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Neighborhood-to-Neighborhood (N2N) festival, which has brought stars like Macey Gray, Common, Morris Day and more to West Philadelphia, will return this Saturday (Sept. 8) with a free tribute concert to Aretha Franklin.

The annual outdoor community event will be held from noon until 8 p.m. at 50th and Baltimore and will feature recording artists Kathy Sledge, Monica, Kelly Price, Keke Wyatt, Jean Carne (one of Aretha’s “great girlfriends”) and Kindred the Family Soul. They will each perform hits of their own and cover some of Aretha’s to celebrate and honor the Queen of Soul.

Radio personality Patty Jackson and comedian Skeet will cohost the festival, and TV’s latest “Survivor” winner, Wendell Holland II, will make a guest appearance.  Continue Reading

UPDATE: As temperatures are forecasted to be above 90 degrees for the fourth day in a row, all School District of Philadelphia schools will dismiss students at 1 p.m. again on Thursday, Aug. 30.

Philadelphia public school will dismiss students at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28 and Wednesday, Aug. 29 due to the high temperatures forecasted for these days, according to the School District announcement on Monday afternoon. All after-school activities, including all athletic programs and professional development sessions scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday are canceled.

School-based employees are expected to work their normal work day and Administrative Offices will operate on regular business hours.

You may have noticed new street signs popping up outside of businesses in and around Cedar Park in the past few months. So here’s the scoop. The signs are part of a project, “Humble Beginnings,” sponsored by the National Street Service, according to the project coordinator and West Philly resident Brian Cirksey.

Three signs have been posted along Baltimore Ave from 47th to 50th so far, by Vientiane Cafe, Talking Heads hair salon, and Satellite Cafe. These businesses were able to tell their unique stories of how they began (humble beginnings), via in-person visits, phone calls, and emails, and this information was translated into these historical marker signs.  Continue Reading

The Woodlands has started an online petition asking for community support for a crosswalk from the 40th Street trolley portal to the cemetery gates across Woodland Avenue.

The upcoming opening of the Trolley Portal Gardens has renewed interest in figuring out a way to make crossing Woodland Avenue safer for pedestrians. The Woodlands estimates that some 45,000 people visited the grounds last year, including about 4,000 in one day during the Go West! Craft Fest (see tweet and video below), many coming on foot across Woodland Avenue.  Continue Reading

Street improvement work has been happening on 40th street since last month with temporary street closures and parking restrictions during work hours. According to a new announcement by the Penn Public Safety Division, 40th street between Walnut and Locust will be closed to all vehicles between the hours of 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., on Tuesdays through Fridays, beginning Tuesday, Aug. 28. These traffic restrictions will last approximately five weeks until October 2, according to the announcement.

Police will be on scene to assist with traffic detours during these weeks.

Police are looking for three male suspects in connection with a burglary at Aksum restaurant at 4630 Baltimore Ave. that happened in the early morning hours on Sunday, Aug. 12. One suspect entered the restaurant after breaking the front window with an object. He took cash and several electronic devices from the restaurant and passed them on to the other men who were waiting outside, according to police.

Police released surveillance video of the burglary where the suspects can be seen outside and inside the restaurant during the burglary (see below).  Continue Reading