A couple months back, we brought construction activity at 2568 Frankford Ave. to your attention, happily noting that another long-vacant Frankford Avenue lot was turning over. In case you forgot, this building will include ground-floor retail space and two apartment units. When we were here last, it was a hole in the ground- but as of last week, there was a nicely framed building to behold.
We also noticed, back then, signs advertising an upcoming comic book shop in a retail space near the corner of Frankford & Huntingdon. And just like there's been progress with the building pictured above, there's been progress on the comic book front. According to a story from the Daily News last week, Amalgam Comics & Coffeehouse opened their doors at 2578 Frankford Ave. at some point last month. We love coffee shops and comic books, so we figured we'd check it out for ourselves.
You can see, the space is much bigger than you'd expect from just walking past. The front of the store is dominated by a wide open coffee shop space with a smattering of tables, and dining options include various drinks and a selection of house-baked pastries. In the rear is a wider space full of comics, with room for events for dozens of people. According to the DN story, this store is unique in that it's the only black female owned comic shop on the East coast. Another fun fact is that it was inspired in part by Crimson Moon, a long closed cafe that once occupied the space that's now home to Village Whiskey.
It's true that Frankford Avenue has an abundance of coffee shops, but this place definitely brings something new and different to the table. And the fact that another business is filling in a space on the commercial corridor, especially so far up, is quite encouraging. Go check 'em out if you're in the area.