Photo courtesy of William Street Common.

Anyone who has worked in the restaurant industry knows how unpredictable earning a living can be, especially with varying beliefs about tipping. Bottom line: for a server or a bartender, income can be completely arbitrary according to how customers are feeling at any given moment.

Restaurateur Avram Hornick wants to take the guesswork out of the tipping process with his new venture at 39th and Chestnut, William Street Common, which opened last week. He expects it to attract a crowd different from his other spots in the area, such as Morgan’s Pier.

“First, the whole purpose is social conversation,” said Hornick. “West Philly; what’s interesting about it is its diversity. I wouldn’t call it a melting pot, more like a jambalaya. The parts are separate. I would like to make the mixing of these parts possible here.”

William Street Common features long communal tables, beer garden style.  Continue Reading

If you missed the cat shelter making workshop organized by Project M.E.O.W. earlier this winter, here’s another chance. This Saturday, Project M.E.O.W. and Best Friends Animal Society are hosting another workshop, from 1 – 4 p.m. at Beaumont Warehouse (5027 Beaumont Ave) in West Philadelphia. At the workshop, you can learn how to build a simple shelter out of a plastic bin for cats in your neighborhood or for your own cat. What you can bring to help: 18 or 37 gallon Rubbermaid plastic bins with lids. Check out the event flier below for more information. Please email: philadelphiacats@bestfriends.org or info@projectmeow.org with questions or call 215-913-6013.

Neighborhood Bike Works (NBW), a great local non-profit teaching youth how to bike safely and how to repair bikes, is offering two FREE entry level after-school programs starting next month. Anyone ages 8 – 18 can join these programs (see more details below). Also, check out NBW’s Summer Cycling Day Camp. Registration for Summer 2015 is not available yet, but you can email camp@neighborhoodbikeworks.org with questions. NBW’s West Philly shop is located at 3916 Locust Walk (behind St. Mary’s Episcopal Church).

Earn A Bike
March 3 – April 16, 2015
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 – 6:00 PM
Youth learn the basics of bike repair and maintenance, safe urban riding, and health and nutrition while refurbishing an abandoned bike. Program participants get to keep the bike that they refurbish in the course! For more information and to sign up, click here.  Continue Reading

Kol Tzedek Purim Party. (Photo from Kol-tzedek.org)

The West Philly local synagogue Kol Tzedek will be holding two Purim events this and next week (Saturday, Feb. 28 and Wednesday, March 4). All community members are invited to take part in the celebration (you don’t have to be a member of the synagogue to participate in the events), hear the story of Purim, try delicious hamentashen, watch Purim performances, sing, dance and have fun. Both events draw a crowd of over 100 people, according to Kol Tzedek member and event organizer Rowan Machalow, who sent us this information. Kol Tzedek is located at the Calvary Center (48th St. and Baltimore Ave.). Here’s more information about the events from Kol Tzedek:

Annual Purim Rock Spiel led by Jessi Roemer & the Purim Players
Sat, Feb. 28, 4:15 p.m.

Mi Zeh Ba? Who is that coming? Rock-n-Roll Ahashverosh? Blues-Man Haman? Bassa Nova Esther? Come laugh, sing, dance, and enjoy our fabulous, fun for all ages Purim spiel (play) and celebration! Continue Reading

If you want to participate in the Walnut Hill neighborhood planning, here’s a great chance to learn more and have your say about the planning process. Tonight, from 6 to 8 p.m., come to The Enterprise Center at 4548 Market Street to the first community meeting discussing the update of the Walnut Hill Neighborhood Plan. The meeting will be held in conjunction with the Walnut Hill Community Association’s monthly meeting.

This meeting will allow residents of Walnut Hill (roughly from from Market Street south to Spruce and 45th to 52nd Street) to take an active role in the planning process, as well as provide them with information about changes in the neighborhood that have occurred since the previous plan was written. A short presentation will be given describing demographic changes since the last plan along with existing neighborhood conditions. A timeline outlining the planning process will also be presented.

The meeting is also an opportunity for residents to talk about their neighborhood priorities.

For inquiries related to the Walnut Hill Neighborhood Plan update please contact Daniel Levin, Special Projects Manager at The Enterprise Center CDC: dlevin@theenterprisecenter.com or 215-895-4014.

Also, visit the Walnut Hill Community Association website for more information about the neighborhood.

The year’s first kindergarten open houses will be held next Wednesday, March 4. Here’s a list of West Philly schools located in the zip codes 19104, 19139, and 19143 and their open house hours. The list has been compiled by the West Philly Coalition for Neighborhood Schools. This is a great chance for parents and guardians to visit kindergarten classrooms and meet teachers. The second round of kindergarten open houses will take place in May.

A. D. Harrington School
5300-34 Baltimore Ave
19143
(215) 471-2914
Open House: March 4, 9:09-9:45 a.m. in the Annex building

Alain Locke School
4550 Haverford Ave.
19139
(215) 823-8202
Open House: March 4, 9:30 a.m.

B. B. Comegys School
5100 Greenway Ave.
19143
(215) 727-2162
Open House: March 4, 10:00-10:45 a.m.

Henry C. Lea School
4700 Locust St.
19139
(215) 471-2915
Open House: March 4, 9:00-10:30 a.m.

Martha Washington Academics
766 N. 44th St.
19104
(215) 823-8203
Open House: 3/4, 4:00-5:00 p.m.

Morton McMichael School
3543 Fairmount Ave.
19104
(215) 823-8272
Open House: March 4, 10:30 a.m.

Penn Alexander School
4209 Spruce St.
19104
(215) 823-5465
Open House: March 4, 9:30 a.m.

Samuel Powel School
301 N. 36th St.
19104
(215) 823-8201
Open House: March 4, 9:00 a.m.

Samuel B. Huey School
5200 Pine St.
19143
(215) 471-2901
Open House: March 4, 10:00 a.m.