Vandals have struck again at Clarkville at 43rd and Baltimore, painting walls and windows and writing “Gentrifiers Go Home” on an outside wall. The restaurant was tagged shortly after its opening in December 2015 in the former Best House Pizza location.

Co-owner Brendan Hartranft scraped paint from Clarkville’s windows on Thursday morning.

“I wish they knew what we were about,” Hartranft, a native Philadelphian, said of the vandals.

The 18th Police District has released an alert about a crime pattern in the area that includes two gunpoint robberies, one at the Falafel restaurant near 44th and Chestnut on May 15 (read full report about it here), and the other near 44th and Ludlow on Thursday, May 19. Police believe these two robberies may be related and may be committed by the same person.

The May 19 robbery took place shortly before 6 a.m., when an unknown male approached two people, a man and a woman, siting on the porch on the 4400 block of Ludlow St., pointed a silver handgun at them and told them to “give him everything.” He then forced the pair to stand up and patted them down, according to the report. He left on foot with one of the victim’s backpack containing various electronics, documents and prescription medications. He also took the victims’ cell phones, according to the report.  Continue Reading

61st and Pine Bus Loop Reconstruction project (Image courtesy SEPTA)

61st and Pine Bus Loop

Today, SEPTA along with local officials and neighborhood leaders broke ground on the reconstruction of the 61st and Pine Bus Loop, a key transit hub in West Philadelphia. The 61st and Pine Bus Loop is a terminus point for the Route 42 bus, one of SEPTA’s busiest with an average daily ridership of nearly 13,000. The $1.8 million capital improvement project is expected to be completed in Spring 2017.

The project will result in a number of improvements, including:

• A new driveway, new curbs and a new passenger boarding platform that are accessible and compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Installation of energy efficient lighting and improved security features
• Construction of an open-air passenger waiting shelter
• Installation of site amenities including trash cans, bike racks and fencing
• Landscaping of the site; new signage throughout the facility

During construction, the Route 42 will continue to serve passengers at 61st and Pine. Buses will utilize portions of 61st Street and Pine Street when necessary to accommodate the work.

The 61st and Pine Bus Loop project is part of the overall “Rebuilding the SEPTA System” capital improvement plan.

The owner of a car damaged in a hit-and-run this morning near 47th and Cedar sent us this information in case anyone has surveillance cameras in the area or saw or heard anything:

“This morning around 5:30 a.m. a light grey or dirty white van blew through the intersection at 47th and Cedar, slamming into parked cars. The van (possibly minivan) fled the scene immediately.

The car at the corner received the most damage and was pushed forward and on the sidewalk, hitting the car in front. The police were on the scene at 6 a.m. and notified the owners. The last car had to be towed out with major damage and the others were limited to minor bumper damage.”

A gunpoint robbery of a business was reported over the weekend, a third commercial robbery in the area in the past week. A convenience store on S. 45th Street between Locust and Walnut, Philly Halal, was robbed on Saturday night, and shots were fired at the owner outside of the store when he tried to pursue the robber, according to police.

The business owner told police that an unknown male wearing a mask and armed with a handgun entered the store at 9 p.m. on Saturday and ordered the owner to get on the ground. He then went through the store and took phones, jewelry and cash, along with the owner’s wallet. Police say that the total of stolen goods exceeds $9,000.

After the robber left the store, the owner ran after him on foot north on 45th Street and then west on Walnut, where the suspect fired three shots. No injuries were reported.  Continue Reading

Shuttle buses will substitute all Route 11 and Route 36 trolleys west of 40th Street on Sunday, May 22 through 4 a.m. Monday, May 23 and Sunday, June 5 through 4 a.m. Monday, June 6. Route 11 bus substitution will be between Darby Transportation Center and 40th St. Portal, and Route 36 will have shuttle buses running between 80th St. and Eastwick Ave. and 40th St. Portal.

Passengers should transfer to Bus/Trolley at 40th St. Portal for service to/from Center City during this time.

The reason for this temporary trolley service interruption, which began last weekend, is an overhead wire maintenance and renewal project at 49th St. & Woodland Ave, according to SEPTA.