If you’re celebrating Thanksgiving in the neighborhood, check out information below on holiday hours and closings at some popular local stores and cafes. We also included information on SEPTA holiday service. Information on Thanksgiving Parade is available here.

SEPTA Holiday Service

• Buses, trains, and trolleys will operate on a Sunday schedule on Thanksgiving Day.

• Broad Street and Market Frankford and Broad Street Line and trains will operate with all night service beginning Thursday, Nov. 28 at 12:01 a.m. Regular Owl Bus service will resume Friday, Nov. 29 at 12:01 a.m.  Continue Reading

As package deliveries pick up during the holidays, so do package thefts. University City District has sent out an alert in its monthly Crime Update about an increase of package thefts from porches in November and December. The newsletter also includes these tips on how to prevent package thefts:

• Avoid leaving unattended packages on stoops or porches.
• If possible, have packages sent to a workplace or other secure location.
• If you’re shipping items using Amazon, take advantage of one of the Amazon locker locations in the area.

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Greg Benjamin, the 51st Ward leader, and co-organizer of Saturday’s community conversation on gentrification.

A standing-room-only crowd packed the basement community room in the Kingsessing branch of the Free Library on Saturday afternoon to start what organizers hope will be an ongoing conversation about gentrification.

“All eyes are on Southwest Philadelphia now. We have four trolley lines, four bus lines,” said Greg Benjamin, an organizer of the meeting and candidate for the state legislature. “We have the opportunity to set an example for what wasn’t done right in other places.”  Continue Reading

The Jazz Sanctuary presents a very special event: SANCTUARY JAM, a Jazz Event for students and the community of West Philly!

This is a FIRST for PHILLY – a partnership between Penn Music (University of Pennsylvania) and Drexel University (Westphal College of Media Arts & Design), St. Mary’s – Hamilton Village, and The Jazz Sanctuary: bringing to West Philly a Jazz event for the entire community.

The house band features two instructors from Penn and two instructors from Drexel. Listen to an hour of the best jazz found anywhere and then a Jazz Jam. Bring your instrument and jam with the house band! Pizza will be available to all who attend.  Continue Reading

A group of committee people and block captains from the Kingsessing neighborhood will host a community discussion about gentrification on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Kingsessing Library (1201 S. 51st St.).

The discussion will feature a panel that includes community activist and political candidate Gregory Benjamin, local parent and activist Christina Jackson (who is also a sociology professor at Stockton University) and Drick Boyd, a community educator (and professor emeritus at Eastern University).

The goal of the discussion is to learn from and listen to fellow community members.

The event is co-sponsored by K5DCN – the Kingsessing 5th Division Community of Neighbors.

DTLR, a fast-growing lifestyle retailer with over 245 stores in 19 states, has opened a new flagship store on South 52nd Street. The store is located at 4 S. 52nd St., in the space previously occupied by VILLA, which was acquired by DTLR in 2017.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Thursday. During the ceremony, DTLR President Scott Collins, along with Councilwoman-elect Jamie Gauthier, provided remarks to commemorate the brand-new, three-story, 8,600-square-foot store.  Continue Reading