They put Mayfair on the map
Mayfair's sphere of influence extends well beyond the intersection of Frankford and Cottman. Here, 21 people, places and things that put the neighborhood on the map at every zoom level, from just down the street to across the pond.
Mayfair’s sphere of influence extends well beyond the intersection of Frankford and Cottman. Here, 20 people, places and things that put the neighborhood on the map at every zoom level, from just down the street to across the pond.
6235 Frankford Ave.
Ranked among America's best bars by Esquire magazine. "It's a long way to go for a beer," the magazine wrote. "It's worth it."
Convey went to school at St. Timothy's, indicated on our map, and St. Jerome's. Now he's a middle-fielder for the Reading "football" club in England. He's also a member of the U.S. national soccer team. Convey played for our side in the last World Cup but isn't on the Olympic roster.
6243 Frankford Ave.
One of Philly's major purveyors of school uniforms. See also DiGiulio's.
4010 Robbins Ave.
Among other claims to fame, this hallowed sports bar is the site where the crab fries were born. Pilgrims may pay homage at the bar from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday through Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Sundays. The kitchen opens daily at 11 a.m.
6300 Frankford Ave.
Mayfair's famed tomato pie emporium, now in its 57th year.
Tony's Monday night half-price special is a blast from the past pricewise: A pie costs just $4.44 if you come after 6 p.m. and eat in.
3000 Cottman Ave.
Even at a school that's wall-papered with Catholic Youth Organization championship banners, last year's fifth-and sixth-grade boys stand out. They were Northeast Philly's regional champs — the highest a junior varsity team can go — in both baseball and soccer, and they won the citywide title in CYO football.
The baseball squad went undefeated in '07. But this spring they lost one game. "Not that it's anything bad," said coach Chuck Felthaus. "It's just different, that's all."
6948 Frankford Ave.
One of Philly's major purveyors of school uniforms. See also Flynn & O'Hara.
7059 Frankford Ave.
The waterfall where postwar brides used to pose in their wedding gowns is flowing again, now with an eco-friendly circulating pump. The 4-foot-deep pond at its base is home to a menagerie of about 80 fish, frogs and turtles.
7132 Frankford Ave.
Highly regarded for its fruits and veggies. So much so that former Mayfair families regularly make detours to stock up on produce on their way from Bucks County to North Wildwood on summer weekends.
Many add a stop for crusty brick-oven cuscino bread at Gino's Italian bakery up the block at 7142 Frankford Ave. — a relative newcomer with a mere 20 years on the Avenue.
7248 Frankford Ave.
Lucky and Allure magazines have both highlighted Jean Madeline's student salons as standouts for bargain high-end services.
Advanced cosmetology students cut and color clients' hair and give spa treatments under an instructor's scrutiny. The Mayfair location is one of three — the others are in Queen Village and University City — and often the least crowded.
7302 Frankford Ave.
The unlikely center of the Delaware Valley DJ-ing scene, with mixing stations, cables and related equipment for sale (and on-site repairs) plus mix-discs of the latest dance tunes for clubs and weddings. Pat's mail-order business serves DJs from as far as away as Australia.
7306 Frankford Ave.
Known especially for its chocolates with buttercream fillings and for chocolate-coated marshmallows. The venerable local confectioner is now down to four retail locations: Mayfair, Warrington, Hatboro, and Ship Bottom, N.J.
7340 Frankford Ave.
Authentic taqueria tacos with soft corn tortillas, fresh coriander and other essential fixins. In Mayfair!
7360 Frankford Ave.
A neighborhood fixture going so far back that state Rep. John Perzel, 58, bused tables here during high school. The mammoth corned beef sandwich is one specialty of the house. The homemade potato salad and creamed cabbage are two others.
7373 Frankford Ave.
Quintessential Mayfair. The travel Web site RoadTrip America calls the 76-year-old local gal "the Taj Mahal of American diners."
7402 Frankford Ave.
The original Henry behind this landmark clock shop was Henry Di Pietro, who attended the Philadelphia School of Horology (timekeeping) in the early 1900s and kept himself ticking until 1995 when he died at age 97. Now his grand-nephew, Jeff Lehmann, is in charge.
Like the broken timepieces that he repairs, Lehmann keeps irregular hours. Call before you come to shop for a grandfather clock, a cuckoo clock or a fancy anniversary clock, three of the specialties here.
7404 Frankford Ave.
Along with keys, hammers, paint and so forth, this old Avenue standby also sells wooden yard signs honoring men and women in the uniformed services. Another secret here that's worth knowing: Owner Yong-Ku Heo can fix broken double-paned windows — a rare feat.
7416 Frankford Ave.
A regional mecca for all things Irish — from Fire Fightin' Irish T-shirts to exquisite imports from the Emerald Isle, including Belleek porcelain.
A second Giggles location on the same block, at 7400 Frankford Ave., has one of the region's largest selections of collectible figurines from Hummel, Precious Moments, Jim Shore and the like.
7516 Frankford Ave.
Where children's performers shop for their face paint and their balloon-animal supplies. The store also has thousands of costumes and dress-up accessories in stock year-round, making it a handy resource for all those special-wardrobe days that teachers dream up at school, like Egypt Day and Funny Hat Day.
3301 Solly Ave.
Father Judge High School’s young diplomats have won the Model United Nations World Championship for the past three years in a row. The Judge delegation was also No. 1 in 2001.