Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll (Photos by Lora Reehling).

West Philly folks and visitors are invited to this summer’s first Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, which will take place Thursday, June 15, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. The popular outdoor event, organized by University City District (UCD), features dozens of local businesses and vendors offering deals on food, merchandise and other items along Baltimore Avenue between 40th to 51st Streets.

This year, the event will again feature $1, $3, and $5 bargains from neighborhood standouts like Booker’s, Vientiane Café, Dahlak Paradise and more, as well as newcomers including brewery Carbon Copy and Ethiopian chicken house Doro Bet. The vendors list, including West Philly-based merchandise vendors and food trucks, has also expanded since last year.

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UPDATE (6/13/2023, 2:23 p.m.): The Boil Water Advisory, issued for parts of West Philadelphia on Sunday, has been lifted. No harmful bacteria were found in the water samples tested by the Philadelphia Water Department.

6/12/2023: A Boil Water advisory issued last night by the Philadelphia Water Department for upper West Philadelphia neighborhoods is still in effect until further notice. Customers in the affected area, which includes Wynnefield Heights, Wynnefield, Overbrook Farms, Green Hill Farms, Overbrook, Overbrook Park, Morris Park, and parts of Carrol Park, Haddington, West Parkside, and West Fairmount Park (see full map here), should not drink the water without boiling it first for at least one minute. This concerns water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing formula.

The advisory was issued on Sunday evening, following a collapse of a pumping station serving a section of upper West Philadelphia and a temporary loss of pressure in the system, which happened between approximately 3:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. on June 11. While the pressure was restored later on Sunday, testing in the area, which began last night, is still taking place this morning and afternoon. This is because a lack of pressure can create a vacuum that could pull disease-causing organisms such as bacteria into water pipes. If the results of the testing from Sunday and Monday meet quality standards, PWD will inform customers that they no longer need to boil water. Continue Reading

Do you like to visit Clark Park and want to provide feedback? Friends of Clark Park (FoCP), a volunteer-run group behind the maintenance and improvements at the park, has released their annual survey on the state of the park.

It is a short survey that takes no more than 5 minutes to complete, but it is really important for FoCP to get feedback and set direction for the park each year. For example, the community feedback received last year was instrumental in advocating for the bathrooms (“Portland Loo“) which are being installed later this year.

To access the survey, click here.

Here’s some great local business news from the area around 50th and Baltimore.

Third Wheel Cheese Instagram photo.

If you have missed Milk & Honey Market since its closure in 2020, this news may excite you. Third Wheel Cheese Company, which was established in 2018 as a wholesale operation, has opened a new retail shop at 705 S. 50th St. The company, run by local foodie, food justice advocate and entrepreneur Ann Karlen, features a variety of artisanal, locally-made cheeses. The shop, which is located at the front of its warehouse, will hold its grand opening celebration on Thursday, June 15, from 1-6 p.m..

The shop will also carry regionally-made meats, crackers, jams and preserves, mustards, honey, olives, and other fresh and organic products, according to a report by The Philadelphia Inquirer‘s Michael Klein.

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Summer jazz is back in Cedar Park with weekly shows scheduled to begin on Friday, June 16. The popular music series, presented by Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN), features free outdoor performances by some of the area’s prominent jazz musicians and bands at the park, located at 49th and Baltimore.

All shows are held from 6 to 8 p.m. in fair weather – please bring your blanket or chair and picnic! The series is sponsored by local businesses and individual donations from neighborhood residents.

Here’s the schedule through July 28:

June 16 – Rayburn Wright Group
June 30 – Webb Thomas SuperBand
July 7 – Glenn Bryan & Friends
July 14 – Bobby Zankel & the Wonderful Sound 5 Celebrates John Coltrane (7/17/67)
July 21 – Philadelphia Clef Club
July 28 – Rain date (rescheduled performance, TBA)

For updates or changes, follow CPN on Facebook. Updates about this event are also posted in the Cedar Park Neighbors Forum on Facebook.

Streetscape improvements are in the works for Woodland Avenue between 40th and 42nd streets, and next Thursday, June 15, community members are invited to meet the design team, share thoughts and ask questions (the event has been rescheduled from June 8 due to the hazardous air pollution in Philadelphia). The Woodland Avenue Complete Streets Project pop-up event, organized by Vision Zero, will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at The Woodlands Cemetery front gates at 40th and Woodland (see the event flyer below).

Streetscape improvements are a part of a larger reconstruction project along Woodland Avenue between 39th and 42nd streets. Some safety improvements, like traffic lights and crosswalks, are expected to be installed at the section of Woodland Avenue near The Woodlands cemetery and the intersection with Chester Avenue later this year. To read more about the project phases and what they include, click here. Continue Reading