UCD invites city to 'Go West'

New campaign will focus on culture and cuisine in W. Philly. When Sansom Common has its official grand opening on September 17, it will share the spotlight with the start of Go West! Go International! 3rd Thursdays, a new University City District campaign aimed at attracting people to West Philadelphia's nightlife. 3rd Thursdays will be a series of monthly events held throughout the University City area. The events will focus on highlighting University City's performing arts, international culture and the unique restaurants the area has to offer. The $250,000 3rd Thursdays program is sponsored by the UCD in partnership with ArtsWest, a coalition of 42 arts and cultural institutions in West Philadelphia. The UCD, established a year ago as one of the city's seven special services districts, is a partnership between the institutions, businesses and community of University City. Its goal is to "improve the quality of life for the residents, workers, students and visitors of the area by working to make the area cleaner, safer and more attractive." Employing hundreds of street cleaners and safety ambassadors, the UCD has already achieved success in making the area cleaner and safer. 3rd Thursdays attempts to fulfill the last goal -- that of making the area more attractive to visitors and residents. Every third Thursday though May 19, 1999, museums and galleries will stay open late and host special events and restaurants will offer special discounts and activities. In addition, metered parking will be free after 6 p.m., and shuttle buses will make continuous loops around University City after 6 p.m. "We believe that we're only just beginning our work," said Penn Executive Vice President John Fry, who is the chairperson of UCD. The University, one of the 12 local organizations to establish the UCD, contributes $2.25 million annually to the district's $3.4 million budget. Unlike the city's other special service districts, the UCD is entirely funded by voluntary donations. As of the Monday press conference announcing the new campaign, many businesses had already signed on as sponsors of the event. University-owned Sansom Common is the chief sponsor, and participating restaurants include Cafe Trio, Cool Peppers, La Terrasse and the White Dog CafZ. Highlights of the September 17 kickoff will be reflective of the wide variety of events to come in the future. Two stages will feature music hosted by WXPN and Philadanco, a local dance troupe. There will also be other entertainment in the form of street performers, film screenings and presentations by local artists. The University Museum will host "Zesty Fiesta," a celebration of food, music, entertainment and artifacts from Mexico. In addition, International House, the Kelly Writers House, the Arthur Ross Gallery and others will host events. One of Penn's neighbors and partners in the UCD, Drexel University, is also heavily involved in the festival. "[The UCD] has come a long way in a very short period of time," Drexel President Constantine Papadakis said. "Drexel looks forward to participating in the campaign". "What's good for the community is good for Drexel, and good for all of us," he added. Officials hope the new campaign will provide a boost to other public-private partnerships in different areas around the city and increase tourism for the city as a whole. "I want to make sure when people look at Philadelphia, they don't just see Center City, they see West Philadelphia," said City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, whose district includes the University City area. UCD has created a World Wide Web site, http://www.gowest.org, which will be up and running by the middle of August, featuring information on Go West! Go International! 3rd Thursdays as more sponsors sign on and more events are added.

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