The Trolley Car Station is located at University city, Philadelphia. The owners of the Trolley Car Station partnered with the city of Philadelphia to convert a historic building that was in desperate need of repair into a cafe. The historic building colloquially known as “Bathey” was built in the 1930s as a changing facility for the city’s public swimming pool. The Bathey House was one of the only outdoor swimming pools in the area and is the lone building standing in the Fairmount Historic Trust wanted to save the landmark which was in disrepair and they contacted Ken Weinstein, owner of the Trolley Car Diner in Mt. Airy to ask him if he wanted to do anything with building. After 6 months of restoration work the Trolley Car Station opened.
Located in the Bathey House, there is also a welcome center and on-site bike rental and repair store. Thanks to city funding, the Trolley Car Station includes many ‘green’ additions. There is an on-site kitchen garden, which grows herbs and vegetables used in dishes served at the Station. According to Weinstein, there are rain barrels, active and passive solar heating and lighting that provides 70 percent of their hot water and an energy-saving Rational Cooker. At the station's grand opening owner Ken Weinstein noted “We’ve proven that you can maintain the historic integrity of the building while protecting our environment and community,”
The building was built in the classic art deco style popular in the 1930s. In keeping with the vintage look, the cafe has kept the exposed brick wall in parts of the interior. It also has vintage hanging lights, ceiling fans and paneled ceilings in decorative 1930s style. The flooring is made of polished concrete giving the place a mix of vintage and industrial styles. The color scheme is mostly neutral off-white gray fitting in with the theme of a Trolley Car Station. The back wall also has a mural depicting the history of the storied park.
To augment the vintage decor, button tufted booths in emerald green were chosen. A great way to provide a cozy, intimate dining setting and make maximum use of the floor space, the button tufted booths have a classic look which blends in seamlessly with the interior design. The emerald green was just what the cafe needed to add a little color without becoming an eye sore. The emerald green booths have a timeless appeal that went well with the vintage 1930s look and also flowed with the greenery of the surrounding park. Matching the green booths, green candle holders were placed on all the tables.
