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Old 09-20-2017, 10:57 AM
 
58 posts, read 47,265 times
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Hello all,


I'm currently looking to rent in Francisville and had a few questions. Where do the locals tend to go grocery shopping? Is there anything similar to a trader joes in the area? I'd prefer to be able to walk if possible.


Lastly, how safe is it to walk at night from the subway exit on Girard(heading west down Girard)?


Also, any favorite spots in the neighborhood?(food places, bars, parks). BTW I am looking at the western portion of Francisville closer to Girard.


Thanks in advance!
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Old 09-20-2017, 12:30 PM
 
10,787 posts, read 8,664,920 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by inmyownwords15 View Post
Hello all,


I'm currently looking to rent in Francisville and had a few questions. Where do the locals tend to go grocery shopping? Is there anything similar to a trader joes in the area? I'd prefer to be able to walk if possible.


Lastly, how safe is it to walk at night from the subway exit on Girard(heading west down Girard)?


Also, any favorite spots in the neighborhood?(food places, bars, parks). BTW I am looking at the western portion of Francisville closer to Girard.


Thanks in advance!
The only Trader Joe's in Philly, afaik, is at 22nd and Market.


What numbered street are you going to to be near? That may help narrow down some info.

I rarely use the Girard BSL station but it was renovated a few years so at least appearance-wise it should be okay.


I food shop in Center City proper for the most part at the Rittenhouse Market at 18th and Spruce. I also go to Klein's Supermarket( in the Philadelphian condo) at 24th and Fairmount Ave, also Whole Foods at 21st and Pennsylvania Ave. Target is coming to 20th and Callowhill next month. It will probably have a grocery section. Rittenhouse and Klein's markets are independents.

Re. walking on Girard Ave. westbound, I'm guessing, toward Girard College. One thing that might give me pause is St Joseph's hospital being closed on Girard Ave. which might not be so great security-wise. But St Joe's Prep School is on Girard too. Both our current mayor and prior mayor, Michael Nutter went to HS there. During the day I would have no problem walking there.

You may have seen elsewhere that I don't have a car so I either walk or take septa.

You are going to have to go to Spring Garden and Fairmount to get the amenities you are looking for. Two of my favorite coffee cafes in those nabs are Tela's Market 19th and OCF coffee house at 21st and Fairmount.

One other point, you may have some Temple students in your neighborhood if that matters to you.
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Old 09-20-2017, 12:54 PM
 
58 posts, read 47,265 times
Reputation: 18
Quote:
Originally Posted by kyb01 View Post
The only Trader Joe's in Philly, afaik, is at 22nd and Market.


What numbered street are you going to to be near? That may help narrow down some info.

I rarely use the Girard BSL station but it was renovated a few years so at least appearance-wise it should be okay.


I food shop in Center City proper for the most part at the Rittenhouse Market at 18th and Spruce. I also go to Klein's Supermarket( in the Philadelphian condo) at 24th and Fairmount Ave, also Whole Foods at 21st and Pennsylvania Ave. Target is coming to 20th and Callowhill next month. It will probably have a grocery section. Rittenhouse and Klein's markets are independents.

Re. walking on Girard Ave. westbound, I'm guessing, toward Girard College. One thing that might give me pause is St Joseph's hospital being closed on Girard Ave. which might not be so great security-wise. But St Joe's Prep School is on Girard too. Both our current mayor and prior mayor, Michael Nutter went to HS there. During the day I would have no problem walking there.

You may have seen elsewhere that I don't have a car so I either walk or take septa.

You are going to have to go to Spring Garden and Fairmount to get the amenities you are looking for. Two of my favorite coffee cafes in those nabs are Tela's Market 19th and OCF coffee house at 21st and Fairmount.

One other point, you may have some Temple students in your neighborhood if that matters to you.


Thanks for the quick but thorough reply. I am most likely going to be between 19th and 20th near Girard College. Tela's looks interesting since it's a café and it appears that they carry produce as well. I walked the hood during the daytime last weekend and thought it was a pretty ok area. Seems like most amenities will be along Fairmount Ave. I also noticed they added a High Point coffee shop along Fairmount near 20th I believe?(I used to frequent the one in W Mt. Airy..great coffee). I am looking at the Kleins supermarket and it looks like it could be a 15-20 min walk from the northern Francisville area
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Old 09-20-2017, 02:37 PM
 
10,787 posts, read 8,664,920 times
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There's Fresh Grocer in the Progress Plaza Shopping Center, N of Girard, Broad St. Dunno about quality.

One thing to keep in mind. Live Nation is part of developing the Met complex at Broad and Poplar. So there will be entertain things that don't exist now in Francisville.
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Old 09-20-2017, 03:11 PM
 
10,787 posts, read 8,664,920 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by inmyownwords15 View Post
Thanks for the quick but thorough reply. I am most likely going to be between 19th and 20th near Girard College. Tela's looks interesting since it's a café and it appears that they carry produce as well. I walked the hood during the daytime last weekend and thought it was a pretty ok area. Seems like most amenities will be along Fairmount Ave. I also noticed they added a High Point coffee shop along Fairmount near 20th I believe?(I used to frequent the one in W Mt. Airy..great coffee). I am looking at the Kleins supermarket and it looks like it could be a 15-20 min walk from the northern Francisville area
Okay that gives me a good reference point. Tela's would be a 5-10 minute walk south on 19th St to Fairmount Ave. They open at 7am weekdays, 8am weekends. Weekends are usually jammed with families for breakfast. Yes, Tela's also has a small grocery market: some produce, meat, fish, bread, take out items, drinks. OCF opens at 6:30 am on weekdays. 7:30am weekends. OCF also gets !families! on weekends! Both close I think at 8pm.

There was another coffee shop at 19th and Poplar ... not sure if it's still around and yet another at 17th and Mt Vernon.

High Point just opened about a month ago. And, yes, it's the same folks who run the one in W. Mt Airy.
There' s a wine/ liquor store, Pho restaurant, and US Postal Service in that same block.

Yeah, Klein's is a bit of a walk but it's good, they've been there for years and two versions of the nearby Whole Foods has not impacted it like I thought it would.

One other thing express and local trains stop at the Girard station. Only locals stop at the Fairmount stop.

That part of Girard, from Broad to Girard College and Corinthian Ave, has some historic houses so it feels okay to me too.
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Old 09-20-2017, 04:27 PM
 
58 posts, read 47,265 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyb01 View Post
Okay that gives me a good reference point. Tela's would be a 5-10 minute walk south on 19th St to Fairmount Ave. They open at 7am weekdays, 8am weekends. Weekends are usually jammed with families for breakfast. Yes, Tela's also has a small grocery market: some produce, meat, fish, bread, take out items, drinks. OCF opens at 6:30 am on weekdays. 7:30am weekends. OCF also gets !families! on weekends! Both close I think at 8pm.

There was another coffee shop at 19th and Poplar ... not sure if it's still around and yet another at 17th and Mt Vernon.

High Point just opened about a month ago. And, yes, it's the same folks who run the one in W. Mt Airy.
There' s a wine/ liquor store, Pho restaurant, and US Postal Service in that same block.

Yeah, Klein's is a bit of a walk but it's good, they've been there for years and two versions of the nearby Whole Foods has not impacted it like I thought it would.

One other thing express and local trains stop at the Girard station. Only locals stop at the Fairmount stop.

That part of Girard, from Broad to Girard College and Corinthian Ave, has some historic houses so it feels okay to me too.


Thanks again!


Yea I'm thinking Telas and the Rybread may be frequent stops of mine if I make the move. The Met Complex looks intriguing, North Broad could be a pretty attractive spot for walkers if they string some more attractions nearby.


What part of Philly are you in if you don't mind me asking?
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Old 09-21-2017, 06:14 AM
 
10,787 posts, read 8,664,920 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by inmyownwords15 View Post
Thanks again!


Yea I'm thinking Telas and the Rybread may be frequent stops of mine if I make the move. The Met Complex looks intriguing, North Broad could be a pretty attractive spot for walkers if they string some more attractions nearby.


What part of Philly are you in if you don't mind me asking?
I live in Spring Garden. Been there a long time.
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Old 10-09-2017, 01:36 PM
 
5 posts, read 6,299 times
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Hoping to get some insight also. My fiance and I just signed a lease in the Francisville/Fairmont section near 16th and Swain. Does anyone have any info on the area (we are moving from Indiana, but from North NJ and Baltimore). How safe is the area? Where is a good close park to walk my dog? Would walking at night or early morning in the dark be not a good idea alone?
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Old 10-09-2017, 02:25 PM
 
10,787 posts, read 8,664,920 times
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Originally Posted by Caitz13 View Post
Hoping to get some insight also. My fiance and I just signed a lease in the Francisville/Fairmont section near 16th and Swain. Does anyone have any info on the area (we are moving from Indiana, but from North NJ and Baltimore). How safe is the area? Where is a good close park to walk my dog? Would walking at night or early morning in the dark be not a good idea alone?
Most of the amenities you would want are on Fairmount Ave. There are tons of dogs with people simply walking them (leashed ) on sidewalks. There is small dog park between 18th and 19th on Green St. I live in Spring Garden which is
next Francisville. I have walked around early morning without any incidents.

Just read this thread. It will tell what you want to know for the most part.
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Old 10-10-2017, 12:04 AM
 
Location: Germantown, Philadelphia
13,945 posts, read 8,793,611 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kyb01 View Post
There's Fresh Grocer in the Progress Plaza Shopping Center, N of Girard, Broad St. Dunno about quality.

One thing to keep in mind. Live Nation is part of developing the Met complex at Broad and Poplar. So there will be entertain things that don't exist now in Francisville.
Weren't you also present at the creation of the Fresh Grocer?

The original store in the chain is the one at 40th and Walnut. Penn twisted the arm of Ron Burns hard to get him to commit to opening a supermarket there. (Burns owned the Drexeline supermarket in Upper Darby's Drexelbrook section at the time.)

The store was an immediate hit, and Burns went on to open four more stores, three of them new: 56th and Chestnut, Progress Plaza, 53d and Chester (taken over from another supermarket and since closed) and Shoppes at La Salle (replacement for another Fresh Grocer on the other side of Germantown; it too occupied an older supermarket). He also opened one in the Adams Plaza in Wilmington and a new store in New Brunswick, NJ, that lasted all of about a minute.

Fresh Grocer stores are generally high quality, with a wide selection of prepared foods and good service departments. The La Salle store IMO isn't as well run as the others, but it's still quite good - I'd put it up against any supermarket in the 'burbs not named Wegmans.

Progress Plaza is neater and has a better selection of specialty items than the La Salle store, which is the one where I do the bulk of my grocery shopping (it's three blocks from me).

But what I would really love is for Jeff Brown to take over the operation of these stores. After Ron Burke joined the Wakefern cooperative and sold the Fresh Grocer trademark to it, ShopRite store owners can also open Fresh Grocer stores, and Brown has opened three, all in former Pathmark stores. Jeff Brown's supermarkets are clean, bright and beautiful, with great selection of products and service. (I occasionally patronize Brown's Cedarbrook Plaza Fresh Grocer, mainly to avoid paying the beverage tax.)

Burns also opened a Fresh Grocer in the Grays Ferry Shopping Center (ex-Pathmark). It's in the mold of the Brown stores, though it uses the same green color palate as the other stores he owns. Where Burke outclasses Brown is in the variety of prepared foods available.
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