This Week: April 25, 2024 | |
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Typically – and for good reason – it’s bad form to “blame the refs” after losing an athletic contest, as normally the blame lies closer to home. But in the case of the end of last Monday’s Sixers’ playoff Game 2 against the rival Knicks, scrutiny of the refereeing is legitimate.
First, Sixers coach Nick Nurse called for a time-out not once but twice, and in neither case was a time-out granted. Worse, star guard Tyrese Maxey was essentially mugged, again not once but twice, and in neither case was a foul called. (The NBA has admitted to these non-call errors.) Sixer MVP Joel Embiid has rightly termed all this “unacceptable”.
That all said, we’re not replaying the final 14.7 seconds of Game 2. It’s on to Game 3 tonight in our house, the Wells Fargo Center, which will be rocking.
Before the series, we predicted the Sixers would win in six games, based on superior talent and on a coach who has few, if any, peers in the NBA. After the Game 2 disgrace, Embiid said, “We’re gonna win this.” That’s his – and our – story, and we’re sticking to it.
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Don’t Miss Out! Members Meet ‘n’ Greet Happy Hour! | |
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As a big fat “Thank You!” for being members, please join fellow CCRA members for an over-the-top Meet-and-Greet Happy Hour at the new Franklin at Rittenhouse, a boutique hotel at 1715 Rittenhouse Square on the evening of Monday, May 6.
All our Meet and Greets are designed for our members to meet each other, but this one is going to be uber-urban. The hotel itself is way cool, and OMG the Art Deco bar! Named The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company (after Prohibition’s biggest rum-running ring), it practically oozes the word speakeasy. (Yes, we want to THANK YOU.)
So here’s the deal: For only $15 you get to enjoy a welcome drink and delicious appetizers (cash bar, too) along with the festive company of other denizens of Center City. 5:30-7:30 pm. First 75 people, CCRA Members only.
Limited availability re tickets, so best to register here NOW, if you know what’s good for you. See y’all there!
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We are sad to report that CCRA President Rick Gross is resigning as President on May 31. Rick and his wife Roberta are moving to Santa Barbara to be (much) nearer to his children and grandchildren. Come say goodbye to him at our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 22, at 6 pm, at the Freire Charter School – more details to come. As Executive Vice President, Richard Vaughn will assume the Presidency and Leo Levinson was voted to serve as Executive Vice-President starting June 1. | |
On Tuesday Philadelphia voters approved a ballot question to have the city indemnify RCOs for costs incurred if zoning applicants sue them for their recommendations to the Zoning Board of Adjustment to deny an application for a variance or special exception. This provides important financial protection for volunteer community groups like CCRA. | |
CCRA Public Zoning Committee Meeting | |
CCRA public zoning committee meeting is on Tuesday, April 30, 7 PM via Zoom. Read the agenda here. | |
Public Meeting Re Market Street Bridge Project | |
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On Thursday, May 2, at 6 pm, CCRA and Fitler Square Neighbors Association are holding a presentation with PennDOT regarding the safety improvements to the Market Street Bridge project. The presentation will take place at the Philadelphia School, located at 2501 Lombard St, and will include a project overview with details of the final expected outcome, as well as a discussion of the staging of the project, the preliminary construction schedule, and the traffic controls and detours. The PennDOT presentation will only focus on the Market Street Bridge project. You can see details of the project here.
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We Love You to the Moon and Back | |
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CCRA Green PHS Tree Tenders celebrated Earth Day with an amazing Spring planting. Thank you neighbors for requesting trees to green our streets, schools, and parks. Thank you to every amazing volunteer who showed up to plant new trees including teams from Global Shapers and Stonewall Sports. You made our community and our world better.
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Ease your Kid’s MathXiety | |
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Welcome to CCRA’s new business member, Mathnasium!
And…we warmly welcome this new business to Center City to help our kids love math. Speaking of which….does your kid hate math? Summer may be the best time to get math tutoring help without the pressure of tests and homework. At this new facility in Center City, you can get your child up to speed WITH A SUMMER EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT (must be enrolled by April 30th). Schedule a tour today by calling or texting 215-358-6284 or checking out their website. Online and in-person sessions are also available.
Its mission is simple yet powerful – to teach students math so they understand it, master it, and love it. The center is open to serve students from 1st-grade curriculum through Calculus, including private lessons for standardized tests. Mathnasium is located at 322 N Broad Street.
And….why is six afraid of seven? Because seven eight nine. Who says that math can’t be fun?
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They’re Coming to Take Us Away, Ha-Haaa! | |
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Not to the funny farm, but to The Big Apple (seriously, did you know that song was about a guy who lost his dog?). Luckily, our Merchant Partner, EXCURSIONS FROM THE SQUARE is offering our members three one-day trips to NEW YORK CITY this spring. Join an optional walking tour, visit a suggested museum, attend a performance at the AMERICAN BALLET THEATER, or simply enjoy the BIG APPLE on your own.
Departures are from RITTENHOUSE SQUARE, and CCRA members automatically get a $10 discount! Click here for more details or ping Ellen Kay Coleman at (215) 732-8487.
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CCRA MERCHANT PARTNER FEATURE | |
CCRA’s Merchant Partner program is a true Win-Win: It provides local businesses with complimentary advertising and exposure while giving CCRA members generous deals and discounts. This week we spotlight sustainable delivery service The Rounds. | |
Making The Rounds Work For You | |
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Bothered by the amount of the simple, sheer physical waste in your life? Who isn’t? Well, local delivery outfit The Rounds is working to do something about it.
The Rounds is in fact built on the “milkman” model in that it delivers products to the customer’s door in reusable packaging (think milk bottles). Then, when the user is done, it retrieves the packaging, rinses and repeats. No waste!
Yes, the idea is to lower the amount of waste from individual, disposable orders. The Rounds delivers everyday essentials like oats, nuts, toilet paper, soaps, paper products, cleaning products etc. In short: it’s green, it’s sustainable, and it’s cheaper.
Intrigued? Thought so. For more info and to get started, please visit The Rounds. And know this: Use the code THEROUNDSCCRA in the promo field at signup and your first month of membership will be free -- plus a $15 product credit.
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You Can Bank on this Party in the Park | |
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Our BFF (Building Friends in Fitler) collaborator group, Friends of Schuylkill River Park, has invited us all to Party in the Park on June 1st from 7-10 pm., ages 21+. So…..dust off them dancin’ shoes and join this shindig under the stars in our collective backyard along the picturesque Schuylkill River in the newly renovated Markward Plaza, along the Banks. Rain date June 8th.
Enjoy a night of dancing and grooving to tunes from Panama Street’s very own Panamaniacs band. Delicious local fare and refreshing drinks will be on offer - featuring wine tastings from Moore Bros, beer from Triple Bottom Brewing and more! All proceeds from the event go towards the maintenance of the park, playground, dog park, trees, courts, rec center and pool. So you can boogie the night away knowing that you're helping to keep our beloved park looking and feeling its best. Grab your friends and ask your neighbors to join you for a night of good old-fashioned fun in the great outdoors.
Early Bird ticket price $50 until 5/1.
To kick up your heels, CitiRokk it here.
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Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion | |
New Art Installation for “Clean Slate” Solution to Prison Record Limitations | |
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Independence Mall is featuring a new, temporary public art installation that advocates for the rights of those with criminal records. The artwork is titled Waiting Workforce and will be up for the next few weeks. Its goal is to inspire people to fight for Clean Slate laws in their home state. The Clean Slate law initiative “automatically clears eligible records for people who have completed their sentence and remained crime-free, and expands who is eligible for clearance.” You can find more detailed information about this stunning installation here.
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Support important work being done by Women’s Way! | |
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Sign up to support Women's Way and be part of a focus group discussing the “gender wealth gap.” The discussion will take place on Sunday, May 5, from 1 - 2:15 pm, in the Collier Gallery on the second floor. of the Philadelphia Ethical Society at 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square.
We need at least 15 people to make this focus group work. You need not be an expert! RSVP to Hugh Taft-Morales or call 301-580-1481.
Women’s Way is building the index as a tool that can account for historical and current wealth extraction practices. They have a theoretical and practical interest in the concept of reparations. This facilitated conversation will contribute to creating the best possible index. Please join with us for this brief event.
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25th Anniversary- Black Pride in Philly | |
Community News and Events | |
Before The Laurel? A FIRE. | |
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Of course you know about The Laurel, the swanky new high-rise that overlooks Rittenhouse Square (and which is a stop along CCRA’s June 2 House and Garden Tour (tickets available here).
But did you know that the very same location – 1913 Walnut Street – was the site of a six-alarm fire thirty years ago? It’s quite the story, which CCRA’s street maven Bill West describes in depth here.
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Off the Beaten Path… In Philly | |
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Our Town has more than its share of iconic Greatest Hits, as any tourist from any out-of-town locale can tell you. But what both visitors and locals may not know is that there are an equal (If not greater) number of attractions that would qualify as under the radar.
Like what? How about a Clay Studio or a Museum for Art in Wood? Or an antique Ice Tool Museum, or The Stoogeum? You get the idea, but to get an even better idea, tour here.
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What do you get when you put a coffee shop, bubble tea cafe, gift store, and plants galore under one roof? The Ground, at 120 S.18th St., with its coffee and espresso bar, hand-painted neighborhood mural, and interactive “bubble booth” affording a view of boba tea masters at work. Reward your palate with French pastries, Korean-themed drinks and food, and delectable breakfast dishes. Click here to explore what this new shop offers.
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Book talks and signings at the Philadelphia City Institute Library | |
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Mark your calendar for a series of Author Talks at the Philadelphia City Institute Library on Rittenhouse Square.
Abigail Trafford will present her memoir High Time, an engaging and inspiring guide to crafting a life and a testament to the enduring power of love and place. She masterfully braids two worlds: the culture and history of an accomplished East Coast family, and the life of an adventurous journalist. She is excited to share her story on Friday, May 3 at 3:30 pm. Click here for more info.
Peter Jam, pet psychologist and author of Magic Starts with You: Doggy Education for All will be at the Library on Monday, May 6 at 5:30 pm. He will discuss his approach to human-dog connection. Click here for more info.
Pamela Kripke will present her story collection at the Library on Monday, May 13 at 5:30 pm. Her book And Then You Apply Ice features women who encounter varying degrees of hurt - to their emotions, bodies and brains. The stories examine parenthood, love, divorce, infidelity, expectations and grief. Click here for more info.
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Center City: Getting Better All the Time | |
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If you sensed that things are improving in Center City, congratulations: your Spidey sense is spot-on, as the recent report from the Center City District (CCD) attests.
For one thing, Greater Center City population is up 3%. Retail occupancy is at 85%, bouncing back from 54.5% in June 2020. Weekend foot traffic has reached 95% of 2019 levels.
Further, in 2023:
· 80+ new storefront businesses opened
· 43 building projects were completed or underway
· 1,037 trees tended by CCD landscape teams
The CCD report breaks it all down here.
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Outdoor Yoga is Back on the Banks | |
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Yoga on the Banks returns to the Schuylkill Banks for its 12th year of outdoor classes. Gather near the grassy area at 25th and Locust, near the Schuylkill River Banks boardwalk. Their mission is to make yoga accessible to everyone, so there’s a sliding-scale registration. Your donation supports their teachers, assistants, and the administration of this program.
Advanced class registration required for all classes:
Saturday @ 10 am Tickets here.
Sunday @ 10 am Tickets here.
Registration for classes opens just a few days before each class. Namaste.
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Community Meeting - Center City Police Precinct Merger | |
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Celebrate National Pretzel Day this Friday by claiming a free one at various soft pretzel vendors, including Wetzel’s Pretzels in the Fashion District, and Philly Pretzel Factory or Auntie Anne’s locations. Check here, or your favorite pretzel baker’s website for more details.
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Merchant Partners "Deals and Discounts" Program | |
Please support our local merchants and save money too. These local merchants will provide a deal or discount to any member who shows a current CCRA membership card and personal identification. | |
CCRA assumes no responsibility, and makes no representations or warranties, regarding any product and/or services sold by any Merchant Partner. | | | | |
