Cleo Bagels Instagram photo.

UPDATE (9/12/23): Cleo Bagels officially opened its first brick-and-mortar location at 5013 Baltimore on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Formerly known as Dodo Bagels, Cleo Bagels offers mostly traditional fresh baked bagels, bialys, apple muffins (“applethings”), creatively made sandwiches and more, according to the business’ social media posts.

The store hours are from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. or until sold out on Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 17. After that, the store will be open on Friday-Sunday through the end of the month (hours on Friday will be 8 a.m.-2 p.m.), then Thursday-Sunday in October. The goal is to “slowly build their weekday service,” according to the owners.

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Heather Gardner Studio, a West Philadelphia-based music school, is launching a new program for young children, Music Together®. The goal of Music Together is to expose young children to a diversity of musical experiences, allowing them to realize their full musical potential as they grow. Young children and parents also develop strong bonds when they share musical experiences. Music Together is a program for the whole family, giving them the tools to continue their musical play throughout the week!

The program is intended for children ages 0-5 years. Babies are welcome and infant siblings under 8 months are free.

Classes begin September 13th and are offered at the studio, where kids and adults can take private Suzuki violin, viola or voice lessons. Classes are taught by a certified Music Together teacher. Free demo classes are being offered Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. RSVP on Facebook here.

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The repaving of a portion Walnut Street in West Philadelphia is set to begin on September 12th. The milling work is expected to take place during the overnight hours from Tuesday, Sept. 12 to Friday, Sept. 15. During this work, the street will be reduced to one lane between 33rd Street and 63rd Street and motorists should expect delays.

The repaving schedule is as follows, according to PennDOT:

• Through Friday, Sept. 15, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., there will be a lane closed on Walnut Street between 63rd Street (Cobbs Creek Parkway) and 33rd Street to prepare for milling.
• Milling work will take place during overnight hours.
• Paving is set to begin on or around Tuesday, Sept. 26.
• Travel lanes will be open during the majority of construction. There will be periodic nighttime closures. Follow signs, detours, and parking notices.

The project is part of the City’s Complete Streets project.

The Walnut Street repaving project includes the following street improvement goals:

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Photo courtesy of UCD.

The popular community and business event, Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, is set to return for the second and final time this year. It will be held Thursday, Sept. 7, from 5-8 p.m., when visitors are invited to stroll up and down Baltimore Avenue between 40th and 51st Streets for $1, $3, and $5 deals on food, drinks, merchandise, and more from local businesses and neighborhood vendors.

Due to this week’s heatwave, University City District (UCD), the longtime event organizer, urges all attendees to wear cool clothes and make sure to bring water so they can hydrate before and during the event.

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The 2023-2024 school year begins Tuesday, Sept. 5. In anticipation of extreme heat conditions next week, with temperatures reaching mid-90’s, the School District of Philadelphia has issued an Extreme Heat Protocol for the public schools without air conditioning or inadequate cooling (see the list below).

These schools will follow the schedule below for Tuesday, Sept. 5 through Thursday, Sept. 7.

• Tuesday, Sept. 5 – Wednesday, Sept. 6: Students will attend schools in the morning and then be released on an early dismissal schedule.

• Thursday, Sept. 7: The District will continue to monitor heat conditions. Any decisions about Thursday or Friday will be announces by 12 p.m. on the day before.

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Bartram’s Garden.

September is almost here, and while the weather is still very warm, it’s nice to spend time under the tree canopy at two beautiful historic green spaces in West Philadelphia – The Woodlands and Bartram’s Garden. Both places are hosting some great, free events for all ages next month, including nature nights and walks, craft and food fests, meditations workshops, biking classes, and more! Here are more details:

Events at The Woodlands (40th and Woodland):

Nature Nights: Bat Night
Fri., Sept. 8, 6 – 8 p.m.

Explore The Woodlands after dark (during a full moon!), look for bats, and learn how to become a Citizen Scientist. You can also learn about birding and maybe even spot an owl! This family-friendly event includes a storytime from the Walnut Street West Library, a bat walk, and an opportunity to visit the Philadelphia Orchard Project Learning Orchard at The Woodlands. Pre-registration is recommended (click here).

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