UPDATE (3/6/2014): Two men were taken to the hospital and listed in critical condition Wednesday night after the vehicle they were traveling in drove into a median at 48th and Market Streets, according to reports.

(3/5/2014, 10:51 p.m.): Two people are reported in extremely critical condition after a car crash at 48th and Market Streets. The crash happened around 9:40 p.m. and at least one vehicle was involved, CBS Philly reports. Market Street was shut down immediately after the accident. No other details are available at this time.

(Photo from www.pinkhouseon45th.com.)

Many of our readers probably know The Pink House, a beautiful three-story row-home and “homey hotel alternative” tucked in between other row houses on 45th Street between Baltimore and Larchwood. Some folks may have even had relatives or friends stay there. It was revealed yesterday that the de los Reyes family, who has owned The Pink House, located at 506 S. 45th Street since 2009, is relocating this summer and looking for a new owner.

They provided nightly rentals of the Guest Suite and the Studio at The Pink House, which were generating about $4,000/month. In addition to the two rental units, which are located on the ground level and first floor, the Pink House has a spacious owner’s unit on the 2nd and 3rd floors.

The sale price for the Pink House is $600,000, excluding buyer’s broker’s fee and 4% city transfer tax. This includes the 2100 sq ft row-house plus 700 sq ft finished basement plus assets associated with the owners’ rental business, such as trade name, websites, furniture, and more.

Open Houses are scheduled for: Saturday, March 15, 1-3 p.m.; Sunday, March 16, 1-3 p.m.; Sunday, March 22, 1-3 p.m. All offers should be submitted by March 28, 2014.

More information can be found here.

The Southwest Police Division has issued a burglary alert in some neighborhoods and is warning residents of an increase in burglaries by distributing flyers in mailboxes, according to West Philly Local readers. The alert also includes tips on how to prevent a burglary at your residence. We wrote about an increase in residential burglaries in the University City area last month.

UPDATE: We learned that the 18th police district is putting out flyers when there is a burglary on the block now. “Kind of a heads up as to what’s going on,” says Joe Murray of Southwest Police Detectives.

Burglaries in West Philadelphia in the past month (Source: Crimereports.com).

Earth Cup is now Coffee Market. (Photo courtesy of Natasa Borcanin) 

Some of our readers have probably noticed a new sign, “Coffee Market,” outside of the Earth Cup coffee shop on 45th Street between Pine and Osage. Here’s what’s happening, according to the owner Natasa Borcanin.

The business has changed its name (but not its ownership) to better reflect its expansion of coffee choices, brewing methods, and coffee equipment selection. Coffee Market will offer a larger variety of coffee bean selection (new roasters, new single origins and blends, and more brewing methods) and coffee equipment (coffee presses, pour-overs, thermoses, and more). The shop will also showcase new selections of coffee through coffee tastings.

“This is a welcome change as this city lacks a one-stop shop for a wide variety of organic and fair-trade coffee choices,” Borcanin writes in an e-mail. “There is just about nothing more personal that people consume in a day than a cup of coffee. Therefore, having a variety is paramount.”

By the way, the old “Sam’s Place” sign will also stay, for nostalgic reasons. “This shop has been here for 30 plus years and has a long-standing tradition of its second and third generation customers that appreciate seeing the sign as they revisit,” writes Borcanin.

Two years ago people participating in State Farm’s Neighborhood Assist campaign helped two West Philly non-profits, Neighborhood Bike Works and West Philly Tool Library, win $25,000 grants each for community improvement projects. This year, the youth-led philanthropic program has returned and anyone with a Facebook account can nominate and vote for their favorite local cause. The program’s goal is to improve neighborhoods in three important ways: education, community development and safety.

Here’s how it works:

• Identify and submit a cause using the Facebook app from March 3 through March 23, 2014.
• The first 4,000 Neighborhood Assist submissions will be reviewed by the State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB).
• Two hundred finalists will be chosen.
• The finalists will be announced on Facebook.
• Public voting to select the winners takes place April 28-May 16.
• Winners will be announced on May 27 on Facebook.

Forty causes with the highest numbers of votes will be selected to receive the grants. In 2013, over 3.4 million votes were cast and the difference between the 40th and 41st cause was only 62 votes! For more information about the program, click here.

UPDATE (1:00 p.m.) The snow emergency was lifted at 11 a.m. this morning and it is now safe to park on all snow emergency routes.

(9:00 a.m.): A snow emergency was declared in the city at 10 p.m. on Sunday. If you parked your car on any of the snow emergency routes and haven’t moved it yet, please do so as soon as possible. Here are snow emergency routes in West Philadelphia:

• Chestnut Street from Cobbs Creek Parkway to 20th Street
• Walnut Street from Broad Street to Cobbs Creek Parkway
• Woodland Avenue from Cobbs Creek Parkway to University Avenue
• 34th Street from University Avenue to Grays Ferry Avenue
• 38th Street from Walnut to University Avenue
• 63rd Street from City Avenue to Walnut Street
• University Avenue from 38th Street to 34th Street
• Island Avenue from Woodland Avenue to Enterprise Avenue
• Cobbs Creek Parkway from Walnut Street to Woodland Avenue
• Schuylkill Avenue from Market Street to Walnut Street

Monday’s trash and recycling collections are suspended until next Monday. Also, there will be no rear driveway collections this week so please leave all trash and recycling at the curb. For more information, visit the Streets Department website.

All Philadelphia public schools, after-school and early childhood programs will be closed for students on Monday, March 3, due to another round of severe weather expected in the area, the Philadelphia School District announced this evening. Parochial schools will also be closed, according to an earlier announcement by Philadelphia Archdiocese.

A winter storm warning remains in effect until 1 p.m. on Monday, March 3, with some sleet and freezing rain expected at the start and snow accumulation between three and seven inches, according to Accuweather.com. Stay tuned to other weather-related announcements.