December 9, 2015
Each holiday season, we encourage folks to do more of their gift shopping locally. You can buy some unique gifts here, from arts and crafts to clothing to jewelry to locally made food and drinks to gift cards from a variety of local businesses. We also want to remind that books make wonderful holiday gifts, and we have several great, independently-owned bookstores in the area that need your support.
This piece, written for West Philly Local by award-winning writer Emma Eisenberg almost four years ago, might persuade you to buy books at local stores instead of Amazon. Many stores have special holiday hours and are holding holiday sales this month, so when doing your holiday gift shopping please don’t forget to stop by and check them out:
• Penn Book Center (130 S. 34th St.) is offering 25% off selected Random House titles, including new fiction, biography, history, cookbooks and more. Become a frequent buyer and get a $10.00 credit every time you spent $100.00. Open Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
• Bindlestiff Books (4530 Baltimore Ave) is open daily, Noon until 7 p.m. (except Sundays when it closes at 5) through and Thursday, Dec. 24. The store will be receiving new shipments twice weekly (generally Tuesday and Friday), and special orders are welcome. Special orders received by the end of the day on Dec. 20 (Sunday) will be available for pick-up on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Feel free to call 215-662-5780.
• House of Our Own (3920 Spruce St) – Open Mon-Thu 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.; Fri-Sat 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. E-mail: hooo@verizon.net or call 215-222-1576.
• The Last Word Book Shop (220 S. 40th St) – Open daily 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. For more info call 215-386-7750. Continue Reading
December 8, 2015
One of the first things you notice as you walk in Jinxed, the new shop on the 4500 block of Baltimore Avenue, is a pair of nicely preserved small alligator (or crocodile or caiman) heads near the door. They kind of set the mood for the place. It’s one of those places that you want to come back to once in a while to see what they have found.
Photos by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local
Jinxed started in the 1990s as a t-shirt company and has since opened five retail locations in the city that sell all kinds of vintage and interesting stuff, everything from furniture and antiques to clothing and vintage lighters.
Located at 4521 Baltimore Ave., the shop is open 7 days a week from 11-7.
A big opening party is slated for Saturday, Dec. 12 from 12-8 p.m. The back of the store will be curated with art by Gush Gallery‘s Sarah Thielke and Stephanie Slate for the party.
And by the way, the reptile heads up front are $20 apiece. Not bad.
December 4, 2015
Photo courtesy Dock Street Brewery.
For years my father talked about the case of beer I bought him for Christmas in 1990. This was still mostly yellow beer days and my Dad was a devoted yellow beer drinker. But this was a case of Dock Street Amber Ale, the beer that for many in Philly back then provided our first taste of a locally brewed craft beer.
Twenty five years later Dock Street is back in the bottled beer business, just in time for the holidays. Between them, the new home brew place on Woodland Avenue and Local 44, there are plenty of opportunities to buy local for the beer lover on your list or to transform yourself into a good and proper beer snob.
Dock Street is bottling its Rye IPA, a 50th and Baltimore favorite, and is available by the case (about $40) or the 6-pack ($10) now in a number of shops and restaurants. Continue Reading
December 2, 2015
Clarkville in September 2015 (Photo West Philly Local).
(12/3/2015): Here’s the latest update:
(12/2/2015): The opening of Clarkville bar and restaurant at 43rd and Baltimore is getting closer. According to its owner Leigh Maida, who we spoke to in the fall, the tentative opening date was Dec. 1, but it hasn’t opened yet. Clarkville’s opening was postponed a couple of times before, with the latest reason for delay being problems with electricity in the building. Maida and her business partners Brendan Kelly and Brendan Hartranft are renting the two-story, former Best House Pizza space at 43rd and Baltimore. But here’s some encouraging news. According to their latest tweet, the restaurant’s opening is very close. The executive chef has also been revealed on the Clarkville website. It’s Justin Bennett, who has been in charge of Local 44’s menu for the past three years. Earlier this year, Clarkville owners said that it would be “a little less beer forward and a little more food forward” than Local 44. Stay tuned for more information.
November 30, 2015
Shopping local is a way to keep more of your dollars in your own community. Our 2015 local holiday shopping guide, “Buy Local for the Holidays,” is here. Check out this page for information on holiday specials and events and for some great local gift ideas from a variety of West Philly businesses – bookstores, jewelers, gift shops, art galleries, bars, cafes and restaurants, and more!
This Week’s Holiday Specials include:
• Monday, Nov. 30: Cyber Monday? How about “Cider Monday” at Penn Book Center, 130 S. 34th Street. Enjoy hot cider and holiday treats as you spend a cozy Monday shopping locally. 25% off sale on select Random House titles kicks off today! The store is open until 6 p.m. Mon-Fri.
• Thursday, Dec. 3 – Saturday, Dec. 5: Holiday Kick-Off at Hello World, 3610 Sansom Street – Featuring jewelry designed by West Philly jeweler Amy Neukrug. Thursday and Friday: 5-9 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 4: Opening reception for the University City Arts League Annual Holiday Craft Show, 6-8 p.m., 4226 Spruce Street. The show features hand-crafted one-of-a-kind gifts by 30 local artists.
• Saturday, Dec. 5: The Baltimore-Lancaster Avenue Shoppers’ Trolley (BLAST), 12-5 p.m. Featuring: great gifts and discounts galore from dozens of local businesses and free trolley shuttle service between Baltimore Avenue and Lancaster Avenue. The event is organized by the Baltimore Avenue Business Association (BABA) and People’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation (PEC-CDC).
For more information about these and other local holiday events and specials, visit: www.westphillylocal.com/buy-local-for-the-holidays-2015
November 27, 2015
Forget about Black Friday. A great way to kick off your holiday shopping is by shopping locally on Small Business Saturday on November 28. Small Business Saturday was founded six years ago and has quickly become a great holiday tradition and one of the most important shopping days of the year.
We have a lot of great businesses in West Philly. From local gift and craft shops to book stores to small groceries to coffee shops and breweries, you can find unique holiday gifts and support your neighborhood tomorrow. For every $100 spent at local small businesses, $68 returns to the community. Your perfect holiday gift may be waiting for you just around the corner!
• Penn Book Center (130 S. 34th St.) is offering 25% off selected Random House titles, including new fiction, biography, history, cookbooks and more. Become a frequent buyer and get a $10.00 credit every time you spent $100.00. Open Monday – Friday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
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