Over the last year, a lot of attention has been paid to the plight of small businesses. Although most of the buildings I paint tend to be big industrial types or small homes, I do have a selection of small businesses that I would like to share with you. They could all use your help and support staying afloat, so I hope that after you check out the paintings, you take the time to check out the establishments in person too. They won’t disappoint.
First up is a small restaurant that I’ve been going to since I was a kid, and I’m happy to see that it still holds the same charm for me now as it did way back then. Joseph’s Pizza has been in Fox Chase since at least the early nineteen seventies. When they extended their take-out pizza to include a quaint dining room complete with a two-sided fireplace and old photos of Fox Chase, I was permanently sold. There aren’t a lot of eateries in Fox Chase, so it’s great to have this little gem. As far as a painting goes, who wouldn’t love the exterior of this restaurant?! Not only is it full of colors, it features the amazing “pizza man” with his bell-bottom jeans and long red fingernails. Iconic! With the sun picking up the textures of the siding and roof, it was a natural first choice when I went subject hunting in downtown Fox Chase. www.josephspizza.net
If you live in East Falls or ever spend time there, you should be familiar with an amazing Italian restaurant on Indian Queen Lane: Fiorino. My husband and I followed owner Franco Faggi there from his previous places, and we were sure glad we did. The food is exceptional, the service is as well, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you’re surrounded by friends and family. Even through this awful pandemic, Fiorino made the most of things, stringing lights outside and setting up seating for customers with a look of restaurants in Italy. The building itself is a charming gem. The corner entrance is painted in a variety of bright colors to accentuate its old architectural style and the stain glass framed transom windows above. And you can always find some seasonal plants or decorations at the doorstep to welcome you in. The space may be small, but the impact is powerful. Check out what they have to offer. www.fiorino.us
Who doesn’t love ice cream? And what better way is there to have ice cream than out of a store shaped like an ice cream cone!?! Twistee Treat is a small ice cream franchise that has all the charm of a mid-century road trip across America. The big pink swirl of a roof signals hungry patrons from a block away that something tasty is just up ahead. And to make it seem even more festive and welcoming, this store in the Mayfair section of the city, is covered in bright little flags and fake palm trees. To place your order, just saddle up to the cone itself and check out the variety of flavors. What more could a painter ask for in a painting! It’s a place you would have loved as a kid, and will want to bring your own kids now to share in the fun. There may be a bunch of them out there, but each one gives you its personal neighborhood feel. Find one near you at www.twisteetreat.com or check out our local Philly one on their Facebook page.
South Philadelphia generally brings to mind some famous cheese steak places or the Italian Market, but no so far away is another small business that struck my fancy when I passed by it: The Friendly Lounge. The bar is of the corner, dive bar type; can’t see inside, reeks of cigarettes and beer, all the things that neighborhood bars generally possess. But what this place has that stands out is an amazing doorway and even better sign. I’m a sucker for mid-century signage, especially when we’re talking about those round little theater bulbs. This sign does not disappoint! It even has a big arrow. And the red door features a pattern of trim work that looks like its Asian inspired. The building itself is no disappointment, featuring trim in white bricks that form little pyramid patterns across the top of the first floor as well as white bricks around the doorway. Have I been inside? No, sorry. The bar scene is not for me, but I can still love the scene outside. It was featured in the movie The Irishman, and have a Facebook page if you want to check it out beyond my painting.
To end today’s small business tour, I have a painting featuring Main Street Manayunk. It doesn’t show any particular business, (well, perhaps the Post Office) but it is the view that shoppers and strollers alike have as they pop in and out of the many cute shops and restaurants that line the two sides of the street. Manayunk is one of several Philly neighborhoods that re-invented itself as manufacturing jobs disappeared, and they looked for new ways to engage the public. My painting focuses on the iconic bridge that crosses over the Schuykill River and the canal beside it. Flanked on either side by rows of businesses and lots of traffic, I wanted it to convey the sense of activity that exists there. The area (in non-Covid times) is hopping with special events and reasons to come out and stroll along Main Street. Even now, they have tried their best to come up with ideas to bring the neighborhood out to support the dozens of small businesses along the strip. You can find out about what’s being planned for this year at www.manayunk.com
So many businesses are out there plugging away, trying to stay afloat, re-imagining themselves in an uncertain time. Check out what’s near you and give them some love. And if you’re from the Philadelphia area, check out these places. They’ll be happy you did, and you’ll be even happier.
Check out availability of paintings and prints in the Street Scenes section of the online store.