Photo courtesy of University City District.

The summer’s second and last Dollar Stroll is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 18 along Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 51st Streets from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. As always, dozens of area businesses will be offering $1 items, from all kinds of food, ice cream and beers to special memberships and tickets. In addition to $1 food and drinks, the September Dollar Stroll will feature live entertainment including jugglers, fire artists and music from Y-Not Radio at the 46th Street Triangle.

Check out the list below of participating businesses and organizations and their offers.

Green Line Cafe
4239 Baltimore Avenue
Hebrew National hot dogs & carrot dogs

Friends of Clark Park
43rd and Baltimore Avenue
Clark Park Frisbees & keychains

Milk & Honey Market
4435 Baltimore Avenue
Bassets ice cream bars  Continue Reading

Nelson Ngo, foreground, and Chy Kan man the counter at the newly opened Love Vape University City. (Photo by Mike Lyons/West Philly Local)

A fully stocked vape shop has come to Baltimore Avenue.

Love Vape University City opened earlier this month at 4714 Baltimore Ave., the former home of the Talking Headz salon.

“It was a good spot,” said Stephanie Ngo, one of three employees on hand when we visited on Saturday. “There’s a little bit of night life here.”

“Vaping” is the slang term for the “smoking” of e-cigarettes, which turn special flavored liquids (sometimes with a bit of nicotine) into vapors through the use of a battery powered device.

The new shop, which is one of four Love Vape locations around the city, is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The other day, when walking along Baltimore Ave we lamented that there was only one Dollar Stroll this year. It took place June 19 – seems like a long time ago. Today University City District (UCD) announced that due to popular demand, a second Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll this season is coming on Thursday, Sept 18! That’s great news for Dollar Stroll fans.

A record number of visitors flocked to the area for the last stroll, so UCD together with the Baltimore Avenue Business Association (BABA) are excited to bring the season’s second Dollar Stroll to Baltimore Avenue, between 43rd and 51st Streets.

As always, the event will start at 5:30 p.m. and go on until 8:30 and all are welcome to sample $1 items from local vendors during these three hours. There’s something for everyone – from $1 pours of craft beers to various bites for a buck to special memberships and ticket offers. In addition, there will be live entertainment at the 46th Street Triangle, including music from Y-Not radio, jugglers and fire artists.

The event (Facebook page) will happen rain or shine, according to the organizers. More information about participating businesses and their $1 specials is coming soon. Stay tuned.

Friday night Gush Gallery opened its doors. During dusk hours on the otherwise quiet 5000 block of Baltimore Avenue, warm yellow light and dozens of people spilled into the streets. People were here to see Gush’s first show, Embark, which features a number of lesser known artists from around Philadelphia.

The crowd had a punk feel and included artists, art lovers, neighbors and family. Interesting pieces included a skull reconstructed with crochet, a light shaded with faux bones, an image of a row home floating in a lake with bass swimming underneath, and a set of cherished family items sewn firmly into felt, reminiscent of bugs in a spider web.

A year long buildup came before Friday night. It started with a casual conversation between two Pratt classmates, Stephanie Slate and Sarah Thielke. Next came an Indiegogo campaign bolstered by an active Facebook and Tumblr feed. Plans had the gallery opening in 2015 but a Craigslist discovery of an old barbershop at a great price in a prime location accelerated the schedule.

Now that Gush is open (5015 Baltimore Ave, T-F 1-8 p.m., S-S 12-6 p.m.), the owners hope to maintain their business not just through the sale of art, consignment and T-shirts. They also offer by-the-hour use of a high quality workstation, scanner and printer. More events will come too, including art classes, and group critiques.

Stephanie and Sarah are very eager to invigorate the West Philadelphia art community. They hope to collaborate with other West Philly artist hubs such as the Gold Standard Cafe, and Soapbox Gallery. They would love to bring First Fridays out west as well. In the words of Stephanie, “We totally want people to come in and say ‘Hey I’m an artist’ and hang out. We want to see their work and we want to show their work.”

– Selah Lynch

Photos by Selah Lynch / West Philly Local.

Redcap’s Corner’s second home as of next month (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

Hear-ye, Hear-ye, Baltimore Avenue gamers! Come early next month, West Philly’s gaming hub, Redcap’s Corner, will open its second shop in the area – at 4812 Baltimore Avenue in the storefront space of HOW Properties’ new apartment building on the corridor.

According to co-owner Benn Roe, who runs Redcap’s with Adam Friedman, the new shop will differ from its Drexel University-area flagship at 3617 Lancaster Avenue by becoming more family-oriented. While the Baltimore Avenue location will carry a very similar gaming product line, there will be a strong emphasis on Pokémon rather than Magic the Gathering, Roe said. Additionally, the calendar of events for Redcap’s 2 will differ drastically from the original shop—instead of tournaments and competitive game-play that attracts serious gamers and college students, the new place (which seats only 30) will focus on learn-to-play demos, family board game nights, casual and after-school leagues, and open-play nights.

“We’ll run tournaments here and there, but our focus will be on less competitive fun and giving kids somewhere safe to hang out after school,” Roe told West Philly Local. “Pokémon is popular with kids, and we’ve been getting increasing interest in Pathfinder from young role-players, so it’s a safe bet that those games will make it onto the calendar.”

While opening dates are not set in stone since construction is still happening at the new location, Roe did assure they will throw a grand opening party once Redcap’s 2 opens its doors in early July. West Philly Local had a chance to chat with Roe more about Redcap’s second shop, why they chose Baltimore Avenue, and why they chose to focus more on families this time around.

Continue Reading

The Green Tambourine founder Ann Schwartz in front of her expanded studio at 4614-16 Baltimore Avenue (Photo by Annamarya Scaccia / West Philly Local)

As West Philly Local reported last month, HALO Foundation Boutique at 4616 Baltimore Avenue—which we profiled in March—has closed down, becoming just another failed business in a space that’s known as a revolving door for entrepreneurial spirits. But it was undergoing renovations, which means it wasn’t going to stay empty for long. So what or who was now moving into that space?

A West Philly Local reader tipped us off: The Green Tambourine (4614 Baltimore Ave), Ann Schwartz’s music program—turned—music studio, is expanding next door after two years of operations. When we caught up with Schwartz at her space last Wednesday, the veteran musician told West Philly Local that she had been working on the adjacent space for about a month, and should be ready to open it within a few days.

As part of the expansion, Schwartz will install a drum set and more pianos in the new space, add drum classes and adult ensemble rehearsals (think bluegrass, Irish fiddle, and jazz) to her program, and bring in more teachers to accommodate for the additional students she hopes to attract (right now, Schwartz is the only teacher). “My schedule is completely booked, so it’s the right time to do it,” she told West Philly Local.

An open house for the expanded space is scheduled for Saturday, June 14 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Sunday, June 15 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in order to introduce the new Green Tambourine to the public. Schwartz wants locals to drop by, check out the studio, learn more about her programs, and check out the different instruments.

“I’m really excited. [I’m] just looking for new ways to grow and be active in the community. It’s all about having music be a fun experience,” Schwartz told West Philly Local. “It’s been awesome being here, and I’ve so appreciated community support and involvement, which has allowed me to grow so quickly.”

–Annamarya Scaccia