Philly's Little Odessa; Pass to Germantown; Pet shelters overwhelmed

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Sunbathing
(Photo by @photolope)

Philly’s haven for immigrants from Russia, Ukraine and beyond

The neighborhoods of Bustleton and Somerton in Northeast Philadelphia have been called “Little Odessa” for their large numbers of residents who are immigrants from Russia, Ukraine, and other parts of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

At least 43,000 immigrants born in those countries live in Northeast and upper North Philly, according to census estimates. Continue reading…

In KleinLife community center’s “Leaving Home” program, Ukrainian refugee children interviewed Holocaust survivors and Jewish refugees from the former Soviet Union about their experiences. (Courtesy of KleinLife)

All-in-one pass lets you dive into Germantown history

Historic Germantown wants you to visit nine of its twenty destinations and museums in Northwest Philly this summer at a discounted rate.

Sites included in the Historic Germantown OnePass give visitors a range of options to learn about Germantown’s history from George Washington’s time spent there to its status as a key site along the Underground Railroad. Continue reading…

Cliveden, one of the historical sites you can visit with the Historic Germantown OnePass (Photo courtesy of Historic Germantown)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• ‘We will not be bullied’: Plymouth Township pushes back against proposed Conshohocken data center. [WHYY]

• High schools in Pennsylvania can now get state grant money to help them transition to later start times. [CBS3]

• Jefferson Health sued IBX, claiming payment changes cost it nearly $100 million this year. [Inq$]

• ACCT Philly says it has reached a crisis point as the shelter runs out of space amid a surge in owner surrenders. [NBC10]

• Tiny art draws big crowds at Queen Village’s Mini Mini Art Show which features tiny paintings, origami and sculptures through Aug. 2. [Billy Penn]

• Street artist ‘irregular’ installs LeBron James-shaped mirror on Center City wall. [PhillyVoice]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker attends the 2026 Philly Future Track Graduation Ceremony, celebrating participants who have completed a career readiness program that provides training in environmental stewardship. (10 a.m.)

Parker later attends the OIC of America’s “A Better Tomorrow” reception at the Pyramid Club as they launch a national agenda focused on workforce development, economic opportunity, and equity. (6 p.m.)

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

How Philly works: A look at the city’s governance
From the mayor to City Council to the budget process and row offices, Billy Penn explains the wheels of power.

Friendly faces & third places: Mt. Airy is a close community
Community is the foundation for businesses in Mt. Airy, as seen at a popular coffee shop and co-op grocery store.

ON THE CALENDAR

A real-life competition of traitors and faithfuls (Tuesday),
dad joke quizzo night (Wednesday),
a Gayborhood mural walk (Thursday),
AND MORE!

Send us events to add to the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!