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This weekend there’s an awesome chance to learn more about the city’s commercial corridors on the rise, hidden neighborhood histories and stroll around some great public spaces – all thanks to Jane’s Walk, a free series of neighborhood walks presented by PlanPhilly.

There will be seven walks all together taking place on Friday through Sunday, May 2-4 (learn more about each walk here). But of particular interest to West Philly folks may be a walk organized on Friday on Lancaster Avenue, “Uncovering Historic Buildings on Lancaster Avenue.” Two people from the People’s Emergency Center, James Wright and Stephanie Wall, will be leading this tour of a few blocks of Lancaster Ave to talk about work to improve and reuse significant historic properties along the corridor.

Jane’s Walk is a global movement of free, locally-led walking tours inspired by the urbanist and writer Jane Jacobs. The walks are roving conversations geared at getting people engaged with their city and connecting with one another. This is the first year Philadelphia has formally participated in the festival, which takes place in more than 100 cities.

The Lancaster Avenue walk begins at 4 p.m.

Do you visit The Woodlands whether it is for jogging, dog walking, nature or leisurely walks or other activities? Now you can be part of the Woodlands planning and have an impact on the future of this beautiful historical site.

The people involved with preservation and development of the Woodlands cemetery and mansion would like to hear from you. They have prepared a community survey asking about your use of The Woodlands as well as about your favorite places there. The information gathered will help make improvements to the site “that align with how our community enjoys the space.”

To fill out the survey, click here.

This summer, on June 5, The Woodlands is hosting the 3rd Annual Benefit, with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, music and more. The benefit guests will get a chance to kick off the fully-funded $1 million project to preserve the Cryptoporticus (a covered gallery) and North Terrace, and peek into the basement servant’s quarters. For more information, visit The Woodlands website.

Say goodbye to Toviah Thrift Store (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

After four decades of service, Toviah Thrift Store at 4211 Chestnut Street has shuttered its doors for good this month, and will soon be the new home of its neighbor, Dana Mandi International Foods and Spices.

When we stopped by Tuesday evening, workers from Dana Mandi at 4205 Chestnut Street were in the process of cleaning out Toviah Thrift. Its front room was mostly emptied of its low-priced products and furniture, with remnants scattered unevenly across the space. The next morning, when we returned in hopes of speaking with Dana Mandi’s owner, Toviah Thrift was cleaned out even further— a shell of its former glory.

(Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

According to local blogger Mark Krull, the owners of Dana Mandi recently bought the property from Reverend Larry Falcon, founder of Toviah Thrift, and will soon move into the shop. A worker named Suny confirmed this information to West Philly Local over the phone, but noted he didn’t have a confirmed date for the move. He did say, though, that it wouldn’t happen prior to May.

City of Philadelphia records show that Dana Mandi, under the name Asian Spice Food Inc, owns both 4205 and 4211 Chestnut Streets, which totals to over 3,000 square feet.

Toviah Thrift is a significant part of West Philly history. Around since the late 1970s, the Christian nonprofit acted as a self-declared “safe haven” for community children while funding Rev. Falcon’s Covenant Community Church through its second-hand store. The small, welcoming ministry was housed in one half of the building, while out of the back operated The Jubilee School—Toviah’s inexpensive private elementary school serving kids in West and Southwest Philly.

Opened between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., for the last three decades, locals could stop in and purchase a mishmash of donated items that were priced inexpensively. It wasn’t a perfectly coifed space—often a disorderly grouping of products—but Rev. Falcon’s agenda of “love never fails” was apparent in its messy bones.

Much like the shop—and Rev. Falcon himself—reviews for Toviah Thrift are nothing if not interesting. One Yelper gave it one star in 2011, writing, “It looks dirty as a butt 3 days into a hippy music festival.” In 2013, another Yelper, who gave it two stars, compared the space to “an episode of Hoarders,” but noted Rev. Falcon was “nice and knowledgeable.”

Most of the other reviews echoed the same response, with one Yelper writing, “What makes this place outstanding is Larry, also known simply as Papa … Come in to meet this historian if nothing else; he’ll be happy to chat with you as you browse.”

–Annamarya Scaccia

The Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape people are an active tribe from Southern New Jersey, where they hold state recognition. Hear stories of their challenges and successes as they preserve their culture in Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now. (Photos courtesy Penn Museum)

The goal of a new, large exhibition opening at the Penn Museum (3260 South Street) on Saturday, March 1 is to help us leave preconceptions about Native Americans behind. “Native American Voices: The People—Here and Now” is a rich and highly interactive show that features a wide range of contemporary Native North Americans – artists, activists, journalists, scholars, and community leaders. They speak out in video and in audio, sharing stories, poetry, and short essays on issues that matter to them today: identity, political sovereignty, religious freedom and sacred places, language, celebrations, art, and cultural continuity.

Besides a central introductory video, touch screen towers and multimedia stations are placed throughout the gallery, allowing visitors to encounter Native American perspectives on key themes.

The exhibition will have on display over 250 Native American objects—ranging from 11,000-year-old Clovis projectile points to contemporary art, which will help to tell the stories of Native American peoples today, their aspirations, histories, art, concerns, and continuing cultural traditions.

The exhibition opening will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and will include Native American music and dance, presentations by Native American community leaders from around the country, as well as arts, crafts, workshops and children’s activities—all free with Museum admission.

For more information, visit this page.

UPDATE (2/3/2014): The photo above is from the check presentation event on Sunday, Feb. 2, courtesy of Addisu Habte.

Since the 1960s, Ethiopian immigrants have moved to Philadelphia, settling largely in West Philadelphia—one of the largest African communities in the Greater Philadelphia region. Today, West Philadelphia is home to over 10 Ethiopian restaurants, bars, and businesses, and is the epicenter of the Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Philadelphia.

Male returnees arriving at the Bole Int’l Airport Processing Centre. © IOM 2014 (Photo: Alemayehu Seifeselassie)

West Philadelphia’s Ethiopian community will come together this Sunday, Feb. 2, in an effort to raise awareness regarding the treatment and deportation of Ethiopian immigrants in Saudi Arabia. The event will take place at 3 p.m. in the headquarters of the Ethiopian Community Association of Greater Philadelphia, located at 4400 Chestnut Street.

According to the International Organization of Migration (IOM), over 150,000 Ethiopian immigrants have returned to Ethiopia since Saudi Arabia began deporting undocumented migrant workers as part of a “crackdown” on irregular migration in November. Since deportation efforts started, IOM has helped Ethiopian returnees with emergency medical assistance, post-arrival health assistance, psychological aid, food, transportation, essential items, and reintegration allowances. The organization is also working with the Ethiopian government to manage the influx of vulnerable migrants.

Addisu Habte, a local community organizer, told West Philly Local that the Philadelphia Ethiopian community raised over $23,000 in funds to contribute to the IOM in its efforts to provide assistance to deported immigrants. The Ethiopian Community Association will present a formal donation check to a representative of the U.S. Association for International Migration, which works in partnership with the IOM, on Sunday.

A presentation on the situation of assistance in Ethiopia and to Ethiopians returning from Saudi Arabia will also be given during the event.

–Annamarya Scaccia

The University City Historical Society (UCHS), an organization interested in enhancing and preserving the heritage of West Philadelphia, is working on increasing community involvement. The UCHS will launch a new website next year where resources and information about UCHS events will be available. UCHS has also prepared a short online questionnaire and would appreciate any input from neighbors.

The survey should take about 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Besides a few questions related to UCHS membership, the survey asks neighbors about their favorite part of University City and what programming you would you like to see from UCHS.

To access the survey, please follow this link.

For more information please visit the UCHS website or Facebook page.