Curtis (left) and his crew. (Archived photo / West Philly Local).

There are a few things around that signal the arrival of the holiday season. The squirrels bulk up a little for the winter, parking is a little easier to come by as the students start leaving and, like clockwork, Curtis and his amiable crew set up their Christmas tree operation at 50th and Baltimore (just like they have every year for 25 years or so).

This year, they began selling trees on the triangle in front of Dock Street the day after Thanksgiving and will continue right through Christmas Eve. The selection is good – different sizes, types and prices. They also have stands if you need one of those and they will tie up your tree so it can go in your grocery cart (or on your car).

Curtis  is typically open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m..

We’ll keep you posted on other spots to buy a tree around the neighborhoods, but as usual Curtis gets first mention of the season.