As promised, here are more details about the upcoming Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling Day, organized by the University City District and UC Green. You can get rid of your tree in an environmentally friendly way by bringing it to Clark Park (43rd and Chester) on Saturday, Jan. 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Recycled trees will be turned into wood chips to be used in local parks and community gardens, so please also bring a $10 donation along with your tree. Also enjoy free roasted marshmallows and hot chocolate while you’re watching your tree getting chipped.

This event is also a great chance to recycle old or unwanted household electronics. eForce Recycling, Philadelphia’s first certified Responsible Recycler will be at the park from 10 a.m – 2 p.m. accepting electronics from residents and small businesses with fewer than 50 employees. Please note that smoke detectors, large appliances (like washers and dryers and refrigerators), and projection TVs will not be accepted. There will be a $20 charge to dispose of CRT (tube) TVs and computer monitors.

For more Christmas tree recycling opportunities in the city, check out this post.

Here’s a sampling of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day events and happenings in West Philly and Center City. Also, a reminder that subway trains will be running all night tonight to accommodate New Year’s Eve travelers. Happy New Year!

New Year’s Eve Fireworks

Philadelphia will ring in 2016 not once but twice with New Year’s Eve fireworks on the Delaware River waterfront (Penn’s Landing). The first show starts at 6 p.m., and the second one is at midnight. If you can’t make it to Penn’s Landing, check out this Visit Philly guide to the best spots to watch the fireworks and ring in the New Year.

New Year’s Eve Yoga

Studio 34 is hosting the annual New Year’s Eve Yoga and Mochi event from 8 – 10 p.m. This is a fun and inspiring all-levels yoga workshop led by Studio 34 teacher Morgan Andrews. After class, mochi (sweet chewy rice cakes) will be served. Admission for this class is sliding scale, $10-$20. Click here for more information. Also, you can try some hot yoga for free at Bikram Yoga West Philly (4145 Chestnut St), just bring a screenshot of this ad. Bikram Yoga is holding classes today until 4:30 p.m., and there will be one class on New Year’s Day, at 11 a.m. Here’s the schedule for this week.  Continue Reading

Here’s some useful information for those who have already started thinking about what to do with their Christmas tree. There will be a few opportunities to recycle your tree in the city, starting January 4, 2016.

• The annual Christmas Tree and Electronics Recycling event at Clark Park will take place on Saturday, Jan. 9, so you may want to hold on to your tree a little longer. You can bring your tree to the park from 10 a.m to 4 p.m., along with a $10 donation supporting UC Green programs. Trees will be recycled into wood chip mulch to be used in parks and community gardens. Stay tuned for more information about this event.

• The City’s Residential Christmas Tree Recycling Program will run from Monday, Jan. 4 through Saturday, Jan. 16. Residents who wish to drop off their trees to be recycled may take them to the Streets Department Sanitation Convenience Centers which are open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Saturday. The closest centers are located at: 5100 Grays Avenue and 3033 S. 63rd Street. 

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Photos courtesy of Calvary Church.

The annual festive evening of Swing, Jazz, Salsa, Gospel and Christmas music returns on Sunday, Dec. 20 to the Calvary United Methodist Church (48th and Baltimore). The concert will feature original compositions and traditional favorites performed by Calvary UMC’s very own Greg Scott and his big band, Big Push, along with Philadelphia-area choirs.

Also featuring in the concert are vocalists Russell Thompkins of The Stylistics, Tony Perez, Mike Upshaw, Zara Simms and more! Tickets/suggested donations are $10 at the door, $5 for children. All proceeds from the concert will benefit the Cedar Park Neighbors Holiday Basket Drive in addition to other local hunger initiatives. Individual or institutional sponsors are also needed to help underwrite the concert, which always draws a huge crowd.

If you would like to help out, please go to the Donate page on the Calvary website (please indicate “Christmas Concert 2015” in the Comments/Questions section) or mail/deliver a check (payable to “Calvary UMC” – please indicate “Christmas Concert 2015” on the memo line) to the Calvary office at 801 S. 48th Street, 19143. There is no minimum amount to sponsor; all gifts are appreciated.

The concert starts at 7 p.m.

The Enterprise Center Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) will provide information to residents about home repair programs at its first community meeting tomorrow. The meeting will run from 6 – 7 p.m. at The Enterprise Center (4548 Market Street).

Here’s the agenda:

• Home Repair Programs for you and your neighbors, including the PHIL-Plus and Mini-PHIL loan programs.
• Helping connect residents with other resources and services.
• How you can get involved through NAC subcommittee elections that will take place in 2016.  Continue Reading

The planning process focused on creating a single integrated vision for the area surrounding 30th Street Station continues this Wednesday with an open house. The 30th Street Station District Plan project team will present refined design ideas for the area.

The open house will be held from 4 – 7 p.m. at the station, behind the Amtrak ticket office.

More than 200 people attended the open house on June 17 to learn about and provide feedback on three preliminary concepts for the 30th Street Station District in the year 2040. The concepts are divided into three themes:

• “Central Business District 2,” a new central business district.

• “Schuylkill Crossing,” a new urban neighborhood.

• “Innovation City,” which hooks in with nearby universities, mainly Drexel.

Nearly 1,400 comments were received at the June open house and from an online survey that was posted on the District Plan website. The summary report is available here.

The 30th Street Station District Plan is a joint planning effort led by Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, Drexel University, PennDOT and SEPTA with support from a wide range of public and private agencies, area stakeholders and other interested parties. For more information, visit: http://www.phillydistrict30.com/.