South Philly Review

An award-winning local playwright will make his Philly theater debut in a new show at the Drake this week. Dan Kitrosser now calls South Philadelphia home after attending school and working in New York City. His new offering, Hannah + the Healing Stone, will take the stage on Aug. 18 and will run through Aug. 28 at the Drake at 302 S. Hicks St.

East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District , home to more than 160 independently-owned businesses in South Philadelphia, is hosting Second Saturday Summer Sidewalk Sale and Stroll, an all-day affair of shopping locally-made, Philadelphia-themed, and vintage finds from shops, boutiques, and more, plus pop-ups, and grab-and-go fare, with a line-up of live music and entertainment, on Saturday, August 13 from morning till night.

Paintings by Ashanté Kindle & Khari Turner opens in the galleries at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, 1020 South St., on Sept. 9. The display of experimental paintings will be on view until Dec. 4. Ashanté Kindle and Khari Turner explore culture and generational lineage through personal narratives in their...

James Beard Award winner and former Iron Chef contestant Jose Garces recently opened a new restaurant, Buena Onda, in Rittenhouse at 114 S. 20th St. Featuring 1,700 square feet of space that can seat 48 people, the restaurant pays homage to Garces’ love of the Mexican coast and its cultures. It’s the restaurant’s second location in the city, along with its site in Fairmount.

A 64-year-old woman was stabbed to death on the 2300 block of S. 20th Street just past midnight on August 12, police said. According to police, the woman was stabbed multiple times in the throat at approximately 12:18 a.m. inside a second floor hallway. She was pronounced dead by medics at 12:31 a.m. According to police, the knife was recovered and a suspect was arrested.

Chef Jose Garces now has an appetite for sports. The award-winning chef will bring his prized food to the Wells Fargo Center in the fall, giving hockey, basketball and lacrosse fans something new and exciting to chew on. The brand-new culinary concept “Garces Eats” will be ready to serve hungry...

Screenwriter Chris Courtney Martin, a Philadelphia native, has released The Book of I.P. (Idol Poems) – a short hybrid poetry and essay collection. Each work in the collection represents an “ode” to story concepts Martin finds screen-worthy. The 65-page work contains 30 poems and two memoir-style essays. The book is available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B148JKLM. For more information, go to https://alienbuddhapress.wordpress.com/2022/06/16/spotlight-the-book-of-i-p-idle-poems-by-chris-courtney-martin/.

Summer Reading Finale – From 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Whitman Library, celebrate the last day of summer reading with free books, giveaways and more. Bottle Cap Garden Ornaments – From noon to 4 p.m. at Magic Gardens, 1020 South St., join Ricky Boscarino of Luna Parc at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens for a unique family-friendly event. He will teach visitors how to turn all of our plastic bottle lids into fanciful garden ornaments like those that hang outside his kitchen. The event is free with admission. General admission tickets can be purchased via www.phillymagicgardens.com.

The South Philly landmark known as the “Singing Fountain” on East Passyunk Avenue got its name because of loudspeakers that can broadcast actual songs. The small triangle where it is located was created by the intersection of East Passyunk Avenue, Tasker Street and 11th Street. Passyunk Avenue is slanted because it was once an Indian trail that William Penn allowed to cross his original street grid. It comes from the Lenape word “Pachsegink” that means “in the valley.”

Let’s stop making Brittney Griner a hero. Yes, the 31-year old women’s pro basketball star has been treated badly by the Russian court. She brought less than a gram of cannabis oil into Russia in February. Got caught. Pleaded guilty. And got slammed with a nine-year sentence in a Russian prison.

The 2022 Philadelphia International Unity Cup is now in full swing and South Philly residents will have multiple opportunities to catch great international soccer action without traveling overseas. Philadelphia’s sixth annual first-of-its-kind World Cup-style soccer tournament kicked off on August 5 after a flag procession as Portugal defeated the Ivory...

Let’s talk asset management. It’s been more than three and a half years since Chuck Fletcher replaced Ron Hextall as general manager of the Philadelphia Flyers. Since Fletcher arrived, the Flyers have made the playoffs once, while failing to qualify the last two seasons. And heading into the 2022-23 season, the wider audience thinks the Flyers are far from contending, after missing the postseason by 40 points.

A South Philadelphia neighborhood gathered to vent its frustration on continued gun violence. On Aug. 1, City Councilman Kenyatta Johnson led a Peace-Not-Guns Public Safety walk up the 1800 block of Sigel Street, which was where singer Joelill Foy was fatally shot outside his home a few days earlier. Foy...

Enjoy a summer evening at the American Swedish Historical Museum at 1900 Pattison Ave. on Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m. while indulging in Swedish favorites including a buffet of crayfish, Swedish meatballs, potatoes, cheese pie, salads, dessert and a glass of aquavit outside under a decorated tent. The Swedish tradition...

Philly-bred ice cream brand Milk Jawn finally opened the doors to its first brick and mortar at 1439 E. Passyunk Ave. on Friday, August 5. Amy Wilson, the brand’s founder, initially started making ice cream in her kitchen as a hobby back in 2012. With the help of partners Ryan Miller and Cathryn Sanderson, it developed into a delivery-only business by 2020 while also establishing pop-up shops at farmers’ markets throughout the city. Now, the brand is taking the next step with a brick and mortar shop.

A South Philadelphia native received a prestigious fellowship from the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes. Jayda Pugliese was named 2022 Lowell Milken Center Fellow following a trip to Fort Scott, Kansas in late June to collaborate with the staff of the Lowell Milken Center, which is an international educational nonprofit.

State Reps. Malcolm Kenyatta and Brian Sims joined LGBTQ leaders and medical professionals for a news conference at South Philly’s Mazzoni Center on July 29 to discuss community needs and concerns related to the monkeypox outbreak. “As this virus is just beginning to hit the commonwealth, we are already...

The Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show will celebrate its 95th year on Sept. 16-18, securing its distinction as the oldest outdoor fine art show in the country. The show will host 145 artists from North America and will return to Rittenhouse Square for one of the nation’s best, originals-only fine art shows.

The AARP Foundation will be closing four Experience Corps branches, including the one in Philadelphia. The volunteer program trains people 50 and older to help students become better readers by the end of third grade by building their fluency, accuracy and comprehension skills. The tutoring is done one on one...

Veterans Job Fair – From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hyundai Club at Lincoln Financial Field. A hiring event with more than 40 registered exhibitors. Complimentary parking in Lot J, located on 11th Street. To register and for more info, visit https://success.recruitmilitary.com/. August 6. Indonesian Festival –...