In Elkins Park, a new type of market replaced a community-owned grocery store, and locals have mixed feelings about it, writes Jenn Ladd for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

A new food hall called the Creekside Market & Tap has taken up in the space that formerly housed the Ashbourne Market and the Creekside Co-op Elkins Park, and is owned by Cheshire Brewing Company, which also resides in Elkins Park.

There’s all kinds of food to enjoy, like local craft beer, groceries, take-out food, plus games and televisions to ensure the family-friendly vibe.

Many in the neighborhood surrounding Creekside offer surprise that the market/hall is nearby, and so the tenants and owners of Creekside are pushing to have the surrounding Montgomery County areas of Jenkintown, Cheltenham, and Abington to view the hall as a “Mini Reading Terminal.”

The previous owners had to close down in 2000 and some of the area shops closed. In 2013, the Creekside Co-Op opened then closed in 2018.

Now Creekside’s new owners, partners, Steve Everett, Jerry Benedict, and Dan Glennon, who is an Elkins Park resident, know the building’s history and are working to accomplish what the co-op was aiming for, and more, with local vendors and local food and drink.

There’s potential here.

Find out more about the Creekside Market & Tap located at 7909 High School Road in Elkins Park at The Philadelphia Inquirer.