Helen Gym touts progressivism; Biden visits Philly; COVID-era resource hubs to close

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Pride in Philly
(Photo by @jrwvk)

Helen Gym emerges to encourage fellow progressives

Former City Council member and mayoral candidate Helen Gym joined progressive activists in celebrating their movement’s recent successes at a national political conference in Philadelphia

Gym, a once-ubiquitous presence in city politics who was seen as a star of the movement nationally, largely retreated from public view after her third-place finish in the 2023 Democratic mayoral primary and has declined interview requests. Continue reading…

In May 2023, U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (left) and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (right) rallied for one of Philadelphia’s Democratic mayoral candidates, Helen Gym (center) at Franklin Music Hall. (Cory Sharber/WHYY)

Canopies, curiosities and creativity: An afternoon in West Philly’s Garden Court

West Philadelphia is a patchwork of distinct micro-neighborhoods, but Garden Court holds a quiet, resonant frequency all its own.

Engulfed by towering old-growth trees and stately early 20th-century brick facades, this neighborhood projects a dignified, storybook beauty that hides a fiercely eccentric creative ecosystem. Continue reading…

The courtyard garden at the heart of the Garden Court Condominiums, the neighborhood’s namesake, is a tranquil reward for residents. (Hanbit Kwon/for Billy Penn)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• As Pennsylvania cracks down on AI, multiple chatbots continue to pose as doctors. [Spotlight PA]

• Former President Joe Biden made a surprise appearance in Philadelphia on Sunday as he and several Philadelphia trailblazers were recognized for LGBTQ+ advocacy at the annual Stonewall Awards ceremony. [PGN/WHYY]

• Philly’s COVID-era resource hubs are closing as services move to new centers. Some residents are fighting to keep them. [WHYY]

• Always wondered what the colorful spray painted markings on Philly-area streets and sidewalks mean? PECO workers explain. [Inq$$]

• A year after John Czerw’s death, Czerw’s Kielbasa in Port Richmond carries on. [Kensington Voice]

• The world’s oldest standing Ferris wheel returns to Phoenixville to rise again. [WHYY]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker and city officials will cut the ribbon on the Kensington Wellness Support Center and its courtroom dedicated to a Neighborhood Wellness Court, a pilot program focused on same-day diversion for individuals arrested for certain low-level drug-related offenses. (1:30 p.m.)

ON THE CALENDAR

June 8 to 14 is chock full of events across Philly!
This week includes everything from Black filmmaker film screenings (Today), the closing of Healing Verse Germantown (Tuesday), an ICE Out event at Tattooed Mom (Tuesday) and more Pride Month events!

See the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!