Illegally dumped tires near 50th and Warrington (Archived photo).

Philadelphia has a serious problem of illegally discarded tires, including in West Philly (see photo). This month, there’s a chance for local block captains and community groups to dispose of illegally dumped tires and also earn some money for their future projects by participating in the Streets Department’s 2017 Tire Round-Up program.

The event will take place on Saturday, Aug. 26 in West Philadelphia, and registered participants may drop off their illegally discarded tires at the following temporary tire drop off locations:

• 51st Street & Woodland Avenue
• 49th Street & Parkside Avenue  Continue Reading

Photos West Philly Local.

Theatre in the X last night staged the premiere of Running Numbers, the tale of a graduating high school senior trying to navigate his way through obstacles in his neighborhood and his family to get his way into college and, just as importantly, pay for it.

In our decidedly unsophisticated opinion, it is really, really good.

The play follows CJ, a brilliant student, as he tries to figure out how he is going to pay for a Penn education. He could get student loans, but his mom doesn’t want to sign the forms (she wants to hide her under-the-table earnings) nor does she want him saddled in debt for the rest of his life. Or, he could go work for the local pimp and drug dealer and make fast cash. Both options weigh heavily on CJ, but he takes the second option and we find him in the opening scene undergoing police interrogation after his arrest.  Continue Reading

The one-story building on the southeast corner of 46th and Spruce, the former Transition to Independent Living Center, will be demolished soon, six years after it was gutted by a fire. A permit for the demolition of the building was issued on July 19, 2017.

The proposal for construction of a mixed-use apartment building in that location was approved by the Zoning Board of Adjustment in June 2016. The developers presented their plan to build a 21-unit, mostly two-bedroom apartment building at 4534-36 Spruce St. in a series of public meetings with the Spruce Hill Zoning Committee in early 2016. According to the proposal, which was approved by the ZBA, it will be a four-story building, with a roof deck and three ground-floor retail spaces. You can see the building rendering in this photo:

The Philadelphia Street Department will begin work on the Chestnut Street Transportation Project on Monday, Aug. 7. The project includes several roadway enhancements to improve safety for all types of travel along Chestnut Street from 45th to 34th Streets, including the City’s first one-way parking protected bicycle lane.

Chestnut Street Transportation Project flyer (click to enlarge).

Chestnut Street is one of the busiest streets in the city with high volumes of pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic. From 2011 – 2015, 75 percent of the crashes on Chestnut Street happened between 45th and 34th Street, so the purpose of the project is to improve safety along this stretch for all modes for all transportation modes and pedestrians.  The project involves shortening the crossing distance for pedestrians walking, installing the one-way parking protected bicycle lane, and removing one motor vehicle travel lane, according to an announcement by the Streets Department.

Construction is expected to take about three weeks and there will be intermittent lane closures and parking restrictions for the duration of the project. Flaggers will be on hand to direct traffic and “No Parking” signs will be posted.  Continue Reading

Some of the best – and probably the most intimate – theatre in the city gets underway in Malcolm X. Park (51st and Pine) next week when Theatre in the X opens the world premiere of Running Numbers.

Running Numbers is a drama about a high school senior “whose dreams and desperation of going to college and overcoming his environment lead him to fast cash and dangerous situations.” The work is inspired by  “Financial Aid”, an incredible spoken work piece by Carvens Lissaint.

Cheyenne Barboza wrote Running Numbers and Christina May directs. The cast includes Abdul Sesay, Jarrett McCreary, Khadijah Davis, Iman Aaliyah, Aurica Hurst, Angelica Jackson-Thomas, Carlo Campbell, Walter DeShields, Niya Colbert, Brandon A. Drummond and Dwayne Alistair Thomas.  Continue Reading

Two more historic homes are being demolished this week and at least one is to make way for student housing.

• Demolition continued this week on two Victorian semi-detached homes – at 620 and 622 S. 42nd. Located a stone’s throw from the University of the Sciences campus, the adjoined structures were built in the 1870s. The parcel’s zoning is RM-1, meaning a multi-unit structure will likely be built there with no zoning oversight.

• An Italianate mansion was demolished at 41st and Sansom to make way for student housing. The demolition recently drew citywide attention from Inga Saffron in The Philadelphia Inquirer. The building that will replace it will be built “by right,” meaning no zoning oversight is required.  Continue Reading