The property at 4301-4303 Baltimore from an archive photo taken in 1912, when a butcher shop was located where Clarkville is now. Crews work to install the trolley tracks on Baltimore Avenue. (City of Philadelphia, Department of Records).

The days of cheap slices and cold 40s at the corner of 43rd and Baltimore are long gone. At the Spruce Hill zoning committee meeting last night, the owners of 4303 Baltimore Avenue (the row home adjacent to Clarkville and across from Clark Park) threw out a couple of names of restaurants interested in moving into the first floor restaurant space they have proposed.

They include:

• Koreana – A Korean street food place with a current location at 3801 Chestnut St..
• Ant’s Pants – Café/brunch. Current location at 2212 South St.
• Southeast Bistro – Southeast Asian meets Cajun. Current location near 19th and South.
• House – A more traditional lunch/brunch place in Media.
• Same Same – A Vietnamese street food restaurant with a location in Northern Liberties.  Continue Reading

West Philadelphia Community Action Fair will take place from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Calvary Center for Culture and Community (48th and Baltimore).

This Saturday afternoon, more than 10 community organizations will gather in the Calvary Center for Culture and Community as a part of the first two-hour West Philadelphia Community Action Fair.

Here’s the full list of participating organizations, you might recognize these names from around the neighborhood:

• Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools
• Aspire A New Beginning
• Community Solutions CDC
• Kingsessing Recreation Center
• Media Mobilizing Project
• Neighborhood Bike Works
• Never Too Late To Read
• Put People First
• Repair The World
• Sisters for Motivation
• Socialist Alternative
• West Philly Tool Library
• Working Educators

People don’t have to sign up in advance to attend, it’s open to the public. The entrance is on 48th street.  Continue Reading

myDoc Urgent Care clinic opened its doors last month at 3717 Chestnut St (next door to the International House). This is the second myDoc Urgent Care location in the city (the other is in Center City).

myDoc Urgent Care is a walk-in-facility that treats common, non-life threatening illnesses and injuries. The clinic offers on-site X-Ray, EKG, lab services, prescription and orthopedic supplies six days a week.

When you are ill or injured, if you can’t get a doctors’ appointment, or don’t have a family physician in town, myDoc Urgent Care is a great option and may save you time and money.  Continue Reading

Here’s another chance for residents to weigh in on what restaurant they would like to see at 4303 Baltimore Avenue. A proposal to convert the first floor of the row home adjacent to Clarkville into a small restaurant was first considered at the Spruce Hill Zoning Committee meeting on Oct. 14.

The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. at the Spruce Hill Center (257 S. 45th St), and this proposal will be on the agenda again among other zoning proposals. The proposal for 4303 Baltimore includes an 1,100-square-foot restaurant on the first floor and renovated, high-end apartments on the second and third floors.

Read more about the proposal here.

Photo courtesy of SEPTA

To help put riders in the seasonal spirit, some SEPTA drivers have again decorated their trolleys with tinsel, lights, bows and bells, so … the Jolly Trolleys are back!

Operators used hundreds of lights, yards of garland and tons of ornaments, all to make the season brighter for their passengers.

The festive trolleys can be found on the following routes:

• Trolley # 2336, operated on Route 15
• Trolley #9053, operated on Route 10
• Trolley #9031 operated on the Routes 11 and 36

And this trolley even has music playing in the car. Pretty awesome!

Yo there’s another Jolly Trolley and it’s got 🎶 Car #9053 pic.twitter.com/tnKgCMwmIw

— Amara Rockar (@arockar) December 6, 2016

If you spot a Jolly Trolley or especially ride in one, let us know in the comments. We only got lucky once last year.

Cedar Park Neighbors, in cooperation with area churches and other nonprofit organizations, will prepare and distribute food baskets for those in need during the holiday season. To make this event a success, CPN is currently holding their annual Holiday Basket Drive. Suggested donation is $36, which will help feed two families.

In 2015, thanks to neighbors’ support, CPN were able to reach 130 families (over 550 people).

Click here for more information and to donate.

The baskets will be packed and distributed on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Renewal Presbyterian Church, located on the corner of 47th and Cedar Ave, and volunteers are welcome to help out. Please contact Michelle Lewis at mlewis1071@gmail.com to sign up or if you are interested in donating bulk items.