Power Street Theater (PST), a celebrated organization known for showcasing multicultural artistic talent and hosting free community events, has announced a diverse roster of 2025 free programming in partnership with Esperanza Health Center, Two Locals Brewing, Theatre Philadelphia, Theatre Horizon, Izlas Latin Cuisine, Souletri, and more.

From their popular bilingual “Land and Body” adult theatre classes to their Souletri Open Mics and a brand new contemporary play reading series, PST has something for everyone. Their work brings accessible performing arts to Philadelphia neighborhoods and creates opportunities for connection, play, and healing.

Souletri Open Mic Experience takes place every 4th Sunday of the month in West Philly. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or stepping up for the first time, join PSW at Two Locals Brewing (3675 Market St) for an afternoon filled with raw emotions, laughter, and inspiring performances. It’s a special opportunity to express yourself and become part of a vibrant, welcoming community of artists. The event is hosted by the great RyAnn V Bryant with music by Dj Ricochet. Go here for more details and to reserve a spot.

Information on other events is available at: https://www.powerstreettheatre.com.

Traci Smith, the owner of Creative Vases.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and if you are looking to shop local for flowers, vases, plants, or balloons that would make your loved one smile, here’s a great spot.

Creative Vases is a Black-owned florist (and more) located at 52nd and Cedar that is brimming with flowers and arrangements for the holidays or other occasions like weddings, funerals, birthday parties or just to brighten someone’s day a little.

Traci Smith and her daughter Madison started the business online during the pandemic and moved into a brick-and-mortar shop on 52nd Street near Cedar Avenue last year.

“We stepped out on faith,” Smith said. “I took my love of flowers and love of decor and voilà.”

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The city is celebrating the 2025 Eagles Super Bowl Championship this Friday, Feb. 14 with a parade, which will kick off from Lincoln Financial Field at 11 a.m. More information on the parade route and road closures can be found here, but here’s some info on the road closures in the University City area. The following streets and roads will be closed on Friday from approximately 10:30 a.m. until approximately 6 p.m.:

• Spring Garden Street exit of the Schuylkill
• Vine Street off ramps closed in Center City
• Broad Street exit of I-95
• 30th St Market to Arch
• 29th St Market to JFK
• 76W Schuylkill ramp
• 76E 30th St ramp
• 76W 30th St ramp
• Spring Garden Bridge at 31st Street
• JFK Blvd 20th to Schuylkill Ave

SEPTA will have special service throughout the day. Since many buses will be detoured SEPTA is encouraging riders to use Market-Frankford Line (L) and Broad Street Line (B). Service on these lines will run every 6-to-8 minutes starting at approximately 5 a.m. throughout the day. There will also be free rides on both lines throughout the day to make boarding trains easier.

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SEPTA has updates about its Trolley Modernization project, a multi-year effort to replace its entire fleet of trolleys with new, more accessible vehicles. This Wednesday, Feb. 12 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m., SEPTA is hosting a virtual public Open House where riders can learn more about improvements planned for service and infrastructure along the Route 36 [T5] Trolley. This modernization effort includes introducing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant, low-floor vehicles to improve accessibility for riders of all abilities and the creation of new trolley stations equipped with passenger amenities.

Currently, the Trolley Modernization project is in its design phase, which is expected to be completed in 2026, with construction planned for 2027-2030.

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Local chef and writer Ari Miller during a live cooking demonstration with the new cooktops at the West Philly Tool Library on Friday, Feb. 7.

The West Philly Tool Library has just received a generous donation from PennEnvironment, a non-profit organization that advocates for clean air, water and energy in the state of Pennsylvania. PennEnvironment donated two induction cooktops that will be offered for community use through the tool library’s membership program.

Induction stoves are a more sustainable alternative to traditional gas ranges because they don’t rely on methane, a greenhouse gas that’s considered much more potent than carbon dioxide and contributes to global warming. At the same time, induction appliances can be up to three times as efficient as their gas counterparts, and 10 percent more efficient than electric appliances. This efficiency can lead to potential long-term energy savings on utility bills and faster cooking times.

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Here’s a great opportunity to set out on an adventure without leaving the city borders, to learn more about Philadelphia history and culture and connect with neighbors/fellow city residents.

Walk Around Philadelphia is a facilitated, segmented 100+ mile walk around the entire city border that takes place twice a year, in February and September, with other programs, like meet-ups, exhibitions and concerts, being held throughout the year. Participants can join in for a scheduled group walk for as long as they are able to, or can do it on their own anytime. The program founder, West Philly-based artist and community organizer JJ Tiziou, personally leads many walks.

Over 2,000 people have participated in the project since 2020.

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During each tax season, The Campaign for Working Families (CWF), a non-profit organization, operates free tax preparation sites around the city. On Jan. 30, CWF opened more such sites in West and Southwest Philadelphia for the 2024 tax season. Free services are available for low-to-moderate income individuals and families at the following locations:

CWFI Dornsife at Drexel University
3509 Spring Garden St.

Hours:
Mon-Fri 9am-3pm

CWFI Ebenezer Temple
5649 Christian St.

Hours:
Mon, Tues 12pm-6pm,
Wed, Thurs 10am-2pm,
Sat 9am-3pm

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Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has recently signed a law allowing the installation of automated speed cameras along State Route 13 in West and North Philadelphia, which includes Baltimore Avenue.

“This program is a key part of making Philadelphia safe for all citizens, whether they are traveling by foot, bike, public transportation, or car,” Mayor Parker said. “…Automated Speed Cameras work and they help save lives.”

The bill unanimously passed City Council on December 5, 2024.

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Curio Theatre Company will be visited by an American icon this February. For one night only, the company is presenting Shirley Chisholm: Unbossed & Unbowed, a one-woman show by Ingrid Griffith.

Chisholm, a Brooklyn-born daughter of Caribbean immigrants, was the first Black woman to be elected to the United States Congress and to run for President.

Griffith, the creator and performer of “Unbossed and Unbowed”, plays Chisholm and inhabits 15 other characters in this 75-minute solo performance with no intermission. The stage play dramatizes how Chisholm’s race and gender were supposed to determine how far she would go in life and how her Caribbean parents’ immigrant determination and personal willpower pushed her to overcome that fate and rise.

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Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (3rd District), chair of the Committee on Housing, Neighborhood Development, and the Homeless, has introduced the second phase of her “Defying Displacement” campaign, which aims to preserve and create affordable housing.

This phase introduces a series of bills that focus on cutting red tape by speeding up the approval process for affordable housing developments and making it easier for homeowners to turn extra space into bonus units so that they can remain in their homes.

The city can speed up development and reduce costs by reviewing affordable housing quickly and efficiently, ultimately leading to lower prices for prospective tenants, according to a statement by Gauthier. It can take more than nine months and cost thousands of dollars to receive a zoning variance in the current variance process. Gauthier argues that this disproportionately impacts affordable housing because many developers interested in affordable housing rely on extra density to keep the price-per-unit low.

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Hakim’s Bookstore and its historical marker.

Visit Philadelphia has launched a new series celebrating generational Black-owned businesses ahead of Black History Month. A four-part video series, titled Legacy & Love, celebrates the contributions of Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia that have been passed down through generations or built as a tribute to loved ones. The series features two West Philadelphia-based businesses – Hakim’s Bookstore and Arterial Coffee.

The national theme for Black History Month, “African Americans and Labor,” is explored through the stories of four businesses that highlight the perseverance, legacy and entrepreneurial spirit within the city’s Black community. Here are more details about the West Philly-based businesses featured in the series:

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Community members are invited to participate in the Malcolm X Park playground redesign process and are welcome to attend a community meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

Funding, which will help bring improvements to this West Philadelphia park, was recently announced by Philadelphia Parks & Rec in collaboration with 3rd District Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s Office. Improvements include new benches, curb repairs, and a new playground. The first community meeting took place last month to kick off the redesign process.

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Saint Joseph’s University (SJU) is selling multiple properties on and near its University City campus (formerly University of the Sciences), after an unsuccessful bid to find a single buyer for the entire campus, according to reports.

Earlier this month, SJU put up for sale five properties, including the off-campus student housing building, Osol Hall, located at 510 S. 42nd Street. It has now added seven more campus buildings to this list, according to Philadelphia Business Journal, including the Athletic Recreation Center, the main parking lot and green area (the Quad), the Wilson Student Center, the Joseph England Library, Goodman, Hall and Alumni Hall. These properties have a combined assessed value of $58.45 million, according to Philadelphia tax records.

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SEPTA is planning to rename a popular West Philadelphia bus route. Beginning February 2025, the “G” bus will become Bus 63. The other lettered buses (H, J, L, R, and XH) will also change into numbers. Riders will get a chance to get used to the new name as SEPTA is planning to use both new numbers and old letters for a period of time.

SEPTA is planning these changes because it wants to use letters only for its Metro network – trains and some trolley routes: “L” for Market-Frankford Line, “B” for the Broadstreet Line, and “G” for Trolley Route 15. As for the other trolley routes, they are now numbered from 1 to 5 with “T” in front: T1 (Route 10), T2 (Route 34), T3 (Route 13), T4 (Route 11), and T5 (Route 36). These changes were introduced last year as part of SEPTA’s efforts to simplify its naming system, which is a part of the SEPTA Forward plan.

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