This is a wall on Sansom Street in Philadelphia near 16th Street. Do you see the small holes between the two large windows in this photo? Back in 1999 during the height of the first dot-com boom, a company named Popi installed a pay phone here. It was no ordinary pay phone. You could make calls for free but the catch was that you had … Continue reading “Popi” Was Here
This spot on the square at 105 Coulter Avenue has been home to a number of (mostly) long-running restaurants over the last 30 years. It’s not completely clear when this location was constructed and what the original use was for the domed octagonal space that juts out from the front. In the mid-1980s it was Eden Restaurant, a trendy cafeteria-style concept launched by Steven Poses, … Continue reading Suburban Square Restaurant History At 105 Coulter
The Ardmore Macy’s closed its doors for good on Sunday, March 20th 2016 after almost 86 years of continuous operation. The Suburban Square Macy’s was opened in May 1930 as Strawbridge and Clothier, one of the first suburban branch department stores in the country. In 1996 the store was purchased by May Department stores, and took on the Macy’s name in 2006. What little merchandise … Continue reading Ardmore Macy’s Closing And Renovation
Since Septa is on the verge of introducing their new fare technology, Septa Key, to the Regional Rail system, I thought this would be a good opportunity to reminisce about one of their earlier automated fare systems. In the early 1990s, Septa provided orange refrigerator-sized ticket vending machines at most Regional Rail stations. I scoured the web for a picture of one of these hulking … Continue reading Anticipating Septa Key
My local Radio Shack closed on June 27, 2017 after 50 years in operation. This was my go to place for electronic parts and occasional electronics since 1988 and it will be greatly missed. Originally the store was listed as one that would remain open, but it was not to be. In addition to the store’s longevity, some of the staff had been there for … Continue reading Ardmore, PA Radio Shack Closed
I remember when this sign was posted in the fall of 1989, visible from the SEPTA commuter train window whenever I rode by. I was in college then, taking the train from Philadelphia to the suburbs every few months. It seemed strange to me that someone would go through the trouble to print a sign announcing that a gate was going to be locked on … Continue reading Temporarily Permanent
Nam Jun Paik (1932 – 2006) was an artist who used video displays and electronic parts in his art to comment on technology, culture, and mass communications. In 1990, the builders of One Franklin Town Apartments in downtown Philadelphia chose Paik to fulfill their city mandated requirement of including original public art in their development project. The installation that Paik created consists of three rows … Continue reading Video Arbor is Back
