The annual Spruce Hill May Fair will be held on Saturday, May 7 in Clark Park. In addition to live music, food, book and plant sales, a raffle, and activities for kids, local artisans and craftspeople will showcase their creations and offer the public an opportunity to purchase their unique handcrafted wares. There will also be booths set up with information about local groups and causes seeking public support.

The Spruce Hill Community Association is hosting the event and is offering vending spots for interested individuals or organizations. Especially welcome are artists and crafters from West Philadelphia who would like to offer their works for sale, as well as any group or organization wanting to promote itself or a cause, event, or activity.  Continue Reading

          “Bamboo Lot” at 5123 Baltimore Ave.

As was reported last spring, Greensgrow West, which is currently renting the former Elena’s Soul space at 4912 Baltimore Avenue, had secured a new, bigger location on the 5100 block of Baltimore, on the so-called “Bamboo Lot.”

We’re happy to report that Greensgrow is preparing to welcome customers at the new location by mid to late summer. The new location will have an expanded garden and education center, including a plant nursery, a farmers’ market, a greenhouse, an outdoor classroom, and gathering space. Here’s what Greensgrow West Assistant Manager Lee Baldwin writes about the relocation:

“We will be operating our retail sales out of our familiar 4912 Baltimore Avenue location through mid to late summer. Our current plan is to use the hot months of July and August to transfer the bulk of our operations to the new 5123 Baltimore Avenue location. We are usually at our slowest during late July and early August, and so there will be less impact on our customers if we move during that time.”  Continue Reading

Summer is rapidly approaching, which means block party season is just around the corner. The Block Party permit application process has recently been made easier, and traveling to the Municipal Services Building and waiting in line is no longer necessary. Residents can now pay and submit their application online and receive the permit by e-mail.

Block Party permits allow residents to close their street to traffic for a party on a weekend or a summer holiday, such as Memorial Day, July 4th or Labor Day. NOTE: Applications for weekday block parties or Street Festival Permits are not offered online at this time.  Continue Reading

Architect Nick Mansperger describes the new residence hall planned for site of the Alexander Wilson School to neighbors at a public meeting on the University of the Sciences campus.

Residents got their first glimpse last night at the University of the Sciences’ plan for the former Alexander Wilson School property at 46th and Woodland – a glassy 4- to 5-story dormitory over ground-floor retail and a open courtyard along Woodland Avenue.

The proposed new dorm, which will house about 400 students and replace residence facilities elsewhere on the campus, will be U-shaped with the open end of the U along Woodland. The university hopes to break ground for the building in December or January and open it to new students in the fall of 2018.

Along with concerns about parking and the choice of retail, residents on 46th Street were worried that the building would block sunlight for much of the day.  Continue Reading

Emergency road repairs are causing closures of two West Philly blocks.

The 4900 block of Walnut Street is currently restricted to one lane and will be fully closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 31 to perform emergency roadway repairs, according to an announcement by the Streets Department. Traffic will be detoured onto Spruce Street. When the work is completed on Thursday evening, the street should re-open to one lane. The Streets Department is coordinating with SEPTA and PennDOT on this detour.

The 4200 block of Sansom St. is currently closed to through traffic due to a large sinkhole. We reported about this sinkhole earlier this month, when it swallowed a cone. The good news is that the sinkhole is finally being repaired. Here’s what it looks like right now.

The community association for one of the city’s most dynamic neighborhoods is looking for new members and leadership. Cedar Park Neighbors will hold its annual meeting on April 18, and all are invited to the Calvary Center for Culture and Community at 48th and Baltimore to hear a report of what CPN has done over the year. There will also be a special event at the meeting that will be announced soon.

The meeting will also include elections for next year’s officers and board members. But only CPN members as of April 1, 2016 can vote. Annual memberships run from January to December each year, and if you would like to join or renew your membership you can do it on the MemberPlanet website. CPN memberships start at just $7/year (for seniors, students, and the unemployed.)

If you have questions, please email: contact@cedarparkneighbors.org or call 267-225-8283.