The city has eliminated the new requirement that block party applicants visit a local police district to get a pre-approval form. The Streets and Police Departments will now manage this step of the application process.

“Block parties are an integral part of Philadelphia’s identity and help to build community,” Brian Abernathy, the first deputy managing director, said in a statement. “This current change is our latest effort to improve efficiency and streamline the application process.”  Continue Reading

Demolition of the 19th century church at 43rd and Chestnut is well underway, and a large residential apartment complex is reportedly in the works to replace it.

A New York based firm, registered as 4233 Chestnut Street LLC, bought the 131-year-old Christ Memorial Reformed Episcopal Church property in June for a whopping $10.5 million, according to city records. The 37,000-square-foot property is zoned CMX-4, which allows multi-story apartment buildings.  Continue Reading

Trolley Portal Gardens, the development project transforming the 40th Street Trolley Portal into a more welcoming public space, has been completed, and this Thursday, Sept. 27, the public are invited to a grand opening. The event will be held from 5 – 7 p.m. and will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony with city and state representatives, including Mayor Jim Kenney and Senator Anthony Williams, as well as speakers from University City District, SEPTA and business owners.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 5:15 p.m. and will be followed by an open house and refreshments. The event is free and open to the public (you can RSVP here).  Continue Reading

Drexel University has recently purchased the West Philadelphia Community Center (WPCC) at 35th and Haverford and is planning to use it for expansion of their Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, the neighborhood resource center serving Powelton and Mantua residents. The newly acquired facility will allow Drexel to bring more programming to local communities.

WPCC is a two-story 37,000 sq. foot facility located at 3512 Haverford Avenue. Prior to the purchase of the building by Drexel, it was owned and operated by Caring People Alliance (CPA). CPA will be moving to another location, according to reports.  Continue Reading

A self-service pet washing facility is likely coming to a storefront near the corner of 47th and Baltimore.

The Cedar Park Neighbors zoning committee voted earlier this week to support a special zoning exception required by the city for the ground floor of 806 S. 47th St., which for many years was the location for Vincent Goffredo Plumbing and Heating. The proposal will soon go before the city’s Zoning Board of Adjustment for final approval.

The facility, which the owner told the committee will grow to include grooming services, will include six elevated stainless steel wash tubs – two each for small, medium and large pets. The large tubs will even include a ramp that will allow your Saint Bernard or Newfoundland to walk right into the tub. So if you’re tired of bending over the bath tub to scrub down your pup, this might be for you.

The service will include a dryer, shampoos and brushes. A small pet washing, up to 25 pounds, will cost $12. Mediums will cost $14 and larges will be $16.

A couple of weeks ago we noticed that Indego bike share station disappeared from 40th and Woodland. No worries, the station is not gone, it’s been moved to another nearby location. It’s now on Baltimore Avenue near 40th, adjacent to the newly opened Trolley Car Station restaurant. This new bike share station is a part of the Trolley Portal Gardens project, which is officially opening on Sept. 27th at 5 p.m. And now you can hop on a bike and burn some of those calories after dining at the restaurant.