In an effort to keep the West Philly community up-to-date on happenings in the area, West Philly Local followed up on some projects we have followed over the last year. Here’s what we found so far:

First, for the most important update, Taco Angeleno is open for business! The outdoor taco joint, located at 5019 Baltimore Avenue, officially opened on Thursday, May 8 after months of delays and red tape. The grand opening party is this Friday (May 23), from 5 – 9 p.m. If Taco Angeleno’s Facebook page is any indication, it seems business is so far going well for owner Vanessa Jerolmack—even selling out of food her first weekend open. To satisfy those taco cravings, stop by Taco Angeleno from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

In other local food related news, the guys from Pitruco Pizza, the popular wood fired pizza truck often seen on the Drexel campus, who are also serving their signature fare as Enjay’s Pizza at Smokey Joe’s on 40th St, recently started a delivery service out to 50th Street for a $2 charge. “A real nice service for the neighborhood,” writes West Philly Local reader and Pitruco/Enjay’s fan Louis Tannen.

Gush Gallery co-founders Sarah Thielke and Stephanie Slate (Photo courtesy of Thielke and Slate).

This summer, Taco Angeleno will have a new neighbor, Gush Gallery. The art gallery space, which West Philly Local profiled in January, will open Friday, Aug 1 at 5015 Baltimore Avenue, which is currently home to a local barber shop (owners Sarah Thielke and Stephanie Slate get the keys to the space on July 1). On opening day, which is also a First Friday event, the duo will premiere their first group exhibit, “Embark,” which will feature local artists. There’s a chance they may open a week earlier than the exhibit’s launch date, but don’t hold them to it.

In real estate news, it seems construction of the Sedgley Apartments (pictured right) will finally be finished by next week and available to rent in June, Noah Ostroff, principal at 400 S. 45th Street, LLC., told West Philly Local. This is different than what he told us in September; when asked about the six month difference, Ostroff said there weren’t any delays, but “construction took longer than expected.” 

HOW Properties, which is building the new residential complex on Woodland Ave. near 47th Street, will also complete construction of its new apartment building at 4812 Baltimore Avenue this month. The new unit near Mariposa Co-op will feature five apartments and one commercial space.

4809 Chester Ave (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia).

Oh, and 4809 Chester Avenue is apparently finally available to rent by Domain Real Estate Group, LLC according to a sign in the window that we noticed when we went passed the place. The building, which was an eyesore on the street for years, was put up for sale in 2013, but the listing was removed in April 2014, reports Zillow.com. Curiously enough, Bizness as Usual is listed as the applicant on the residential permit, which was issued in February and is currently active. Why is this curious? Because Bizness as Usual is the company owned by Antonie Gardiner, West Philly’s infamous tax delinquent property owner who was reportedly delinquent on 4809 Chester. Oh the webs we weave.

As for businesses, we have some good and bad news. The good: It looks like the owners of Gary’s Nails at 4910 Baltimore Avenue are working overtime on bringing the nail spot back to life. A recent peak in the beloved local business—severely damaged after the Elena’s Soul Christmas Eve fire in 2012—and we saw more interior framing and updated walls. The exterior walls were also torn down and are in the process of being replaced. No word yet on when it’s reopening.

The bad: Apparently, HALO Foundation Boutique has closed down or is at least gone for now (although its website is still running). We’re not sure what happened to the promising clothing shop, which West Philly Local profiled in March, but last we walked passed, it was stripped to its bones and in the process of being repainted and renovated—it looks like HALO never existed. We tried reaching out to owner Lola Reed to find out what’s going on, but she hasn’t returned our calls.

–Annamarya Scaccia