December 4, 2015
Photo courtesy Dock Street Brewery.
For years my father talked about the case of beer I bought him for Christmas in 1990. This was still mostly yellow beer days and my Dad was a devoted yellow beer drinker. But this was a case of Dock Street Amber Ale, the beer that for many in Philly back then provided our first taste of a locally brewed craft beer.
Twenty five years later Dock Street is back in the bottled beer business, just in time for the holidays. Between them, the new home brew place on Woodland Avenue and Local 44, there are plenty of opportunities to buy local for the beer lover on your list or to transform yourself into a good and proper beer snob.
Dock Street is bottling its Rye IPA, a 50th and Baltimore favorite, and is available by the case (about $40) or the 6-pack ($10) now in a number of shops and restaurants. Continue Reading
December 3, 2015
Clarkville growlers stand at the ready for Grand Opening Party. (Instagram photo)
Clarkville’s opening date has finally been announced, and it’s tomorrow! The Grand Opening Party for the new bar and restaurant located just across the street from Clark Park at 43rd and Baltimore, will take place on Friday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m., according to an announcement from the owners, Leigh Maida, Brendan Hartranft and Brendan Kelly.
The opening night will include “complimentary nibbles from the kitchen, a line up of flagship beers from favorite breweries, a killer draft wine list and a whole lot of big love for the neighborhood that has been so patient and supportive while this crazy space was wrangled into submission,” according to the announcement.
In addition, Clarkville will be kicking off growler sales with a keg of Russian River Pliny the Elder available for take out only in a fancy 64oz Clarkville Growler for $35.
Regular service and the full menu, which includes comfort food out of a giant double-decker pizza oven, starts on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 11 a.m.
Starting this Saturday, Clarkville will be open 7 days a week from 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. (The kitchen is open until midnight daily). Weekend brunch is coming soon, too. It will be served on Saturdays and Sundays 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
For more information, including menu and draft list, visit: www.clarkvillephilly.com.
December 3, 2015
Rendering of 4610 Cedar Ave. Photo from www.rolaarchitects.com.
Here’s more information on the new three-story building under construction in the triangle between Cedar and Baltimore Avenues, the former location of the Philadelphia Credit Union. Construction of the mixed-use structure, which will include six residential units and a commercial space on the ground floor, began in the summer and is expected to be completed in late spring 2016, according to Philly Curbed.
As was reported earlier, the lot belongs to the Lai family, who own several businesses and other properties in the area. An appeal was filed against the Philadelphia Board of Licenses and Inspections earlier this year, on the grounds that they “did not consider the impact of adjacent property with regard to air, light and use impairment” when issuing the building permit. The affected property was not mentioned. The appeal was denied last month, and the construction at 4610 Cedar continues. Check out more renderings and photos on Curbed.
December 2, 2015
Clarkville in September 2015 (Photo West Philly Local).
(12/3/2015): Here’s the latest update:
(12/2/2015): The opening of Clarkville bar and restaurant at 43rd and Baltimore is getting closer. According to its owner Leigh Maida, who we spoke to in the fall, the tentative opening date was Dec. 1, but it hasn’t opened yet. Clarkville’s opening was postponed a couple of times before, with the latest reason for delay being problems with electricity in the building. Maida and her business partners Brendan Kelly and Brendan Hartranft are renting the two-story, former Best House Pizza space at 43rd and Baltimore. But here’s some encouraging news. According to their latest tweet, the restaurant’s opening is very close. The executive chef has also been revealed on the Clarkville website. It’s Justin Bennett, who has been in charge of Local 44’s menu for the past three years. Earlier this year, Clarkville owners said that it would be “a little less beer forward and a little more food forward” than Local 44. Stay tuned for more information.
December 2, 2015
Two charter operators are interested in taking over the Samuel B. Huey School at 5200 Pine St., and a committee that includes parents of current students will spend the next month or so figuring out which one they think will work best.
The School District of Philadelphia announced yesterday that the Global Leadership Academy Charter School and SABIS Educational Systems are interested in Huey, one of three public schools that will be converted into charters next year as part of the District’s “Renaissance Charter School Initiative.” The others are Jay Cooke Elementary and John Wister Elementary, both in North Philly. All three were designated as “low-performing” schools.
Global Leadership Academy currently operates a K-8 school at 4600 West Girard Ave. that includes about 700 students. SABIS is a Minnesota-based, for-profit company that operates 12 charter schools across the country.
An advisory committee for each school includes District employees, two external stakeholders and, for the first time, five parents or guardians of current students, which a District spokesman said will be “the foundation” of each committee. Their job is to “solicit feedback from other families about the strengths and weaknesses of current school programming as well as wants and needs from turnaround partners,” according to a District statement. Continue Reading
December 2, 2015
Centennial Village, the mixed-use rental project that the city hopes will replace blight and help revitalize a section of West Parkside, has broken ground. Mayor Michael Nutter joined community members and neighborhood organizations at the Centennial Village groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday. The project will transform 52nd Street between Columbia and Parkside Avenues, and some areas nearby.
When completed, Centennial Village will have 52 units of affordable housing available for seniors and people with disabilities. The project also includes an apartment building with 30 new units. It will also rehabilitate eight single-family homes and one duplex. The project also includes 7,633 square feet of commercial space.
“Centennial Village is a key project for the revitalization of Parkside,” Nutter said at the groundbreaking ceremony. “The project eliminates blight and improves quality of life for residents. This impacts levels of crime, property values, and community pride.” Continue Reading
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