First-time owner Raphael Freeman was welcomed to his property, freshly rehabbed by Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia. “It’s good to come home to 19139,” he said. (Photos by Tony West)

Born in the Mill Creek neighborhood, Raphael Freeman is a worker at Affordable Housing Centers of Pennsylvania. On June 18, affordable home ownership became a reality for himself when Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia gave him the deed to a vacant Overbrook rowhome next to Cobbs Creek that its apprentice program had restored to modern standards.

Freeman underwent a yearlong training program to provide him with the knowledge base and skills to manage property ownership. Meanwhile, Habitat’s Carpentry Fellows Program set three apprentices to learn the art of rehabbing Philadelphia’s traditional affordable housing stock.

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Summer is here with some record-breaking temperatures in the forecast for this week. But here’s some good news. More than 60 public pools will be open this summer throughout the city and many of them have already opened or are scheduled to open this week. The West Philadelphia pools that have already opened include:

• Kelly Pool (4231 Lansdowne Dr.)

• Fletcher Pool (743-81 N 48th St.)

• Shepard Pool (5700 Haverford Ave.)

Here’s the opening schedule for other pools located in West Philly:

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The City Council recently voted to add the Summer Winter Community Garden in Powelton Village to the Neighborhood Gardens Trust in an effort to save it from development pressure.

The volunteer-run garden, located at 33rd and Race (near Summer and Winter Streets), has been a fixture in the neighborhood for decades. Increased development has surrounded the garden, much of it tied to Drexel University.

The City Council passed legislation authored by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier that moves the one-acre plot to the NGT, which will provide liability insurance and some maintenance support. Most importantly it keeps the valuable plot a community garden.

The Summer Winter Garden joins other West Philly community gardens protected by the NGT, including the Chester Avenue Community Garden, Five Loaves Two Fish, the Pentridge Children’s Garden, Saint Bernard Community Garden, and the Warrington Community Garden.

Architect renderings of the project (PZS Architects) on the 4700 block of Spruce Street.

UPDATE (6/19/25): The Department of Licenses and Inspections has ordered work at the site to stop until the developer obtains a building permit. The developer has until July 10 to obtain the permit, according to an “Order to Correct” issued June 6.

6/9/25: Demolition work has begun to make way for a 13-story apartment building with ground floor retail space on the 4700 block of Spruce Street, across from the Henry Lea School. The building will include 170 mostly studio and one-bedroom apartments and 28 underground parking spaces.

Zoned CMX-3, which allows residential and commercial uses without zoning variances, the project drew criticism during a May 2022 community meeting but developers were not required to implement design changes because of the zoning designation. The project has been on hold while an addition was being completed to the adjacent Garden Court Plaza complex.

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Here’s a roundup of some events scheduled to take place in West and Southwest Philadelphia as part of the annual Juneteenth celebration. The annual Juneteenth Parade, which starts in West Fairmount Park and concludes at Malcolm X Park (52nd and Pine), will take place on Sunday, June 22. Here are more details about this and other events where you can celebrate and commemorate this historic holiday.

Juneteenth Celebration at West Philadelphia YMCA (5120 Chestnut St)

Thursday, June 19, 5-7 p.m.

The celebration at the West Philadelphia YMCA will feature a presentation on the history of Juneteenth, arts & crafts, a family Zumba & African Dance class, spoken word performance and more. The event is free and open to the community. No registration/membership is required. Go here for more details.

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UPDATE (6/11/25): The fire at the former Admiral Court Apartments has been ruled an arson and the case is currently under investigation, according to reports. The blaze was caused by an unknown incendiary device, according to the results of an earlier investigation by the Philadelphia Fire Marshal’s Office. No arrests have been made as of Wednesday afternoon.

The structure was heavily damaged in the fire and is considered in an imminent danger of collapse, according to the Department of Licenses and Inspections.

Several fire trucks were back on the scene near 48th and Locust on Monday:

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