In recognition of International Jazz Day, celebrated on April 30th, Councilmember Jamie Gauthier has introduced a resolution honoring and recognizing legendary Philadelphian jazz musician Edward “Lee” Morgan (1938-1972).

The Library of Congress recently announced that it was adding Lee Morgan’s The Sidewinder to the National Recording Registry (read more details here). On Tuesday, April 30, Lee Morgan will also be memorialized with a historical marker outside of the former Aqua Lounge at 52nd and Chancellor, the jazz club where he last performed in Philadelphia in 1971 before his tragic death at age 33 (see more details about this event below).

Morgan was born on July 10, 1938, grew up in the Tioga neighborhood, and began playing the trumpet at the age of 14. His musical development was nurtured by the Philadelphia jazz community, and his early interaction with professional musicians at the Heritage House Jazz Workshop and Music City Swing Club.

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The University City District (UCD) has released its annual State of University City report, which highlights different areas of development in the area in the past year, including real estate, employment, demographics, education, healthcare, transportation and more. During the presentation of the report on Thursday, UCD shared the stories of three innovative neighborhood businesses: Renata’s Kitchen, Two Locals Brewing, and Grant BLVD (check out this video).

Here are some most interesting stats from the 2024 State of University City report:

• University City has 55,953 residents, whose median age is 27.6;

• 84 percent of neighborhood residents work in University City, and 72 percent of jobs pay over $40,000 per year;

• 63 percent of residents ages 25+ have a bachelor’s degree or higher;

• The median single family home sale price is $537,000;

• 4,210 units of multi-family housing (apartments) are expected to be developed in the next three years;

• 929 new units of multi-family housing were developed in the past year;

• The number of new construction permits has decreased from 50 to a little over 10 since 2018.

• 57 percent of neighborhood residents do not use cars to commute;

• 24 percent of households’ primary language is not English.

To download the new report, click here. Read about some previous reports in our archives here.

West Philly residents have a chance to weigh in on the proposed city budget in an upcoming City Council Budget Townhall meeting hosted by Council President Kenyatta Johnson and Councilmember Jamie Gauthier. The meeting will take place on Monday, April 29 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at West Philadelphia High School (49th and Chestnut).

The series of Neighborhood Budget Townhalls kicked off last week in South Philadelphia with a goal to give residents and community leaders a chance to review and provide feedback on the City’s $6.29 Billion Fiscal Year 2025 (FY ’25) Operating Budget, proposed by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker on March 14.

The City Council’s last budget townhall series was held in 2016, so this is a great opportunity for residents to advocate for their budget priorities.

For more information about the proposed budget, visit: https://phlcouncil.com/budget2025.

All are welcome to one of West Philadelphia’s oldest community traditions – the Spruce Hill May Fair in Clark Park. It will take place on Saturday, May 11, 12-6 p.m. at 43rd and Chester.

As always, this free, family-friendly frolic features live entertainment, food trucks, children’s games (including the wildly popular petting zoo) and scores of vendors and community service information tables.

The event is organized by the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA), which is inviting community groups and vendors to take part in the fair. Space is limited and priority will be given to local community organizations and artisans. SHCA will provide a 6-foot table, table covering and chair in a 10-foot space. Vendor fees are set affordably low: $40 or less for the day. No second-hand goods, commercial products or food table sales, please. If you have a truck/cart, please contact Evan Johnstone (evanjay@gmail.com). Prospective vendors should request a table online by Sunday, May 7. Follow this link.

The organizers will work around any threatening showers if at all possible and hold the event as planned. However, in the event of significant rain, SHCA may have to cancel the event on that morning. If you have questions, please email Monica Calkins, Spruce Hill Community Association, mcalkins@upenn.edu.

– Tony West

Over the years, University City District (UCD) has provided important services and organized many community events and activities in the neighborhood (Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, Movies in Clark Park, etc.). Many residents have used such services as walking escorts, vehicle jumpstarts and lock-out assistance. UCD has also organized neighborhood cleaning events and regularly removes trash from the district trash cans. It has also supported local businesses through various events and initiatives/fundraising and has been involved with public space maintenance/activation, workforce development training programs, and more.

To better understand where they are performing well and where they might improve, UCD has launched a public survey.

Those who complete this survey and provide contact information, will be eligible to win one of five $100 gift cards to a University City restaurant. Winners will be chosen after the survey closes in April of 2024 and alerted via email.

The survey can be accessed via this link.

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Community members are invited to participate in a new socially-engaged photography and archival project which kicks off at Malcolm X Park on Wednesday, March 20. The project, titled What is West?, includes a series of free community workshops and a public art installation at the park.

The goal of the project, sponsored by The Pew Center for Arts and Heritage and The Arts League, is to “give the authority and tools to define West Philadelphia as it exists for its community.”

“Recognizing lived experience as expertise while utilizing public art as a means of exploration, this project will allow our neighbors to move towards collective healing and justice,” reads the project description on the Arts League website.

Another project objective is to document West Philadelphia, a large area comprised of many different neighborhoods, as a place known for its “neighborly warmth, diversity, and collective optimism.” Historically, it has been documented for its issues.

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