University City District Blog

Get ready to deck the halls with all kinds of holiday cheer! From festive performances to amazing deals at local businesses, there’s no shortage of ways to get into the seasonal spirit. Whether you’re getting your shopping done early, or grabbing a bite to eat, there's plenty of holiday magic to enjoy. Stay tuned for more updates – the fun’s just beginning!

Cedar Park, the public park on Baltimore Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, just got a fresh pop of color! The beloved community green space has a brand-new ground mural titled Groove and Flow  on its eastern edge where Baltimore Avenue and Catharine Streets converge courtesy of local artist Lawren Alice.

This past summer, the Streets Department completed a traffic improvement project on 48th Street between Kingsessing Avenue and Chestnut Street. Members of our community called for improvements to make biking, walking, and driving along that corridor safer, and after gathering community input and conducting studies, the City installed a parking-protected bike line, freshly painted roadway markings and crosswalks, speed tables added from Haverford Avenue to Kingsessing, and more.

Today marks the start of an exciting new chapter for University City District's workforce development subsidiary. We have rapidly expanded beyond the borders of West Philadelphia over the past few years, impacting new neighborhoods and new industries, and it was time to update and simplify our name. The growth and evolution of our vision has fueled the growth evolution of our brand from the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative to our new name: The Skills Initiative.

On Monday, September 16th, 2024, members of our and Skills Initiative teams joined representatives from The Wistar Institute, Iovance Biotherapeutics, Inc., PIDC, Philadelphia Works, Inc., Life Sciences Pennsylvania, and the Philadelphia Department of Commerce in hosting Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05) at The Wistar Institute to visit the current cohort in the Biomedical Technician Training Program.

Since its debut in 2010, the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll has grown into a hugely popular event. Neighbors and Philadelphians from around the city convene on Baltimore Avenue to enjoy deals from local businesses, plus live music, free activities for kids, and a chance to experience one of our favorite commercial corridors in West Philadelphia.

Today, we are excited to share news of five promotions within our staff. Please join us in congratulating A.J. Adams, Patrick Bayer, Lauren Bishop, Morgan Rogers Burns, and Dr. Romaine Thrower on their new titles. 

University City District (UCD) will hold the next edition of the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll in 2024 on the evenings of Thursday, September 5th. The event draws thousands of neighbors and visitors to enjoy dollar deals from participating vendors. In 2022, we expanded the price levels vendors can offer from $1 deals to deals for $1, $3, OR $5.  

Today, University City gained a new, independently-owned grocery store with the opening of a Grocery Outlet Bargain Market. The store is owned and operated by Jaelyn and Jaida Deas, two sisters from California with extensive experience in grocery retail operations.