Francisville: Fur Store Sees Neighborhood Change
It was 1921 when Elayne Rutberg’s father-in-law first opened Rutberg Furs. After Rutberg’s father-in-law died, her husband took over. Then when her husband died, he passed the torch to Rutberg. She officially took ownership of Rutberg Furs, which sells a variety of authentic fur products and offers services like fur cleaning and restoration. “I fell […]
Bustleton: Immigrant Businesses Booming Along Bustleton Avenue
Northeast Philadelphia has become a home for small immigrant businesses. Shopping centers along Bustleton Avenue feature many thriving businesses owned by immigrants from all over the world. With his restaurant not even two months old, Georgian Bread owner Imeda Londaridze looks forward to giving customers a taste from his old country. Despite his excitement to […]
Germantown: A Local Fashion Designer Caters To Muslim Women
The Muslim population in Germantown is a visible one, with many businesses supporting parishioners of the faith. As a Muslim community, there are several small Islamic clothing stores for men, but few for women. Sadika Fashions‘ owner Linda Cowins, known as Saadiqah, recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of her business. On Jan. 7, Saadiqah hosted a “Sisters Luncheon” where women came […]
Manayunk: Seven Niche Shops Bringing The Community Together
Customers and shop owners along Main Street say the area embodies the “Cheers” mentality – it’s a place where “everybody knows your name.” The street is packed with small specialty businesses run by people who are not only passionate about their companies but about the Manayunk community. Main Street Music, 4444 Main St. A fixture […]
Northern Liberties: Out With the Old, In With the New
Like other parts of the city, Northern Liberties’ housing market has rapidly expanded in recent years. It seems as if every other street is restricted by orange construction barricades. By the time the seasons change, they’re gone, a new building is up and an old brick home is being demolished. New construction often comes with […]
South Philadelphia: Small Businesses Expect No Major Reforms Following Elections
The 2016 presidential election has seen its candidates debating on everything from foreign policy to women’s rights, but one economic sector that has gone mostly overlooked by candidates is small businesses. The lack of attention to small businesses has not gone unnoticed by the small business owners of East Passyunk Avenue. “I feel like it’s […]
Brewerytown: Coffee Shop Doubles as a Resource for Former Foster Youths
Though it seems like an ordinary coffee shop, The Monkey & The Elephant in Brewerytown is an entirely unique organization. Its only employees, besides management, are young people who have just recently exited the foster system. Lisa Miccolis, the founder and executive director of The Monkey & The Elephant, pictured above, had years of experience working […]
Lawncrest: Ever-Changing Library Offers Knowledge to the Neighborhood
The Lawncrest branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia is making a difference in this Northeast Philadelphia community by serving as a resource for residents to get help and information about a variety of topics. Lawncrest resident Barbara Futch makes the trip to the library twice a week. “I come here for the books, I come here to […]
Queen Village: Giving a Helping Hand to Small Businesses
Philadelphia is a diverse city that is full of diverse businesses. There are 93,000 small business owners in Philadelphia according to a report done by the Sustainable Business Network. There is a concentration of small businesses on Fabric Row, located on Fourth Street just off of South Street. The area itself is currently going through […]
Passyunk: Business Improvement District Works to Bring Back Community Culture
Small businesses in this not-quite-fully-recovered economy are not generally thought of to be a safe bet but on East Passyunk Avenue, Renee Gilinger has bid farewell to much of the doubts and insecurity concerning small, independent business. “In 2009, we opened 20 new businesses when the rest of the world was crashing around us,” Gilinger explained. Gilinger, […]