The New Deal luncheonette at 1600 Fairmount is an example of new blood but without the resources to upgrade, to any extent.
Another is A&A Auto Repair on Taney & Parrish, which is a large garage with 2 lifts and a subcontractor who does body and detail work. When Al leave, do we need N more residential units or a good auto shop?
A&A is walking distance for many. Living in Fairmount, your car may not need an Emmissions Sticker, ( under 5000 annual miles), and he can do the classic Safety Inspection, and has for many retirees who meet that requirment.

To paraphrase that KYW commercial, the only time we get involved with any local businesses is when their is a zoning notice.

[five apples]

I used to go there a lot when I lived across the street and in that building itself. The food might not have been great, but I loved their egg and cheese sandwich. They were super nice in there. I used to also buy some groceries there. I went back two years ago after not having been in the place in five years or so. They remembered me and were genuinely happy to see me. It was a nice feeling to be remembered all those years later. I hope they do well.

[awad]

Lived in the building for 6 years. The emergency grocery shopping I did there was always a life saver. The breakfast was always cheap, fast and good. The staff were always awesome and were super welcoming. Sad to see them go.