Open houses for a planned independent community school in West Philly begin this Saturday, Oct. 1.

Set to open in Fall 2023, the Roots and Branches School is recruiting kindergartners and first graders, according to experienced West Philly educator and the school’s director Rowan Machalow.

“Our vision is providing a broad and balanced elementary education to children from a range of cultural and financial backgrounds in the West Philadelphia community,” Machalow wrote in an email. “Our educational model supports educating the whole child through investigation and exploration in our academic curriculum and daily arts, music, and foreign languages, and movement.” Continue Reading

SEPTA is redesigning the entire Philadelphia region bus network as part of its Bus Revolution project and will present a draft network on Monday, Oct. 3. The redesign project aims to make buses more reliable, efficient, and easier to use. The redesigned network will combine SEPTA customers’ feedback with the Bus Revolution team’s ideas.

The new draft network will be presented online during SEPTA’s Transit Talk event on Monday, Oct. 3rd, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m..

During this Transit Talk, SEPTA will:

• Provide an update on the project timeline and next steps
• Share the Draft Network with a focus on what’s proposed and why
• Share the calendar of Fall 2022 events
• Highlight the project website and where information is available
• Let you know what is coming next. Continue Reading

A new Ethiopian-owned business is opening soon on Baltimore Avenue, a block away from popular Alif Brew & Mini Mart (and run by the same folks). An Ethiopian chicken house, Doro Bet, is coming to 4533 Baltimore Ave., the space formerly occupied by Greenstreet Coffee. The space has been vacant since March 2022 after Greenstreet had to shut down operations due to a fire.

A grand opening has been scheduled for this Saturday, Oct. 1, from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (free chicken bites will be offered to first 50 guests).

According to social media posts, the new chicken house will offer gluten-free fried chicken. Teff flour will be used for the coating (teff is ancient gluten-free grain that originated in North Africa). Chicken is battered in your choice of mild lemon turmeric batter (Alicha) or spicy Berbere batter (Awaze) and will come with “some delicious sauces.” Shawarma and sides, like collard greens, fries and mac and cheese, will also be offered.

Doro Bet will also have some vegan options, like fried mushroom strips and a falafel sandwich.

The hours of operation are: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (closed on Tuesdays).

More information and the menu are available here.

Construction activities will begin this week on Parkside Avenue as part of the Vision Zero Project, according to an announcement by the Streets Department. Due to the construction, temporary lane closures are expected between the hours of 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. throughout the duration of the project, and motorists should anticipate some traffic delays.

The project involves the construction of pedestrian and bus boarding islands, ADA curb ramps, a multi-use trail, curb alignment, traffic signal upgrades at 52nd Street and Parkside Avenue, and a new traffic signal at 50th Street and Parkside Avenue. Work will also consist of new signage and improvements to street lighting at the intersection of 52nd Street and Merion Avenue. Continue Reading

Community members have a chance to learn more about an exciting project in Kingsessing. On Tuesday, Sept. 20, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., there will be the final design meeting for the Kingsessing Library, which will be rebuilt as part of the City’s Rebuild project. The project is expected to break ground soon and the library will be temporarily closed during construction, beginning this fall.

During the Open House-style meeting, which will be held outdoors on the tennis courts (entrance by the corner of 51 St. and Chester Ave.), guests can view the final design plans for the library and learn about what to expect in the next few months. Community members can stop by any time during the meeting to view final design renderings and informational boards. Brief remarks on the project will be provided at 5:30 p.m. Continue Reading

Here’s some great news for two West Philly-based high schools and one high school located in Southwest Philadelphia. Overbrook, West Philadelphia, and Bartram High Schools have been designated by the School District of Philadelphia as locations for a new “21st Century Schools Model.” The new education model will provide these schools with blended instruction and hands-on experience that will prepare them for success in the following high-demand industries after graduation: Transportation & Logistics, Entertainment and Urban Development.

Overbrook High School will provide Entertainment Industry programs in Digital Design, Film & Television, Music Industry and Entertainment Management. Continue Reading