Here are a few chances to visit Curio Theatre before it closes its doors until the next season. The local theater company will present a series of free performances this weekend and on Monday, June 22.

CuriosiTeens! (Photo courtesy of Curio Theatre Company)

Curio’s young company, CuriosiTeens! will present three performances of Bang Bang You’re Dead, a powerful drama written by William Mastrosimone in the wake of the school shootings of the late 1990s. The goal of this production is to search out and answer a very complex question: “Why?”. The first performance is tonight at 7 p.m., and there will be two shows tomorrow (Saturday, June 20) – at 2 and 7 p.m. All shows are on Curio’s Main Stage (48th and Baltimore). Please call 215-525-1350 or email steven@curiotheatre.org to reserve your tickets.

On Monday, Curio’s 2015 New Play reading series concludes with Antagonyms written by Rachel Gluck. “When a man returns to his home city after fifteen years of running, four people must struggle to maintain control over their lives, and keep the past in the past.” The play is directed by Jack Tamburri. The cast features Isa St. Clair, Trevor Fayle, Colleen Hughes and Andrew J. Carroll. The performance starts at 7:30 p.m. on Curio’s Corner Stage, 48th and Baltimore Ave.

The University Avenue drawbridge over the Schuylkill River will be temporarily closed tomorrow for maintenance. The following temporary restrictions are scheduled to be in effect from approximately 7  a.m. until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 20.

• The University Avenue drawbridge will be closed to all traffic. No detours will be posted for this short duration closure. Alternate Schuylkill River crossings include Gray’s Ferry Avenue to the south of the project, the Schuylkill Expressway, and South Street Bridge to the north.
• Northbound University Avenue traffic closures will begin at Gray’s Ferry Avenue.
• Southbound Schuylkill Expressway traffic will be stopped at the westbound entrance.
• The eastbound Schuylkill Expressway ramp will remain open, however existing traffic on the ramp will not be permitted to travel southbound on University Avenue.
• Pedestrian and bicycle traffic will not be allowed.

Reader Jared Brimfield, who lives on the 200 block of Melville, sent us the following email:

Garden Court boundaries map.

“I was reading your article today that showed the Garden Court neighborhood map. I’m a little confused because there seems to be some overlap between Garden Court and Spruce Hill. Below is the link to the SHCA map, which shows the west line of the neighborhood at 46th St. The GCCA map show[s] the east neighborhood boundary between 44th and 45th.
I have always identified my street (200 block of Melville) as Spruce Hill, but maybe I’m wrong.
Do you have any idea which is correct?”

Here is the article Jared was referring to. He also sent his question to both community associations and kindly shared their replies with us.

Spruce Hill map.

There is indeed an overlap between Spruce Hill and Garden Court. According to Garden Court Community Association’s (GCCA) website, 45th street is considered their eastern boundary. Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) identifies 46th street as their western boundary. So, what neighborhood does one belong to if they live between 45th and 46th streets and between Locust and Baltimore/Cedar?

“The simple answer: both! Several of the community associations in W[est] Philly overlap (for a block or two) at the boundaries. And, it is completely fine to belong to one or more than one association,” says Jamie Gauthier, GCCA president.

“I agree. It is your choice,” said SHCA Board member Rich Guffanti.

If you live in the Garden Court neighborhood (see map), read on. Residents are invited to Garden Court Community Association‘s annual meeting this Thursday (June 18). The meeting will take place at Community College West, from 6 to 9:30 p.m and include the following agenda:

Old West Philly High School building at 47th and Walnut.

• Hear about progress on the development planned for the former West Philadelphia High School building. As you probably know, the former West Philadelphia High building is slated to become a 300-unit apartment complex with ground floor retail. A development of this magnitude will no doubt have a dramatic impact on the community. Come out to hear about the status of the project, and ways in which the developer, Andrew Banks, aims to engage community members.

• Vote in Garden Court’s 2015-2016 board. Come meet the nominees and exercise your right as a member to vote in the 2015-2016 board.

• Learn about GCCA’s latest happenings, from education to business district to zoning.  Continue Reading

Kids waiting for the Kingsessing pool to open in summer 2014. (Photo by Alex Lewis)

It’s hot out there, and we’ve been getting questions from readers about opening dates for local pools and spraygrounds. So here’s some good news: Philadelphia Parks & Rec announced today that public pools and spraygrounds will start opening on Friday, June 19, and openings will continue through July 1. The list and contact info for West Philly pools and spraygrounds can be found here. And remember that the pool season in Philadelphia is short; most pools will stay open only for two months or less.

By the way, Parks & Rec is still hiring lifeguards for this summer, and individuals 16 years of age or older are welcome to apply. For more information or to register, call the Aquatics office at (215) 683-3663 or email lisa.whittle@phila.gov. Also, visit this page.

The proposed apartment complex at 43rd and Baltimore.

After weeks of delays, the city has approved the proposal for a large residential building at the corner of 43rd and Baltimore that will include a large restaurant overlooking Clark Park.

The planned glass and brick building at 4224 Baltimore Ave., which has been two years in the making and has included a half-dozen community meetings, will include 132 units, a mix of upscale rental apartments aimed at young professionals and condo units for sale. It also includes 65 underground parking spaces and 50 indoor bike parking spaces.

The Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee, the Friends of Clark Park and the University City Historical Society all approved the plan, but the Zoning Board of Adjustment, the city governmental body that reviews zoning variances, narrowly approved the project 3-2, according to Plan Philly. Opponents argued that the proposed building, which required a zoning change to include a five-story wing, would be out of character with the rest of the block.  Continue Reading