Brooklyn Qawwali Party.

40th Street Summer Series, the free family-friendly outdoor concerts on the green space behind the Walnut West Library at 40th and Walnut are coming back again this year, thanks to University City District, Penn, and The Rotunda. This year, the series has expanded to five concerts with the following dates: on May 25, June 29, July 27, Aug 31, and Sept 28. The performers list is great, as always, including Philadelphia Ukulele Orchestra, Spaceship Aloha, Millennial Territory Orchestra and more.

This Saturday prepare to dance, shake, sweat and even whirl when Brooklyn Qawwali Party kicks off the series. This 11-piece brass band from NYC performs 700-year-old Pakistani Sufi music in a “thunderous” manner (see video below). “Funky, smart, and loving, BQP captures the joyful spirit of this Pakistani folk music in a unique instrumental blend of jazz and Qawwali. It’s a good time, it’s from the heart, and it’s like nothing you’ve ever heard,” according to the event’s website.

All Summer Series concerts begin at 6 p.m. and also feature Give and Take jugglers, fire artists, face painting, and balloon art that your kids will love.

For more information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/155368037956719/

Photo courtesy of Taco Angeleno/Facebook

When Vanessa Jerolmack first moved to West Philly from Los Angeles six years ago, she was a fish out of water. The 32-year-old California native and owner of the local Mexican food truck, Taco Angeleno, admittedly had no friends in the city—but worse, “didn’t have any Mexican food to eat.”

So, to remedy the situation, Jerolmack, who comes from a Mexican family that ate “lots of Mexican food,” started to cook a vegan version of the cuisine for her and her husband. That then morphed into a weekly Sunday brunch, which she used as a way to get to know her neighbors by handing out invitations to random people she met.

“This is how I definitely made friends,” she said. “It started with eight of us, and then it would turn into 12, and then sometimes be 20 of us. Every Sunday, I would just cook this huge brunch. Everyone’s favorite started to be all the Mexican stuff I made.”

While it was “just regular Mexican food” to Jerolmack, her friends were amazed by its deliciousness—to them, she said, it was a bar above what was already offered in West Philly. It was an encouraging reaction for someone who already wanted to open a café of sorts.

That dream of opening her own joint, though, didn’t cement itself until last year. When she and her husband first bought the vacant lot behind her house two years ago, it was just transformed into her personal garden. But she began to think about what Los Angeles had that West Philly lacked, and how she could turn the lot into something more than just a horticultural space. So after an accidental trip to the Memphis Taproom, a light bulb went off: why not turn her swath of land into an outdoor restaurant?

Thus, Taco Angeleno was born. With help from the Center for Culinary Enterprises and a nine-month stint as a cook at Fishtown’s Loco Pez, Jerolmack was able to garner the resources and knowledge needed to develop her Mexican bistro, which she hopes to open on the lot at 5019 Baltimore Avenue this July (she debuted the truck at this year’s Go West Craft Fest, and held a preview picnic at the space on May 17). Much like the Taproom’s beer garden, Taco Angeleno will serve as a take-out outdoor eatery, complete with a food truck, four to six 6-foot picnic style tables, and an upbeat, friendly atmosphere to match Jerolmack’s personality.

Once launched, Taco Angeleno will offer an all taco menu with three meat (chicken, beef, and pork) and three vegan-based (seitan, soy miso, and soy-free) options that can also be made into burritos. (While Jerolmack is no longer vegan, she wants to make sure her menu is evenly split so her vegan friends can also enjoy the food.) The menu will also feature a rotating daily platter special, like enchiladas, taquitos, and tamales, that will come with a side of rice and beans. It will operate from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, and only during the warm seasons (possibly April to the end of October.)

As for the future, Jerolmack would like to build a shack that’ll house a full kitchen and some counter seating, depending on the success of the first two years. But she said she has no plans of taking Taco Angeleno beyond the neighborhood because “for this whole vision I have, it’s all about this block because it’s right behind my house. It’s my neighborhood. It’s my friends and that’s what makes me so happy.”

- Annamarya Scaccia

Photo courtesy of Partnership for the Delaware Estuary/Flickr

She’s a furry bouncing ball of shih tzu energy that tears up your favorite jacket for fun. He’s a cranky little bulldog sweetheart who plops on the couch while watching TV.

Don’t lie: your pooch is the apple of your eye, warts and all. But does your zany best friend have the chomps to take a bite out of pollution and serve as the Philadelphia Water Department’s 2013 Philly Water’s Best Friend Spokesdog? The Water Department is currently looking for two dogs from University City and Filter Square, respectively, to represent the city as ambassadors for “living the eco-friendly dog life.” West Philly dog owners who think their canine has what it takes have until May 31 to enter their sweet ol’ pup into this year’s competition, which will focus on Schuylkill River cleanup efforts.

The winning dogs will be chosen at a judged pageant-style community competition, and receive a $200 gift to a local business, toy and cookie prize pack, and have their adorable face gracing promotional materials. As a Philly Water’s Best Friend spokesanimal, the winning dogs and their caretakers will be required to attend at least three community affairs in 2013-2014, and distribute information on the importance of picking up pet waste.

The Water Department has crowned four spokesdogs in East Falls, Northern Liberties, Queen Village, Manayunk and Roxborough since 2011. Last year’s competition drew over 7,000 voters for more than 50 doggie candidates.

For rules and registration, visit http://phillywatersheds.org/spokesdog/. Program sponsors include the Friends of Schuylkill River Park, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Philadelphia Water Department, Powelton Village Civic Association, and Schuylkill Banks.

- Annamarya Scaccia

The “design” table offers some suggestions during a community meeting on the proposed property at 4224 Baltimore Ave. on Monday.

The roughly 40 residents who sat down Monday evening at the International House (3701 Chestnut St.) to offer their input on the proposed 92-unit residential development project at 43rd and Baltimore made a few things clear: More parking, no pharmacies, absolutely no undergraduates and a design that respects what Clark Park means to West Philly.

Their input was part of the first of three community meetings designed to weave community input into design, retail space and transit choices to be made by the developers of the property at 4224 Baltimore Ave., the long-vacant plot across 43rd Street from Clark Park.

“Working with the community we can aspire for a project that works for the community, for the neighbors, for the business owners,” said Omar Blaik, a 15-year resident and former senior vice president at Penn, whose firm, U3 Ventures, is serving as a development liaison between the community and the property owners. U3′s job is to gather community input over the next couple of months and integrate them into the project’s design.

So far, there is no design. A conditional use permit from the city allows the development of a 92-unit structure, but places few restrictions on the amenities offered or the businesses that could occupy the first floor of the project. No building drawings were offered at the meeting. Those will be available at the next meeting in mid June, when the comments from Monday’s meeting are passed along to architects.

Residents were broken into groups and asked to address the building design, ideas about retail spaces, the type of units that should be offered and parking/transit. Here’s what they had to say:

• Design – This group of residents recommended that there be at least 50-60 parking spaces incorporated into the design. The original proposal calls for six. They also advised that the service access for the project in no way interferes with trolley traffic on Baltimore Avenue. So no double parking etc. The height of the building should fit in with other buildings in the vicinity.

• Retail – They recommended businesses that fit the current flavor of the neighborhood. The options range from a single 5,000-square-foot business (the space at Mariposa is about 5,500 feet for comparison), or whether it should house several smaller spaces. The Green Line Café at 43rd and Baltimore, for example, is about 1,000 square feet. Milk and Honey Market is about 2,000 square feet. Resident Mel Clampet-Lundquist suggested a design that incorporates a pub/restaurant that looks out over a recreational space that could be used for wiffleball, similar to Rookie’s, a Wisconsin pub/field. “Absolutely no pharmacies,” the group concluded. Another suggestion was a “restaurant that served good booze rather than a pub that served bad food.”

• Unit type – This group was asked to consider the preferred market for the complex. There was a clear consensus that it should not include undergraduates. Other possibilities included single families or condos that could be purchased by current neighborhood residents looking to downsize. One issue the group raised was the added pressure that would  be placed on the Penn Alexander School if the project marketed to young families.

• Parking/Transit – They recommended a resident-to-parking-space ratio of 2:1 or 3:1. They also recommended that the project should encourage walking, biking, car share and public transit to residents through added car share spaces and maybe a SEPTA kiosk.

Blaik said that these suggestions will be be taken into consideration in the designs that are set to be released at a June meeting. A final meeting will be held in early July.

What can you do?

This process isn’t over. The developers are collecting ideas from residents at a website, 4224baltimore.com. They encourage everyone to submit design ideas on the “community” portion of the site, including photos of building designs you like and restaurants you would like to see housed there.

- Mike Lyons

William Hamilton Mansion at The Woodlands.

This Tuesday (May 21) there’s a rare chance to see a Curio Theatre show at an historic location. For one night only Curio presents “William Hamilton: Not Your Typical 18th Century Gentleman” at the Hamilton Mansion at the Woodlands (40th and Woodland). The show runs from 7 to 9 p.m.

Here are some details about the show from the Curio website:

“This light-hearted performance will feature fictionalized accounts of the life of William Hamilton, written and performed by members of the award-winning Curio Theatre Company. Presented in the historic eighteenth century home of one of Philadelphia’s most prominent citizens, this one-night-only production chronicles the life of the man behind The Woodlands, based on historical accounts, documents, and letters from his Founding Father contemporaries (including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and Charles Drayton).”

All in all, it should be an unforgettable evening that also includes complimentary cocktails served in “true Hamilton style.” For more information and to buy tickets ($15), go here.

So, we’re passing this along in case you forgot: There’s a primary election tomorrow in the city. You could be forgiven if you didn’t remember. On the Democratic side, District Attorney Seth Williams is running unopposed and there’s a dizzying list of judges running. The hot nomination is for City Controller, the city’s auditor of financial affairs. The office has a four-year term and no term limit.

Incumbent Alan Bukovitz is running against Brett Mandel and Mark Zecca for the Democratic nomination. Bukovitz is in his second term as City Controller. Until 2004, Mandel worked in the City Controller’s office on the Financial and Policy Analysis Unit. Zecca is a former Assistant District Attorney.

There’s a Republican in this thing too – retail expert Terry Tracy. He is running unopposed for the City Controller nomination.

Former Assistant District Attorney Daniel Alvarez (Facebook page) is the lone Republican candidate for District Attorney.

Other local offices include: Judge of Court of Common Pleas, Judge of Philadelphia Municipal Court (3 vacancies), Judge of Traffic Court (3 vacancies), Inspector of Elections. Statewide offices include the Judge of the Superior Court.

A list of candidates for the various judge seats is here.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can check your registration information and find your polling place here.

A reader, James, reports that fire trucks responded to a call of smoke at Penn Alexander school at 43rd and Locust at around 8 p.m. Sunday. Some kind of smoke or steam was indeed leaving the top of the domed area on the school building, which might have triggered the call. The trucks left quickly after checking the building.

Photos by James Buckley.

The developers of the proposed residential building at 4224 Baltimore Avenue are seeking residents’ input on the project through a series of community engagement meetings, with the first one scheduled on Monday, May 20, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. at International House of Philadelphia (South America Room, 3701 Chestnut St). The goal of the meetings is to come up with alternative design plans for the proposed apartment complex to be built on the large vacant lot at the corner of 43rd and Baltimore.

Vacant lot at 43rd and Baltimore where the new apartment complex is proposed.

Clarkmore Group LLC, the property owner, has obtained a conditional zoning permit for the 92 residential unit building, six parking spaces and 36 bicycle parking spaces. The proposed plan had received mixed reviews from the community, including comments by West Philly Local readers after our first article on this subject.

Clarkmore Group LLC is working with the Spruce Hill Community Association, which will coordinate the community engagement process that will include three meetings in total (we’ll post more details about the other two meetings when this information is available). At the meetings, community members can learn more about the project, meet the project team and work with it on a number of focus areas, including the building design, transportation and retail mix.

More details on this project and its stakeholders are available here.

Here’s a great opportunity for gardeners to get free compost and check out West Philly’s Dirt Factory. The Dirt Factory, which opened almost a year ago at 4308 Market Street, is inviting neighbors to Dirt Day on Saturday, May 18 where you can receive free compost created at the facility from waste contributed by local residents, attend free workshops and tour the facility. In addition, there will be free food from West Philly businesses, plantables, and even free buckets for collecting your compostable waste. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and here’s the workshop schedule:

• 11 a.m. – noon:  Making Your Own Compost featuring Christine Tilles, Penn State Extension Educator
• 1-2 p.m.:  Vegetable Gardening with Compost featuring Jessica Herwick, Penn State Extension Master Gardener

Everyone can take home up to 10 gallons of compost for free at tomorrow’s event, and while there, take a tour of The Dirt Factory to learn how the compost was made. Attendees are requested to RSVP at compost@universitycity.org

Reminder: The Dirt Factory is open for compostable waste drop-off from 5-6 p.m. on Wednesdays. For more information go to: universitycity.org/dirt-factory

While West Philly’s Hip Hop Fundamentals has already reached—and exceeded—their $10,000 Kickstarter fundraising goal, there are still 22 hours left to donate to the campaign supporting the dance crew’s upcoming educational assembly, “Civil Rights Movements: The Power of Youth Engagement as Seen Through the Eyes of Dr. King.”

Founded in 2011 by Repstyles Crew members Steve “Believe” Lunger and Mark “Metal” Wong, Hip Hop Fundamentals work to “empower and educate” local youth by teaching academics and social issues through hip hop assemblies. Their new hour-long “Civil Rights Movement” show (view video below), which will be performed at 10 Philadelphia public schools, will use dance, history lectures, music, interactive workshops, and audience participation to showcase the critical role students played in advancing civil rights in the 1950s and 1960s. A free May 5 public performance of the show at Clark Park kicked off the crew’s fundraising efforts.

During the show, students will have the opportunity to unite to “overcome prejudice, breaking unjust laws, writing letters to elected officials, marching and protesting, and boycotting,” Hip Hop Fundamentals’ Education Director, Aaron “Professor Peabody” Troisi. Hip Hop Fundamentals five-performer cast will read samples from different Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. letters and speeches, including “I Have a Dream” and “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” as well as highlight examples of student leadership and involvement  in the Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-Ins, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the Freedom Rides.

“Civil Rights Movement” will also illuminate hip hop’s connection to the historic movement, with particular focus on Afrika Bambaataa and other founders of the politically and socially-conscious genres. According to Troisi, in drawing this connection, Hip Hop Fundamentals will show how hip hop “is one of the many legacies of the Civil Rights Movement; an empowering modern culture in which young people play a critical role.”

The tour will kick off before the end of this month and last through the end of the school year. While Hip Hop Fundamentals is still hammering out schedule and location details, the crew hopes to perform in West Philly’s Samuel Gompers and Overbrook Elementary schools, as well as Dimner Beeber Middle School.

According to Troisi, all funds raised through Kickstarter will go towards tour overhead, which costs roughly $1,000 per show for performers, transportation, production, and other expenses, with no costs passed on to the schools. He said some of the money will also fund arts programming provided free to local high-need schools, and hiring local young dancers for HHP’s youth-teaching-youth mentorship framework.

“We are hoping to bring empowering arts programming back to Philly’s public schools. We are hoping to work with and educate the youth in our communities who need it most,” he said. “This campaign has been so successful, it is obvious that our city is starved for good, educational arts programming. We’re honored to be a part of providing that to youth in our city.”

- Annamarya Scaccia

This weekend there’s an opportunity to show your love for your local parks as many events are scheduled in the area as part of the “Love Your Park” week held citywide. Here are some details:

The Porch Beer Garden (The Porch at 30th Street Station)

Thursday & Friday (May 16 & 17), 3 – 8 p.m.

The Porch at 30th Street Station is hosting a two-day beer garden this Thursday and Friday. There will be live music by Perseverance Jazz Band (May 16), The Red Hot Ramblers (May 16), and Polkadelphia (May 17). Beer will be served by Bridgewater’s Pub and the following gourmet food trucks will show up at the event: The Cow and The Curd (battered fried cheese curds), Local 215 (locally sourced seasonal foods), and Sum Pig (gourmet comfort food). For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.

Picnic in Cedar Park (50th & Baltimore)

Friday, May 17, 6 – 8 p.m.

Cedar Park is celebrating “Love Your Park” week with a community picnic. You can bring your own food or pick up a coupon for a “picnic special” you can redeem at Cedar Park area businesses, including The Gold Standard Cafe, Dock Street Brewery, Hibiscus Cafe, Little Baby’s Ice Cream and more. Click here for more details.

Barkan Park Clean-up (50th & Spruce)

Saturday, May 18, 2 – 4 p.m.

Show your love for Barkan Park this Saturday and help with clean-up, weeding, and planting. Tools and refreshments will be provided. For more information call Mark at 215-476-2983.

Party in Clark Park (43rd & Baltimore)

Saturday, May 18, 4 – 8 p.m.
The Friends of Clark Park are hosting a party in Clark Park in observance of “Love Your Park” week and everyone is invited. This free community event will include food, music, games and the park’s first Beer Garden. At the party enjoy performances by West Philly based Pakistani musician Umer Piracha, The Philadelphia Women’s Slavic Ensemble and On The Water. And here are the food vendors at the party: MiniTrini (gourmet Trinidadian food), The Cow and the Curd, Taco Angeleno (new West Philly based taco truck), and Lil’ Pop Shop. Beer will be served by Dock Street and actually will cost $5, but if you join The Friends of Clark Park at the event you will receive a free beer ticket and can buy the next beers for $3.

By the way, also on Saturday Clark Park “B” at 43rd and Chester will be hosting Uhuru Flea Market from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., so you can spend the whole day at the park, especially since the weather is expected to be nice and sunny.

Neighbors, community leaders and experts are getting together this afternoon (at 4 p.m.) to discuss the future of University City High School that is slated for closure at the end of the 2013 school year along with 22 other Philadelphia schools. The school opened in 1973.

Strategies for the use of the building after the closure will also be discussed at the forum that will take place at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 3500 Baring St. The panelists include:

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell

Algernong Allen, Baltimore Avenue Business Association

DeWayne Drummond, Mantua Civic Association

George Poulin, Powelton Village Civic Association

Emily Dowdall, Pew Charitable Trusts

Allan Domb, President Greater Philadelphia Association of Realtors

The discussion will be moderated by Solomon Jones of AxisPhilly and filmed by NBC 10.

To register please go to uchigh.eventbrite.com/ (registration closes at 3 p.m.)

Parklet at 45th and Walnut.

Three more parklets, public seating platforms that replace parking spots, are coming to the University City area this week. A new parklet was installed near Manakeesh Cafe on Walnut Street near 45th on Tuesday. Two parklets, with new design developed by Philadelphia’s Shift Space Design, are returning to their last year’s locations today and Thursday – on 44th Street near Spruce, across from Honest Tom’s and Lil’ Pop Shop, and on Locust Street near 40th, across from Ramen Bar and Keswick Cycle.

Elementary school students from at least two West Philadelphia schools plan to walk out of their classrooms tomorrow (Wednesday, May 15) and travel with their parents to City Hall to protest the proposed school budget cuts.

Students and their parents from Powel Elementary and Penn Alexander will join parents and students from the C.W. Henry School in Mount Airy in leaving school tomorrow morning to travel to City Hall to protest the proposed cuts, which would eliminate guidance counselors, music programs, assistant principals, nurses and librarians at most schools in the city. District officials have asked the city for $60 million to help make up the $304 million budget shortfall. They have also requested funding from the state and for union concessions.

“Our goal is to have City Council provide the additional $60 million in funding to put counselors, secretaries and after-school clubs back in the schools,” said Robin Dominick, who is helping to organize the walkout at Powel. Dominick estimates 20-30 families will take part.

Participating students and parents from Powel plan to leave at about 10:15 a.m. on the trolley for City Hall, where they will join with parents and students from C.W. Henry at between 10:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the northwest corner of City Hall.

Students wrote letters to city officials in school this week detailing how the cuts will impact them personally. They plan to deliver the letters to City Council members tomorrow, Dominick said.

A small but growing group of students and parents from Penn Alexander is also planning to attend the rally.

Hundreds of high school students walked out of their schools on May 9 to rally at City Hall in opposition to the cuts.

More details about the proposed budget are available here.

- Mike Lyons

Some of our readers may remember a scam alert we published exactly two years ago of a young woman asking for money in the neighborhood because she said she had been abused by her husband and was looking for a domestic violence shelter. This past weekend we received another report of a female involved in the similar activity. Here’s what our reader, Elle, wrote:

“I got scammed big time by a woman who stopped me in the street (46th and Spruce) and asked me to help her find a domestic violence shelter. She had a really heartbreaking story about escaping from her abusive husband and she was trying to get to a “safety point.” I let her borrow my phone to call the hotline she said she’d been talking with earlier. After overhearing her conversation I ended up giving her (way too much) money to cover her fare to the safety point in the suburbs. I started getting suspicious after she left and checked the call log on my phone. None of the calls were longer than 10 seconds — she had been pretending to talk on the phone so I would overhear her plight and give her money. It’s a pretty despicable scam, but it worked really well.”

While the account we described in our post in 2011 hasn’t changed too much, this time the description of the woman is different. Elle said that it was “a middle aged white woman with dyed red hair, wearing a sweat suit.”

On Friday, May 10, a reader, Rachel, became a pickpocket victim at Honest Tom’s taco shop near 44th and Spruce. Rachel says that her wallet was stolen and that after talking to the owner, she discovered that she was “hit by a notorious West Philly pick pocket who is known by the alias ‘scarface’.” While we are waiting for a response to our police inquiry about this “well known” neighborhood thief, we wanted to alert other residents about this incident.

Tangle founder Lauren Rile Smith with member Sarah Nicolazzo / Photo by Michael Ermilio

West Philly’s Tangle Movement Arts, the all-female circus arts company known for its wildly popular public showcase, tinycircus, is back with an all-new, full-length aerial dance show, Invert!, that’s sure to excite and inspire. The interdisciplinary piece debuts at the Sanctuary at the Rotunda, 4014 Walnut Street, on Thursday evening and runs through Saturday, May 18.

Apropos for today’s political climate, Invert! is a testament to female strength, using acrobatics, dance and theater, spoken word, and live music to dissect and exalt the female and queer experiences, as well as the connection between women—be it in “relationships of sex, friendship, support, or antagonism.” In exploring these motifs, members of the nine-woman cast will ascend and engulf the space of the Rotunda’s 40-foot ceilings, performing a “Cher-inspired” sequined trapeze solo, a “punk-rock” acrobatic duet, “drag-inspired diva fabulousness,” and live carpentry and cartwheels (complete with a cordless power drill!) in tribute to feminist icon Rosie the Riveter. The emotionally- and artistically-charged routine will also feature tango violin solos by Julliard musician Caeli Smith.

“Tangle was founded with the vision of creating feminist circus-theater, so female relationships and experiences have always been a central focus for our work. Our aerial dance is very physically intense as well as collaborative, so making shows about female strength and connections between women is just a natural extension of that process,” said Tangle founder Lauren Rile Smith, who’s “thrilled” to bring Invert! to West Philly. “It’s also a deliberate political commitment, however. In a world of media in which women—and their relationships—are frequently erased or flattened into jokes, we feel an essential need to represent a diverse range of female bodies, relationships, and capabilities.”

But it’s not only in theme in which Invert! celebrates both circus arts and queer history. According to Rile Smith, “invert” not only signifies circus arts’ basic vocabulary (“a body-upside-down”), it is also the 19th-century term used to label gender nonconformists. “In joining these two traditions, we promise an evening of upended expectations,” she told West Philly Local.

Tangle fans who can’t make it to Invert! will have a chance to see the two-year-old company in action when it presents its next tinycircus performance to the West Park Arts Fest at the School of the Future, 4021 Parkside Avenue, on June 18.

- Annamarya Scaccia

Show Information

Tangle presents Invert!—a spectacle of aerial dance and circus-theater.
Thursday, May 16 – Saturday, May 18
8:30 p.m.
The Sanctuary at the Rotunda
4014 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Tickets: $10-15 (discounts for artists, students, seniors, and groups). Purchase at the door or online at http://invert.brownpapertickets.com/.

Penn Police keep an eye on the Honda Accord Friday morning believed to have been used in a string of robberies Thursday night.

Two suspects were arrested last night after a string of armed robberies that occurred within about two hours beginning at approximately 8:30 p.m. at 45th and Sansom.

Police say that the first robbery happened on the 4500 block of Sansom Street when two men, one armed with a black handgun and knife and the other with a silver handgun, approached two people and demanded their phones and wallets. The two men got away with an iPhone, credit cards and about $50 in cash.

The second robbery happened at 42nd and Locust about 30 minutes later, according to police. A man was approached by two males, one showing a black handgun, and ordered to give up his phone. The victim observed the suspects flee in a late model black Honda Accord. The Daily Pennsylvanian has more details on this robbery.

At about 10 p.m. five Drexel University students were robbed near 32nd and Powelton by two men armed with guns. The suspects fled with five iPhones and some cash. The students also described the getaway car as a black Honda.

The third robbery led to a vehicle pursuit then foot pursuit, a police source said. A police helicopter was also involved in the pursuit. Penn Police arrested the suspects around 11 p.m. near the corner of 44th and Baltimore. Their vehicle was still parked there this morning (see photo). There were a total of eight victims in this string of robberies, according to the police source. The investigation is continuing.

UPDATE (1:49 pm): There were three suspects, two men and a woman, who robbed a total of 11 people last night, CBSPhilly reports. In addition to the robberies mentioned earlier, two people were robbed of their iPhones at 43rd and Regent at 8:45 p.m. and a man was robbed of some cash near 42nd and Ludlow at 9 p.m. Two suspects, a man and a woman, both 25, were arrested. The police are still searching for the third robber.

- Mike Lyons

The 2010 move-out sale. (Photo courtesy Penn News)

It appears that the salad days of discount mini-fridges, 4-year-old TVs and bargains of all shapes and sizes that signal the end of another school year at Penn are over.

PennMOVES, the university’s organization that in the past has collected discarded stuff from students as they clear out of the dorms, will not conduct the annual sale that had people lining up in past years. PennMOVES is still collecting the stuff this week, but instead of the sale the items will go directly to Goodwill stores around the area.

Much of the merchandise will go toward stocking a new Goodwill store in West Philly at 5050 Parkside Avenue in late summer/early fall.

“A sale at Penn is no longer necessary,” according to a PennMOVES statement.

It is still unclear how this may impact the curbside treasure trove that usually starts to build this time of the year, a time many locals refer to as “Penn Christmas.”

Come late summer, West Philly will be home to two new diverse and palate-pleasing restaurants located in the Dorrance H. Hamilton Center for Culinary Enterprises at 310 S. 48th Street.

For those who love Caribbean-American fusion cuisine, 48th Street Grille will provide a taste of the islands with a focus on seasonal fresh and local ingredients. Owned by Chef Carl Lewis of Catering by Carl Lewis, LLC, 48th Street Grille will serve fresh seafood, pasta, meat, poultry, curry dishes, burgers, salads, soup, vegetarian dishes and sandwiches, and non-alcohol beverages, as well as signature fare from the South and Jamaica, once it opens late summer. The 65-seat dining space will also offer sidewalk dining, take-out service, and full-service catering. It will be open Tuesday – Sundays for lunch and dinner, with mid-week breakfast available through Saturdays. Chef Lewis also plans to host special events for New Year’s Eve, Easter, Thanksgiving, and Mother’s Day, as well as host midweek Family Dining Nights.

Area vegans and vegetarians craving more chow options in West Philly will find potential in Planet Vegan Café, a sit-down vegan juice bar and eatery opening in late July/early August. The vision of Dorinda Hampton, owner of vegan food company Really Fresh Vegan, Planet Vegan is a reinvention and enhanced version of the restaurant Hampton developed as part of her stint on Food Network’s 24 Hour Restaurant Battle in 2010. The 25-person capacity space will feature a full juice bar with all organic juice and smoothies, as well as serve hot and cold sandwiches, hot vegan and veggie dishes, soups, and salads using all healthy, organic, non-GMO products. It will also offer juice cleansing, in which six 16 oz. bottles of fresh-made juice are given for the amount of time needed.

“We want to have a really cool place where people can come, socialize and enjoy people’s company,” said Hampton, who also owns Sprout Vegan Eatery and Juice Bar, located at 909 E. Baltimore Pike in Kennett Square. “I want to [also] give people a new way of thinking about healthy eating. You don’t have to compromise texture or taste. It can be tasty as well as beneficial to your health.”

Planet Vegan will be open Mondays – Sundays (hours are yet to be determined), with takeout and delivery options available. Hampton plans to host local entertainment on Fridays and Saturdays, and hold screenings of wellness, health and nutrition documentaries on Sundays.

Opened in September, the Center for Culinary Enterprises was designed to assist start-up and established food enterprises by providing commercial kitchen and food storage space for rent, as well as affordable food business development services. The 13,000+ sq. ft. facility, which is open 24 hours a day, includes four state-of-the-art commercial kitchens, the eKitchen Multimedia Learning Center (a demo kitchen and classroom), and retail space. A third restaurant may open in the space but it could not be confirmed.

-Annamarya Scaccia