Here’s the detailed map of tonight’s Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll (5:30-8:30 p.m.). Click to enlarge.

(Courtesy of University City District).

Are you ready for your first Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll this summer? This is one of the coolest summer events in West Philly. You can get $1 food, drink and other items from local businesses. The first of three Dollar Strolls schedule will be Thursday, July 19, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., as always along Baltimore Avenue between 42nd and 51st Streets.

Over 20 businesses are participating in this stroll, both the usual suspects – Milk & Honey, Green Line Cafe, Dock Street Brewery, Baltimore Pet Shoppe, VIX Emporium, Elena’s Soul, Mariposa Food Co-op, etc. – and new businesses and vendors. Look for $1 items and deals from such new participants as Thrive Fitness, The Sunflower Truck Stop, Studio 34, Maru Global Takoyaki, Independent Rock, and a few others. And yes, Subway is participating too.

In addition to shopping for $1 items, don’t miss live music by The Makes (between 46th and 47th Streets), the Independent Rock School (50th Street), the Give & Take Jugglers and entertainment by various street performers and fire artists.

Check out the event’s flyer below for the full list of participants and what they are offering.

(click to enlarge)

Beat the heat this summer and grab some great food at a great price during the seventh annual University City Dining Days, sponsored by Wells Fargo. From July 12-26 enjoy a meal at the fixed price of $15, $25, or $30 (not including tax or tip) at one of the 34 participating restaurants in University City, including Distrito, Dock Street Brewery, and World Café Live, among others. Enjoy cuisines ranging from good old-fashioned pub food (New Deck Tavern) to Thai (Pattaya Thai Cuisine) to Indian (New Dehli Indian Restaurant) to Middle Eastern (Aksum Café) and everything in between.

Visit the University City District website for a full list including phone numbers and links for each restaurant. Reservations are encouraged, so make sure you call soon and save a spot! UCD is pulling out all the stops this year, including several commercials for the event, which you should check out below.

– Kelly Lawler

Han Dynasty, one of the city’s premier Chinese restaurants, has quietly opened its West Philadelphia location. The restaurant had a soft opening two weeks ago at 3711 Market Street, the former MidAtlantic restaurant’s space.

The restaurant specializes in authentic Chinese (Sichuan-style) cuisine and recently has been included in the list of the 50 best Chinese restaurants in the U.S. It serves lunch and dinner (no buffet), and offers takeout.

See the menu here. Stay tuned for set hours or call 215-222-3711.

Now we know what’s happening in the empty space adjacent to Manakeesh Cafe Bakery at 45th and Walnut. The Bliss Juices and Ice Cream bar is scheduled to open this summer, according to manager Abd Ghazzawi.

Manakeesh has fairly quickly become an anchor neighborhood business. It opened in January 2011 after months of renovation on the old bank building. Folks in the neighborhood had been speculating for some time on what Manakeesh would do with the other half of its building.

The exact opening date of Bliss has not been set, but Ghazzawi says it will probably be in early July. In addition to ice cream and freshly squeezed juices, the menu will include Lebanese fruit cocktails, breakfast items like crepes and waffles, Granita, and a few other things. Stay tuned for more information on the opening.

Good news: Dollar Strolls are returning this summer to Baltimore Avenue, according to University City District. Bad news: it looks like there won’t be a stroll in June, meaning we will have to wait until July for $1 samosas, cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and theater tickets.

Here are the dates:

July 19

August 16

September 20

Stay tuned for more information on participating businesses and their $1 specials, and as a reminder of what we’ve been missing since last summer, check out the gallery below.