Ice Cave owner Po Chang and dessert chef Jessica Wang in 2016 (Photo by Rana Fayez)

UPDATE (3/11/2023): Ice Cave has reopened under new ownership. More details are coming soon.

(2/16/2023): The local favorite, Ice Cave dessert shop, is closing after more than six years of operation.

The family-owned business opened its first shop serving Taiwanese shaved ice treats in 2016 at 4507 Baltimore Ave., and then moved across the street to 4520 Baltimore in 2020. Ice Cave received a lot of support from the community during the move and was able to survive through the COVID pandemic.

The reason for the shop closing is personal. The owners, Po Chang and Jessica Wang, are moving away from Philadelphia and want to spend more time together as a family, which has been very difficult while running the business. Here’s a part of the message posted on Ice Cave’s Facebook page by Chang: Continue Reading

Blk Ivy, a new concept clothing shop dedicated to the fashion of the civil rights era, has opened in West Philly, at 3605 Lancaster Ave.

Created by well-known Philly sustainability focused fashion icon, Kimberly McGlonn, the store will stock hand-curated thrift and vintage items associated with the fashion of the civil rights movement from 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education, when the Supreme Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional) to 1972 (the presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman to be elected to U.S. Congress).

The opening of this shoppable museum took place last week, just as Black History Month kicked off across the country.

This concept shop will bring sustainably sourced fashion to a larger audience, particularly those interested in vintage and thrift shopping. The retail destination highlights the style of civil rights figures such as James Baldwin, Lorraine Hansberry, and Angela Davis with a particular focus on their connection to the city of Philadelphia. The store also showcases rare vintage vinyl, first edition books, and current authors writing about the continuing fight for civil rights. Continue Reading

An artist’s rendering of the new life sciences research facility at 3201 Cuthbert St. (Credit: Synoesis).

A new state-of-the-art life sciences research and laboratory facility, which is expected to become the city’s largest facility of its kind, broke ground today on Drexel’s campus at 3201 Cuthbert Street. The groundbreaking ceremony included a virtual display powered by more than 200 drones, culminating in a 200-foot tall image of a giant shovel virtually digging into the site to represent the formal launch of construction.

The facility is a partnership between Gattuso Development Partners and Drexel University.

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Vagrant Cafe, located on the corner of 45th and Baltimore, has closed after two years of operation. The Baltimore area-based business that opened its West Philly location in January 2021, has recently cut the number of its brick-and-mortar locations, which also affected their West Philly shop. The space, which prior to Vagrant Cafe was occupied for many years by Milk & Honey, is again available for rent.

This is the second coffee shop that closed on Baltimore Avenue in the past year. Greenstreet Coffee, located just a block away, near 46th and Baltimore, closed after a fire in spring 2021, less than a year after opening. The space was renovated and is now occupied by Doro Bet Ethiopian Chicken House.

Despite these closings, there are other cafes within one-two blocks – Alif Brew and Green Line Cafe on Baltimore Ave., Dottie’s Donuts on Springfield Ave. and Knockbox Cafe on 45th St.

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City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier will open a district office in West Philly on 52nd Street this spring.

Residents can visit the district office to receive help from the Councilmember’s constituent services team on City-related matters. The plans also include using the office as a space for community events.

The Councilmember’s team will continue to host satellite office hours before and after the district office officially opens. there is a satellite office meeting coming up on Wednesday, Feb. 15 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at The Eco Foundation (5411 Market St.). See the flyer for more details.

Here’s a roundup of some news and events at local businesses.

Hakim’s Bookstore, Philadelphia’s oldest Black-owned bookshop located at 210 S. 52nd St., will soon be honored with a blue historical marker from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC). The store was founded in 1959 by Dawud Hakim, an African American scholar, author and publisher.

Throughout the years, the store has provided the local community with Afrocentric and often rare literature with a focus on African American history, culture, and racial justice. After Mr. Hakim’s death in 1997 at the age of 65, the business has been run by his family members. Yvonne Blake, Mr. Hakim’s daughter, is the current owner of the store (since 2013). For more information about Hakim’s Bookstore & Gift Shop, visit its website or Facebook page. Continue Reading