University City District

02/26/2025

Our small business breakfast this morning was a successs! We were excited to gather at Renata’s Kitchen with local business owners and other community movers & shakers over coffee & pastries, courtesy of Renata’s.

Dont miss out on our next networking opportunity, University City MIX! Join us on March 12 at World Cafe Live for a night of music & mingling 💃💃

RSVP > https://www.eventbrite.com/e/university-city-mix-networking-happy-hour-at-world-cafe-live-tickets-1221051470819

02/26/2025

Read the latest on our ambitious West Philly Waterfront project in today's Philadelphia Business Journal. We're proud to share we've secured $250,000 in Local Share Account Statewide funding thanks to support from local elected officials including Rep. Rick Krajewski's office. We can't wait to share additional updates as the Waterfront progresses!

University City District's plan to build a $60 million park above the Schuylkill River, complete with a beach, has an updated timeline and some possible design changes.

02/26/2025

Please join us in wishing a happy retirement to Glenda Langley, who is hanging up her UCD hat after 25 years working as a member of our Public Space Maintenance crew 🌠

Glenda's primary role was providing pan and broom sidewalk cleaning along the 40th and 38th Street corridors, but she'll also be fondly remembered for her big smile, love of taking selfies with her coworkers, and her commitment to making our staff holiday parties as festive as possible.

Glenda frequently went above and beyond what her job description laid out, like recently when she came to the aid of a neighbor experiencing a medical emergency and stayed with them until an ambulance could arrive.

We sincerely thank Glenda for all she did to be a member of our team and hope she enjoys her retirement in full (and sends us lots of pictures!).

02/25/2025

This Thursday! Learn more about changes coming to the West Philadelphia trolleys

SEPTA is upgrading the trolley system with new vehicles & stations to better serve the community. Come out to learn more about the Route 36 [T5] modernization efforts and get your questions answered by SEPTA staff! 🙌

🗓️ When: Thurs, Febr 27, 2025 | 5 PM - 7 PM
📍 Where: Straight Gate Church, 6000 Elmwood Ave

02/21/2025

After 25 years in University City, will serve its final meals this Saturday. As Stephen Starr’s first restaurant, Pod paved the way for many of Philly’s favorite spots, from Parc to LMNO to Morimoto. It’s been more than just a dining destination—it’s been a place where friendships were made, milestones were celebrated, and memories were created.

We’re proud to have had this iconic restaurant in our community and sad to see it go. If you have a favorite Pod memory—a first date, a birthday dinner, or just a great night out—tag us and share your stories.

While this chapter is ending, we are excited to see how this space is transformed in the future

02/20/2025

Join us for University City MIX on Wed, March 12th, 2025, from 5:30-7:30 PM @ World Cafe Live (3025 Walnut St)! Enjoy networking, happy hour drinks & a FREE Jazz Jam show @ 8:30 ! 🎶 PLUS attendees can grab a voucher for 2 free tickets to a future event!

ow.ly/Gyms50V3Tht

02/19/2025

SEPTA is upgrading the trolley system with new vehicles & stations to better serve the community. Come out to learn more about the Route 36 [T5] modernization efforts and get your questions answered by SEPTA staff! 🙌

🗓️ When: Thurs, Febr 27, 2025 | 5 PM - 7 PM
📍 Where: Straight Gate Church, 6000 Elmwood Ave

02/18/2025

This evening, SEPTA - iseptaphilly.com will hold an Open House at Tilden Middle School (6601 Elmwood Ave) to discuss changes to Trolley Route 36 [T5] from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm. Community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about what's in store during the upcoming Trolley Modernization, including new vehicles, new on-street stations with exciting amenities, and infrastructure and operational improvements to make service faster and more reliable.

The open house will serve as an opportunity to learn more about Route 36 [T5] project updates, discuss key design elements, and provide public input on this impactful transit project.

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Time: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm
Location: Tilden Middle School, 6601 Elmwood Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19142

If you are unable to make tonight's meeting, there will be an additional chance on Thursday, February 27th from 5:00 pm-7:00 pm at Straight Gate Church located at 6000 Elmwood Avenue.

02/13/2025

Schmear It is having a pop up tomorrow, Feb 14, at the Porch at 30th St!

From 8 AM until supplies run out, swing by and fuel up before the parade.

Go birds 🦅🦅

02/13/2025

🚨 SEPTA Service Changes for Eagles Parade – Friday, February 14, 2025 🚨

In light of the Eagles Parade, SEPTA will be operating special event service to accommodate expected crowds. Because of limited capacity, SEPTA is encouraging riders to utilize the Market-Frankford and Broad Street Lines if possible. Travel on both lines will be free all day!

🚆 Regional Rail Service
Inbound only: 5:00 AM - 9:30 AM (select outlying stations to Philadelphia)
Outbound only: 2:00 PM - 10:30 PM (Philadelphia to select outlying stations)
Penn Medicine Station: Only served by the Airport Line with hourly service.

🚋 Trolley Service
Trolley routes will run between Drexel Station at 30th St and the 40th Street Portal. They will ONLY stop at the following stations:

Route 10 [T1]: 30th, 33rd
Route 11 [T4]: 30th, 33rd, 36th, 37th, 40th Portal
Route 13 [T3]: 30th, 33rd, 36th, 37th, 40th Portal
Route 34 [T2]: 30th, 33rd, 36th, 37th, 40th Portal
Route 36 [T5]: 30th, 33rd, 36th, 37th, 40th Portal

🚇 Market-Frankford & Broad Street Lines
Free travel all day!
Service runs every 6-8 minutes on both lines.
Check SEPTA’s Parade Service page for stations in operation

🚉 LUCY buses
LUCY buses will be detoured, and will originate at 33rd & Market St.

There will be one (1) LUCY bus at 30th St, but it will not operate on a timetable and will depart at the discretion if the Transportation Manager.

Learn more: ow.ly/xXzT50UZCm2

02/12/2025

This is a perfect time to add new food and beverage amenities to the area directly adjacent to 30th Street Station! We're very excited to see this project moving forward.

Gather Food Hall & Bar is due to open this fall with six still-to-be-named vendors and an upscale bar at the Bulletin Building across from 30th Street Station.

02/07/2025

Malcolm X Park is seeking feedback on designs for a new playground. Take this brief survey to share your thoughts before February 9th:

This survey will close on February 9th - Please share with your neighbors! At the first community meeting in December, we discussed the new park improvements coming to Malcolm X Park in Fall 2025. Along with some general site maintenance (new benches, curb repairs, trashcans, etc.), we will also be....

02/05/2025

Since 1997, University City District has been investing in the vitality of our neighborhood.
We’ve been working to keep streets clean, safe, and active, activate public spaces, and support local businesses and neighbors!

From hosting signature events to creating career opportunities with top employers, we’re all about building a vibrant, connected community.

Read our 2024 Annual Review to learn more about how we’ve been serving the neighborhood this year > www.ucdannualreview.com

02/04/2025

Changes are coming to the Westbound trolleys!

On Wednesday, February 12 from 5:30 – 6:45 PM, SEPTA is hosting a virtual public Open House to update riders and residents of the improvements planned along the Route 36 [soon to be the T5] Trolley.

The Route 36 [T5] redesign is an important phase of Trolley Modernization, and SEPTA is excited to update the community on planning and progress - learn more at the link below!

http://septa.org/.../route-36-t5-virtual-open-house.../

01/31/2025

The Eagles are headed to New Orleans with the NFC Championship in hand, just one win away from bringing home their second Lombardi Trophy! Now it’s your turn to make a Bird Call and fire up the team.

Leave a message for your favorite player, the coaches, or the whole squad—whoever needs to hear it. Drop a score prediction, chant, sing, scream...just keep it PG if you want your call to be used in hype videos and social media posts in the lead-up to the Big Game.

Stop by the Penn Bookstore (3601 Walnut) now through Tuesday, February 3, to make your Bird Call and let them hear you loud and clear!

If you can't make it in person, don't sweat - You can make a call any time through game day by dialing: (267) 352-4496. Let’s make sure our team feels the love all the way to the Superdome!

01/27/2025

There’s nowhere on Earth we’d rather be….GO BIRDS 🦅🦅

01/23/2025

Give back to The Woodlands by joining them for a site workday! This is an opportunity to give the grounds a much-needed winter spruce-up.

On Saturday, January 25th, come by for a day of:
- Collecting fallen sticks and branches, picking up trash along Woodland Avenue
-Completing other outdoor site clean-up chores as needed.

What you’ll need: BYO work gloves and water bottle. Not required, but feel free to bring your favorite pair of hand pruners if you have them. Volunteers should plan to bend and lift throughout the day.

☁️ This event will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Register and learn more: : https://ow.ly/zBZ550ULZMS

01/20/2025

On a sunny afternoon in 1965, with less than 12 hours' notice, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. drew a crowd of 10,000 to 40th and Lancaster in West Philadelphia for a historic speech.
This powerful moment is immortalized in Cliff Eubanks’s mural "MLK at Lancaster."

Dr. King's connection to Philadelphia is profound, marked by numerous iconic speeches and impactful visits. As we reflect on his time in West Philadelphia, we take pride in commemorating his enduring influence here in our city and beyond!