Primaries for registered Democrats and Republicans around the city are Tuesday, May 21 in an election that could reshape city politics for years to come.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow. You can find your polling place by going here.

The mayor’s seat and all 17 City Council seats (10 district and 7 at-large) are up for election this year. And in Philadelphia, where Democrats dominate local politics, most races are decided in the primaries.

Instead of providing an exhaustive list of candidates, we have decided to provide links to folks who have compiled a variety of perspectives.  Continue Reading

The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) zoning committee will have its monthly meeting on Monday, May 20, where more details will be revealed about the mixed-use complex proposed on the site of the demolished Memorial Christ Church at 43rd and Chestnut. The property was sold to Alterra Property Group for $17 million earlier this year.

The proposed complex will reportedly include 278 residential units, ground-floor retail, below-grade accessory parking for 54 vehicles, and 109 bicycle spots. The property is in a CMX-4 Commercial Mixed-Use Zoning District, so this proposal complies with the existing zoning code and already has conditional approval. However, due to the size of the project, it must go before the City Planning Commission’s “civic design review” process. An early step in that process is a presentation to the appropriate coordinating RCO (Registered Community Organization), which is the SHCA Zoning Committee.  Continue Reading

Click to enlarge.

Applications for the 2019-2020 Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarship are now available. Now through June 15, 2019, the Cedar Park Neighbors Scholarship Committee is accepting applications from young adults living in the neighborhood who are pursuing higher education.

Both new and returning applicants are welcome to apply for this year’s scholarship, as long you live within the boundaries of the Cedar Park neighborhood (see map).

All information about eligibility and applications are available here: http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/scholarship/.  Continue Reading

4224 Baltimore Avenue project rendering (via U3Ventures.com).

After more than six years of planning, building permits were recently issued for the 132-unit residential/commercial complex on the vacant lot across from Clark Park at 4224 Baltimore Avenue.

Permit for the construction of the six-story building was issued on May 7, according to the City’s Department of Licences and Inspections.  Continue Reading

There has been an uptick in thefts from cars in the area, according to police, with the most recent cases reported in the area of 41st and Market and 40th and Ludlow Streets. Thieves got entry inside cars by breaking windows, according to police.

In a recent tweet, Matthew Gillespie, the Commanding Officer of the 18th Police District, which covers West Philadelphia neighborhoods south of Market Street, reminded area residents and visitors who park their cars on the streets to take all their belongings from their vehicle:  Continue Reading

       Photo from bicyclecoalition.org

The annual Ride of Silence to raise awareness of cycling safety and honor those killed in bicycle accidents will take place Wednesday, May 15 beginning at 6:45 p.m. at the base of the Philadelphia Art Museum steps.

The 8-mile ride will proceed down Benjamin Franklin Parkway, around City Hall and across the Walnut Street Bridge into West Philly before returning to the Art Museum. It should last about an hour.

Five cyclists have been killed in the Delaware Valley over the past year, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.  Continue Reading