Instead of dumping unwanted stuff bring it to PennMoves locations until June 1.

This is this time of year again when we say good-bye to many of our neighbors and start welcoming new ones. Those who are leaving usually leave a lot of stuff behind, so if you are one of those people and are looking for information on how to get rid of stuff you don’t want to take with you or if you want to pick up what has been left, read on.

Since 2008, PennMoves has collected unwanted items from students, such as clothing, furniture, appliances, books, etc., at the end of each school year, and this year is no exception. The collections began on April 27 and will go on until June 1 at various locations across Penn’s campus. Not only students can bring their stuff, off-campus residents are also welcome to drop off items at one of the donation sites.

Since 2013, PennMoves has been working with Goodwill instead of organizing a big sale of all the collected stuff (much to the disappointment of many locals). The last sale was held in June 2012. In addition to clothing and housewares, you can also bring used electronics, functional or not. PennMoves is also teaming up with Philabundance, and is collecting nonperishable, unopened food. Also, in support of The Vietnam Book Drive Project, books of all kinds will be collected to be shipped to Vietnam for use in classrooms and free libraries.  Continue Reading

As we mentioned earlier, this year’s Fringe Festival is expanding into West Philadelphia neighborhoods and is currently seeking venues and artists who would like to be part of this great shebang planned for Sept. 9 – 24.

Tonight, there is a chance for interested artists and venue managers to meet each other in an informal atmosphere during a West Philly Venue and Artist Mixer. The event will be held from 5 -7 p.m. at Dock Street Brewery (50th and Baltimore).

Here’s some more information from the event’s Facebook page:

“Are you a VENUE? Do you have an awesome space in West Philadelphia? Are you interested in hosting some rad performances in this year’s Fringe Festival?

Or are you an ARTIST looking for a location to perform your work in this year’s Fringe Festival?  Continue Reading

This week has been rainy and gloomy in Philadelphia, but sunny weather is in the forecast for Saturday (May 7), just in time for the Spruce Hill May Fair, the annual community celebration.

The fair will take place from 10 a.m. till 4 p.m. at Clark Park (43rd and Chester) and will feature attractions for everyone. For children, the fair will once again have a petting zoo, pony rides, a bounce tent and a 40-foot obstacle course, all at family-friendly prices.

Book lovers will find one of the best assortments of $1 used books the fair has ever offered, and raffle players can shoot for an Apple watch offered by University Family Fun Center. Drawings will be held throughout the day for many gift certificates for dinner and services from local merchants, including Aksum, Renata’s Kitchen, Dock Street Brewery, Philly Homebrew Outlet, Dottie’s Donuts, City Food Tours, Pattaya Grill, VIX Emporium, Jinxed, Baltimore Pet Shoppe, Keswick Cycle, Studio 34 and many more!

Raffle tickets are just $1 a piece or 6 for $5 and will be available at the Fair, or you can stop by the Spruce Hill Center (257 S. 45th St) on Thursday, May 5 (6-9 p.m.). For the full list of the participating merchants, go here.  Continue Reading

PlanPhilly is once again presenting Jane’s Walk, a series of free, citizen-led walking tours inspired by writer and urban activist Jane Jacobs. The walks are geared at getting people engaged with their city and connecting with one another. Last year, there were more than 800 walks in more than 200 cities around the world. This year the walks will celebrate Jacobs’ 100th birthday (May 4).

Twelve walks have been scheduled this year for May 6-8 in Philadelphia, including two walks in West Philly:

Friday, May 6: Tactical Urbanism on the Eastern Edge of University City, with Nate Hommel

Join Nate Hommel of University City District (UCD) on a tour of public spaces popping up on formerly underutilized spaces, including: the Market Street Bridge, The Porch at 30th Street Station, and others. The walk begins at The Porch at 5 p.m. Registration is not required but you can RSVP here.

Sunday, May 8: Baltimore Avenue: A Place for People, with Daniel Wolf

On this walk down Baltimore Avenue, you’ll learn about a few recent and upcoming projects initiated by UCD to enhance the pedestrian environment. The walk will begin at 40th Street Portal at 5 p.m. and will conclude in Cedar Park and there will be a couple of surprises. More info is here.

For information on other walks taking place this weekend in Philadelphia, visit: http://janeswalk.org/united-states/philadelphia/

 Councilman At-large David Oh

Councilman David Oh will visit West Philadelphia this Thursday (May 5) to host a community meeting on heroin and opioid crisis in the city. The meeting, chaired by Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, will take place at the University of the Sciences (Pharm Tox Building, Room 140, 636 S. 42nd St.), from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m..

Thursday’s meeting is a continuous effort by Councilman Oh to gather community feedback that he will use to shape the City’s coordinated response to the epidemic. Last week, he met with residents of Northeast Philadelphia, Manayunk, and the River Wards in three “emotional at times” community meetings. Another meeting is scheduled in South Philadelphia next week.

The community meetings come as a result of a resolution Oh passed through City Council which authorized the holding of public hearings following City Council’s declaration of 2016 as “The Year to Combat the Heroin Abuse Epidemic in Philadelphia.” The resolution also called for the development of a strategy to effectively address the heroin epidemic as an urgent local health priority.  Continue Reading

Bethany Rusen at work (photos via Indiegogo.com)

Last month, we wrote about the efforts by West Philly artist and educator Bethany Rusen to open a new ceramic studio and affordable co-working space for artists in Cedar Park. Renovations of the space, called Black Hound Clay Studio (BHCS) and located at 711 S. 50th Street, began this spring, and a few days ago Bethany launched a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo to help this venture succeed.

The startup costs for the studio are considerable, according to Bethany. Thanks to successful fundraising raffle held last month at Art Star Gallery and a loan from the nearby Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, some funds have been secured to carry out some space renovations and to cover the deposit and first few months’ rent. Bethany also managed to get some free stuff through Craigslist, including work tables, shelving and storage. She currently has four working pottery wheels, either donated by friends and family or bought used.  Continue Reading