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Fearing L&I crackdown, craft vendors are fleeing Clark Park
Several of the craft vendors who’ve been setting up at the popular Clark Park Farmers Market are skipping the event for fear they’ll be shut down.
- The market grew organically during the pandemic, and permits weren’t enforced. Now there’s confusion over what’s required and the cost — with different proprietors told different things.
Officials told Billy Penn the goal is to minimize commercial activity in parks, but vendors are frustrated with tactics. Said one: “We think this is a scare tactic.”
Northern Liberties retail boom: Over a dozen new storefronts
Northern Liberties has been a development hot spot for a while, but rarely have this many new stores been about to open.
- The formerly industrial neighborhood is on track to add 5,000 more residential units in the next two years, doubling its population. There’s also 185k square feet of new commercial development in the works.
Asha Prihar has a detailed look at what’s on tap, from restaurants to cafes, bike shops, art centers, and a doggie daycare with livestream viewing.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- A father and three children died in a rowhome fire in Kensington, while the mother is recovering in the hospital. Like the Fairmount fire last month, the building appeared to lack working smoke alarms. There’s a GoFundMe for the family.. [6ABC/CBS3/GoFundMe]
- Jacqueline C. Romero is Biden’s pick to be U.S. Attorney for Philadelphia. The first woman ever nominated for the post, she’s worked as an assistant in the office since 2006. [Al Día]
- Pa. Education Secretary Noe Ortega, who testified at the recent school fair funding trial, is resigning this week. Wolf chief of staff Eric Hagarty will step in as acting secretary. [WHYY/Chalkbeat]
- Before a new 25-story apt tower rises on the Delaware waterfront, there’s an archeological dig at the site. Artifacts there “tell the story of Philadelphia mercantilism” in the 18th and 19th century, archeologists say. [West Shipyard/WHYY]
- Four years after opening in Rittenhouse, Shakespeare & Co bookstore is closing because its lease is up. The owner says he’s looking for a new location. [Billy Penn/Inquirer$]
- BMX brand SE Bikes hosted a “Bikes Up, Guns Down” rideout in Philly on Saturday, taking about 300 teens and adults on a ride through the city with a police escort. [SE Bikes/Instagram]
- Nets fans actually thought Ben Simmons might suit up and play in a must-win Game 4 vs. the Celtics? Nope. Citing that ever-convenient back soreness, Simmons will sit it out. [@ReggieMillerTNT/ESPN]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Kenney joins U.S. Rep Scanlon and Majority Leader Hoyer of Maryland at the Navy Yard to talk about federal investments there to train people and create more jobs (4:15 p.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
? Billy Penn Philly Quizzo with Newbold Exchange: Our monthly trivia night heads to South Philadelphia this month — and there’s free beer for everyone who registers! Test your local knowledge and win prizes while hanging out at a new coworking space in a former silent motion picture house. Free with RSVP. (6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28)
? The Fresh Prince reboot “Bel-Air” was shot in both California and Philadelphia, and the production team joins the Greater Philadelphia Film Office for a virtual Q&A on how they made it work. Tix are $5. (6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 26)
? Temple hosts its first “Owned by Owls” street festival, an outdoor market next to Love City Brewing where all vendors are alumni of the school. (12 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 30)
