The 1800 block of E. Passyunk Ave. is seeing some action of late, and there's still room for more. At 1805-09 E. Passyunk Ave., the Saint Jude Shop closed its doors last summer and has sat empty for about a year. When we passed by earlier today though, we spied brown paper in the windows signifying a possible new tenant. According to a Passyunk Post story from last month, early intelligence says that a dance studio will be taking over the space, and there will be a retail element as well.
Just down the street, Chhaya Cafe, neighborhood treasure and maker of tasty waffles, has moved to a new and larger location. This move shouldn't make things too tough for their regular customers, as they've moved two doors down to 1819 E. Passyunk Ave., formerly home to a store called Sweet Alyssa. Though there isn't elaborate ironwork outside anymore, the new space is much roomier than their previous spot and can only mean good things for business moving forward. Gotta love all that frontage.
But across the street from the future dance studio, things look like they're unfortunately still status quo. Formerly Rite Aid and Passyunk Pharmacy, 1804 E. Passyunk Ave. has sat vacant for years. We last checked in on the 2,500 sqft space in January of 2012, when it was on the market for $2,900/month. Unfortunately, from looking at the building, it seems little has changed in almost two years. Has anyone heard anything about this building of late? Doesn't it seem crazy that it's still sitting empty?
