Photo by West Philly Local

The Fresh Grocer supermarket at 40th and Walnut, which has operated in that location since 2001, has closed its doors. It was reported last month that the store management had agreed to free the space this month after a four-year legal battle with the landlord – the University of Pennsylvania, which ended the Fresh Grocer’s lease in 2016.

Penn has signed a lease for 40th and Walnut with Acme Markets. The new supermarket is not expected to open until Fall 2020, according to a report by The Daily Pennsylvanian. The space will undergo renovations in preparation for Acme’s opening.

Coach Duane Jones of the West Philly Tarheels by Morris Park/Papa Playground, the Tarheels’ home field, which has recently been torn up for replacement work on a sewer under the field. (Photo by Sam Newhouse)

The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) is currently working on infrastructure improvement projects across the city. But some work has put out a West Philly youth football organization, and their coach is concerned the work will leave his home field even worse off than it already was.

The West Philly Tarheels on the field. (Photo courtesy of the Tarheels)

Coach Duane Jones of the West Philly Tarheels said preseason drills for his Pop Warner football organization are due to start in Morris Park at 66th and Lansdowne – also known as Papa Playground – in March. But ongoing work to repair a sewer running under the field will prevent them from playing there until April at the earliest, if the project finishes on schedule. Jones is also concerned the field, already uneven and prone to divots and instability that have caused more than a few twisted ankles, might be even more unstable after the work.  Continue Reading

Photo from Sofar Sounds’ Facebook page.

Sofar Sounds has made it to West Philly! This is immersive experience that offers secret gigs and live, intimate concerts around the world, including neighborhoods all over Philadelphia. And now it is going to hold West Philly gigs a few times a month.

Sofar events feature three acts (most shows are music but some are poetry/comedy) and guests do not know who is performing until they arrive at the show.

Guests purchase tickets to the event based on which neighborhood they choose, and they find out the exact location of the show by email the day before. Ticket prices range from $15-$20.

This month, there will be some shows celebrating women and Women’s History Month. Here’s what’s happening in West Philly and University City:

Thursday, March 5
Sofar Philadelphia show in University City
Theme: Women Take The Stage 
Ticket link: https://www.sofarsounds.com/cities/philadelphia/events/33233

Friday, March 6
Sofar Philadelphia show in Spruce Hill
Ticket link: https://www.sofarsounds.com/cities/philadelphia/events/32882

Friday, March 20 
Sofar Philadelphia show in University City
Theme: Comedy show 
Ticket link: https://www.sofarsounds.com/cities/philadelphia/events/33557

The race for the 188th state house seat is beginning to heat up. The community is invited to hear from all four candidates – incumbent Rep. Jim Roebuck, Karen Dunn (Facebook page link), Gregory Benjamin, and Rick Krajewski – at a community forum/debate organized by the Penn Democrats (Facebook page link) on Monday, March 2.

The 188th House District (map) includes parts of Spruce Hill, Squirrel Hill, Walnut Hill, Spruce Hill, Garden Court, Beige Block and University City. Roebuck has held the seat since 1985.

The event will take place at the University of Pennsylvania Houston Hall (3417 Spruce St), Room 218 (Ben Franklin Room), starting at 5 p.m. Here’s the event Facebook page.

A 39-year-old man was killed and another man was critically injured in a shooting Monday night near 52nd and Sansom Streets, according to reports.

The shooting happened shortly before 10:30 p.m. The 39-year-old victim was shot three times – in the head, chest and leg. He was taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead shortly before 11 p.m., according to a report by CBS Philly. The second victim, a man in his 30s, was shot once in the chest. He is in critical condition.  Continue Reading

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The School District of Philadelphia hopes to better understand how the District is changing through the Comprehensive School Planning Review (CSPR), a collaborative process that will assess public school enrollment, educational program offerings, and school facilities.

This assessment can help plan for things like overcrowding or underuse or whether schools will need different resources to support changes in the languages they serve.

The CSPR process will take place across four years, and will assess public schools with traditional enrollment across the City of Philadelphia. Cycle 1 of the process started at the beginning of the 2019/2020 school and includes 21 schools spread across three areas of the city.  Continue Reading