West Philly's Forgotten Main Street: A Walking Tour With All That Philly Jazz

At its peak, West Philly’s 52nd Street was a vibrant quarter, rich with culture, community, music, and restaurants. In the 1940s-1970s the area thrived. Music flowed out from record stores, people lined the streets waiting to eat true “soul food” from Big George’s, and Jazz clubs were frequent stops for the world's most famous jazz artists. Who would have thought that the street I was standing on Saturday afternoon with ​All That Philly Jazz Director Faye Anderson was once a prime spot for entertainment?

On a cool fall Saturday morning, I joined All That Philly Jazz along with around 20 other attendees to attend a walking tour aptly named “West Philly’s Main Street: A Walk Through Time.” We gathered around a picnic table at Malcolm X Memorial Park, right in the middle of “The Strip,” or what is today’s 52nd Street. Guests were already sharing stories about the “good old days” of 52nd Street, reminiscing about a time when businesses were booming and Jazz filled the streets.

The tour attracted a wide variety of attendees. Most were native to West Philadelphia, eager to learn more about their hometown. World-renowned Japenese Coltrane scholar, Yasuhiro Fujioka, co-author of “The John Coltrane Reference,”also attended the walking tour. There is no doubt that this event brought people together.

Our first stop was what was once the Pony Tail Bar and Disco. Our guide, Faye Anderson, explained that this place was not for the faint of heart. It opened in the 60s and would always have a wild crowd filled with go-go dancers and bar patrons. The walking tour crowd laughed at the image of such an eccentric disco in what is now an unassuming building.

It seemed like each building we walked past had a deep history hidden behind its doors. A Sunoco across the street used to be home to one of the best beef sandwiches in Philly. An H&R block was “The Cookie Jar,” a bakery where one attendee said she would go often before school to get a delicious snack. All That Philly Jazz hopes this tour will keep those memories alive amidst a changing 52nd street.

We then walked across the street to the corner of 52nd and Spruce, finding some shade to look at a building with a sunroom. Anderson eagerly explained that this building was home to many impactful businesses. On the first floor was Club Kismet, a plush nightclub with a photo studio inside. The second floor housed the Philly Groove Record Label, founded in 1967. Anderson asked the attendees who founded the label. One excited exclaimed, “Stan the Man!” and the rest of the attendees all nodded their heads in recognition of the name of the owner.

Anderson then explained that in 1988 Big George’s Stop-and-Dine opened in the same spot. It immediately became one of The Strip's best restaurants. An attendee told the group the line would be around the block to eat Big George’s delicious soul food. Many other people chimed in, noting their favorite foods from the establishment. President Bill Clinton and Mayor Rendell even stopped into Big George’s in 1998 to get a taste of the famous food.

As guests talked about more of their favorite restaurants from when they were young, we walked north a few blocks. As we got closer, we heard Jazz music playing from one of the buildings. We realized it was coming from the ACAF lounge, our next stop. ACAF was once Aqua Jazz Club, the premier jazz club in West Philly. Aqua thrived during the 1960s and 1970s, boasting guests such as Herbie Hancock and Dizzy Gillespie. Anderson opened up about how this was also the last place Lee Morgan, a jazz trumpet player, performed before his tragic death in 1972. Anderson even successfully elected Lee Morgan to get an official Pennsylvania Historical Marker outside of the Aqua Lounge to honor his life. The marker was unveiled recently in April 2024.

Our tour ended at a building that was once the Red Rooster Cafe. It was here, Anderson said, where John Coltrane met McCoy Tyner and the two played together for the first time. Everyone on the tour was star-struck, taking turns to hold the door handle that Coltrane once touched.

I left the tour with a newfound love for the history of West Philly. All That Philly Jazz sees that many people, even residents, do not know about the roots of Jazz in West Philadelphia. I would have never thought that Jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane walked on the same sidewalks I did that day. The walking tour was an amazing experience to hear stories from many different people about their lively, joyful times on 52nd Street. All That Philly Jazz is doing outstanding work preserving the history of 52nd Street.