South Street vacancies; Philly Fringe guide; Market Street Bridge closure

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Towards the vanishing point
(Photo by @taoistpunk)

The struggle to fill South Street’s glut of vacant storefronts

Once one of the city’s trendiest entertainment and shopping destinations, South Street started slumping more than 20 years ago and has struggled to recover.

Now, a city proposal to encourage redevelopment and ease business creation has stalled. Continue reading…

Empty storefronts next to Lorenzo’s pizza on South Street in Philadelphia. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

How to Fringe: Your guide to Philly’s massive Fringe Festival

With more than 300 shows, navigating Fringe can seem daunting. But have no fear, Billy Penn is here to help.

We’ve got your guide to finding the experiences you want from this year’s festival. Continue reading…

“Kramer/Fauci” at the Fringe building focuses on the tempestuous love/hate relationship between AIDS activist Larry Kramer and Dr. Anthony Fauci as part of the 2026 Philadelphia Fringe Festival. (photo by Maria Baranova)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump’s desired restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections after officials in 23 states — including Pennsylvania — sued to block the executive order. [AP]

• Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Here’s what you should know beforehand, from voter deadlines to who’s on the ballot in Philadelphia and statewide. [WHYY]

• Philadelphia researchers fear proposed changes to federal science funding could mean a generation of lost scientists. [WHYY]

• Philadelphia kicks off a new school year as students, educators brace for looming school closures. [Chalkbeat]

• Philly tenant unions have quadrupled since the pandemic — and their political power is growing. [WHYY’s PlanPhilly]

• The Market Street Bridge will be closed for more than a year as part of a $148.9 million rehabilitation project to the structure and surrounding area. [WHYY]

• Parks Dept. crews will begin cleaning up hundreds of tires illegally dumped at Fairmount Park by someone who then got their U-Haul stuck in the mud and abandoned the vehicle. [NBC10]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker has no public events scheduled for Tuesday.

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

Exploring Philly’s arts scene with an accessibility mindset
How Art-Reach is working to help make the city’s cultural assets available and accessible to visitors of all abilities.
The family legacy continues at Seng’s Salon in Lower Moyamensing
The South Philly staple celebrates its 40th year of bringing the Southeast Asian community together.

ON THE CALENDAR

The 24th Slavery Commission meets at the President’s House site (Today),
Circle Jawn Singers gathers for a citywide sing (Wednesday),
Street Movies! comes to Point Breeze (Thursday)
AND MORE!

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