? Want this daily digest emailed to you? Sign up for the free Billy Penn newsletter and it’ll land in your inbox every morning.
Divine Lorraine is turning into a ‘managed hotel property’
North Broad’s historic Divine Lorraine is turning into a hotel again, per a message sent by management to building residents.
- Filled with apartments since 2017, the building is transforming into a “managed hotel property,” and tenants are being told their leases will not be renewed.
It’s the next step for Eric Blumenfeld, Asha Prihar reports, the developer who’s been a force in revitalizing the North Broad corridor for over a decade.
Black hair care vending machines are popping up at ShopRite
Black women looking for last-minute hair extensions or edge control now have a solution, thanks to a new outfit called MK Glam.
- The hair care vending machine inside the Island Avenue ShopRite is the first of a dozen coming from entrepreneur Maeyonni Westbrook, who participated in last year’s Brown’s Business Incubator.
The pilot has been a total success, Desirae Holland reports for Billy Penn. Said Westbrook: “Business is so good, really good.”
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- Signs telling people when to move their cars are up, as the next phase of the city’s street sweeping pilot kicks off this week in 14 neighborhoods. [@TimJRadio/Billy Penn]
- Seeing a small rise in case counts, Philadelphia health officials are suggesting people start wearing masks indoors again. [WHYY]
- The Philly Zoo hasn’t seen any confirmed cases, but it temporarily closed some exhibits and moved animals indoors as bird flu spreads across the country. [Axios]
- Philly showed well at the Grammys, with Questlove, Jazmine Sullivan, the Christian McBride Big Band, and Yannick Nezet-Seguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra winning awards. [6ABC]
- NYC’s Xi’an Famous Foods teased a future Philadelphia location on April 1. Yeah, it was a joke, but if it does expand, Philly is “highly likely” to be next. [Philly Mag$]
- Friday is opening day for the Phillies, and fans have high hopes for the season. Citizens Bank Park has some new food, too, including Jersey faves Manco & Manco pizza and Colbie’s fried chicken. [CBS Sports/YouTube/PhillyVoice]
- Philadelphian and former Temple coach Dawn Staley, who has a North Philly street named after her, won her NCAA second championship, thanks to a strategy of making sure every player feels valued. Staley is this year’s recipient of WHYY’s Lifelong Learning Award. [Tribune$/Sports Illustrated/WHYY]
MAYOR WATCH: Apr. 5, 2022
Broad Street Ministry is launching a hygiene truck that’ll bring toiletries and personal care items to people in need, and Mayor Kenney hosts a launch event at City Hall (1:30 p.m.). Evening brings Kenney to the Independence Visitor Center to commemorate its 20th anniversary and memorialize late Visit Philly CEO Jeff Guaracino (5:30 p.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
? The first Nerd Nite Philly of the year takes over The Bourse with talks on the power of breakfast sandwiches to the Art Museum’s Duchamp exhibit. Admission is $10. (6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 6)
?️ Mural Arts hosts a fundraiser art show at the Ukraine League of Philadelphia, featuring drawings, music, and Ukrainian poetry. A poster-making session will start the evening. (6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 8)
? Looking for a workout class and bar crawl double whammy? Join RippedPHL and Barre 3 for back-to-back bar and strength training classes followed by snacks from Pure Fare and drinks from Two Robbers. Tickets are $35. (11:30 a.m. Saturday, April 9)
