In an effort to make pedestrian crossings safer, the Streets Department has begun installing “pedestrian refuge islands” along Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia. The construction work began this week.

A pedestrian refuge island is a concrete raised median at crosswalks that serves as pedestrian refuge on wide roadways (see image). They often separate traffic lanes and are used on wide roadways. This safety feature reduces crossing distances and provides refuge for pedestrians to be able to cross the road in stages.

The project on Chestnut Street includes the removal of the existing plastic delineator posts and construction of concrete pedestrian refuge islands in the bicycle lane buffer areas.

The pedestrian islands will be installed at multiple intersections from 43rd Street to 62nd Street:

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The Walnut Hill Community Playground renovation project is moving forward thanks to a recently secured $75,000 grant.

The Walnut Hill Community Association, in collaboration with the University City District, is now gathering community input that will help them understand what parts of the playground’s improvement are most important for users. The association has released an online survey which takes a few minutes to complete. Here is the link.

The Walnut Hill Community Association is still trying to raise more funding and understanding who the playground users are and how they use the playground can help them do that. There are several voluntary questions about the playground usage in the survey. Please answer as much of that information as you are comfortable with sharing. The only required questions are about the park improvements.’

If you have any questions about this survey, please email Morgan Rogers Burns at morgan@universitycity.org.

More information about the $75,000 grant and the playground renovation efforts is available here.

Drexel University’s Manufacturing Career Accelerator Program is back for the 2025 season. This free 6-week boot camp style program focuses on a Good Manufacturing Practice curriculum and necessary certifications.

Recruiting is now open for the 2025 Spring session, which kicks off April 28. The program will run Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.

To participate in the program, you must be a Philadelphia resident, be 18+ years of age and have a high school diploma or GED.

The program is specifically interested in recruiting West Philadelphia residents. In MCAP, participants work with program instructors and staff to develop even more professional skills and learn how to apply them in the workplace. The program helps professionals who have recently become unemployed or are working part-time with low wages and seeking a new career opportunity.

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Raxx Vintage West at 3425 Walnut St. (Instagram photo)

Raxx Vintage, a beloved Philadelphia-based vintage clothing retailer, has recently opened a pop-up shop in University City. The new pop-up, Raxx Vintage West, is located on the Penn campus, at 3425 Walnut Street, and filled with fun, unique, and sometimes quirky goods.

Raxx Vintage has built a loyal following through its carefully curated selection of vintage clothing, accessories, and collectibles from the 1960s through the 2000s. The new location features a signature mix of vintage denim, band t-shirts, varsity jackets, and other retro treasures that have made it a destination for fashion-forward shoppers and sustainable fashion enthusiasts.

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Traci Smith, the owner of Creative Vases.

Valentine’s Day is coming up and if you are looking to shop local for flowers, vases, plants, or balloons that would make your loved one smile, here’s a great spot.

Creative Vases is a Black-owned florist (and more) located at 52nd and Cedar that is brimming with flowers and arrangements for the holidays or other occasions like weddings, funerals, birthday parties or just to brighten someone’s day a little.

Traci Smith and her daughter Madison started the business online during the pandemic and moved into a brick-and-mortar shop on 52nd Street near Cedar Avenue last year.

“We stepped out on faith,” Smith said. “I took my love of flowers and love of decor and voilà.”

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The city is celebrating the 2025 Eagles Super Bowl Championship this Friday, Feb. 14 with a parade, which will kick off from Lincoln Financial Field at 11 a.m. More information on the parade route and road closures can be found here, but here’s some info on the road closures in the University City area. The following streets and roads will be closed on Friday from approximately 10:30 a.m. until approximately 6 p.m.:

• Spring Garden Street exit of the Schuylkill
• Vine Street off ramps closed in Center City
• Broad Street exit of I-95
• 30th St Market to Arch
• 29th St Market to JFK
• 76W Schuylkill ramp
• 76E 30th St ramp
• 76W 30th St ramp
• Spring Garden Bridge at 31st Street
• JFK Blvd 20th to Schuylkill Ave

SEPTA will have special service throughout the day. Since many buses will be detoured SEPTA is encouraging riders to use Market-Frankford Line (L) and Broad Street Line (B). Service on these lines will run every 6-to-8 minutes starting at approximately 5 a.m. throughout the day. There will also be free rides on both lines throughout the day to make boarding trains easier.

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