If you want to dispose of your Christmas tree in an environmentally friendly way, there are a few options.

The City’s Streets Department is again offering its free Christmas Tree Recycling Program. From Monday, Jan. 4 through Saturday, Jan. 16 residents can drop off their trees (free of all decorations and untied) to any of the six Sanitation Convenience Centers open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The West Philadelphia center is located at 5100 Grays Avenue.

Residents can also drop off Christmas trees on Saturdays, Jan. 9 and Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at an additional 13 designated locations throughout the City. In West Philadelphia these locations are 43rd and Powelton Ave. and 54th and Woodbine Ave.  Continue Reading

  Woodlands Cemetery

The federal CARES Act permits taxpayers to deduct $300 in contributions to non-profit organizations in 2020. Several local non-profit and community organizations are holding year-end fundraisers, so there’s a chance to give back to your community by supporting neighborhood organizations with a tax-deductable donation.

Check out these messages from several local non-profits (to find more local non-profits, visit our Civic Life page):

The Woodlands Cemetery and Mansion (40th and Woodland):

“Outdoor spaces have become more critical than ever. Philadelphians seeking an escape this year became daily visitors. Give to The Woodlands and help us reach our $50,000 end of year fundraising goal and preserve this sacred space.”  Continue Reading

This holiday season, West Philly restaurant Renata’s Kitchen is helping the local branch of an organization which supports families of seriously ill children. Instead of purchasing more gift cards, Renata’s Kitchen owners Kate and Yasser Aiq are asking guests to donate towards catering orders for the local Ronald McDonald House. The organization has been struggling this year to recruit volunteers to prepare and serve their guest families during the pandemic.

“As a restaurant, we’ve also been struggling with the restrictions in place to keep everyone safe,” says Kate. But they don’t want to ask for support without giving something in return. “Just doesn’t feel right as a business to do,” she adds.  Continue Reading

In addition to the Holiday Gift Card Promotion (running through Dec. 24) and West Philly Forward Fundraising campaign where you can donate directly to local businesses and organizations, University City District has recently launched another campaign supporting West Philly businesses – West Philly Favorites.

The new campaign features a curated series of gift packs filled with handcrafted and locally produced items from small neighborhood businesses, including VIX Emporium, Renata’s Kitchen, Jezabel’s Cafe, Metropolitan Bakery, Snapdragon Flowers, and more. All proceeds from sales of West Philly Favorites packs go to participating businesses.  Continue Reading

The Indego bike station at 44th and Walnut.

Indego, Philly’s bike share program, has announced that it will expand in West Philadelphia and parts of South Philadelphia next year. Indego is planning to install approximately 30 new stations in the city next year, including in the new service area in West Philly, which includes the neighborhoods of Garden Court, Walnut Hill, Cedar Park, and Mill Creek (see map below).

Indego also plans to add more stations to the already existing service area and will introduce 300 electric bikes to its fleet in 2021.  Continue Reading

An artist’s rendering of the proposed apartment building at 48th and Chester, which would be built on the site of a former dog park.

The West Philadelphia nursing home that is proposing to construct an 83-unit apartment building on a former dog park at 48th and Chester introduced its plan to an online community meeting last night.

Owners of the Renaissance Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center seek to combine several land parcels adjacent to the nursing home and are asking the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment (ZBA) for a blanket zoning designation that would allow them to erect the four-story building. That zoning change requires community input before it goes to the ZBA in a few months.  Continue Reading