As COVID-19 continues its yet another surge in the city, all Philadelphia-area restaurants, eateries and bars will begin requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination for eating and/or drinking in their indoor establishments starting next month, Philadelphia Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole announced today. All restaurant workers also must be vaccinated.

The plan’s rollout will begin on Monday, Jan. 3 and will initially also allow a recent negative COVID-19 test from patrons (made within the last 24 hours), to be able to be served at a restaurant or bar. However, starting Jan. 17, the negative test will no longer be accepted by restaurants for most patrons. The exception includes children younger than 5 and people with valid medical or religious exemptions. Continue Reading

       One of SEPTA’s 2021 holiday buses.

Decorated SEPTA buses and “jolly trolleys” are coming to spread holiday cheer!

Folks are invited this Saturday, Dec. 11, to check out and tour the holiday buses at various West Philly locations. Here’s where and when you can find them:

40th St. Trolley Portal (40th and Baltimore Ave.)
10am – 4pm

Clark Park (43rd and Baltimore)
10am – 4pm

West Winter Craft Fest (37th and Market)
10am – 4pm Continue Reading

Booker’s outdoor dining space on Baltimore Ave. in December 2020 (Facebook photo)

Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed new legislation giving permission for permanent outdoor dining in some city areas, including West Philadelphia.

Businesses whose outdoor dining structures, aka “streeteries,” comply with city requirements for design and placement will not have to reapply for an outdoor dining permit, something they had to do every year in the past.

Restaurants would normally have to get such a permit from Department Licenses and Inspections before the start of the spring-summer season to provide additional seating for their customers during warmer months. However, outdoor dining quickly became a necessity when the city imposed a ban on indoor dining in 2020 due to the pandemic. Some West Philly restaurants, like Booker’s Restaurant & Bar, weatherized their outdoor seating areas last fall and continued operating in colder weather. Although, the ban on indoor dining was eventually lifted, outdoor dining still remains a safer option for many people. Continue Reading

The City’s Department of Licenses and Inspections has issued zoning permits for the demolition of six row homes on the east side of S. 44th Street between Spruce and Locust – from 245 S. 44th St. to 255 S. 44th St.

The three-story row homes have been used as single-family rental properties until recently. The city issued use permits for the buildings in 2018, allowing the property owners to repurpose the existing structures for multi-family use, with four to five units per building. Continue Reading

A new bike share station has been installed near Malcolm X Park (52nd and Larchwood).

Philadelphia’s bike share program, Indego, has installed more bike share stations around the city after announcing plans to expand its service area to more underserved neighborhoods last December. As part of this plan, Indego has been expanding its operation in West Philadelphia and in the past few months, the following new bike docking stations have appeared in West Philly:

• 52nd and Chestnut
• 52nd and Larchwood (near Malcolm X Park)
• 50th and Baltimore Continue Reading

                        Click to enlarge

The annual Philadelphia Marathon will return this Sunday, Nov. 21 after last year’s hiatus with COVID-19 safety measures in place. The Half-Marathon will be held on Saturday, Nov. 20. Both events kick off at 7 a.m. at 22nd St. and Benjamin Franklin Parkway and will bring road closures in many parts of the city, including in some West Philly areas.

Street and road closures will begin on Saturday and Sunday as early as 2 a.m. and will continue for the duration of the Half-Marathon and Marathon. All streets except Eakins Oval are expected to be reopened no later than 2 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. Continue Reading