Food service establishments are often high energy consumers due to using refrigeration and other 24/7 equipment and utilities are often their biggest expense every month. A new turnkey energy efficiency program, offered by the Philadelphia Energy Authority, helps small businesses in West Philly, such as corner and grocery stores, bars and restaurants, save money. The program is in partnership with West Philadelphia Financial Services Institution and Lime Energy.

Eligible businesses will receive a free energy assessment and will be provided grants, rebates and financing to install new, energy-efficient equipment that will help reduce monthly utility costs by up to 30 percent.  Continue Reading

West Philly Porchfest, an outdoor DIY music festival, is returning this Saturday (June 2) with dozens of free shows scheduled from 12 to 6 p.m. This year, musicians and groups representing various musical genres will be performing on porches in the area stretching from Market Street to Woodland Avenue and from 40th to 52nd Streets.

The festival organizers have created a useful map showing host porch locations and show times. All performances are divided into three groups. From 12 to 2 p.m., shows will be held on porches on and south of Baltimore Ave. From 2 to 4 p.m., most performances will be held north of Baltimore Ave. between 48th and 52nd Streets. And finally, from 4 to 6 p.m., check out performances north of Baltimore Ave. between 40th and 48th Streets. There are a few exceptions though (one show will be held near 58th and Osage), so make sure to go to the West Philly Porchfest website to check out the map.

This is the festival’s third year. Last year, 69 porches participated in the event.

Cedar Park Neighbors is taking advantage of a city program to raise some money and get rid of those illegal slapdash signs posted on light poles, sidewalk trees and other public places offering cash for your house, your car or even your diabetic test strips.

The city is offering community groups 50 cents a sign during the “Illegal Signs Roundup” from June 1 through June 15.

Michael Froehlich, an attorney with Community Legal Services’ Homeownership and Consumer Rights unit and a Cedar Park resident, said the initiative particularly targets the signs of “real estate predators” offering to buy homes for cash.

“They rip off seniors and low-income families. Their illegal advertising litters and disrespects our communities,” he said in an e-mail. “For us, it’s a win-win-win: we protect homeowners from being tricked by these predators, we clean up our streets from these ugly advertisements, and we raise money to support our Friday night jazz series, scholarship program, and other community activities.”  Continue Reading

40th Street AIR studio and gallery on 40th and Chestnut.

The 40th Street Artist-in-Residence (AIR) program is currently accepting applications from local artists for its 2018-2019 residency in West Philadelphia. The program provides one year of free studio space to visual artists who reside in or are strongly affiliated with West Philadelphia neighborhoods.

The program assists emerging artists in their career growth and also lets them share their talents with the local community.  Continue Reading

The Dirt Factory, the community compost facility that opened at 4308 Market Street six years ago, has closed due to the sale of the property. The facility is currently looking for a new home and is not accepting composting donations from the community at the moment, according to The Dirt Factory website.

The University City District opened the facility in 2012 and transformed an empty lot into a neighborhood asset. It’s not yet known what the new owner is planning to do with the lot. So far no construction permits have been issued. A new “higher end” apartment building is being proposed next door to the lot – at 4312-20 Market.

Photo via Philly Police Blog.

Police are asking for the public’s assistance to help find the person who they believe robbed five banks in the city in the past month, four of them in the University City area. The latest robbery was Tuesday, May 22 when the suspect, a man in his late 40’s to early 50’s (pictured), entered the PNC Bank branch at 40th and Walnut at around 4 p.m. and and held up the bank at gunpoint.

The suspect was armed with a black semi-automatic handgun in this robbery. He fled on foot with an unknown amount of cash, according to reports.

Police believe this person also committed the following robberies: Continue Reading