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Early morning fire at apartment building on 44th and Chestnut displaces over 100

June 12, 2016

Netherlands

A three-alarm fire displaced over 100 people from the Netherlands apartment building at 44th and Chestnut, according to reports. The fire broke out on the 4th floor of the building at around 5 a.m. on Sunday. No injuries have been reported.

The Red Cross and the City Office of Emergency Management have set up a reception center at 4209 Spruce St.:

A shelter for the displaced residents has been set up at the Cato School on the 4200 block of Ludlow Street, according to 6ABC.

 

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West Philadelphia Orchestra kicks off Summer Nights Concert Series at Penn Museum; $5 tickets with this promo

June 10, 2016

events_WPO

West Philadelphia Orchestra will kick off Summer Nights Concert Series at Penn Museum on Wednesday, June 15 (Photo courtesy of Penn Museum).

It’s hard to imagine summer in the city without outdoor music. A popular outdoor concert series, Summer Nights at the Penn Museumkicks off on Wednesday, June 15, with a performance by well-known brass band West Philadelphia Orchestra. We’re excited to let you know about a special admission deal for West Philly residents. Those who will print out and bring this post to the museum on June 15 (or show it on your cell phone), will be able attend the concert for only $5 (regular admission is $10). Please note that this offer is only valid for the first concert in the series, which will take place every Wednesday through Sept. 2.

Concerts take place outside in Penn Museum’s Stoner Courtyard garden from 5 to 8 p.m., and the ticket also includes admission to most of the museum’s galleries. Concerts take place rain or shine, moving inside in inclement weather. For more information, click here.

And here’s some more information about West Philadelphia Orchestra:

WPO draws inspiration from Serbian, Romani, and Hungarian musical traditions, as well as New Orleans brass street bands. Original compositions include lighthearted titles such as “Truck on Fire” and “Super Lunch,” both sung in English, while the track “Busta Woo-Ha” is a WPO mashup of a traditional Klezmer melody, “Dem Rebens Tanz,” with a Busta Rhymes / Galt MacDermot sample. Be prepared to sing along!

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Tony’s Barber Shop building on Baltimore Ave. for sale

June 10, 2016

Tony's

The building at 4529 Baltimore Avenue that used to host Tony’s “Just For Men” Barber Shop has recently been listed for sale for $415,000. The 1,760 square feet property includes a ground-floor commercial space, a partially finished basement, and two apartments (a large two-bedroom with a deck and a studio on the ground floor behind the commercial space). It is zoned CMX-2 (Commercial/Commercial Mixed-Use).

The property was for sale in 2013, shortly after the original business owner, Tony Rodriguez’s, passing. Then it was listed for $285,000 but was taken off the market a month later. It appears that Rodriguez’s family kept the business running for a few more years.

The property is listed by MPN Realty, a company that often handles properties in this section of Baltimore Ave.

LoopNet.com, which is also listing the property, provides the following description of Baltimore Avenue:

“The face of Baltimore Avenue has changed dramatically in the last year alone from unstable mom and pop businesses to more professional successful operations. In the last year alone, The Nesting House, Jinxed, Renata’ s Kitchen (formerly Café Renata) and Loco Pez have opened or are in the process of opening businesses in Spruce Hill.”

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Cedar Park Neighbors meeting to discuss outdoor seating for The Bar(n)

June 8, 2016

The Barn

The Bar(n) is proposing to set up outdoor seating along the 49th Street sidewalk, shown here (Photo by West Philly Local)

Residents are invited tonight to a community meeting, which will discuss outdoor seating for The Bar(n), a bar at 4901 Catharine St.

The meeting will take place at the Calvary Center at 48th and Baltimore (Baltimore side entrance), beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The Bar(n) owner is requesting a permit for outdoor seating along the 49th Street sidewalk. At the meeting, you can meet the manager of the bar, see the seating plan and learn about their hours of outdoor service. The meeting is an opportunity to voice your opinion on this issue.

The Bar(n) opened in January 2015 in the former Third World Lounge space at the corner of 49th and Catharine. The bar reopened with a new concept thanks to a partnership among the restaurateurs who are also running Rx The Farmacy at 45th and Spruce and the building owner Noel Karasanyi.

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Neighborhood Porch Hop/ Porch Sale to be held this Saturday (updated)

June 7, 2016

porchhop

Click to enlarge

West Philly’s first Porchfest took place on Saturday, June 4, and this Saturday (June 11), a West Philly neighborhood Porch Hop organized by the 48th Street Neighbors community group returns. This event is a great opportunity to meet and hang out with your neighbors, new and old. Everyone is invited to drop by host porches (see the list below) for a drink, a snack, and some good conversation.

This year’s event will also include a sale, which will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. The Hop starts at 4 p.m. and will go on until approximately 8 p.m.

The following porches have signed up for the event (see map below):

Sale: 902 S. 48th St., 817 S. 48th St., 802 S. 48th, 812 S. 48th St., 816 S. 48th, 827 S. 48th., 4915, 4917, and 4919 Cedar Ave., 4721 Springfield Ave., 4806 Trinity Pl.

Hop: 902 S. 48th St., 4811 Trinity Pl. (Flea Market), 4820 Windsor Ave., 4917, 4919, 4932 Cedar Ave., 4721 Springfield Ave., 4806 trinity Pl., 4800 Springfield Ave.

Porchmap

Sale porches are marked in red; Hop porches are marked in blue. Some porches are both, but ask when you get there.

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Service for Cheryl Roebuck who passed away on Saturday

June 7, 2016

CherylRoebuckWe’re very sad to report that Cheryl Roebuck, a veteran music teacher, Garden Court community activist, and wife of State Rep. Jim Roebuck, passed away last week.

Mrs. Roebuck has worked for the School District of Philadelphia for over thirty years. She has also been active in her West Philadelphia community for over twenty years. She has served as the secretary of the University City Arts League and was a board member of the Garden Court Community Association.

Funeral services for Mrs. Roebuck will be held on Friday, June 10, at Arch Street United Methodist Church, 55 N. Broad Street. Visitation with the family will be from 10:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m.; service starts at 12:00 p.m.

 

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