The 2010 move-out sale. (Photo courtesy Penn News)

It appears that the salad days of discount mini-fridges, 4-year-old TVs and bargains of all shapes and sizes that signal the end of another school year at Penn are over.

PennMOVES, the university’s organization that in the past has collected discarded stuff from students as they clear out of the dorms, will not conduct the annual sale that had people lining up in past years. PennMOVES is still collecting the stuff this week, but instead of the sale the items will go directly to Goodwill stores around the area.

Much of the merchandise will go toward stocking a new Goodwill store in West Philly at 5050 Parkside Avenue in late summer/early fall.

“A sale at Penn is no longer necessary,” according to a PennMOVES statement.

It is still unclear how this may impact the curbside treasure trove that usually starts to build this time of the year, a time many locals refer to as “Penn Christmas.”

One of the biggest Clark Park events of the year is almost here and we wanted to share details on what will be in store at this all-day celebration of spring and the community.

Just like in previous years, the Saturday, May 11 event will have games for kids, such as an obstacle course and a bounce tent, and a raffle with great prizes from University Pinball and other local businesses. The grand prize this year is an iPad 4, with 10 runner-ups worth 100 tokens each for games at the University Pinball Family Fun Center at 40th and Spruce. Raffle tickets are $5 for six chances.

Many West Philly-based artists and craftspeople will be selling their handmade unique stuff (jewelry, pottery, fabrics, and more.) Church groups will be helping kids make craft presents for Mother’s Day, and the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools will be selling “LEA-monade” in support of the project to “green” the Lea School playground. Among other things to check out at the fair is a huge book sale, with many new and used books selling for $1 or less and the annual University City Garden Club plant sale. The plant sale will be at the UCGC’s booth near 43rd and Regent.

And of course, there will be a lot to choose from for your palate: some of the best food trucks in the area will be offering food, including Caribbean soul food, specialty pizzas, hamburgers and grilled meats, vegan and vegetarian dishes, and desserts.

Finally, here’s the line-up of the music performers at this year’s May Fair:

10:30 a.m. – Laura Szklarski (guitarist and singer)
11:30 a.m. – Sour Mash (high-energy bluegrass)
1:30 p.m. – Belleville Quartet (acoustic jazz ensemble)

NOTE: 43rd Street between Chester Ave and Regent Square will be closed for the fair, so residents are urged not to park there overnight on Friday night, or along the south side of Chester Avenue.

Spruce Hill May Fair
Clark Park (43rd & Chester)
Saturday, May 11
10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Rebels Closet owner Conway Armstead with Takiya Lipscomb, director of operations.

The intersection between subcultures has always been present in history. From skaters blasting alt-hip hop to punk rock kids skanking to ska, the line between underground movements is one forever blurred.

It’s this almost-inherent connection that drives Rebels Closet, the new clothing store that’s set up shop in True Planet Vintage Boutique’s former home at 4501 Baltimore Ave. With an emphasis on street-wear fashion, Rebels Closet’s aim is to serve as an artistic and fashion meeting point “for all those different [counter]cultures,” said owner and former West Philly resident Conway Armstead. Sought-after national street brands like Mighty Healthy and BGRT will hang from racks next to local designers like G.E.E.K (Good Energy = Quals Kreation) Clothing Inc. that offer “an organic, more cultural-type feel,” which, according to Director of Operations Takiya Lipscomb, will appeal to “the immediate neighborhood.”

“We are going to be having those brands that people look for and [are] very rare to find in Philadelphia,” Lipscomb said. “[But] we’re gonna have an element for people who love couture, for people who wear basics every day. There’s going to be something for everybody.”

Rebels Closet held a soft opening on Sunday to introduce the new space to West Philly residents, and “give them a taste” of what the store will carry once it officially opens at the end of the month. While a multitude of items are currently available for purchase, it is not a “full representation” of what’s to come, which includes a fuller men’s department and the launch of a women’s department, according to Lipscomb. Armstead said he is also open to meeting with local designers about potentially carrying their lines.

“Rebels Closet” mural designed by Philadelphia graffiti writer and Armstead’s good friend Satan (a.k.a. SN)

But Armstead wants Rebels Closet to act as much more than a place to buy new gear. He also plans to use the vibrant, artwork-laden shop as a cultural destination, possibly renting it out for poetry readings, album listening parties, and rolling art galleries.

“It’s really cool the fact that we can take everything off the floor and make it look like a completely empty space and funk it out to be whatever you want it to be,” said Lipscomb. “[We] want to do those types of things during First Friday and First Thursday events [and] just bring in something that draws in the artistic crowd.”

In the end, Rebels Closet is a symbol for grassroots revolution, in both name and space. It represents nonconformity and individuality—a drum beat for authenticity accented by the yet-to-be completed mural on the back wall brandishing its name. “Most of [the brands] you won’t find in larger chain stores. Even they have an organic, self-expressive attitude. That’s what the rebel thing is about,” said Armstead, who is present at the store every day. “It’s just a form of expression that might not be a popular statement or way of thinking but it is what it is.”

“Everybody is their own rebel, whether you’re a rebel for the earth, or a rebel against the machine,” added Lipscomb. “Everybody has a rebel in them and this can be your closet.”

Rebels Closet is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Apparel is available in sizes small to XXL , and ranges from $20-25 for t-shirts, $40 for sweatshirts, and $35-45 for shorts.

– Annamarya Scaccia
 

If you live in the area between Market Street and Woodland Avenue and between 38th and 46th Streets (see map here) read on. For a limited time, the Spruce Hill Community Association is offering new members the first year of membership for free, no strings attached. Upon request from SHCA we are publishing their official statement regarding the membership drive:

SHCA is dedicated to serving the community, and we want you to get involved with us. We work on issues that matter – education, zoning, clean-ups, neighborhood plans, public safety. We put on great events like the annual May Fair and the Halloween Parade. And our communications keep members in the loop about community news and events.

To apply, please email Richard Guffanti at RichGuffanti@yahoo.com with your name, address, and phone number(s).

For more information about SHCA and what it does, visit the Spruce Hill Community Association website.

It all began five years ago when a sculptor, a nurse practitioner, and an Eastern arts instructor, all longtime West Philly residents, opened a multipurpose space at 4522 Baltimore Avenue. Since then Studio 34 has been fostering a sense of community through their health and wellness classes, art exhibitions and events. To celebrate their 5th anniversary, the Studio 34 co-founders – Angela Norris, James Peniston and Stephen Fisher and owner Jason Schoen – are inviting everyone this Saturday to a big party “filled with all things West Philly and wonderful.”

Unidos de Filadelfia performing at Studio 34. (Photo courtesy jjtiziou.net)

Here’s what’s in store for Saturday evening at the studio, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

– Dessert Potluck
– Music by Philly’s favorite songstress, Birdie Busch
– Big dance party with West Philly’s samba drummers, Unidos de Filadelfia
– Free raffle with a chance to win classes and other goodies

Also on Saturday there will be a grand opening of Studio 34 BackSpace, with tours of the space offered during the event.

The BackSpace, which opened in October 2012, has an art and music focus and will include a low-cost community recording studio currently being built in collaboration with the West Philly band Buried Beds. Once the recording studio is up and running, Studio 34 will start offering Music Recording/Production 101 courses.

BackSpace recently hosted a baby shower. (Photo courtesy LoraReehlingPhotography.com)

The BackSpace is used for hosting private events, music shows, queer proms, workshops, theater rehearsals, and even baby showers. The grand opening on Saturday will kick off a schedule of classes (small to start) with local artists and musicians.

“Our goal is to collaborate with local talent in a way that brings awareness to the incredibly talented musicians who live in our community, offering quality classes and workshops with professional musicians, while providing another avenue of income for musicians who require a lot of flexibility in their schedules,” Norris said in an email. “Our hope is to offer courses that are not already available in the neighborhood and the larger Philly area.”

The Sedgley Apartments, located at 400-3 S. 45th Street.

The Sedgley Apartments building, which has stood on the corner of S. 45^th and Pine Streets for more than 100 years and has been gutted in recent weeks, will be renovated to house “luxury” apartments, according to its new owners.

The Sedgley’s new owner, 400 S. 45^th Street LLC, which bought the property in February, plans a complete overhaul of the Romanesque-style building’s interior (the exterior will stay intact, save landscaping and window updates.) Work on the Sedgley, which was built circa 1900 when developers were looking for corner lots for high-density housing, has been left vacant for the last few years. Renovation should be finished by the fall.

The specs of the new apartments will sound familiar – hardwood floors, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, central air, washer and dryers, and custom tile. The majority of the market-rate units will be two- and three-bedroom apartments, each with two baths, with some one bed/one bath options available.

“It’s a unique opportunity to convert a beautiful greystone building in a premier area and we want to make the most of it,” said 400 S. 45^th Street LLC principal Noah Ostroff.

– Annamarya Scaccia