Plans for the 7-story apartment building coming to the former site of the Christ Memorial Church at 43rd and Chestnut came before the Spruce Hill Community Association zoning committee on Monday as part of the civic design review process, the final community-focused step before building begins.

Residents could suggest things like facade materials and types of street trees, but it’s unlikely the plans will change much.  Continue Reading

The Cedar Park Neighbors Transit Committee is hosting a “Spring into Biking” event May 18, to help the neighborhood get out and using their cycling more. The event, hosted at the pedestrian triangle at 50th and Baltimore outside Firehouse Bikes, will offer cyclists the chance to learn more about cycling in the city, getting to know local bikers, and some help with a tune-up for summer.

We aim for this to be a block party in celebration of cycling and its positive impacts on the community, including health, safety, and fun. The event will run from 1 to 3, and will be capped off by a group ride to Malcolm X Park and back (weather permitting).

We hope that this will be a great day, getting people out into their community and become more to comfortable navigating their neighborhood and city via bike.

The details:

Address: 50th and Baltimore

Time: 1-3PM

Attendance: All ages and levels of experience welcome.

Event link: http://www.cedarparkneighbors.org/news/2019/4/29/spring-into-biking

Facebook event:  https://www.facebook.com/events/2369401306637494/

Contact: email the Transit Committee at transit@cedarparkneighbors.org

The spring semester has come to an end at the University of Pennsylvania, and its students will be moving out from their dorms this week. Due to the move-out, the university has announced the following street closures:

Spruce Street will be closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles from 34th to 40th Streets, in both directions, on Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15 from 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Please note that bikes will need to be walked on Spruce Street while it is closed to traffic.

Septa Routes 40 and 42 will be re-routed during the street closure (visit septa.org for information on each bus route).

Some of you have probably noticed blue bikes popping up in the last month at several locations in West Philly. They are actually a part of a multisite public art installation by Japanese American filmmaker and visual artist Rea Tajiri. Titled “WATARIDORI: birds of passage,” the project is part of the Asian Arts Initiative’s 25th anniversary celebration and “activates real and speculative histories” of Japanese immigrants in Philadelphia.

Check out this art installation at the front of the house at 4238 Spruce Street:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiwnzRWhpR6/?taken-by=westphillylocal

Other locations for Rea Tajiri’s public art installation include:  Continue Reading

“Love Your Park” week will be held from May 12 – May 20, and residents are encouraged to join over 2,500 fellow Philadelphians to care for our parks and green spaces at 70 different locations across the city. You can sign up to volunteer at a spring service day in your neighborhood park or to participate in a special event, such as a bird walk, outdoor yoga, guided hike, children’s story time, and many others. Here’s a list of volunteer and special events in West and Southwest Philadelphia (to register for an event and learn more about Love Your Park Week, go here).

Philly Pumptrack Spring Service Day

Saturday, May 12, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Philly Pumptrack, 52nd St. and Parkside Avenue

This Love Your Park event includes trash cleanup on the Crossbow Trail, pumptrack dirt and clay work; and rain garden cleaning, mulching, and planting. And stick around for the Pumpjam special event that begins at Noon.  Continue Reading

Penn students will be moving out of their dorms this Tuesday and Wednesday (May 8-9), so a chunk of Spruce Street will be closed during the day for most vehicles, including bicycles. Buses will be detoured. Here are more details on the street closures and detours:

• Spruce Street will be closed between 34th and 40th Streets on Tuesday, May 8th and Wednesday, May 9th between 6:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
• Bikes will need to be walked on Spruce Street while the streets are closed to traffic.
• Emergency vehicles and hospital patient transport vehicles will be permitted access.
• Access will be provided to the Ryan Vet Hospital.
• Septa Routes 40 and 42 will be re-routed (visit septa.org for information on each bus route).
• Garage 14 will be open and accessible throughout move-out.