Photo by Berri Wilmore for UCD

On Monday, local stakeholders, elected officials, and neighbors gathered at 47th and Sansom to celebrate an official groundbreaking for improvements coming to the Walnut Hill Playground.

The improvements are the result of a collaborative effort between University City District’s Green City Works landscaping team, the Walnut Hill Community Association, and local non-profit Do Moore Good to secure a $75,000 investment from the Target Foundation.

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Schmear Bagel Parlor is now open at 44th and Spruce. (Schmear Instagram photo)

The wait is over. Spruce Hill-based bagel lovers can finally get their daily fix of fresh bagels and schmears at a newly opened Schmear Bagel Parlor at 265 S. 44th Street.

The shop owners, Penn alumni Dave Fine and Brett Weinheimer, announced their plans to take over the space, formerly occupied by Lil Pop Shop, last spring. They also announced a cooperation with Lil Pop Shop which continued selling popsicles at that location through the fall. After being closed for renovation since December, the store has reopened this week as Schmear Bagel Parlor.

Philadelphia’s first Schmear Bagel Parlor location will have a brand-new menu, plus “you can enjoy Lil Pop Shop popsicles, Weckerly’s Ice Cream sandwiches, and Rival Bros. coffee all day,” according to Schmear’s Instagram post. Initial hours of operation will be Monday and Tuesday 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. and Wednesday-Sunday 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m.

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The Philadelphia Police Southwest Detective Division is asking for community assistance in locating a missing endangered person.

A 65-year-old man, Darryl Smith, has been missing since yesterday. He left his home at 6216 Dickens St., which is in the 12th Police District, on Thursday, April 24, at approximately 2:15 p.m. Smith suffers from dementia, according to police.

If you have any information concerning this person’s whereabouts, please contact Detective Christopher Godfrey:

215-686-3183/3184

Det. Godfrey #863

christopher.godfrey@phila.gov

The Kingsessing Library is officially open after a major renovation. A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Thursday afternoon and included City officials, Rebuild Philadelphia, The Free Library of Philadelphia, and community members.

The celebration marked the completion of the newly renovated library, an $8 million project made possible by the City’s Rebuild initiative, a historic investment of hundreds of millions of dollars in neighborhood parks, recreation centers, and libraries across Philadelphia.

The century-old Kingsessing Library has been updated with:

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The annual Penn Relays has kicked off at Franklin Field (200 South 33rd St) on the University of Pennsylvania campus. The event will be held through Saturday, April 26th and will affect traffic near the field and in the surrounding area. Motorists should expect heavy traffic volume and delays in the area all day every day through Saturday.

Also, there will be intermittent closures on 33rd Street from South Street to Walnut Street every day Thursday through Saturday. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes on these days.

The Penn Relays is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, hosted annually since April 21, 1895 by the University of Pennsylvania. For additional information about the Penn Relays, including safety and security, please visit The Penn Relays website. The race schedule is available here.

Just in time for spring, the long-awaited grand opening of popular Black-owned plant shop Plant and People at its new location, 3952 Lancaster Ave., is tomorrow, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The new location of the mother-daughter-owned shop carries the familiar selection of houseplants and supplies, but now also includes a café.

Co-owners Cherron Perry-Thomas and her daughter Amma described their decision to combine two things they love at the new location on their website.

“Why combine a plant shop with a café? To us, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Both plants and café culture invite a similar energy: they encourage you to pause, to slow down, to connect – with nature, with others, or simply with yourself.”

Tomorrow’s grand opening will feature a repotting workshop, DJ set, food samples from the new café and wine tasting with Mitchell and Mitchell Wines.

Also, check out their annual Big A** Plant Sale (B.A.P.S.) next Sunday, April 27, now at the new location.