University City District Blog

On Thursday, April 18th, University City District held our annual State of University City event. We were thrilled to be joined by hundreds of partners, stakeholders, local leaders, and neighbors. During the program, we looked back at a year of major impact within our neighborhood, and looked forward to major events on the horizon, including the upcoming 250th anniversary of America, the rising buildings that will continue to transform our skyline, and UCD's own ambitious plans to enhance access to the Schuylkill River.

University City District (UCD) will hold two editions of the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll in 2024, on the evenings of Thursday, June 6th and Thursday, September 5th. The event draws thousands of neighbors and visitors to enjoy dollar deals from participating vendors. In 2022, we expanded the price levels vendors can offer from $1 deals to deals for $1, $3, OR $5.  

Today, we at University City District are thrilled to share that our West Philadelphia Skills Initiative (WPSI) has received a $4 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott through her charitable organization Yield Giving. The unrestricted gift will accelerate WPSI’s goals of providing opportunities for job seekers, program alumni, and incumbent workers to secure meaningful employment that will help break the cycle of poverty.

Since 1997, University City District has invested in the vitality of our neighborhood. We foster clean, safe, and active streets; we cultivate civic infrastructure and activate dormant public spaces through placemaking efforts; we provide assistance to local businesses and neighbors; we plan and execute signature local events; and we create an opportunity infrastructure that connects talented Philadelphians to life-altering careers at major employers.

We are very excited to begin 2024 by sharing the exciting news that the Hummingbird Foundation, the New Jersey-based charitable organization that helped us launch WPSI University in 2023, has continued its support of the Skills Initiative with a new gift of $500,000 over two years.

UCD is raising money to maintain green space throughout the District. Plus each dollar raised for greening in University City will be matched up to $25,000. If you love and use green space in University City, now is the time to double your impact on the neighborhood we love.

West Philadelphia is getting festive during this holiday season, with unique performances, ongoing deals at local small businesses and restaurants, and plenty of opportunities to shop from local vendors. See below for holiday highlights, and check back for updates!

Fall is a beautiful time to live and work in University City. We are lucky to have a stunning canopy of trees, and watching the leaves turn helps announce the true arrival of autumn to the area. Of course, with changing leaves comes major clean-up duties this time of year. Below, read about upcoming leaf collection options provided by the City.

At University City District, the unifying mission across all our work is to change places and change lives. This mission is evident in our West Philadelphia Skills Initiative, where we recruit Philadelphians to train for meaningful, career-changing positions with major employers. It’s clear in our Green City Works landscaping social venture, which employs West Philadelphians in well-paying, full-year landscaping positions.