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Officials optimistic most Philly public pools will open this year
Parks & Rec believes at least 65 of the 70+ Philadelphia public pools will be able to open this year, WHYY reports.
- Just 60 more lifeguards are needed after officials boosted pay to $16 and launched a TikTok. A shortage last summer forced nearly a third of city pools to remain closed, many in neighborhoods with lower incomes.
Lifeguarding is a great way to meet people, have fun, and help your community, writes BP’s Jessica deRivera, who remembers it as her favorite summer job.
With Philly’s largest restaurant, the waterfront is hopping
A trip to Penn’s Landing can feel like a vacation without leaving the city, thanks to a huge new restaurant and the return of water activities.
- With 1,400 seats offering food and drink, Liberty Point wraps around the Independence Seaport Museum and helps showcase river views. Want to get closer? Kayaking and paddle boat rides are available below.
The area is only in the early stages of a planned $2.2 billion overhaul, but as these pics show, it has already become a true summer destination.
March On: The Fight for Pride
New podcast by Billy Penn reporter Michaela Winberg
Out now: Ep.1: “Kiss the ring” | Next up: Episode 2, June 2
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- Nearly all of Pa.’s congressional delegation is named in the list of 963 Americans banned from entering Russia, a reaction to U.S. sanctions over the Ukrainian invasion. [Axios/Reuters]
- After a years-long engagement and planning process, half of Washington Avenue in South Philly might remain exactly the same. With last week the deadline, Councilmember Johnson declined to intro legislation to shrink parts of the road in his district from three lanes to five, though there’s a chance it could be added as an amendment. [Inquirer$/WHYY’s PlanPhilly]
- The school district is postponing Philly high schools’ planned move to 9 a.m. start time, citing the desire to give students some needed year-to-year stability. [Chalkbeat]
- Philadelphia will be one of the country’s busiest cities in June, with 362 scheduled events — think Welcome America, Flower Show, Roots Picnic, etc. — including 80 categorized as “major.” [Predict HQ/Biz Journal$]
- A Point Breeze father is auctioning off NFTs of his 8-year-old’s art to raise money for a community hub that provides internet access and computer workshops. [South Philly Review]
- The Philadelphia Latino Film Festival is now underway, and it comes with the “Gusto Grub Guide” offering food and drink deals at Latino restaurants around the city. [Billy Penn]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Kenney welcomes Odunde CEO Oshunbumi Fernandez-West to City Hall where a drum and dance performance will officially announce the return of the nation’s largest African American street festival (10 a.m.). Evening takes the mayor first to Chew Playground in Point Breeze for the groundbreaking on a $2 million renovation (5 p.m.), then back to City Hall for the annual Community Schools Award celebration (6 p.m.).
ON THE CALENDAR
? Bands supporting Billy Penn: We’re emceeing a music show at The Fire, the woman-owned indie music venue and bar on Girard Avenue. Come hang at our table as you check out local bands with sounds ranging from blues-rock to surf-goth. Tickets are $15, and a portion of sales benefit BP’s journalism. (8 p.m. to midnight, Wednesday, June 1)
? Cutting through the Budget BS: Join Billy Penn at Parks on Tap for a happy hour chat with Controller Rebecca Rhynhart about how Philly spends taxpayer money — and who gets a say in the process. Free with RSVP. (5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 8)
? A Novel Idea bookstore hosts the authors of “Real Philly History” and “True Crime Philadelphia” for a virtual book talk filled with fascinating facts from the city’s past. Free with RSVP. (6 p.m. Thursday, June 2)
?️ Cheer on local high schoolers at Drexel as they race model solar-powered cars they built with their own hands in the Philadelphia Jr. Solar Sprint. (10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 4)
