The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) will hold its annual meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13, at 7:30 p.m., in the Penn Alexander School gymnasium (enter through cafeteria/blacktop entrance on 43rd street between Locust and Spruce). At its annual meeting, the community group elects new officers and board members and invites guest experts to talk about important community issues. The event is free and all community members are invited to attend, learn more about the organization, and get involved.

This year’s meeting will feature a presentation on a community-influenced, space-based initiative. Julie Bush, Landscape Architect, Principal at Ground Reconsidered, will be the featured speaker on “Penn Alexander School: Re-imagining the Schoolyard.”  Continue Reading

A lot of little (and not-so-little) ghosts, ghouls and goblins paraded up Osage Avenue in the Spruce Hill section of West Philly yesterday for the annual Halloween Tot Parade.

As usual, the parade culminated with a party on Little Osage Avenue. Thanks to the folks on Little Osage for the hospitality. Check out more photos and a video below. Here are some photos from Tot Parades in years past.  Continue Reading

This Saturday, you can enjoy delicious baklava and support a local initiative that delivers books to two public school libraries.

Bindlestiff Books (4530 Baltimore Ave.) will hold a special fundraising event, Baklava Benefit Sale, on Oct. 27 from 10:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.. The event is organized by A Book A Day, an initiative co-funded by Penn Libraries, which donates newly published children’s books to two K-8 schools in West Philadelphia – Penn Alexander and Henry C. Lea.

Since the launch of the program in 2014 over 300 books have been donated to the school libraries. Eight new, quality hardcover books are delivered to each of the school libraries every month, giving kids access to intriguing books on music, art history, poetry, and street art.  Continue Reading

Photo courtesy of Jezabel’s Studio.

Jezabel’s Studio, the Argentinian cafe and tea house that opened last year in a cozy space on 45th near Walnut, has recently expanded into the space next door (it’s now at 206-208 S. 45th). The new space allowed the cafe to double its seating capacity, and now it will be able to accommodate more customers as well as private parties and special events.

Since its expansion last month, the cafe has also extended its weekend hours – now 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. – and began serving breakfast featuring traditional Argentinian dishes, like medialunas, Mafaldas (ham and cheese medialunas) and tortilla de patatas.  Continue Reading

Want to see giant colorful puppets “marching” along West Philly streets? Come to the annual Peoplehood Parade this Saturday, Oct. 20, organized by West Philly’s Spiral Q puppet theater. The event will kick off outside the Paul Robeson House (4951 Walnut St) at 1 p.m. Nearly 500 people of all ages will be marching, dancing, and carrying puppets, flags, and drums to Clark Park (45th and Chester), where the parade will be followed by a small giant puppet pageant with participatory performances around 2:15 p.m.

Peoplehood is a parade that celebrates and energizes PEOPLE, particularly those living in and/or working at the forefront of anti-discrimination and anti-oppression work.  Continue Reading

With Halloween just around the corner, the Spruce Hill Community Association has announced details for the 22nd annual Halloween Parade and Party.

The parade, where families with little tots (6 and under) are invited to show off their costumes, will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 31. It will begin at 4:30 p.m. at 45th and Larchwood (gathering will start at 4 p.m.). The parade will end on the 4200 block of Osage Ave., aka “Little Osage”, where neighbors throw their annual block party-style Halloween Party. Once the parade is over, the Tots and their families will be treated to cider and baked goods from neighbors and local businesses. There will also be plenty of trick-or-treating opportunities in the neighborhood. While walking around, make sure to stop by the Spruce Hill Center at 257 S. 45th St. for some goodie bags.  Continue Reading