Shawn's blog

On Saturday, December 14th, celebrate the holiday season with events and deals across University City and West Philadelphia! Get into the holiday spirit by shopping at local vendor markets, enjoying one-day offers from restaurants and small businesses, and enjoying festive events throughout the neighborhood.

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.

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.

UCD is raising money to maintain green space throughout the District. Plus each dollar raised for greening in University City will be matched up to $25,000. If you love and use green space in University City, now is the time to double your impact on the neighborhood we love.

Join University City District and Gretchen Elise for Pop-Ups at The Portal - Thursdays, May 11 through June 15th (5PM to 7PM)! 6 weeks of *FREE* all-ages interactive music at Trolley Portal Gardens (40th and Baltimore). 

West Philadelphia is getting festive during this holiday season, with unique performances, ongoing deals at local small businesses and restaurants, and plenty of opportunities to shop from local vendors. Click to learn more!

The labor market of the past 30 months has been more varied than any other time in recent memory. Unemployment rates swung from record lows to record highs in weeks, and then quickly fell back. Some industries that were well prepared to adjust to the pandemic economy have thrived, while others have struggled with labor shortages and supply chain issues. In recent months, inflation concerns, along with the stubborn continuation of COVID-19, have continued to weigh on the minds of economists and employers.

We are pleased to announce three new members to our University City District board of directors, which is comprised of community, business, institutional, and non-profit leaders from within University City. The new additions to the board are: David Beaupré, Vice President for Finance & Administration and Treasurer at St. Joseph's University; Tracy S.

With summer rapidly approaching, students are heading home for a few months' break, and many of us who work in University City offices are settling into new hybrid work schedules. This has an impact on how we get around the neighborhood, so this month we are revisiting our transit recovery statistics.