Temporary stores coming to Philadelphia’s Market East corridor ahead of busy summer

Ahead of a busy 2026 summer, new storefronts will open along Philadelphia’s Market East.

Starting next week, Philadelphia businesses will temporarily open up in otherwise vacant storefronts along the south side of the 900 block of Market Street in properties owned by Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) and Comcast.

These pop-up stores are all part of the Center City District, Meantime, and the City of Philadelphia’s new effort to help bring new life and shopping options to the commercial corridor.

Organizers shared a list of retailers:

Almost Famous (922 Market Street) will present its third Meantime activation, featuring upcycled clothing, vintage pieces, and live artistic interventions. The space will host artists working on-site, panel discussions, and music events, reflecting the brand’s Black-owned, women-centered ethos as it continues to operate without a permanent home.

Art Philly (932-934 Market Street) will create a hub for creative exchange, convening artists, storytellers, and community members with Jos Duncan-Asé’s Love Lab, an initiative from Love Now Media, a Philadelphia-based multimedia production company focused on empathy-centered journalism and storytelling.

Clubfriends Radio & Records (926 Market Street), founded by Alexa Colas, will expand its 2025 DesignPhiladelphia installation, I Turned My Living Room Into a Record Store, into an ongoing, immersive experience. The project will serve as a platform for public programming developed in partnership with the Free Library’s Music Department and Curator of Exhibitions to tell stories specific to Philadelphia, fostering connection through music, design, and shared cultural experience. 

Rarify (924 Market Street), a Philadelphia-based platform and gallery dedicated to collectible design and material culture, will present an exhibition celebrating the region’s rich design legacy. Spanning architecture, industrial design, furniture, interiors, and craft, the exhibition highlights Philadelphia and Pennsylvania’s enduring influence on the nation’s cultural and creative identity over the past 250 years.

Siddiq’s Water Ice (938 Market Street), a beloved West Philadelphia staple, will debut in Center City for the first time, bringing a neighborhood favorite to new audiences and expanding its presence into one of Philadelphia’s busiest commercial corridors.

Two Persons Coffee (920 Market Street), the popular café based in the Bok Building, will also pop up in Center City, extending its community-driven ethos and thoughtfully crafted offerings to a new neighborhood.

In addition, organizers said a retailer will be added on the 900 block of Market Street in the Fashion District.

“We are thrilled to open our space to these incredible small businesses that will make Philadelphia’s downtown vibrant this summer,” said David Gould, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer for HBSE. “This is an opportunity not only to activate this stretch of East Market Street, but to showcase how renewed energy and foot traffic can impact a single block. None of this would be possible without the collaboration with Center City District, Meantime, and our partners at Comcast.”

Comcast owns NBCUniversal, the parent company of NBC10.