Clean Air Council is again partnering with community stakeholders, Tiny WPA, Amber Art and Design, and Parks and Recreation to create Little Nature Playgrounds at Cobbs Creek Park entrances. In 2025, Cobbs Creek Park received four Little Nature Playgrounds installations along Cobbs Creek Trail – at Cedar Ave, 61st St, Thomas Ave, and Florence Ave – and this new project will add three more locations.

Years of community concerns and advocacy surrounding road safety and barriers to park access have inspired the project. Family friendly entrances will include both an asphalt mural, a little playground, and park maps to draw residents into the park at safe crossing locations. The goal is to provide learning, wellness, and play spaces that connect residents to the physical, social, and mental health benefits of green space.

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Westpark Apartment towers (Photo by West Philly Local)

The Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA) broke ground yesterday on the first phase of the redevelopment of Westpark Apartments, the high rise public housing complex near 45th and Market.

The public-private effort between PHA and developers LMXD and MSquared will include 327 new units and will be developed across three buildings north of Market Street between Powelton Avenue and 46th Street during the first phase of the project. Nearly 140 units will be reserved for returning Westpark residents and 190 will be affordable to households earning between 20 and 80 percent of the area median income (AMI). The project will also include infrastructure development to reintegrate the site back into the city’s street grid, linking the campus for the first time to public transit and the broader neighborhood.

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If you’re a frequent SEPTA trolley rider, you’ve probably been stuck at least a few times on a trolley that was blocked by a vehicle double-parked in its lane. To help clear the tracks and keep trolleys moving without delays, the Philadelphia Parking Authority has launched an Automated Trolley Camera Enforcement program that will help track and fine drivers who double-park in trolley lanes and “no stopping” zones. The new initiative, the first of its kind in the country, has launched today with the activation of AI-powered cameras on 30 trolleys.

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The 68th Annual Spruce Hill May Fair is scheduled for Saturday, May 9 in Clark Park. As always, the Spruce Hill Community Association (SHCA) is inviting vendors, artisans and community groups/organizations seeking to do outreach and promotion to set up their tables at the event.

Space is limited and priority will be given to local community organizations and artisans (please no second-hand good or commercial products). This is a day to showcase works that local artisans have produced themselves. Also, vendor applications from businesses/organizations that plan to sell prepared food or beverage items at tables will not be accepted due to Health Department regulations. Food vendors with a free-standing and separately permitted truck/cart may still be able to participate (please contact SHCA).

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A tax preparation volunteer is working with customers at ACHIEVEability.

The Campaign for Working Families (CWF) is once again offering free tax preparation services to West Philadelphia residents this tax season. Now through April 15, residents can schedule an appointment via CWF’s website to receive expert assistance from trained nonprofit professionals.

In partnership with ACHIEVEability, which is serving as one of the host locations for the program, the free services will be held at 5901 Market Street. Appointments are available Mondays through Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on select Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Last year, with the support of ACHIEVEability and CWF, more than 1,000 residents received tax assistance, resulting in a combined total of $855,292 in refunds for those who used the free service.

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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).