The continued retail redevelopment trend along Frankford Avenue is continuing to thrive. For the past year, beautiful looking bikes have been worked on at 1331 Frankford Ave. at the Hammarhead Industries motorcycle shop But now Hammarhead is out and a retail operation more suited to drawing passers-by has expanded into the space.. Jinxed, a posh vintage store, has opened their third location here.
We first told you about plans for the bike shop to join the budding 1300 block of Frankford in early 2012. Since then, new construction and new retail shops have continued to fill in Frankford Ave. vacancies almost in order block-by-block like bowling pins knocking the next one over. For example, on the 1800 block various new buildings and the Fishtown Pharmacy have been constructed. And further up the street by York, a number of new homes on former vacant lots were raised in the past year. Now, if only a tenant would occupy this new corner retail spot on the corner of Frankford & Oxford.
While Hammarhead Industries was a cool spot to have on Frankford, for the sake of the strength and diversity of a commercial corridor, it makes more sense to have a retail spot in that location on a block already bustling with nearby retail, like the Lola Bean across the street, and Adorn Boutique. And of course, the La Colombe next-generation cafe and distillery planned for two doors down. The arrival of LaColombe alone could likely resurrect a block by itself. Now, as plans continue to pop up for new spots on Frankford, the entire Avenue is changing.
–Lou Mancinelli