People hanging out in the new Sister Cities Park near Logan Circle at 18th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway can now get a little taste of West Philly.

Milk and Honey Market opened a satellite cafe at the revamped park in a building that also includes a welcome center. West Philly resident Jules Dingle designed the single-story building, which includes walls of windows, a green roof and an inviting outdoor space. Those who know design have noted that the building’s low-slung, limestone design makes an interesting transition from the nearby high rises to the small parks around Logan Circle.

Sister Cities Park, which officially opened yesterday, also includes a children’s garden where kids can splash in a small pond and climb rocks. Plan Philly has a nice rundown on the park’s design and construction here.

We were honored to be featured along with Milk and Honey Market‘s Annie Baum-Stein earlier this week on Madame Fromage, a top-shelf Philly cheese blog.

The good Madame is featuring blue cheese all this month and when asked where one might find a nice hunk of blue we first thought of Milk and Honey at 45th and Baltimore. As Madame Fromage mentions in the post, we sometimes like to pair blue cheese (and a variety of pickled things and black bread) with some icy cold vodka.

You might see Madame Fromage, who also goes by Tenaya, on any given day or night at any number of local cheese venues. She also writes a regular cheese column for Grid.

UPDATE (9/27/2023): Milkcrate Café is now expected to open at 45th and Baltimore on Thursday, Sept. 28. The new location will be selling new and used records as well and available for event rental.

After several months, the vacant commercial space at 45th and Baltimore, previously occupied by Vagrant Café and Milk & Honey Market before that, will have a new tenant soon. Fishtown-based Milkcrate Café has announced its opening a West Philly location “sometime” this week (the sign below was posted on Sept. 13).

Milkcrate is not only known for its coffee (from La Colombe Roasters), and simple breakfast and brunch offerings, it is also a vinyl record boutique. It has a few thousand vintage and new soul, rock and jazz vinyl records for sale. You can check their online record collection here. The store also sells new and used turntables and audio equipment. You can also buy or trade in records or Hi-Fi audio gear at Milkcrate.

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Here’s some great local business news from the area around 50th and Baltimore.

Third Wheel Cheese Instagram photo.

If you have missed Milk & Honey Market since its closure in 2020, this news may excite you. Third Wheel Cheese Company, which was established in 2018 as a wholesale operation, has opened a new retail shop at 705 S. 50th St. The company, run by local foodie, food justice advocate and entrepreneur Ann Karlen, features a variety of artisanal, locally-made cheeses. The shop, which is located at the front of its warehouse, will hold its grand opening celebration on Thursday, June 15, from 1-6 p.m..

The shop will also carry regionally-made meats, crackers, jams and preserves, mustards, honey, olives, and other fresh and organic products, according to a report by The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Michael Klein.

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Vagrant Cafe, located on the corner of 45th and Baltimore, has closed after two years of operation. The Baltimore area-based business that opened its West Philly location in January 2021, has recently cut the number of its brick-and-mortar locations, which also affected their West Philly shop. The space, which prior to Vagrant Cafe was occupied for many years by Milk & Honey, is again available for rent.

This is the second coffee shop that closed on Baltimore Avenue in the past year. Greenstreet Coffee, located just a block away, near 46th and Baltimore, closed after a fire in spring 2021, less than a year after opening. The space was renovated and is now occupied by Doro Bet Ethiopian Chicken House.

Despite these closings, there are other cafes within one-two blocks – Alif Brew and Green Line Cafe on Baltimore Ave., Dottie’s Donuts on Springfield Ave. and Knockbox Cafe on 45th St.

Vagrant Coffee owners Josh Dew (left) and Jared Cate (Photo from Vagrant’s Instagram page).

A new cafe, Vagrant Coffee, has recently opened on 45th and Baltimore, at the former Milk & Honey location. The owners, Joshua Dew and Jared Cate, are entrepreneurs from Baltimore who already have three Vagrant locations there. It’s a relatively young business, started in 2017, and Vagrant Coffee in West Philly is their first venture outside of Baltimore.

Vagrant Coffee is also known for bringing their mobile equipment (mobile coffee and espresso bars) to parties, events and even offices. One of the reasons why they chose the name “Vagrant” was to emphasize their mobility.

Apart from their specialty coffee and in-house made pastries, the new coffee shop offers breakfast, sandwiches and salads, all available for pick-up only at this time due to COVID restrictions. There is some outdoor seating, too.

You can check out their menu and order online here.

Vagrant Coffee is open Mon-Fri 7 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat & Sun 8 a.m.-6 p.m.