Rebuild Philadelphia has kicked off another public space renovation and transformation project in West Philadelphia. On Thursday, Rebuild, city officials, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and community members gathered at 51st and Parrish to break ground on the West Mill Creek Playground and Plaza.

The project is part of a $4.5 million investment through the city’s Rebuild program, supported by a $600,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s Local Share Account program and $500,000 from Councilmember Jaime Gauthier (3rd District) through the Improvement to Existing Facilities (ITEF) program.

Continue Reading

University City District (UCD) is asking community members who live, work or visit the area –  defined roughly as between 50th Street and the Schuylkill River, and from Spring Garden to Woodland Avenue (see map below) – to complete a University City Community Survey, which will help the organization to get feedback in its ongoing efforts to “improve quality of life within the neighborhood.”

The short survey, which takes about 5-10 minutes to complete, asks community members about what issues are most important to them and will help UCD’s future services, events, and offerings. To access the survey, click here.

Continue Reading

Here’s a short update on the West Philly Tool Library (WPTL) which recently announced that it has to vacate its long-term location on South 47th Street. The tool library’s last day of operation at 1314 S 47th St. is today (Fri, Oct. 31). After today, it will close for a month and is expected to reopen at a new location, according to a social media announcement.

The new location hasn’t been announced yet. Currently, the library is seeking volunteers to help with its move. Click here to sign up.

The West Philly Tool Library recently held a successful fundraising event in support of their move.

“A huge thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser this past weekend – our volunteers, staff, local artists, small businesses, and the community! We are so grateful to everyone who love and support WPTL,” the library staff posted on Instagram.

For more information and updates, visit: westphillytools.org.

The Philly Download (TPDL), a hyper-local, “hyper-black” digital newspaper, is releasing a limited-edition 2025 Election Zine. This free exclusive collector’s edition is the Download’s first-ever print publication and will serve as a one-stop shop guide for Philadelphians as they head to the polls for the Tuesday, Nov. 4 General Election.

The Election Zine will include detailed information on which candidates are on the ballot, when and how residents can vote, and more. It will also include art and poetry, alongside in-depth reporting and photojournalism on a range of topics directly impacting Black voters in Philadelphia and across the nation. This includes the issue of Black voter exhaustion, Pennsylvania’s fight for fundamental rights, as well as a celebration of the legacy of Octavius V. Catto.

Continue Reading

Halloween is in two days and if you’re planning to walk around the neighborhood with your kids, family or friends, check out the first-ever West Philly Fright Registry created by a West Philly resident, Dyresha Harris.

Dozens of West Philly residents and some organizations have registered their address for various spooky season happenings or activities since our first post about it in early October. You can browse the database or use the map (see the screenshot above), just enter your zip code in the search window, to find out what your neighbors are up to on Halloween – from giving out candy, to decorations, to events.

More information on how to use the Registry is available here. And to find out how Dyresha came up with this “spooktacular” idea, click here.

Also, don’t forget about the annual Spruce Hill Halloween Tot Parade (more info is here).

Students and teachers from the HMS School gather for the ribbon cutting of the new “little library” at 45th and Chester, near their school. (Photo by West Philly Local)

This morning, HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy students and staff gathered outside the school playground gate at 45th and Chester for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion and reopening of the Little Free Library, a student-driven community care initiative designed to promote literacy and neighborhood connection.

The project began when students in Classroom G44, led by teacher Paige Halligan, noticed that the neighborhood’s Little Free Library outside HMS needed attention. Coinciding with a classroom unit on “community care,” the students identified the library’s restoration as an opportunity to engage in meaningful, hands-on service to their community.

Continue Reading