Manakeesh, the Lebanese cafe and bakery at 45th and Walnut, has permanently closed after 15 years of operation due to a “sharp increase in rental costs,” according to an Instagram post. The cafe’s last day of operation was Tuesday, Feb. 17. The closing was timed with Ramadan, which began on Tuesday evening.

However, there is some good news: Manakeesh is looking for a new location and will temporarily operate as a cloud kitchen accepting online orders.

“One silver lining from this, we are not totally going away,” reads the post on Instagram. “We will be moving and continue to offer our menu online and for extended hours in Ramadan and thereafter insha’Allah. We are hoping to keep Manakeesh up an running for the next generation with your support, and not just a memory.”

Named for the Lebanese flatbread sandwiches it serves, Manakeesh opened in 2011 in the renovated bank building at 45th and Walnut (see photo).

Here’s some great news for SEPTA’s T5 Trolley Modernization Project. The T5 Trolley Route (former Route 36), which serves people in West and Southwest Philadelphia, is receiving $2 million for its modernization, including new vehicles, on-street stations and infrastructure, as well as new traffic signals, pedestrian safety bump-outs, and accessibility and stormwater drainage improvements.

The funding is part of a $27 million state investment in transportation safety. It was received through Pennsylvania’s ARLE (Automated Red-Light Enforcement) program, which aims to improve safety at intersections with traffic signals by providing automated enforcement at locations where data shows red-light running has been an issue. Fines from red light violations at intersections in Philadelphia are used for grants.

The T5 Trolley Modernization Project kicked off in 2024 and is currently in its design phase, with construction expected to begin in 2027. For more details, visit: https://wwww.septa.org/trolley-modernization/t5.

The new apartment building at 818 N. 40th Street (see Instagram video below).

HopePHL and Mt. Vernon Manor Community Development Corporation (MVMCDC), two West Philadelphia community organizations, today celebrated the grand opening of 40 new apartments along the North 40th Street corridor — a milestone development that transformed 11 long‑vacant properties between Lancaster and Mantua Avenues into long‑term affordable rental homes for local families.

The North 40th Street Corridor Revitalization Project brings new life to a once‑blighted stretch of West Philadelphia at the borders of the Mantua, Belmont and East Parkside neighborhoods. The initiative represents a first‑of‑its‑kind partnership between HopePHL and MVMCDC.

Continue Reading

The American Red Cross is currently experiencing a severe blood shortage and urging people to take action now to help offset the severe impact of recent winter storms on the blood supply. Donors of all blood types are asked to make a blood or platelet donation appointment as soon as possible. As a thank-you, all who come to give through Feb. 28 will receive a $20 e-gift card to a merchant of choice. See RedCrossBlood.org/Heart for details.

Philadelphia residents can donate blood at the following locations:

Continue Reading

Here’s a great chance to support a local community organization and shop for a meaningful and not expensive Valentine’s gift. The Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) is holding a Valentine Open House and “Buy Your Bestie a Book” sale on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 12-5 p.m. Tables of fine used books are for 50¢ to $1! The sale will support the association’s work in the community.

The event will be held at the Spruce Hill Community Center located at 257 South 45th St. (between Spruce and Locust). While you’re at the center, enjoy light refreshments and explore all the community services and causes that SHCA promotes.

For more details on what work SHCA does in the neighborhood, visit: https://www.sprucehillca.org.

Starting this week, Curio Theatre Company will present Sojourner, a one-woman show written by Richard Lamonte Pierce and starring award-winning actress Zuhairah McGill.

McGill portrays Sojourner Truth, born Isabella Baumfree, sharing the stories and experiences of the abolitionist, women’s rights activist, and author. The play explores Truth’s life, including her enslavement in the North, her dramatic escape, and her fight against slavery. It also delves into her interactions with historical figures like Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

McGill originated the role and toured the play nationally, earning a 2002 Barrymore Award nomination for Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play. She’s a Founder and Producing Artistic Director of First World Theatre residing at the Community Education Center in Powelton Village. She is a recipient of the 2023 Lunt-Fontanne Award and her honors also include multiple other theatre awards and nominations, including three DC Excellence in Black Theatre Awards and the Black Arts for Social Change Award.

The show runs February 7 to 14 at 7 p.m. and is open to audiences of all ages. There are two Saturday matinee performances at 3 p.m.. Previews will take place February 4 and 5 at 7 p.m. Opening night is February 6 at 7 p.m.

Performances are at Curio Theatre located at 4740 Baltimore Ave.

For more information and tickets, click here.