The Halal Guys Facebook photo.

The Halal Guys, the fast casual restaurant serving Middle Eastern-style chicken, beef and vegetable dishes, has opened its newest location in the recently renovated historic Hamilton Court at 39th and Chestnut. The grand opening for the University City location is set for this Saturday, March 23rd from 11 a.m. – 4 a.m.

This is the fourth Philadelphia location opened by local franchise owners Jung Ahn and Naveen Mohiuddin, who also operate locations in Chinatown, King of Prussia and Northeast Philadelphia.  Continue Reading

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The West Philly Tool Library has been loaning tools to community members for over a decade. A few months ago, the non-profit organization started offering low-cost workshops for those who want to learn home care or improvement skills, or who want more knowledge before working with contractors.

Classes are open to members of the Tool Library and non-members, and are filling up quickly. Some of the upcoming classes, like Plumbing 102 and Home Electric 101, have already been sold out for this and next month, but more classes are on the way (check out the flyer). If you want your bike ready for Spring, check out the bike maintenance and repair class, which will be held on Saturday, April 6.  Continue Reading

Applications are now open for community vendors who would like to be a part of this year’s Baltimore Avenue Dollar Strolls, which will be held on June 6th and September 12th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. For the first time this year, not only community food vendors but also merchandise vendors are invited to officially participate along with dozens of Baltimore Avenue businesses.

Organized by University City District (UCD) and Baltimore Avenue Business Association (BABA), the strolls draw thousands of visitors, who enjoy $1 specials along Baltimore Avenue, from 43rd to 52nd streets. The purpose of selecting official vendors is to “ensure all vendors are in compliance with Philadelphia permitting codes, whether Philadelphia Health Department codes for food vending, or the Department of Licenses and Inspections for merchandise vendors,” according to a statement by UCD.  Continue Reading

Here are two opportunities for community members to meet candidates in the May 21 primary election.

The 27th Ward democrats are inviting friends and neighbors for a Spring Shindig at Clarkville (43rd and Baltimore), which will take place Monday, March 18, from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. This is an opportunity to meet and mingle with local Democratic candidates running for office, including Congressman Dwight Evans, who will be a special guest at the event.

This is also a fundraising event supporting the 27th Ward democrats. Tickets are $20 in advance, or sliding scale at the door (no one will be turned away).  Continue Reading

Photo by Shepard Ritzen.

The mystery of the lifestyle art sculptures that recently appeared on an empty lot on the 4700 block of Market Street has been (somewhat) solved. The statues are by well-known New Jersey-based artist Seward Johnson, and the lot, owned by the Daniel Veloric Foundation, is a future site for a museum with some public meeting space, according to a recent report by Philly.com.

It’s not clear yet when the construction will begin, but reportedly “soon.” The Veloric Foundation, whose owner Daniel Veloric is 91 years old and lives in the suburbs, purchased the entire block in 2017. Some demolition work on the site has already been done, according to the report. The organization has reportedly allocated $1.3 million for the project.  Continue Reading

UPDATE (3/11/2019): Here is a recap of Sunday’s meeting from The Philadelphia Tribune.

A “community debrief and discussion” will be held on Sunday, March 10, from 3 – 5 p.m. at the Ethiopian Community Center (4400 Chestnut St.) to discuss the police shooting of Kaleb Belay, a 25-year-old Temple University graduate student, on March 6th on the 4900 block of Hazel Avenue.

Residents may also be interested in attending the monthly 18th Police District’s “Captain’s townhall meeting,” which will be held March 19th at the 18th District headquarters at 5510 Pine St. The meeting begins at 6 p.m.  Continue Reading