Shamus, who directed Shakespeare in Clark Park’s 2023 production of Two Gentlemen Of Verona, is pictured as Malvolio in the 2018 production of Twelfth Night (Photo courtesy of SCP).

Shakespeare in Clark Park (SCP) is returning for the 2023 season with a Tony award-winning musical! The popular non-profit organization, which has been presenting professional theatre productions in Clark Park’s “Bowl” since 2006, will present a musical adaptation of Two Gentlemen of Verona for five nights – from July 26 to July 30. Continue Reading

Starting today, Philadelphia Parks and Rec will begin opening outdoor public pools on a rolling schedule. All of Parks & Rec’s 61 pools will open this summer. Pool schedules will vary based on available staffing. The first pool will open today in West Philly’s Mill Creek neighborhood – an official pool opening ceremony, coinciding with Tiffany Fletcher Recreation Center (former Mill Creek) renaming ceremony, will take place at noon at 4700 Brown Street.

Here’s the opening schedules for other West Philly pools:

Friday, June 16:

Kelly Pool — 4231 Lansdowne Dr., 19131

Wednesday, June 21:

Johnny Sample (Cobbs Creek) Pool — 280 Cobbs Creek Pkwy., 19139

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The area that will be covered by the “Spruce Hill Historic District.”

UPDATE: The meeting was postponed from June 7 to June 27 due to the smoke pollution in Philadelphia caused by the Canadian wildfires. 

Community members are invited to learn more about the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) proposal to make a large part of its neighborhood, from roughly Ludlow Street in the north to Woodland Avenue in the south and 46th Street in the west to 40th in the east, a historic district recognized by the city. A panel discussion and Q and A will take place on Tuesday, June 27 starting at 7 p.m. at Resurrection Church (42nd and Pine).

The “Spruce Hill Historic District” would provide an added layer of protection of historic structures amid a building boom in the area. Designation could also regulate exterior changes to existing buildings like masonry and window replacement.

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Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll (Photos by Lora Reehling).

West Philly folks and visitors are invited to this summer’s first Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, which will take place Thursday, June 15, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The popular outdoor event, organized by University City District (UCD), features dozens of local businesses and vendors offering deals on food, merchandise and other items along Baltimore Avenue between 40th to 51st Streets.

This year, the event will again feature $1, $3, and $5 bargains from neighborhood standouts like Booker’s, Vientiane Café, Dahlak Paradise and more, as well as newcomers including brewery Carbon Copy and Ethiopian chicken house Doro Bet. The vendors list, including West Philly-based merchandise vendors and food trucks, has also expanded since last year.

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UPDATE (6/13/2023, 2:23 p.m.): The Boil Water Advisory, issued for parts of West Philadelphia on Sunday, has been lifted. No harmful bacteria were found in the water samples tested by the Philadelphia Water Department.

6/12/2023: A Boil Water advisory issued last night by the Philadelphia Water Department for upper West Philadelphia neighborhoods is still in effect until further notice. Customers in the affected area, which includes Wynnefield Heights, Wynnefield, Overbrook Farms, Green Hill Farms, Overbrook, Overbrook Park, Morris Park, and parts of Carrol Park, Haddington, West Parkside, and West Fairmount Park (see full map here), should not drink the water without boiling it first for at least one minute. This concerns water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing formula.

The advisory was issued on Sunday evening, following a collapse of a pumping station serving a section of upper West Philadelphia and a temporary loss of pressure in the system, which happened between approximately 3:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. on June 11. While the pressure was restored later on Sunday, testing in the area, which began last night, is still taking place this morning and afternoon. This is because a lack of pressure can create a vacuum that could pull disease-causing organisms such as bacteria into water pipes. If the results of the testing from Sunday and Monday meet quality standards, PWD will inform customers that they no longer need to boil water. Continue Reading

Do you like to visit Clark Park and want to provide feedback? Friends of Clark Park (FoCP), a volunteer-run group behind the maintenance and improvements at the park, has released their annual survey on the state of the park.

It is a short survey that takes no more than 5 minutes to complete, but it is really important for FoCP to get feedback and set direction for the park each year. For example, the community feedback received last year was instrumental in advocating for the bathrooms (“Portland Loo“) which are being installed later this year.

To access the survey, click here.