Market East Initiative

Meantime, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit initiative founded by innovative architecture and design studio ISA, will activate vacant storefronts along one of the city’s most significant urban corridors, Market East in Center City, in partnership with the City of Philadelphia, Center City District, the Fashion District and a joint venture between Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment (HBSE) and Comcast. Funded with a grant from the City of Philadelphia, Meantime on Market highlights the power of temporary use to catalyze long-term transformation. These projects demonstrate how experimentation, collaboration, and local entrepreneurship can shape the future of Philadelphia’s commercial and cultural landscape.

Meantime on Market | May 7 - July 31, 2026

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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.

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Philly's Market East has been many things, but it has never been the hippest street in town – until now. - Inga Saffron

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

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