Plant Exchange
On-going
At the East Falls Development Corp's office
Want to meet gardening neighbors and get some new plants for free?
We will be holding an on-going plant exchange at the EFDC office. We held the first at last year’s McMichael Park Flea Market and were asked to repeat this Go GREEN! opportunity.
We are asking you to look in your gardens for plant material you no longer want or need. Maybe it’s time to separate the Hostas, Daylilies, root some cuttings or exchange and replace shrubs. The plant exchange is a way to share with your neighbors and get other fun plants to reinvent or create green space.
We are asking neighbors to remove and care for the plants you don’t need. Every plant must be in a labeled container. Bring the plants to the East Falls Development Corporation’s office at 3654 Midvale Ave. and you will get a credit to get another plant in exchange. Black plastic (recyclable) nursery pots are available upon request to temporarily hold the plants for exchange.
Hosta, Artemesia, Liiriope, a DayLily, Mint, mystery bulbs, Succulents: 'Never Dies' and 'Hens & Chicks' are currently available for exchange.
More about East Falls Goes GREEN!
East Falls Farmers Market - Open May to October 
3712 Midvale Avenue (just up the street from Ridge Avenue)
The market is seasonal from May 21st to October. 3:30 - 7 p.m.
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Amish Baked goods
- Preserves
Vote for our Farmers market! www.localharvest.org
T Shirt For Sale at participating local businesses and our office:
Organic, locally designed and locally produced. 100% cotton. Only $10.
FRONT
GET YOUR T-SHIRT NOW!!!
Buy it through our secure server and start wearing it within 1 business week.
Or...
Find them at these participating locations:
- East River Bank
- East Falls Chiropractic
- Wee Care Child Care
- Murphy's Irish Saloon
- About Face Type and Design and The Fallser
- Slices
- East Falls Fitness
- Chuck's Garage
- The Marketplace at East Falls
- National Penn Bank
East Falls Development Corporation, 3654 Midvale Ave.
2010 East Falls T-shirt Design Contest Entries...
We Have A Winner!
East Falls’ 2010 Tee Design by Local Artists
The East Falls Development Corporation is happy to announce the winner of its 2010 East Falls T-Shirt Design contest. T-shirt designs were submitted from all over the country and placed on the EFDC’s Facebook and web pages for input.
While the competition was... anonymous, for the third year running, the selection committee chose a creation by local graphic artists.
BenJiMon Designs is the dynamic duo who created this year's winning t-shirt design – an exciting and graphic interpretation of the theme, East Falls Goes Green. Benjamin Edelstein and Monica Kelly moved to East Falls in June of ‘09 and are delighted to make this visual contribution to our community. BenJiMon is putting its creative energies to the back of the tee as well, where community organizations and businesses which contribute at a higher level to the Bike Race Block Party and Arts by the River (held in the Inn Yard Park in the fall) are listed.
Produced locally by RGMGroup on Bowman Street, the 2010 design will be printed in three colors on a beige organic 100% cotton tee.
T-Shirts ($10 each) will be sold at community events and local businesses throughout the year.
Small Business Energy Rebate Program
The City of Philadelphia's Small Business Energy Rebate Program. Click here for more info and forms.
Photographer: Andrew O'Donnell
Photos of the Bathey- Gateway Center and Trolley Car Cafe while in progress!
It is open now!
The Building is Under Construction - Janauary 2010
Moving right along... March 2010
...more progress 3/30/2010
Photos of Groundbreaking: Nov. 12, 2009
4th Annual2009
Arts by the River and Eco Fair set for Saturday, October 2, 2010
10 am - 5 pm
Live entertainment, Eco-vendors, food, artists and crafters
* All food vendors must fill out and return Health Department and L&I applications with your ABR vendor application before the deadline of August 1st 2010 or you are responsible for the fees, deadlines and legwork associated with the City Government apps. *
Health Department Application (food vendors) *
L&I Temp/Non-Permanent Food License Application *
Organizational/program and Eco-fair Application (non arts vendors)
East Falls Arts by the Gallery 2010
Invitation for East Falls Artists to submit work
East Falls Arts by the River Gallery 2010
This is a special invitation for local artists to be featured in a two day Gallery. The East Falls Development Corp. is organizing a weekend-only art gallery during the 5th Annual Arts by the River and Eco Fair this year to showcase neighborhood artists and promote East Falls as an artistic hotspot. We have so many local artists here – let’s show them off!
Gallery Opening and Artists Reception: Friday October 1st
Starting at 5pm. This will be the official kick-off for the Arts by the River and Eco Fair. All participating artists are urged to attend. Light fare and refreshments.
Gallery Day: Saturday Oct. 2. 10 am – 5 pm
Submission Guidelines:
- RSVP Deadline: August 31st
- Submission Deadline: September 15th
- Include: - Dimensions – Work to hang should be no more than 3’x3’
- PDF Photo of work you are submitting
- 100 Word Artist’s Statement
- Title and description
- Price (Note: Please include an additional 25% for administrative costs)
- Work must be prepared and ready for hanging and/or display
- All Media accepted
Gallery Highlights:
- Corresponding with the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours (POST), all POST participants in the Gallery will be designated and POST information will be available at the Gallery.
- Extensive media promotion and coverage
- Through this gallery, we hope to generate interest in creating a permanent art gallery in the neighborhood
- Location: In East Falls Riverfront Business District commercial space.
EFDC: info@eastfalls-pa.com, 215.848.8084, 3654 Midvale Ave.
More info: www.eastfalls-pa.com
Space will be limited; get in early to make sure your work will be featured.
Midvale Avenue Design on Community Council Agenda, August 10th
An open design conversation about Midvale Avenue from Ridge to Warden Drive was on the agenda for the EFCC meeting on Monday, Aug. 10 2009. For more information on East Falls Goes Green!, check out Plans & Projects. To see the presentation click here, go to this website and contribute to the blog
Public Art under the Twin Bridges
A team of artists has been selected for the project to install new Public Art in East Falls. The Sports Murals under the Twin Bridges will be removed and replaced. The EFDC has partnered with the Mural Arts Project (MAP) to bring a different look to the area. The East Falls Community Council decided to proceed with this project and a volunteer committee of volunteers has been working together. The committee has selected the winning team from four finalists who submitted designs and models. The winning team proposed mosaics depicting waterfalls. The final project will be installed after PennDOT work is completed..
SEPTA Beautification Project
On Wednesday, October 1st, Philadelphia University students had a day of service to celebrate Dr. Spinelli's inauguration. The East Falls SEPTA station was improved. Kim Douglas, a landscape architect and professor in the Landscape Architecture Program, worked with students on this project. The student designs were presented to the neighborhood in the Spring and enthusiastically received. She refined the students' designs and worked with SEPTA to get approvals.
SEPTA has been an enthusiastic partner in agreeing to removing the fence along Midvale as well as one of the larger Mulberry trees and removing the hedge that runs down the walk path. The Philadelphia University students planted trees as well as a general clean-up of the SEPTA station. Many thank you's to: The Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corp. for donating 18 trees, Liberty maintenance and tree Co. for supplying landscaping tools, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for providing tools, and local neighbor and volunteer Ken Kolodziej for providing valuable assistance and time. Local residents have also agreed to continue to water the planters and help take care of the planting beds. In the Spring, the perennial beds will be planted with flowers.
This project is a partnership between SEPTA, Philadelphia University, the ‘friends’ of the Station, and the EFDC. The East Falls Community Council awarded a grant to support improvements to the Station. The Schuylkill Project is also contributing funds that will go towards plantings. Councilman Curtis Jones has also awarded funds for this project.
A New Philadelphia Landmark is on! (updated 1/13/07)
On January 12 the Falls Bridge’s new Lighting was officially turned on by Governor Edward G. Rendell, Mayor Michael A. Nutter, State Senator Vincent Hughes, State Representatives Kathy Manderino and Jewell Williams, and City Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. They were joined by about 1000 people who came to the party to celebrate the new look in East Falls.
Cookies, hot cocoa and coffee were waiting for the guests at Kelly Drive and Midvale Avenue. The ceremony began with opening remarks from East Falls Development Corporation’s President Carolyn Sutton. She and EFDC Director Gina Snyder were presented with an official citation celebrating the lighting from Councilman Jones. Rep. Manderino then introduced Mayor Nutter, who was then welcomed East Falls resident Gov. Rendell. They were later joined by Senator Arlen Specter, another East Falls neighbor.
The nighttime look is a new landmark for Philadelphia. The bridge highlights Philadelphia’s identity as a “New River City” and announces the community with a strong visual marker.
Grenald Waldron and Associates (GWA) did the beautiful lighting design. The electrical contractor, Carr and Duff, did the work with Urban Engineers as the inspectors. .As an added benefit, there is now a permanent signed and marked pedestrian crossing on the Martin Luther King Drive side of the Bridge.
This project was many years in the planning. The idea was instigated during East Falls’ 100 year anniversary celebration of the bridge in 1995. The current project was led by the East Falls Development Corporation a Because of financial limitations, only the down river side of the bridge is lit.
GWA’s designer Sandra Stashik, was guided by the Falls Bridge Lighting Committee, that included East Falls residents, Sandra Radich, an architect with Cope Linder; Julie Camburn, President of the East Falls Business Association; Carolyn Sutton, President of the EFDC; and, Ellen Sheehan, President of the East Falls Historical Society. The committee also included Stephanie Craighead, Deputy Director of the Fairmount Park Commission, and Lane Fike and Joe Doyle from the Streets Department’s Bridge and Lighting Divisions, respectively. This committee worked with Grenald Waldron to present the design to the East Falls Community Council where it was enthusiastically endorsed.
Coordinating the project also took extra efforts from Joseph Certaine in the Governor’s Office, Southeast Region, Jim Donaghy from the Managing Director’s Office, and Streets Commissioner Clarena Tolson.
Lighting the Falls Bridge was funded through a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Dept. of Community and Economic Development. The project and January 12th lighting event would not have been possible without the encouraging support of Governor Rendell and significant contributions from Mark Sherman of Sherman Properties, FX Duffy & Co. Accountants, Urban Engineers, East River Bank and Independence Blue Cross. Funding was also provided by Cope Linder Architects, Robert Brasler, Sunoco Inc., PECO, and the East Falls Community Council and Riverfront District Partners. Contributors included Dorothy Storm of Prudential Fox & Roach, Elfant Wissahickon Realtors, Gypsy Lane Franco’s Trattoria, Gilbert Rowe, Connie Gillespie of Elfant Wissahickon Realtors, and the East Falls Business Association. Tom and Arlen Leschak of Conrad Catering and Alma Catering kindly donated the cookies and hot cocoa.
Dotting the “i”s and crossing all the “t”s was a team of party-planning volunteers from the EFDC.. They included Greg O’Loughlin, Heidi Grunwald, Steve Ohm, Gilbert Rowe, Sandra Radich, Ed Delisle, and Lorina Marshall-Blake. East River Bank was especially supportive, through President Chris McGill, Branch Manager Nancy Karahuta, and Vice President Rose Siegel: The Redevelopment Authority, Executive Director Michael Koonce, and Robert LaBrum are especially appreciated for allowing the use of the Rivage lot for event parking.
Bridge Images Available
Local Architect Ian Smith has studied the Falls Bridge and created images of the structure. The EFDC has Ian's book and a number of his images, framed, unframed, and matted.
Contact the EFDC -Send us an e-mail
