Assignment #6

2006-05-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

Along Spring Avenue there are a number of small businesses such as a masonry, a boxing gym, a small grocer - The Caribbean Market, a barber shop, painting, floor sanding and printing companies, plumbing, corner store and new town homes in the process of being built. The four Corners of Cricket and Spring Avenues have large homes separated into apartments, and along Cricket Avenue, many houses follow the same pattern. The area focused on in this report is the block where the Caribbean Market and the barbershop are located and the recently opened corner store in close proximity to the new town homes (across form the Ardmore Park). Each of these businesses seems to be a gathering place for people in the community as well as an important staple of business in the community.
The block that is home to the Caribbean Market and the Barbershop - which are the only functioning stores today - has been referred to as the 'black business district' (by a member of the community). From what I gather from talking to community members, there has always been a corner store and a barbershop in this strip of stores as well as other small business. As you can see in the pictures, the interesting thing about this block is that there is a church (pictured above) on the southwest corner and are fairly new apartments (pictured below) on the northwest corner. There are also a few residences within this block including a boarded up house in between the Caribbean market and the barber shop. This area is a hang out spot for the neighborhood. It is common to see people sitting on the steps, or standing on the corners, cars stopped in the middle of the road for a conversation, and bicycles left outside the store - unlocked - while kids get their ice cream from the market.
Another up and coming small business and hang out spot is Jay's Corner Store. I would compare it to an extremely mini Wawa or Seven Eleven with no fresh fruit. You can get ice cream, hot dogs, chips, soda, even money - from the ATM machine. The store just opened in the beginning of 2006, during the construction of the 31 unit town homes being built across the street on the same side of Spring Avenue. On the other side of Spring Avenue is the popular Ardmore Park, with two basketball courts, two baseball fields, a swimming pool, two tennis courts, a volleyball court, picnic table and a playground. In the summer this place is packed. I believe Jay's corner store will get a great deal business from the park goers and from the youth of the families that will be moving into the town homes.
The new residencies are the biggest industrial change to the community. The sale price is $425,000, well over $100,000 above the average home in the area, will increase the housing value for the surrounding community. The company that bought the land, once owned by PECO, as well as a parking lot used by the large church across the street, is maximizing the space with 31 homes, as well as a building an apartment building for low income seniors. During my walk I was informed that the builders have given the church 26 parking spaces to 'keep quiet' about the new development. I assume community has a strong feeling that the construction will play a major role in the gentrification of the neighborhood, but the cost is not affordable to the common resident of this area of Ardmore.
Industrial Ardmore is changing, but a few long standing staples of the community like the barbershop and the more recent Caribbean market still remain. The new town homes are just the beginning of a rapidly changing community.

Industry and Commerce

Assignment #6