In the wake of the tragic death of 25-year-old Avante Reynolds, a pedestrian killed on Cobbs Creek Parkway last month, and the demand for changes from the community, PennDOT and the city’s Streets Department have agreed to carry out safety improvements on the Parkway. The decision was announced today during a meeting with elected officials from West Philadelphia that included State Sen. Anthony Williams, State Rep. Joanna McClinton, and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier.

PennDOT will begin installing multiple improvements within the next month, including rumble strips along the center lanes along the Parkway from Girard Avenue to Baltimore Avenue. A new style of rumble strip technology will be used which minimizes noise and nuisance to neighboring residents.  Continue Reading

UC Green, the non-profit known for planting trees in West Philly neighborhoods, is holding a virtual auction this weekend to raise funds for projects scheduled for this fall.

The auction will be live on Instagram from 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 20 to 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 21.

Community members are invited to bid on unique works of art from local makers – from jewelry to ceramic planters to original artwork by local artists. Special experiences like a catered socially distant ice cream party from Zsa’s Ice Cream will be also included in the offerings. More details about the local contributors who are donating to this fun affair and sneak peaks at auction items are available on the @ArborAndArt Instagram page now.  Continue Reading

Mariposa Food Co-op (Archived photo).

More West Philly and University City shops have reopened in recent weeks or are reopening soon as Philadelphia has been slowly reopening under the Green coronavirus reopening phase. Restaurants have also begun reopening their indoor space. Check out some business news and updates below.

• Gift shop VIX Emporium (50th and Baltimore) is reopening to customers for in-person shopping this Saturday, Sept. 12 with COVID-19 safety protocols. The store will be open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and will offer private shopping appointments on Wednesdays (you can book an appointment for yourself and two guests here; a $10 deposit will be credited toward your purchase).  Continue Reading

The Cobbs Creek Community Association and 5th Square have launched a petition demanding a safer Cobbs Creek Parkway, one of the city’s deadliest roadways. The petition is addressed to PennDOT and the Philadelphia Streets Department and demands immediate action to make this road safe for all its users.  Continue Reading

Students in grades K-6 who don’t have internet access at their homes can now visit the city’s Access Centers for digital learning. Access centers are located in recreation centers, libraries, Philadelphia Housing Authority sites, and community-based organizations and provide a safe, supervised environment for digital learning. Parents and guardians have to register their child or children to be able to participate in this program.

There are 10 Access Center locations in West and Southwest Philadelphia, including the West Philadelphia YMCA, Kingsessing Recreation Center, Cobbs Creek Recreation Center, and more. To find an access center near you please use this finder.  Continue Reading

Starting today, Philadelphia restaurants can offer limited indoor dining to customers, in addition to outdoor dining and takeout/delivery options. Restaurants are now allowed to seat guests inside at 25 percent capacity, according to a new regulation by the City, and have to follow strict social distancing and other COVID-19 safety rules.

Many city restaurants have been preparing for socially distanced indoor dining – separating tables at least six feet apart and installing barriers. Here are other rules that restaurants have to follow if they want to reopen indoor dining:

• The maximum of four diners per table is allowed.

• Servers must wear both masks and face shields for additional protection.

• Bar service is not allowed. Alcohol can be served when in the same transaction as a meal.

• Food establishments are required to be closed for service by midnight.

• Restaurants must install physical barriers in restaurant kitchens and at cash registers and food pick up areas where maintaining physical distance of at least six feet is difficult.

• Restaurants must screen every employee for symptoms before every shift and prevent them from remaining on-site if they have any COVID-19 symptoms, such as cough, fever, shortness of breath or loss of taste or smell.

Check out the video below for more information: