Last Saturday night (June 23), the Shadow Lounge celebrated its 7th Anniversary with a “Drawers and Bras” party. Most party-goers were fully-clothed, but the bartenders and staff enjoyed the night in much less attire.

The event featured live music from Ab & the Soul Journers, a high-energy, Soul/Funk/R&B group from Washington, DC. The event also offered DJs in three different rooms; Supa C in the Shadow Lounge, Selecta in AVA and Shorty Rock in the Blue Room. Food was provided by Abay Ethiopian Cuisine and Royal Caribbean. The event drew about 250 and a portion of door proceeds benefited the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

For more upcoming events, visit the Shadow Lounge website.

According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the city Police Bureau will be leaving East Liberty to move to the former state police driver’s license facility on Washington Boulevard. The building on Penn Circle currently houses both police from Zone 5 and firefighters from Engine Co. 8. Police officials say that the station has irreparable damages. There is no word about what this means for the fire station.
To read more about the Police Station Moving, click here.

There will be a Community Vision Meeting on Thursday, June 21 at East Liberty Presbyterian Church. From 5 to 6 p.m. will be a “Green Fair” of environmentally-aware organizations, intended to set the stage for conversations about sustainability and community health. The meeting and discussion will be held from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Social Hall. It will review the progress that has been made, continue discussions that update the 1999 Community Plan, and invite stakeholders to think big about neighborhood issues and possible solutions. Childcare will be provided to those who make reservations with Emily at 412.361.8061. Refreshments will be provided, but those attending are welcome to bring cookies.

It is important that residents, business owners and anyone affiliated with East Liberty attend this meeting and share their voice.  Please go to our Community Vision Info page for more details and a discussion forum.

Last Thursday at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater, Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, artists, community members and supporters rocked down Penn Avenue at the video release party, Electric Avenue: A Celebration of Today’s Penn Avenue. The 20-minute documentary outlines the development of the Penn Avenue Arts District and highlights numerous artists and art organizations who have made Penn Avenue their home.
The 12-block stretch of artistically-influenced organizations and business on Penn Avenue have many success stories. Artist-residents and nearly a dozen arts groups have congregated along the main street, stretching through Bloomfield, Garfield and Friendship. These organizations and businesses include Pittsburgh Glass Center, Dance Alloy and Attack Theater. These groups proactively engage residents through their art and bring vitality and a sense of community to the district. Read more about the Penn Avenue Arts Initiative, or visit the PAAI website.

The event featured the Penn Avenue video, complete with popcorn and candy, “Tone/Over Tone,” an accordion, flute duo, as well as puppets and an art auction. The artwork, by Laura McLaughlin, raised money for PAAI’s Artist Loan and Grant Fund. The event drew about 100 people of all ages.

Broad Street, between Highland and Sheridan avenues, in East Liberty is a prime example of the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Streetface loan-to-grant program. A three-story, yellow-brick building on Broad Street is the 1,200 Streetface building facade that the URA has helped to restore. The building is owned by Ed Lesoon, who has restored and renovated a total of 20 building with Streetface grants. Building owners can receive up to 40 percent of the project costs, or up to $30,000. The unique aspect of this program is that the money begins as a loan, but for every 5 years that the property owner maintains the building, the URA converts 20 percent of the of the loan to a grant.
Read more about the URA’s facade milestone.

Kevin Rudolph has lived in East Liberty since 1972 and was living in the Penn Circle high-rises since 1991. Last January, he moved into the Penn Manor apartments on St. Clair Street and could not be happier about it.
“There were just so many false promises made over the years about the things that were going to happen in East Liberty. It is really good to see people following through and getting real progress,” Rudolph said.

The Penn Manor apartments are home to 55 residents of mixed race, background and income. Many of the residents used to live in poorly managed units throughout East Liberty, including the high-rises. This building offers a community room, laundry room, storage facilities, security doors and cameras, as well as attentive staff for any issues.

“The maintenance staff takes care of things so quickly here and they leave a note saying they have been in your apartment. Also, there is a Resident Coordinator that helps with the seniors or special needs residents,” Kevin said. His 90-year-old grandmother, Edith Young, lives on the floor below him and he feels better knowing there is someone always able to come to her aid when he can’t.

Kevin equates this positive living environment with a staff and management that really cares about its residents and buildings. He praises Malinda Eubanks, the property manager saying, “I don’t know how one woman can do so much. She oversees everything around here and it always gets done.”

To Kevin, and many other East Liberty residents, the quality of life in Penn Manor is a sign of positive change in the neighborhood they have lived in all their lives.

What is now the dilapidated, vacant Kirkwood Hotel will soon become a $40 million hotel, office and retail development in the center of East Liberty. The six-story Kirkwood will be restored to a 135-room boutique hotel. There will be an additional five buildings being restored and one being built on the block between Highland Avenue and Broad, Kirkwood and Whitfield streets. The post gazette covers the project in more detail.
The development is a partnership between Morgan Development Group and mossArchitects. Take a look at some of the planning sketches.