Police are now offering a $20,000 reward for information leading to an arrest of the driver involved in a fatal hit-and-run last month in West Philadelphia. Kenneth Whiters, 61, was struck on Lancaster Avenue near Aspen Street on July 22 at 3:14 a.m. by a vehicle, believed to be a Mazda 3 hatchback, that was traveling at a high speed west on Lancaster Avenue from Fairmount Street. The car fled the scene after the accident.

Police released surveillance video of the accident last month (see below).  Continue Reading

Architects and West Philly residents Anu Mathur, center, and Dilip da Cunha, right, talk to community members about plans for the proposed pocket park on 40th Street on Tuesday night at the Rotunda.

Architects and designers of the proposed pocket park on 40th Street unveiled preliminary plans on Tuesday that included permanent collapsible tables down the center and a variety of ground and wall surfaces to make the long, thin strip of land along a busy commercial corridor inviting for everyone in the neighborhood.

“How do you include everybody?,” landscape architect and West Philly resident Anu Mathur asked about 20 community members gathered at The Rotunda to provide input on the plans. “These are words we use, but how do we actually do that?”  Continue Reading

Penn students are moving in this week and as usual during this time of year, a portion of Spruce street will be closed to all traffic, including bicyclists. Penn Division of Public Safety has announced the following street closures:

• Tuesday, Aug. 21: Spruce Street will be closed from 34th to 38th Street, between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, Aug. 22: Spruce Street will be closed from 34th to 38th Street, between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
• Saturday, Aug. 25: Spruce Street will be closed from 38th to 40th Street, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.

SEPTA buses will be rerouted during the days and hours.

A pocket park for culture and community is coming to this empty lot on 40th street between Chestnut and Ludlow.

West Philly-based non-profit Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture has been exploring the idea of creating a pocket park for culture and community on a vacant lot nestled between Chestnut and Ludlow streets on 40th street. Local developer UC West has dedicated this lot to be a publicly accessible pocket park, and Al-Bustan has been selected as the lead community partner. Since May, the organization has hosted a few public forums to gather input from community members – business owners, homeowners, renters, elderly, students, and more.

The next meeting to discuss the future of the pocket park will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 21 at the Rotunda (4014 Walnut St) from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. This meeting will be a first look into design possibilities for the park.  Continue Reading

Photos by Kyle Cassidy

Fast-casual D.C.-based pizza &pizza opened its second Philly location Tuesday at 3925 Walnut St., where popular gelato shop Capogiro used to be. Featuring their signature oblong pizzas in one size, &pizza offers unlimited toppings for a flat price as well as several standard options, both vegetarian and otherwise. They have vegan and gluten-free options; the vegan options, like soy-cheese, don’t cost extra, but getting a pizza with the gluten-free pizza dough does.  Continue Reading

The 40th Street Trolley Portal makeover project, Trolley Portal Gardens, is nearly complete. The site is expected to be open and operational by next month. Neighbors are invited to celebrate the official grand opening of the Gardens, which will include a ribbon cutting, an open house, and light refreshments, on Thursday, Sept. 27 from 5-7 p.m.

In the past few months, new elements have been added to the site, including boulders, custom seats, trees, concrete pavers, and tree plaques, in addition to the raised mounds. New lighting poles and lights have also been installed. Trash and recycling containers have also been recently added, and before the space officially opens to the public it will be completed with tables and chairs. Also, Indego has moved their bike share station from Woodland Avenue to 40th and Baltimore. Continue Reading