Over the years, University City District (UCD) has provided important services and organized many community events and activities in the neighborhood (Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, Movies in Clark Park, etc.). Many residents have used such services as walking escorts, vehicle jumpstarts and lock-out assistance. UCD has also organized neighborhood cleaning events and regularly removes trash from the district trash cans. It has also supported local businesses through various events and initiatives/fundraising and has been involved with public space maintenance/activation, workforce development training programs, and more.

To better understand where they are performing well and where they might improve, UCD has launched a public survey.

Those who complete this survey and provide contact information, will be eligible to win one of five $100 gift cards to a University City restaurant. Winners will be chosen after the survey closes in April of 2024 and alerted via email.

The survey can be accessed via this link.

Philly Homebrew Outlet has closed their shop at 47th and Woodland after eight years of operation. The West Philly location was Philly Homebrew’s final store.

“We are sad to say today, March 11th, is the day we have finally decided to close the doors permanently and shut down Philly Homebrew as a business,” reads an email newsletter message by Philly Homebrew co-owners, Jimmy McMillan and Nick Less, sent out on Monday. “Our final store in West Philly is locked up [and] will be no more.”

Philly Homebrew Outlet was launched in 2011 when McMillan and Less purchased Barry’s Homebrew and moved it from South Philadelphia to Kensington. The business opened its second, West Philly location in 2016 and later expanded to three stores.

Continue Reading

The historic Woodlands cemetery is home to dozens of trees of various species, some of which are very old dating back to the early 20th century. This Thursday, March 14, The Woodlands gates will be closed to the public to accommodate some necessary sitewide tree work.

The work will be conducted by Arader Tree Service. Because the tree work is taking place in several high-traffic areas, the site will be closed to the public to ensure visitor and worker safety. The gates will reopen for visitors in the late afternoon (around 4 p.m.).

The Woodlands visitors are invited to learn more about the trees growing on the site by using The Woodlands Tree Finder. There are also tree-focused digital tours of the grounds. Click here for more details. Finally, if you would like to support The Woodlands’ work of growing and nurturing their tree and shrub collection, consider donating to The Woodlands Tree Fund. In spring of 2022, contributions to The Woodlands Tree Fund helped set up a mobile water tank so that maintenance workers can water more trees in less time.

Continue Reading

Great news for the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI), University City District’s program that helps unemployed West Philly residents obtain necessary job skills and connect with local employers. The organization has recently been awarded a $4 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to help accelerate WPSI’s goals of providing opportunities for job seekers, program alumni, and incumbent workers to secure meaningful employment that will help break the cycle of poverty. In the past few years, WPSI, which was founded in 2009, has expanded from West Philadelphia to other city neighborhoods.

Continue Reading

A two-block portion of Spruce Street will be closed or restricted to vehicular traffic beginning Monday, March 18 to accommodate trolley track renewal work, according to an announcement by SEPTA. The project includes the excavation and renewal of the existing corroded and broken rail on Spruce Street between 40th Street and 42nd Street. The intersections at 40th and Spruce and 42nd and Spruce will not be impacted by this work.

Posted traffic detours will be erected and maintained around the work area in progress.

Normal construction hours will be Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. or sometimes later. Occasional weekend work may also be needed to maintain the project’s timeline.

Continue Reading

The Ethiopian restaurant Abyssinia, located at 45th and Locust, has sustained heavy damage to its front entrance after a car crash. The accident happened on Tuesday around 5 p.m., according to reports, when a 2012 Dodge truck, going at a high speed, ran past a stop sign and eventually crashed into the front entrance of Abyssinia at the corner of 45th and Locust. Before crashing into the restaurant, the truck hit a 2022 Tesla, which then hit another car that went on to hit two parked cars, according to police. A passenger who was inside the Tesla sustained minor injuries in the accident. No other injuries were reported.

Continue Reading