Eric Walter
Favorite Spot: The King of Jeans sign
Neighborhood: East Passyunk Crossing
Address: 1843 E. Passyunk Avenue (at 13th Street)

I am: a Michigan boy blown eastward for love and opportunity, a web producer at WHYY’s NewsWorks.org, a delinquent writer.
Years in Philadelphia: 4
Current Home: East Passyunk Crossing

Full story at…

http://www.phillylovenotes.com/eric-walter-king-of-jeans-south-philly/

Located at the northeast corner of 13th and Mifflin Streets, the Mifflin Substation was built in 1913 to serve the electrical needs of the City Transit Division’s trolleys. The building is built of brown brick and features four large, arched windows on the Mifflin Street side. The Substation is still used to supply back-up power for the Broad Street Subway. Time and vandalism have taken their toll on the exterior. The terra cotta band near the base of the building has pieces missing. A number of window panes are cracked, and the green metal screening that was installed to protect the glass is rusting and hanging haphazardly.

Several years ago students from the University of Pennsylvania’s Planning Program did a study of East Passyunk Avenue and the surrounding East Passyunk neighborhood. Working closely with the East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association (EPX) the study gathered community input to identify potential neighborhood improvements. The Substation was listed as a source of blight which could be turned into an attraction through better lighting and some form of ‘window dressing’ to mask the broken glass and rusted screening.

EPX contacted SEPTA and initiated discussions about an art project at the site. These conversations facilitated a series of improvements to the building including new security lighting, sidewalk repairs and a general clean-up of the surroundings. EPX applied for and received a $10,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), and began a search for a designer.

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The Greater Philadelphia region is a cold place to be during the winter, especially if you do not have a warm coat.
Be part of the Greater Philadelphia Cares 17^th Annual Winter Coat Drive.

Last year over 130 businesses, civic groups and individuals collected 6000 new and gently used coats that were distributed throughout the region…and EPX donated 79!

Every year, thousands of men, women, and children in the Greater Philadelphia region live through the cold winter season without a coat to keep warm. You may help provide them with this basic necessity. This event is a reminder that there are thousands of people whose only holiday wish is a warm coat for their children, parents, or themselves.

There are two ways area residents may help:

• Bring your new or “gently used” winter coat(s) to the January 7th EPX General Membership meeting held in the EPX Center 1729 S. 11th Street on the campus of Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School!

EPX supports and invites neighbors to attend the EPABID event Spirits & Suds with Santa!
Wednesday, December 12, 5:30-10pm …this holiday past-time will benefit EPX’s annual Holiday Giving and several needy families will receive gift cards to Super Markets, Pharmacy, Toy Stores and other stores.

Join Santa as he gets his jolly on at 12 East Passyunk bars, pubs and restaurants. The $5 admission gets you $3 craft beers, $4 merry cocktails and $5 snacks (select locations), a Santa or Elf hat, and Santa’s Sipping Stamp Card. Cards will be stamped with your purchase of every drink or food item, and after collecting 5 stamps, you’ll be entered to win a package of $300 in gift certificates from the participating bars and other great prizes. Every stamp over 5 gets an extra chance.

Registration will be held at Urban Jungle (1526-30 EPA) from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Stamp cards will be collected at Cantina Los Caballitos (1651 EPA) at 10pm. Participating Bars with food and drink specials are all on our Facebook Event Page.

Santa visits Beneficial Bank  1901 E. Passyunk Avenue on Saturday 12/8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mr. Claus will read excepts from the Valentine Davis story “Miracle on 34th Street” and his elves will distribute FREE juice boxes, cookies and more!

Giving Thanks! Each year, at this time, the Board of EPX through the generosity of our membership and area businesses, works to complete our annual charitable giving campaign!  Donations are tax deductible as EPX is a 501(c)(3) exempt charitable organization! Donations may also be made at the December General Membership meeting or through the Paypal link on this website. EPX donations this year started by identifying needy families from local Catholic parishes and the Houston Community Center. EPX will supply turkeys to over a dozen neighbors in our area as well as the rest of their Thanksgiving dinner.

To the Editor:

The article (“East Passyunk eases drivers’ parking dilemmas,” Sept. 27) failed to mention the involvement of the East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association (EPX) in brokering the arrangement with Ss. Neumann-Goretti High School.

The EPX board is thrilled about the booming eateries and shops on East Passyunk Avenue and has worked in partnership with many of them. Paradiso, Alphabet Academy and Cantina Los Cabillitos have all won our community service award for their outreach to the neighborhood. In addition, EPX maintains a great working relationship with the Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corp. (PARC), and the East Passyunk Avenue Buisness Improvement District (EPABID). These relationships have helped our neighborhood thrive.

EPX heard about the need for parking lot space from PARC and the EPABID and saw the opportunity for revenue, in the way of tuition funds for Neumann-Goretti. The arrangement we brokered was a triple-win: First, we were able to assuage the constant parking complaints of the neighbors who are impacted by the success of the restaurants along the business corridor. Second, the business community, led by EPABID and PARC, gains access to ample parking space a block-and-a-half from the avenue, and third, a well-respected neighborhood institution gains much-needed scholarship funds.

For six years, EPX has striven to meet the needs of its residents. Parking has, and sadly, will always be a concern in our area. This partial parking solution was an EPX idea, and we are very proud of that fact.

Joseph F. Marino and Darren Fava
Co-Chairs, Board of Directors
East Passyunk Crossing Civic Association

http://www.southphillyreview.com/opinion/letters/A-rewarding-solution-176709291.html