Spruce Hill residents have a chance to learn more about proposals for new apartment buildings, business applications and other development in their neighborhood on Monday, Oct. 27 during a Spruce Hill zoning meeting. The meeting, which will take place at the Spruce Hill Center at 257 S. 45th Street, is organized by the Spruce Hill Community Association and is open to all interested neighbors and residents.
Included on the agenda is the replacement for the Best House Pizza at 4301 Baltimore Ave., which is proposed to include upstairs dining. As we reported earlier this month, the Best House Pizza closed its doors at 43rd and Baltimore after eight years of operation and Local 44 owners were in the process of signing the lease with plans to open a new establishment in that location in Spring 2015. A source from the Spruce Hill Community Association said earlier that the organization was waiting to see if the new owners would request any zoning variances, which would trigger a public hearing on the project. As the process is obviously underway, stay tuned for more updates.
Here are other items on the agenda. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.:
• Legalization of a boarding house status at 4011 Baltimore Avenue
• Application for multi-family dwelling at 217 S. 42nd Street
• Construction of an apartment dwelling at 4100-02 Ludlow Street
October 24th, 2014 at 1:01 pm
🙁
i miss best house so much
October 24th, 2014 at 2:33 pm
You should go to the ZBA hearing and suggest they only get the take-out food variance if they promise to sell individual tall boys of Miller.
October 24th, 2014 at 3:39 pm
i couldn’t care less about the beer– it’s the pizza i’m mourning
October 24th, 2014 at 4:22 pm
I mourn Best House multiple times a week. It was always part of what made this neighborhood my neighborhood.
October 24th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
Local 43 best have some good slices!
October 25th, 2014 at 8:05 pm
Best House had nasty-ass pizza. And the beer selection went downhill as soon as it became the Best House & the sign went up saying, “best beer selection in philly”. The Wurst Haus in its final months, before the ‘new’ owner died suddenly, had the best beer selection this side of the Schuylkill. The food was mediocre then, too, but the vibe was more to my liking.
October 25th, 2014 at 11:05 pm
What kind of drinking establishment is West Philly looking for? It seems everybody has an opinion on the issue. Whocan honestly answer this question? Where/What does West philly want to drink?
October 26th, 2014 at 4:19 pm
I want Elena’s back, honestly.
October 26th, 2014 at 7:53 pm
It’s a shame about Elena’s. There’s talk of someone revamping the New Third World Lounge. The guy who owns the building has leased out the space to someone. Hopefully they’ll put something there that works for the neighborhood.
October 27th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
IMO West Philly (and I mean the blocks around Clark Park/Balt Ave. corridor) lacks good brunch options and good vibey bars. I don’t want the neighborhood to turn into Northern Liberties, but I wish we had places like “North on 3rd”, Honey’s Sit & Eat, or Morning Glory diner etc. I’d settle for a really decent diner like Mayfair (decent). Yes, I know about Cedar Park diner (good affordable), but I would like to have more options. Compared to other parts of Philly, I don’t think the bars around here have really hit it out of the park. Local 44 is just OK IMO.
October 27th, 2014 at 12:58 pm
Turkey, what, in your opinion is a “good vibe bar”? And I’m seriously not being a smart ass. I really want to know what you mean. I have my own definition but I don’t think it’s going to be the same.
October 27th, 2014 at 5:59 pm
Dude… I can answer that question! I think West Philly could use a bar with a music performance venue, a good selection craft beer (including beers on tap) and gastropub food or new american-type bar food with a good weekend brunch.
October 27th, 2014 at 9:07 pm
I don’t think the quality of the take out beer selection or the appeal of the pizza is as important as what that place was– a legit city neighborhood spot not ‘going for anything.’ There was no mood the managers were looking to create, no spin, no ambiance, no pretension. I think places like Local 44 are fine, but to really be a diverse neighborhood, neighbors need options that aren’t necessarily catering primarily to students and transplants. Of course there are bars full of different people, but what about those of us that don’t drink, or just don’t want to go to a bar, or a ‘restaurant?’ Nothing beat spending 4 bucks (or later, 4.50) for two slices and a root beer out on the table on a warm summer night. If that experience can be recreated, I’m all for the place being opened by whoever.
October 28th, 2014 at 7:44 am
Bianca, i think the people lamenting the loss of Wurst/Best House are worried about it becoming exactly what you propose.
October 28th, 2014 at 9:26 am
The fact that BH was casual and an easy place to pop in to take your kids to the bathroom (I wonder how much of their business was people using the park, stopping for a restroom break, and ending up having a snack or drink). Drinking beer was an option, but far from a requirement – it was certainly kid welcoming. I hope that whatever L44 brings in that it will have a similar welcoming vibe.
October 28th, 2014 at 10:12 am
mds chill… I was just answering Dude’s question in general. I don’t think that particular property is big enough for that sort of concept.