The Philadelphia general election is on November 7, and here’s an opportunity for West Philly residents to meet some of the Democratic candidates, including Larry Krasner, Philadephia District Attorney. A Democratic Candidates’ Night, organized by the 27th Ward Democratic Committee, will be held Thursday, Sept. 14, at University of the Sciences (Rosenberger Hall, 600 S. 43rd St).  Continue Reading

September is here but outdoor theatre is still alive in West Philly. Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 13, Curio Theatre Company will present a series of FREE performances of I, Peaseblossom in the Woodlands Cemetery (40th and Woodland). The play is based on Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and is presented as part of the 2017 Fringe Festival.

Imagine if the story of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” had been told by one of Lady Titania’s fairies who has only four lines with a total of five words in the play! I, Peaseblossom is a funny and interactive play which establishes a relationship between the audience and the performer.  Continue Reading

New apartment building at 43rd and Sansom.

A combination small grocery store and restaurant featuring shawarma and other Middle Eastern treats has been proposed for the ground floor space of the new apartment building at 43rd and Sansom.

Called “Alrayyan Supermarket,” the proposed business would feature groceries, a kitchen serving a fairly extensive menu and a lounge for dining at the space located on the southeast corner of the intersection., according to a presentation before the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee late last week.

“It’s a grocery store and not a dollar store or frozen food place that does nothing for the neighborhood,” said Ron Patterson, the lawyer for the outfit seeking approval.  Continue Reading

Rendering of one version of the proposed building at 4125 Chestnut Street.

A 130-unit, pre-fab modular building is coming to the 4100 block of Chestnut Street.

The planned building was presented to the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee on Thursday and will replace the Wash ‘n Lube at 4125 Chestnut St. The presentation was mostly a heads up for the community as the project can be built “by right,” meaning it requires very little oversight and no community approval.

The committee considered a proposal earlier in the summer for a 17-story building on the site, but those plans were quickly scuttled, and the property was sold to another developer within the last few weeks.  Continue Reading

If you’re looking for things to do this weekend check out all the events and activities happening at Bartram’s Garden.

Philadelphia Honey Festival

The annual Philadelphia Honey Fest will be held at Bartram’s on Sunday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature myriad activities for the whole family: a children’s carnival and a couple of bee parades, honey extraction demonstrations, House and Garden tours, musical performances, beekeeper talks, story hours, and more. Local vendors and organizations will also be selling honey based products and providing demonstrations. If you get hungry there will be food trucks on site. Parks on Tap (a traveling beer garden) will also be there. And last but not least, don’t miss a special “Bee Beard” demonstration at 3 p.m.: Don Shump, owner of the Philadelphia Bee Company will create a beard of bees on his face! For more information and activity schedule, go here.  Continue Reading

Rendering image of the new USciences Student Residence Hall currently under construction at 46th and Woodland.

University of the Sciences and city officials will participate in a groundbreaking ceremony today for the new student residence hall at 46th and Woodland, on the site of the demolished Alexander Wilson elementary school.

USciences purchased the school building in 2014, a year after the School District of Philadelphia closed it down and decided to sell it. The university revealed plans for its new student residence hall in that location in the spring of 2016. The new dorm will house over 400 students and will also include ground-floor retail and an open courtyard along Woodland Ave (see rendering above). It will replace housing the university currently owns.

The new Student Residence Hall and Mixed-Use Facility is set to open in the winter of 2018-19. For more information and images, go here.

The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.