A 31-year-old woman was shot and wounded Wednesday night, shortly before 9 p.m., during a robbery near 52nd and Filbert, according to police. An unknown male approached the woman while she was standing outside with a group of men and attempted to grab her purse. A struggle ensued during which the suspect pulled out a gun and opened fire at the woman striking her in the left breast and left wrist, according to a police report. She was taken to Presbyterian Hospital and was listed in stable condition.

A police source said that the robbery was not random. She “was definitely targeted,” he said.

After shooting the woman, the suspect ran off with her purse south on 52nd Street and west on Filbert. Police later retrieved the purse in a nearby empty lot.

Many local PNC Bank customers will be disappointed to learn that the bank’s 52nd Street branch is set to close this fall. The branch, which is located at 19 S. 52nd St, will close on October 21 at 3 p.m.:

The bank has two more branches west of the Schuylkill – at 200 S. 40th St. and 3535 Market St. – and numerous ATMs east of 40th St (most of them on Penn’s campus). There is also a PNC bank ATM at 6212 Walnut St. (Photo by Twitter user @ohbadiah)

Police are looking for a man in his 40s who they say robbed J & P Seafood at 48th and Spruce on Thursday night. The robbery happened at 10:30 p.m., according to police when the suspect walked into the shop and asked for an order of shrimp. While talking to the cashier he pulled a shotgun from his jacket, pointed it at her and told her to open the register. He then leaned across the counter and took $363 from the register, according to police. After that he exited the store and fled on foot westbound on Spruce.

Police provided the following description of the suspect: black male, 40’s, light facial hair, wearing dark sunglasses, blue baseball cap, a multicolored windbreaker, blue jean capris, and armed with a shotgun.

Anyone with information about this robbery or suspect can contact Southwest Detective Division at 215-686-3183/3184 or call 911 immediately if you see this person.

A 23-year-old man was shot and wounded on Wednesday night when a large fight broke out on the 3900 block of Market Street, according to police (media reports say it was near 39th and Ludlow). Gunfire was heard shortly after 11 p.m. when someone fired into a crowd of people, striking the victim in the buttocks. He was transported to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center and later released after a surgery.

Police told 6ABC that a group of women got into an argument and then several men got involved in the fight. That’s when the shots were fired. Police say the shooter is a black male, approximately 25-27 year old. Police say they have some videos from the scene.

The proposed site plan for the Centennial Commons (Courtesy of Studio | Bryan Hanes)

Centennial Commons, the project that will provide a much needed recreation space near The Please Touch Museum in West Parkside, is expected to break ground this Fall, according to a report by PlanPhilly. The first construction phase of the project, initiated by Fairmount Park Conservancy, the Parkside Association of Philadelphia and East Parkside Residents Association, includes park “porches”.

When completed, the project will provide a seating area with landscaping that will give both residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy the space. It will also include a large playground with a climbing wall and spray park.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the William Penn Foundation are funding the project as part of an $11 million grant to re-imagine public spaces in Philadelphia. The total cost of the Centennial Commons project is approximately $7 million.

Read more about the project here and here.

Greensgrow’s new, larger and more permanent location at 5123 Baltimore Avenue is ready to welcome its first customers. The soft opening is this Friday, so stop by and check it out. Grand Opening is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 8. The former temporary Greensgrow West location at 4912 Baltimore Ave. closed on August 7.

Greensgrow signed a long-term lease with the city for 5123-29 Baltimore Ave. in Spring 2015 and began developing the new lot late last year. Previously empty and overgrown with bamboo, the new site was reimagined by student architects from Drexel University who gathered input from local residents with an eye towards green building practices.

The site features a high tunnel, demonstration green roofs and rain gardens, repurposed shipping containers, and even a tiny house. An outdoor classroom is being built by students from the Workshop School for Greensgrow’s educational workshops and will be open for neighborhood schools and organizations to use. Several West Philadelphia partners and organizations such as Cedar Park Neighbors, the Baltimore Avenue Business Association and the Philadelphia Water Department, contributed critical support to getting the site cleared for reuse. The new fence was built with the support of an Indiegogo campaign started by a neighbor.  Continue Reading