Thursday’s grand opening of the Fine Wine & Good Spirits Premium Collection Store at Grant Avenue and Bluegrass Road marks the demise of two smaller state stores.

The new location at the Court at Grant Avenue [map] will replace smaller stores at 1619 Grant Ave. and 2417 Welsh Rd., which closed Wednesday.

The new store boasts a larger and higher quality stock that traditional state liquor stores, as well as a tasting counter.

A tree blocks traffic and part of a home on Cresco Avenue near Rhawn Street. Photo/Lucia Volpe

Sandy blew through Philadelphia Monday with fierce winds and heavy rain. Though the city escaped relatively unscathed, the storm left residents with clean-up duties. Trees that couldn’t withstand the wind are now strewn across roads and in yards, and have left many without electricity.

After a tree branch came crashing into the side of Sally Manners’ house at 9:30 p.m. Monday, she said she was worried about waking up Tuesday morning to find extensive damage to her home. continue reading »

L to R: FOPP Vice President Linde Lauff, business owner Andy Ungaro, FOPP Vice President of Public Affairs Jim Ryan, Holme Circle resident Elsie Stevens Photo/Friends of Pennypack Park

Last Saturday, the Friends of Pennypack Park and neighbors from Holme Circle presented a Certificate of Appreciation to Andrew Ungaro, owner of Bel Air Automobile at 3301 Welsh Rd.

For the past several years, Andy has generously maintained a beautiful flora display across from his business at the entrance of Pennypack Park, Welsh Road and Cresco Avenue. continue reading »

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Several families were displaced yesterday after a fire broke out inside an apartment complex at 2255 Welsh Rd. The building was evacuated and several families are receiving assistance from the Red Cross, but no injuries were reported [Philly.com]. continue reading »

Ever hear of Grubtown? How about Comlyville or Harrisburg, Philadelphia?

All three are former names and nicknames for pockets of Northeast Philadelphia, and they’re included in the city’s database of Neighborhoods and Place Names.

The database is mentioned in a piece published by the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia about the city’s reputation for being a “city of neighborhoods.” continue reading »

The Stokes House at 2876-80 Welsh Rd. in Holme Circle. Photo/Shannon McDonald

There are major developments happening in Holme Circle. Or at least there will be.

The Stokes property at 2876-80 Welsh Rd. has a new owner, though he insists whatever is to come for the property isn’t happening any time soon.

John Parsons of BSI Constructors was at the Holme Circle Civic Association meeting Wednesday night to deliver the news of no news. BSI has purchased the home from Samuel “Buzz” Stokes to, as Parsons put it, “help a family friend.”

Stokes was unable to care for the rambling property and instead decided to attend to his legal fees accrued in the corruption trial for former Pa. Rep. John Perzel, in which Stokes pleaded guilty to helping divert state money to Perzel’s political funding. BSI has hired Perzel, Stokes’ brother-in-law, as a consultant. You might recognize Parsons for his work at Island Green Golf course, numerous charter schools and the Holy Family University proposal for Liddonfield.

“Termites have taken over that property completely,” Parsons said. The spacious lot once compromised many of the surrounding neighborhood before the Stokes family sold off portions of it for development in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Now it’s limited to a single home facing Pollock School and Winchester Swim Club with property that backs up to the 2800-block of Walnut Hill Street. And it’s decaying. continue reading »

A blaze on the 2600-block of Welsh Road led to the city's first fire fatality of the year.

Officials from the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Fire Department spent yesterday afternoon on a safety mission after a fire claimed a man’s life Tuesday on the 2600-block of Welsh Road.

During the fire safety walk-through, residents of the apartment complex where the fire broke out, and those in nearby homes, were given fire safety kits and smoke detectors. The kits include smoke detector batteries and information on fire safety and prevention. continue reading »

Toy guns are being sold from an ice cream truck in Holme Circle parked across the street from Pollock Elementary School.

The policy on toy guns at Robert Blair Pollock Elementary in Holme Circle is simple: they’re not allowed.

But a parent called Fox29 recently when his child showed up to school with a toy gun the parent says was sold to the student by the ice cream truck driver at Welsh Road and Tolbut Street. continue reading »

Photo by Philadelphia Speaks user Bixbyte.

A broken water main near Roosevelt Boulevard and Welsh Road will keep the inner lanes of the intersection shut until at least Sept. 12.

The main broke early Sunday morning and had police rerouting traffic until the extent of the damage was discovered. continue reading »

The area of Pennypack Park near the concert state will be spray for mosquitoes Thursday night.

Weather permitting, the city’s Department  of Public Health will apply mosquito-control treatments tonight to parts of Pennypack Park.

The targeted area gets a lot of use — the stage area where the park holds its Summer Concert Series.  Spraying will begin this evening in the park between Rhawn Street, Welsh Road, Cresco Avenue and Pennypack Creek, and that part of the park will closed then.

The department’s Vector Control staff will apply an aerosol mist that kills mosquitoes on contact, helping to prevent the spread of West Nile Virus. Anvil 10 + 10, a synthetic pyrethroid, has no residual effects and no ill effects on humans, according to the Department of Public Health. continue reading »