Houses of worship are a vital part of Cedar Park, serving the neighborhood’s diverse population. This Thursday, May 25, community members and all interested individuals will have a chance to learn more about Cedar Park’s houses of worship at a townhall hosted by Cedar Park Neighbors and People’s Baptist Church.

“Have you ever walked by a house of worship in Cedar Park and wondered what went on inside? What do they believe? Who are their members? How do they live out their faith in the community?” reads a message on the event’s Facebook page.

Residents are invited to come hear from members of the following churches and fellowships:  Continue Reading

It wasn’t a very good start to the “Love Your Park” week on Saturday, May 13, with some of the events, like the annual Spruce Hill May Fair, being rained out. This week, there will be more chances to celebrate and help clean up your neighborhood park as the “Love Your Park” week, sponsored by Philadelphia Parks & Rec and local community groups, continues. On Friday and Saturday, festivities will be held at at least three West Philly parks – Clark Park, Cedar Park and Malcolm X Park. A couple of park cleanups have also been scheduled, and volunteers are needed. Here are more details:

Cedar Park (49th and Baltimore)

Picnic in Cedar Park: Friday, May 19, 6-8 p.m.

Residents are invited to bring their own picnic or pick up a dinner at one of the neighborhood’s great businesses and enjoy a beautiful spring evening with their friends and neighbors.

Service Workday: Saturday, May 20, 9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The service workday in Cedar Park has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 20 due to rain. Volunteers of all ages are welcome. Help is needed planting annuals and perennials, pruning, weeding, and doing general clean up. Tools and gloves will be provided. RSVP here.  Continue Reading

The annual Cedar Park Neighbors’ general meeting and Board elections will take place tonight (April 17) at Calvary Center (48th and Baltimore). The meeting will also feature guest speakers who will talk about tenant and renter’s rights and tax relief programs for homeowners.

Board elections will begin at 6:30 p.m., with the general program beginning at 7:00 p.m. More information on board candidates is available in the CPN Spring Newsletter.

Here’s also some information on two upcoming community events in Cedar Park.  Continue Reading

Longtime West Philly resident Jeff Lutzner pitches “Pentridge Station,” a playground/park/beer garden proposed for a vacant lot on the 5100 block of Pentridge Street (Photo by West Philly Local).

A longtime West Philly resident is gambling that people will want to travel down a troubled street that is lined with abandoned cars, empty buildings and a quasi-legal automotive shop that sometimes hosts raucous outdoor parties during which shots have been fired to visit his kid-friendly, pop-up beer garden.

It sounds risky, but several people who attended last night’s Cedar Park Neighbors zoning committee meeting to discuss the proposed seasonal beer garden in an abandoned lot on the 5100 block of Pentridge Street said they will support it. Jeff Lutzner, a longtime resident and block captain on the 4900 block of Cedar Avenue, owns the lot and hopes that the beer garden/playground might bring some much-needed attention to the block.

“We really want it to be a place where families could convene,” Lutzner told the 30 or so people gathered at the meeting.  Continue Reading

Cedar Park residents and all interested individuals are invited to a community meeting on Tuesday, March 21 to hear a proposal of a pop-up (temporary) beer garden on the 5100 block of Pentridge Street. The meeting is organized by Cedar Park Neighbors.

The beer garden is being proposed at 5112-5120 Pentridge St. (see map), the area that currently includes a few empty lots. A search of the BRT database revealed the owner of the property as Fatty Tuna LLC. The meeting is an opportunity to meet with the owner, see the plans of what they would like to do and voice your opinion on this issue.

The meeting will be held at the Calvary Center (4740 Baltimore Ave.), beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Those who would like to comment but cannot attend the meeting are welcome to send their comments to CPN: zoning@cedarparkneighbors.org.

Do you live in Cedar Park and want to get more involved with the neighborhood? Here’s a great chance. The Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN), the recognized community organization for the Cedar Park neighborhood, is currently seeking new board members to serve the community for the next two years beginning in June 2017. The following message was recently posted on the CPN website:

“Are you a renter, homeowner or business owner? Are you a long-time resident or a recent transplant? People of color, women, men, trans and gender non-conforming people, queer people, people with disabilities, elders and young people are encouraged to run. If you live or work in Cedar Park and are dedicated to improving our community, please participate in your neighborhood board!”  Continue Reading