The large residential project proposed for the corner of 43rd and Baltimore across the street from Clark Park has cleared another hurdle and will now go through a series of reviews at the city level.

The Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee, the Friends of Clark Park and the University City Historical Society have all approved the plan, according to a recent email announcement from the Spruce Hill Community Association’s zoning chair Barry Grossbach.

The 132-unit building at 4224 Baltimore Ave. would include a mix of condominiums and market-rate apartments. The plan also calls for first-floor commercial space, including a large restaurant.

Three project hearings have been scheduled for this month at the City government offices at 1515 Arch Street. All meetings are open to the general public. The community participation is encouraged, especially for the Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, April 29.

Next week, on Tuesday, April 7, the Civic Design Review Committee will examine the project. Large development projects with over 100 dwelling units, like the proposed apartment building at 4224 Baltimore Ave, require a Civic Design Review. You can read more about this here.

Here are more details on the upcoming meetings at 1515 Arch Street:

Tuesday, April 7 – 1:00 p.m. – Civic Design Review Committee – Room 18-029

Tuesday, April 28 – 1:00-4:00 p.m. – Philadelphia City Planning Commission, 18-029

Wednesday, April 29 – 4:00 p.m. – ZBA (Zoning Board of Adjustment), ZBA Hearing room, 18-002

Portraits by West Philly photographer JJ Tiziou are featured in a campaign against anti-Muslim ads appearing on buses around the city.

West Philly photographer JJ Tiziou is helping push back against the anti-Muslim ads posted around the city by providing portraits that showcase Philadelphia’s diversity.

Tiziou, who became known citywide with his amazing How Philly Moves murals, has been photographing Muslims in Philadelphia as part of the Dare to Understand initiative, a collective community response to anti-Muslim ads posted on buses around the paid for by a New Hampshire based organization.

The response includes a digital billboard on the Schuylkill Expressway featuring portraits by Tiziou that will run through April 12. The Interfaith Center of Greater Philadelphia, which fought the posting of the anti-Muslim ads through the courts, has launched a fundraising campaign to bolster the response.

“Our message has been clear: Not here. Not now. Not in our city,” a statement by the group reads.

Tiziou’s billboard photographs are part of his Everyone is Photogenic project, which he has revived as part of the Dare to Understand campaign. Learn more here.

The campaign is in response to ads on some 84 SEPTA buses sponsored by the American Freedom Defense Initiative. They feature the slogan “Islamic Jew Hatred: It’s in the Quran.” A federal court earlier this month ordered SEPTA to post the ads on free speech grounds. The ads will run for a month.

– Mike Lyons

Photo courtesy University City District.

Spring programming began today at The Porch, the popular public space adjacent to the 30th Street Station. Starting today, there will be more food trucks and lunchtime entertainment, including live music, dancing and Free at Noon concerts. Here’s what will be happening at The Porch this month.

Gourmet Food Trucks (11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.)

Mondays: Say Cheese, BrazBQ
Tuesdays: Farm Truck, Sum Pig
Wednesdays: Taco Mondo, Whirly Pig
Thursdays: Spot Burger, Mac Mart (April 2, 9, 23), Phoebe’s BBQ (April 16, 30)
Fridays: Pitruco Pizza, Mucho Bueno

Lunch Entertainment

Tuesdays (12 – 1 p.m.): Accordion player Dan Nosheny.
Wednesdays (12:30 – 1:30 p.m.): David Falcone, fingerstyle acoustic guitarist and vocalist fusing Celtic, traditional and classical sounds.
Thursdays (12 – 1 p.m.): April 2 – Hoop dancing; April 9 – Bujee Magoo, stilt walking performers.  Continue Reading