University of Pennsylvania students are moving out of the dorms this week, which means a portion of Spruce Street will be closed to all vehicular traffic to accommodate the process.

Spruce Street will be closed between 34th and 40th Streets on Tuesday, May 9 and Wednesday, May 10, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Delays should be expected in the area during these times. SEPTA buses will be on detour.

Access to the PennVet Ryan Animal Hospital will be via 38th Street.

Kate and Yasser Aiq in 2020 (Photo by West Philly Local).

All are invited to Renata’s Kitchen‘s 10th anniversary party! The popular local Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant and brunch spot, managed by the husband and wife duo Yasser and Kate Aiq, will hold a free celebratory community party and open house on Wednesday, May 10, from 5 to 8 p.m.

The event will take place on Renata’s expansive outdoor patio at 40th and Baltimore. Guests will be treated to lite bites, butlered hors d’oeuvres, carving stations and complimentary welcome cocktails courtesy of Revivalist Spirits.

“We wanted to have this party to say ‘thank you’ to the community for supporting us over the past decade,” said chef Yasser Aiq. “We would not have survived without the continued support of friends, neighbors and our incredibly loyal customers who stood by us through some tough times.” Continue Reading

Here are a couple of important announcements for Philadelphia motorists, as parking restriction enforcement begins today to accommodate street sweeping and the safe use of bike lanes for bicyclists.

The Streets Department reminds motorists that enforcement in all 14 areas of the City’s Mechanical Cleaning Program begins on Monday, May 1. Phase III of the program began on April 3 and to facilitate a more detailed cleaning, there will be restricted street parking on streets wide enough to accommodate relocation of vehicles. Motorists that do not adhere to posted “No Parking” signs will be subject to fines.

“No Parking” signage during specified times will be enforced beginning today in all 14 areas, including the following West Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia areas:

• West Philly: Parkside Ave. to Spring Garden St. from 52nd St. to 40th St.
• Southwest: Woodland Ave. to Kingsessing Ave. from 49th St. to Cemetery Ave. Continue Reading

The University City District‘s annual report released this week shows that an upward trend in construction that began in 2021 will icrease dramatically in 2023, with more square footage of commercial and residential development under construction than in any year since the report began in 2002.

The “State of University City,” a yearly snapshot of development trends in the area roughly bounded by the Schuylkill River to the east, 50th Street to the west, Market Street/Powelton Avenue/Spring Garden Street to the north and Woodland Avenue/University Avenue to the south, also shows a slight increase in public transit use compared to last year. But ridership is still roughly half that of pre-Pandemic levels on trolleys and the Market-Frankford Line. Continue Reading

Councilmember Jamie Gauthier (center) displays a facsimile sign along with Vernoca L. Michael (left), former executive director of the West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance/Paul Robeson House and Museum; Janice Sykes-Ross (right), executive director, and former Councilmember Jannie Blackwell (far right).

The draping came down on a new street sign at the corner of 50th and Walnut Streets Friday morning as the 4900 block of Walnut Street became “Paul L. Robeson Way.”

Dozens of local officials, including Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton, neighbors and supporters of the Paul Robeson House and Museum were on hand for the street-renaming ceremony near 4951 Walnut, where Robeson lived with his sister Marian Forsythe for the last 10 years of his life. He died in 1976.

“Paul Robeson became one of the most devoted fighters at home and abroad,” said Councilwoman Jamie Gauthier, who introduced resolutions in City Council renaming the block and designating April 9 as “Paul Robeson Day.” “He did this during a time when racists regularly lynched people who looked like him for speaking out against injustice.” Continue Reading

The Portland Loo (portlandloo.com).

How many of you had to run from Clark Park to the Green Line Cafe across the street to use their bathroom? Well, soon you won’t have to anymore as the city is planning to install a permanent public restroom at the park, according to reports.

Philadelphia’s first Portland Loo, the public ADA-accessible modular toilet designed and first-installed in its namesake city in Oregon, is currently being installed in Center City at 15th and Arch. The second Loo is expected to arrive in Clark Park later this year, in the summer or fall, according to a report in Billy Penn.

The City is working with the Friends of Clark Park on this project. As you may know, FCP has been working on the new Master Plan for the park since last year. Public restroom installation is an important part of this plan since it was the most requested amenity by local residents, according to the Master Plan survey results. Continue Reading