Baltimore Avenue (45th to 50th streets)

The Baltimore Avenue Corridor reflects the diverse surrounding community and benefits from the proximity of Clark Park, one of Philadelphia’s largest neighborhood parks. Highlights of Baltimore Avenue include:

An accessible commercial district with off-street parking, numerous Philly Car Share pods, and the #34 trolley that runs every 10 minutes.
A variety or cultural offerings, including Curio Theatre at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community, the Firehouse Summer Jazz Series, the Crossroads Music Series, and regular live entertainment at bars and restaurants.
A mix of Ethiopian, Laotian, Italian and Vietnamese restaurants along side long standing neighborhood destinations.
Civic groups such as the Cedar Park Neighbors and the Spruce Hill Community Association are engaged in enhancing the corridor through cultural events, tree plantings, mural arts projects, transportation and other beautification projects.
A nine-acre park at 43rd street and a pocket park at 49th Street, both of which are significant draws for nearby families.

Baltimore Avenue Retail Market Study
The Baltimore Avenue Retail Market Study reveals the concerns and preferences of a diverse group of individuals interviewed either on Baltimore Avenue or online. University City District's efforts to reinvigorate the Baltimore Avenue commercial corridor are based upon this study. Click here to read the study.

Baltimore Avenue Featured Businesses

Arts and Culture

The Calvary Center for Culture and Community
801 S. 48th Street
215 724-1702
The Calvary Building is home to the local community association, refugee groups, Twelve Step programs, the historic preservation society, art and cultural activities, peace and social justice organizations, educational classes, and several religious congregations.

Curio Theater Company
815 S. 48th Street
215-525-1350
Curio Theatre Company is a company of new and established theatre professionals performing in the Calvary Center for Community and Culture. Curio focuses on classic plays of a highly theatrical nature, and adaptations and new works derived from a variety of sources with a basis in classic tradition.

Studio 34 Yoga | Healing | Arts
4522 Baltimore Avenue
215-387-3434
Studio 34 offers yoga, Pilates, healing arts, creative arts, family programs, and neighborhood-building services in what its co-founders – Stephen Fisher, Angela Norris and James Peniston, themselves long-time University City residents – call “a community-centric environment unlike any other in Philadelphia.”

Wake Up Yoga West
4916 Baltimore Avenue
215-325-1228
Wake up Yoga West is the second location for director, Corina Benner. The studio practices Vinyasa (flow-style) and Yin (passive yoga). The space is warm and inviting, the walls are the color of butternut squash, the teachers are excellent and the community rocks!

Services

Benny’s Barber Shop
4714 Baltimore Avenue
215-729-4464
A staple in the neighborhood for fifty years, Benny and his son remain, as always, on the 4700 block of Baltimore Avenue, scissors in hand.

Fourth River Signworks
4903 Catherine Street
267-679-6568
Sign maker to the stars, Michael McCullin, creates signs and markers of all varieties upon request. Check out his work at the Green Line Powelton, Calvary Center, Wake up Yoga West, and Dock Street Brewery and Restaurant. Stop in to his new retail space, opening soon at 49th and Baltimore.

Waynes Garage
5421 Springfield Avenue
215-222-5703
Family-owned and operated for 23 years with ASE-certified and ASP certified technicians on site.

Restaurants, Cafes and Bars

Abbraccio
820 S. 47th Street
215-727-8247
The former owners of the well-known Palladium have opened this airy restaurant, which includes cozy fireplaces as well as outdoor seating and a private dining room. The primarily Southern Italian menu features pastas, seafood, and American favorites. Daily specials range from cheese manicotti to risotto with shrimp.

Cafe Pier One
4505 Baltimore Avenue
215-382-2037
Cafe Pier One brings an international flavor to an eclectic cafe. They offer breakfast sandwiches, salads, soups, pastries and vegetarian selections.

Dahlak
4708 Baltimore Avenue
215-728-6464
At Dahlak, Ethiopian and Eritrean dining is generally characterized by breaking injera, a flat spongy bread, and eating from the same plate. This authentic and warm restaurant and cozy bar (with a good jukebox) is vegetarian friendly and features wines by the bottle. Spicy chicken, lamb, beef and seafood dishes are also served.

Gojjo Restaurant and Bar
4540 Baltimore Avenue
215-386-1444
Aside from their first floor dining room and cozy bar, the Ethiopian restaurant also offers a private backyard and an upstairs dining and game room (pool and bachi). Choose among doro wot (spiced chicken served with a sauced hardboiled egg, collard greens and homemade cottage cheese), the vegetarian platter (with several stewed and steamed offerings), or lamb and sirloin dishes.

Vientiane Cafe
4728 Baltimore Avenue
215-726-1095
Vientiane serves eclectic, tasty Laotian and Vietnamese entrees. The storefront BYOB is cozy and the service is friendly. Try the Tom Yum soup (made from kalinga root, kaffir leaves and chile lemon grass) and the fresh spring rolls with a hint of mint. The entrees include beef and chicken lab (meat marinated and grilled with mixed herbs and cucumber) or the Pad Thai (sautéed rice noodles with broccoli, carrots and bean sprouts).