Molly Maguire's Grand Opening planned for Sept. 29th

I haven't seen anything official, but in today's email newsletter, the Colonial Theatre indicated that Molly Maguire's will be holding their grand opening on Saturday, September 29th.

From the newsletter
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Finally, we were very excited to hear that Molly Maguire's on the corner of Bridge and Main Streets is planning their Grand Opening on Saturday, Sep 29! The celebration will include a screening of the 1970 film The Molly Maguires starring Sean Connery here at the Colonial at 2pm. Hope to see you here and there - cheers!
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Several local businesses up for MyFoxPhilly's Hot List awards

Fox 29 is holding a MyFoxPhilly's Hot List Award contest in which you can vote on your favorite businesses in the Delaware Valley. Phoenixville is well represented, with numerous businesses being nominated. They are, with the category they are nominated for in italics (click on the name to be taken to the voting page):

The Colonial Theatre Best Indie Theater	Wolfgang Books Best Bookstore	Ramondo's Cheese Best Cheese Shop
Columbia Bar and Grille Best Romantic Restaurant	Sly Fox Brewery Best Brewpub	Majolica Best New American
Forge Theatre Best Theatre Group	Robert Ryan Catering Best Caterers	Eliza's Bakery Best Cakes
Auntra Bicycle Repair & Sales Best Bike Shop	Steel City Coffee House Best Coffee Shop	Hipster Home Best Housewares
The Kimberton Inn Best Romantic Restaurant	Griffin's Gallery Best Art Gallery	Jonathan Looper Antiques Best Antiques
Earth Mart Best Housewares	One 2 One Productions Best DJ	Inspiration to Movement, Inc. Best Pilates Studio
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant Best Brewpub	Black Lab Bistro Best New American

Voting will remain open until September 14th so take a moment to vote for your favorite Phoenixville businesses!

Updated 8/30: Added Black Lab Bistro

First sign appears in stores next to Acme

According to a banner that is currently hanging in front of one the now-empty stores that adjoins Acme, Phoenixville will have a new dry cleaners (contain your excitement please) starting September 1st. The sign indicates a Grand Opening sale of 30% off once they open their doors.

No official word yet on what else will be going in there although there is speculation that a pizza restaurant and a hair/nails parlor are planned.

Bridgeandmain.blogspot.com is now AroundPhoenixville.com

Just a quick note to tell everyone that this blog can now be found at http://www.aroundphoenixville.com so update those bookmarks! For those of you with the old address, don't worry. You will be forwarded automatically to the new one. Also, for those of you who have subscribed to the feeds, nothing 'should' change.

Thanks to all of my readers, hopefully the new URL helps others find us as well!

Jim

Fireworks, other festivities, planned for Sept. 8

Missed the fireworks on July 4th? Well, on Sept. 8th you'll get another chance. From the borough website:

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The Phoenixville Community Health Foundation, as a part of its celebrating ten years of service to the Greater Phoenixville community, will be the lead sponsor for the Borough’s September 8th fireworks event to be held at Friendship Field on Phoenixville’s Northside. The gates will be open to the public at 6 p.m. The rain date for this event, if necessary, is Sunday, September 9th also at Friendship Field at 6 p.m.

Besides being an evening of recognition and celebration for the foundation, this event is being held also in recognition and celebration of the many dedicated volunteers who tirelessly work in the many service groups throughout our community.

Entertainment, starting at 6:30 p.m. will be provided prior to the fireworks and sponsored by the Community Development Committee of Borough Council.

The fireworks display will begin at approximately 9 p.m. after total darkness occurs.

The public is encouraged to bring picnic baskets, blankets, and lawn chairs to the festivities.

We hope to see many of you there!
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Kiwanis plan annual Community Day for Saturday, October 6th

On Saturday, October 6, the Phoenixville Kiwanis will be hosting their annual Community Day celebration at Reeves Park. The event, which features a large flea market in addition to some of their special recipe BBQ Chicken, is one of the fund raisers the Kiwanis runs every year to help children in need.

For more information, including ways for you to get involved, please see the article in the Phoenix from earlier this week.

Iron Hill to host Oktoberfest celebration on Sept. 15th

On Saturday, September 15th, Iron Hill Brewery will be hosting at Oktoberfest celebration. The festivities begin at 4pm and will feature German-style beers crafted by Iron Hill and other local breweries.

Route 23 to be closed during day tomorrow through Friday

Starting tomorrow, Wednesday the 22nd, and ending on Friday the 24th, Route 23 will be closed between Pawlings Rd. and Ferry Lane for 'Cinema Production'. On Wednesday and Thursday, the road will be closed from 9am-3pm. On Friday, it will be closed from 9am-9pm.

The PennDOT site indicates that detour signs will be up to help direct traffic. I would imagine they will direct you north to the intersection of Ferry and Pawlings.


View Larger Map

Thanks to reader Brian for pointing out the fact that signs were put up earlier this week.

Source: PennDOT


Update: It appears that the reason for the closing is the filming of M. Night Shyamalan's new movie, The Happening which starts Mark Wahlberg. For more information on the movie, see IMDB.com

Joey's to open today

Joey's Famous Philly Cheesesteaks is set to open its doors today. It is located at 413 Schuylkill Road, next to Rita's Water Ice.

From their website

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Yo Phoenixville! Today is the big day! The Grand Opening is here! The Chamber of Commerce along with Frankie and Donna Kolachny will be cutting the ribbons at 10am Sharp! Be there and enjoy the festivities and see why EVERYONE is talking about Joey's!

Come in or Call in Ahead for Faster Service! 610-933-9644
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Although their site seems to be primarily focused on their sister operation in Michigan, I would imagine the menu will be very similar, if not the same.

Best of luck to Joey's, I'll be checking it out shortly.

Baxter's Restaurant to open in Superintendant's Building

There was an article in last week's Phoenix regarding the groundbreaking ceremony that was held at the Superintendent's Building. In the article, Barry Cassidy was quoted as saying that Baxter's Restaurant would be one of the tennants when the renovation was complete. This seems to have been confirmed in this article from yesterday's Phoenix.

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Council approved unanimously the inter-municipal transfer of a Liquor Control Board license for Baxter’s restaurants, to be applied to Baxter’s proposed facility in the renovated Superintendent’s Building.
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Baxter's has three other locations, Paoli, West Chester and the Great Valley Corporate Center. From their website (www.baxterspa.com)

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If you like fine food which is well-prepared and beautifully presented but in a comfortable and casual atmosphere, Baxter's Saloon and Eatery is the place for you! Look no further than downtown West Chester, Paoli, and the Great Valley Corporate Center in Malvern where you'll find a fun and upbeat pub serving some of the best dishes in the area!

At Baxter's Great Valley, pleasant live acoustic rock greets you as you approach the door. You will be invited in by a hospitable hostess and treated with special care by your personable and knowledgeable server. The friendly and warm atmosphere permeates the pub which is comfortably occupied by diners enjoying the company of others and appreciating the delicious and colorful creations of Chef Young. Wednesday through Saturday evenings you will be treated to a variety of musical artists as you relax in one of the roomy booths or generously sized tables.
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No word on when the renovations will be finished or when the restaurant will open.

Philadelphia Premium Outlets set to open Nov. 8th

Although this doesn't technically fall under 'Phoenixville News', it will have an effect on how we all shop (at least I'd imagine it will). The Philadelphia Premium Outlets are having their grand opening celebration November 8-11th. The outlets will feature 120 stores and is located just down the road in Pottstown.

For more information, including a list of stores, check out their website.

Interested in working at the Outlets? See this PDF for more information on the job fair that will be held from 8am-6pm this Friday (Sept. 7th).

Update on Molly Maguires

Happened to be driving down Bridge St. last night and saw a banner hanging over what will become the front entrance of Molly Maguire's. The banner, while not specifying an exact date, says Opening September 2007. Which is in line with my earlier post which indicated they had hoped to open over Labor Day weekend. Whether this is still the target or not is unclear but it does seem that things are running very close to schedule.

For those interested in working at MM's, they will be holding a job fair this afternoon from 3-6pm. All positions are being interviewed for so stop in! If you can't make it, applications are being accepted through their website at http://www.mollymaguirespubs.com/ (Editor's note: This is a different address than I had previously posted).

'End of Summer Party' scheduled for August 22nd

Saw a banner hanging across Starr Street yesterday indicating that there is an 'End of Summer Party' at Reeves Park scheduled from from 5-10pm on Wednesday, August 22nd.

Have not seen anything else about this so if anyone can contribute details, please do.

Tonight's Summer Music Series Concert Cancelled

Due to the threat of thunderstorms, tonight's Summer Music Series concert has been canceled.

Joey's Famous Philly Cheesesteaks coming to Phoenixville

Phoenixville will be getting a taste of South Philly in the next couple of weeks when Joey's Famous Philly Cheesesteaks opens shop at the end of the month. Joey's will be located at 413 Schuylkill Road, next to Rita's Water Ice. Along with cheesesteaks, Joey's will feature 18 types of buffalo wings and a variety of 'big' salads, averaging about 2 pounds each.

Joey's steaks will be made with 100% ribeye and will be served on bread bought in South Philly. The article does not have a specific opening date but it sounds like it'll be worth checking out once it does.


Source: The Phoenix

Local Business Spotlight: Vitamindre Massage Therapy

Received an email today from a reader, Marianne, who told me about Vitamindre Massage Therapy. Vitamindre is run by her husband, Andre, who is a massage & reflexology therapist. Andre is a certified member of the Associated Bodyworkers and Massage Professionals and he is Nationally Certified by the Board for Therapeutic and Bodywork.

From Andre's website (vitamindre.com).

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I am committed to healing, with integrity. This commitment has led me to my study and certification in massage and reflexology. At the core of my practice is the aim to help the body heal – indeed the goal of any treatment is to balance the body and spirit as you maneuver through the stress in your life.

As a practitioner, I pay attention to the needs of my client at the time of our session. I listen and provide a treatment that positively addresses your concerns and specifications.

I am available for sessions in your home, or at one of the salons or studios listed on this site. I am also available for on-site corporate and event massage or reflexology, with a massage table or chair.
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If you are interested in getting more information, Andre can be reached at 484-620-2036 or, via email, at andre@vitamindre.com. You can also visit his website at vitamindre.com for a complete list of salon's in the area that offer his services as well as a pricing guide.


Interested in having your business profiled? Send me an email at tips@bridgeandmain.com.

Phoenixville doesn't make the cut

As you may have guessed (or seen if you visited the Ikea site I linked before), Phoenixville did not make the finals of Ikea's 'Small Businesses, Big Dreams' contest. No word on how close we got but it was still a great effort by Ten-Sixteen, Inc.

Nearby Media, PA did make the cut however so let's show a little suburban Philly love and see if we can push them over the top!

Lots on tap as First Friday celebrates the life of George Hinkle

Tomorrow's First Friday will be more than just good music and fun. It is also a chance for the town to remember the life of George Hinkle, a man who "dedicated many years to helping the people in the downtown while helping the downtown as a whole." George passed away in 2006 but his memory lives on as this, and every future August First Friday, will be dedicated to him.

To celebrate, tomorrow will feature live music throughout the Bridge and Main Street areas. Headlining will be Stone Groove, who played at the first August First Friday.

Bringing the kids? There will be a moon bounce for the little ones in addition to an interactive mural, face painting and jugglers!

And for the first time (I believe) there will be a karaoke contest.

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The big contest and attraction of the night has to be the Joe McArdle Community Karaoke Contest. Prizes are as follows: First Prize $200, second prize $100 and third prize of $50. There will also be a trophy for the winner. The competition starts about 6:30 p.m. and will be right after a ceremony to kick off the festivities. The Karaoke contest will take place in the area in front of Tish Jones' store…A Healthy Change for Us. If you can sing…come get the money.
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In addition, at least 20 non-profit organizations will be on hand to discuss the work that they do and to hand out information.

For more information about George and some of the activities planned for tomorrow evening, please see Barry Cassidy's letter to the editor in the Phoenix.

For additional event details, see this additional Phoenix article.