Center City housing hits 5-year high
More new housing units were built in the Center City area in 2023 than in the previous four years; a sign residential construction could continue to rebound from pandemic lows in 2020 and 2021.
Nearly 3,000 units were completed last year, a slight increase over 2022, but a significant jump over 2020 and 2021. Continue reading…
Before PHL, this land was home to hogs
When you touch down at PHL, you’re landing on a patch of land that once housed the world’s biggest shipyard and (possibly) birthed the hoagie.
The story of how Hog Island transitioned from its farming past to the country’s industrial future, eventually becoming home to the world’s biggest shipyard and now Philadelphia International Airport, is the subject of our latest Headlines of Yore from WHYY’s Avi Wolfman-Arent. Continue reading…
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
• Philly venture capital activity is down, but there’s some promising signs of resilience, particularly in the seed, pre-seed and early-stage levels, according to a new analysis. [Technical.ly]
• No more smoking: SEPTA’s new chairman Ken Lawrence, Jr. wants to end smoking on the El. [Inquirer$]
• Philly’s racial wealth gap is wider now than in 1960, city’s “Turn the Key” program aims to reduce that disparity. [WHYY]
• Salamanders, sparrows and more await anyone willing to discover the hidden wildlife of Fitler Square. [Fitler Focus]
• It’s just the first weekend, but spring training is off on the right foot for the Phillies. [BP/Hittin’ Season]
• Leaders in Philly’s Black history are captured in acrylic floor tiles at City Hall, from major civil rights activists to little-known community standouts. [WHYY]
MAYOR WATCH
Mayor Parker has no public appearances scheduled for Tuesday.
ON THE CALENDAR
🤝🏾 What’s the state of Black-owned start-ups in Philly? Entrepreneurs, investors, and community leaders meet to discuss the challenges, successes, and opportunities for Black-owned businesses. Free. (5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28)
📚 Planning for college? Temple University teams up with the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence, Equity, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans for a free virtual session for high school students, parents and families called “College Planning Made Easy.” (6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29)
✍🏽 The Philly Pigeon presents The Late(ish) Poetry Show, this time at PhilaMOCA. Open mic signups also welcome. $20-25 tickets. (8:30 p.m. Friday, March 1)
Catch up on the previous week
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