Cleo Bagels Instagram photo.

UPDATE (9/12/23): Cleo Bagels officially opened its first brick-and-mortar location at 5013 Baltimore on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Formerly known as Dodo Bagels, Cleo Bagels offers mostly traditional fresh baked bagels, bialys, apple muffins (“applethings”), creatively made sandwiches and more, according to the business’ social media posts.

The store hours are from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. or until sold out on Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 17. After that, the store will be open on Friday-Sunday through the end of the month (hours on Friday will be 8 a.m.-2 p.m.), then Thursday-Sunday in October. The goal is to “slowly build their weekday service,” according to the owners.

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Photo courtesy of UCD.

The popular community and business event, Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, is set to return for the second and final time this year. It will be held Thursday, Sept. 7, from 5-8 p.m., when visitors are invited to stroll up and down Baltimore Avenue between 40th and 51st Streets for $1, $3, and $5 deals on food, drinks, merchandise, and more from local businesses and neighborhood vendors.

Due to this week’s heatwave, University City District (UCD), the longtime event organizer, urges all attendees to wear cool clothes and make sure to bring water so they can hydrate before and during the event.

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Made West, a West Philly hub of Made Institute, an independent fashion design and sewing school, is officially opening this week in Garden Court (4719 Pine St.). To celebrate the opening, Made West will hold a launch party on Friday, Aug. 18 (see the flyer below for more details).

Made West is “opening up a whole new world of sewing, fashion and crafts for the West Philadelphia community,” according to the announcement. Friday’s event is a great opportunity to learn about the upcoming classes, workshops, an afterschool program, teen fashion club and adult sewing classes.

Guests of all ages are also invited to tour the space, and check out the equipment and supplies. To register for the event, click here. Continue Reading

University City Dining Days returns July 20 to showcase West Philadelphia’s diverse restaurant scene. This year’s promotion will feature 25 restaurants offering three courses for three prices: $20, $30, and $40 at lunch and dinner.

The list of participating restaurants and eateries includes: El Taco, Dahlak, Renata’s Kitchen, Jezabel’s, Garces Trading Company, Pattaya Thai Cuisine, Chengdu Famous Food, Renata’s Kitchen, Aksum, Booker’s Restaurant and Bar, 48th Street Grille, White Dog, and more.

The promotion ends on July 30. To view the full list of participating restaurants, their menus and contact details, visit: https://www.ucdiningdays.com. Reservations should be made directly at each restaurant.

Here’s some exciting news for aspiring local fashion designers and makers. Philadelphia’s Made Institute, an independent fashion design and sewing school, is opening a West Philly location in the Garden Court apartment building’s ground-floor retail space at 4719 Pine St.

At the new location, Made Institute will offer a variety of fashion design workshops and sewing classes, as well as fashion education for teens and children ages 11 and up. In addition, the Institute will offer its new space to community workshops and also operate as a shop where you students and the public can purchase a variety of fabric and sewing supplies.

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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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