City Council to consider street closures
City Council last week approved Councilman-at-Large Bill Green’s resolution that calls for hearings on possible street closures to boost foot traffic at area businesses.
The resolution notes that cities across the country, such as Boston, Santa Monica and most recently New York, have permanently shut down certain streets to vehicular traffic to promote their retail and restaurant areas.
“Philadelphia has an active and vibrant ‘café culture’ in some parts of the city, where restaurants offer outdoor seating and there are lots of pedestrians patronizing those businesses,” Green said in a statement. “I’d like to explore the idea of bringing this experience to more neighborhoods in the city.”
Green spokesperson Seth Levi cautioned that the resolution just called for hearings on the issue in the Committee on Streets and Services and was not advocating that the city immediately take up the issue.
Levi said a date had not yet been set for the hearings and noted that more specific plans could be addressed during the hearings.
Legal group heads to Broadway
The AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania, which provides comprehensive legal services to the HIV/AIDS community, is sponsoring a bus trip April 11 to New York City to see the Broadway hit “Billy Elliot the Musical.” The group has 50 available tickets, and a portion of the sales will benefit AIDS Law Project.
Breakfast and snacks will be provided on the bus, which will depart from 12th and Chestnut streets at about 9 a.m. and arrive in New York City in time for guests to enjoy lunch on their own and do some sightseeing before meeting up for the 2 p.m. show.
The production is based on the Academy Award-nominated 2000 film “Billy Elliot” that follows a young boy’s dream to become a ballet dancer. Elton John created the score for the musical.
The package is $275 and interested attendees should e-mail [email protected] with the number of tickets requested and the names and phone numbers of those who will be attending. For more information, call Ed Bomba at (267) 251-4504.
Tickets can also be purchased at www.aidslawpa.org.
— Jen Colletta