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Tag: Cherry Hill

  • A Main Line town leads the charge of new Philly-area restaurants for February

    A Main Line town leads the charge of new Philly-area restaurants for February

    February’s crop of restaurant openings includes two restaurants’ expansions to Narberth, a reopened brewery in South Jersey, a chic restaurant/lounge in Center City, an intriguing wine bar/bottle shop in Chestnut Hill, and two French newcomers.

    Restaurants can take awhile and owners are often hesitant to pinpoint an opening date. I’ve listed the targeted day where possible; for the rest, check social media.

    Duo Restaurant & Bar (90 Haddon Ave., Westmont): Brothers Artan and Arber Murtaj and Andi and Tony Lelaj, who own the Old World-style Italian Il Villaggio in Cherry Hill, are taking over Haddon Avenue’s former Keg & Kitchen with a pub serving a bar menu supplemented with seafood.

    Eclipse Brewing (25 E. Park Ave., Merchantville): Last August, food trucker Megan Hilbert of Red’s Rolling Restaurant became one of the youngest brewery owners in New Jersey when she bought this 9-year-old Camden County brewery, open as of Friday.

    Lassan Indian Traditional (232 Woodbine Ave., Narberth): The second location of the well-regarded Lafayette Hill Indian BYOB takes over the long-ago Margot space in Narberth.

    LeoFigs, 2201 Frankford Ave., as seen in January 2026.

    LeoFigs (2201 Frankford Ave.): Justice and Shannon Figueras promise the delivery of their long-awaited bar/restaurant, with an urban winery in the basement, at Frankford and Susquehanna in Fishtown. The food menu will be built around comfort-leaning small plates.

    The bubbly selection at Lovat Square in Chestnut Hill.

    Lovat Square (184 E. Evergreen Ave.): Damien Graef and Robyn Semien (also owners of Brooklyn wine shop Bibber & Bell) are taking over Chestnut Hill’s former Top of the Hill Market/Mimi’s Café property for a multiphased project: first a wine shop with indoor seating, then a courtyard with a full dinner menu, followed later by a cocktail bar/restaurant component. Opens Feb. 12

    Malooga (203 Haverford Ave., Narberth): The Old City Yemeni restaurant is expanding to Narberth with lunch and dinner service plus a bakery, with expanded indoor/outdoor seating and space for groups.

    Mi Vida (34 S. 11th St.): Washington, D.C.-based restaurant group Knead Hospitality + Design is bringing its upscale Mexican concept to East Market, next to MOM’s Organic Market. Target opening is Feb. 18.

    MOTW Coffee & Pastries (2101 Market St): Mahmood Islam and Samina Akbar are behind this franchise of Muslims of the World Coffee, offering a third-space experience at the Murano.

    Napa Kitchen & Wine (3747 Equus Blvd., Newtown Square): A California-inspired restaurant rooted in Midlothian, Va., opens in Ellis Preserve with an extensive domestic and international wine list in a polished setting. Opens Feb. 9.

    Ocho Supper Club (210 W. Rittenhouse Square): Chef RJ Smith’s Afro-Caribbean fine-dining supper club starts a six-month residency at the Rittenhouse Hotel, tied to the Scarpetta-to-Ruxton transition, serving tasting menus through July. Now open.

    Piccolina (301 Chestnut St.): A low-lit Italian restaurant and cocktail bar at the Society Hill Hotel from Michael Pasquarello (Cafe Lift, La Chinesca, Prohibition Taproom). Targeting next week

    Pretzel Day Pretzels (1501 S. Fifth St.): James and Annie Mueller’s pretzel-delivery operation is becoming a takeout shop in the former Milk + Sugar space in Southwark. Expect classic soft pretzels plus German-style variations (including Swabian-style) and stuffed options.

    Merriment at the bar at Savu, 208 S. 13th St.

    Savú (208 S. 13th St.): Kevin Dolce’s Hi-Def Hospitality has converted the former Cockatoo into a modern, bi-level dining and late-night lounge with a New American menu from chef Maulana Muhammad; it just soft-opened for dinner Thursday through Sunday and weekend brunch.

    Bar-adjacent seating at Side Eye.

    Side Eye (623 S. Sixth St.): Hank Allingham’s all-day neighborhood bar takes over for Bistrot La Minette with “French-ish” food from chef Finn Connors, plus cocktails, European-leaning wines, beer, and a late-night menu. Opens 5 p.m. Feb. 7 with 50% of the night’s proceeds going to the People’s Kitchen.

    Soufiane at the Morris (225 S. Eighth St): Soufiane Boutiliss and Christophe Mathon (Sofi Corner Café) say there’s a 90% chance of a February opening for their new spot at the Morris House Hotel off Washington Square. It’s billed as an elegant-but-approachable restaurant inspired by classic French bouillons/brasseries, with a menu spanning small plates and full entrées alongside Moroccan-influenced tagines. Expect evening service indoors, daytime service outdoors.

    South Sichuan II (1537 Spring Garden St.): A second location for the popular Point Breeze Sichuan takeout/delivery specialist, near Community College of Philadelphia; this one will offer more seating.

    Zsa’s Ice Cream (6616 Germantown Ave.): The Mount Airy shop’s end-of-2025 “grand closing” proved short-lived after a sale to local pastry chef Liz Yee. Reopened Feb. 7.

    Looking ahead

    March openings are in the offing for the much-hyped PopUp Bagels in Ardmore, as well as the long-delayed Terra Grill (a stylish room in Northern Liberties’ Piazza Alta) and ILU (the low-lit Spanish tapas bar) in Kensington.

  • Take a look inside Muhammad Ali’s former Cherry Hill mansion that’s now back on the market

    Take a look inside Muhammad Ali’s former Cherry Hill mansion that’s now back on the market

    Muhammad Ali’s former Cherry Hill mansion, once fit for one of sports’ greatest icons, is back on the market.

    The 6,688-square-foot Mediterranean-style ranch house, located at 1121 Winding Dr., is listed for sale for $1.9 million, $100,000 more than it was previously listed for three years ago.

    Muhammad Ali plays with his 3-year-old daughter Maryum at his home in Cherry Hill, N.J., on Monday, June 14, 1971.

    Sitting on 1.5 acres, the six-bedroom, five-bathroom estate features a kitchen with a large center island and custom cabinetry, a sun-filled greenhouse room, a spacious living area, and an in-ground pool and hot tub, with adjacent basketball and tennis courts. On the lower level of the home is a personal gym and a 12-foot wet bar.

    Ali, who died in 2016, lived in Cherry Hill with his family from 1971 to 1973. “I made a little mansion out of it. I’ve got a lot of land,” Ali told Philadelphia magazine in the 1970s

    Muhammad Ali, who was defeated by heavyweight champion Joe Frazier, leans back in a reclining chair in his new home in Cherry Hill, N.J., March 10, 1971, as he answered Frazier’s promise to fight Ali again. “Good, we got a rematch, maybe in seven months, might be sooner,” Ali said.

    The Champion bought the home for $103,000 in 1971. He moved to Chicago a few years later, according to the New York Times, after his friend, Camden power broker Major Coxson, was shot and killed in his home down the road from Ali’s. A major franchisee of local McDonald’s bought the home from Ali for $175,000.

    Before living in Cherry Hill, Ali lived in a West Philadelphia home in Overbrook that was later sold to Kobe Bryant’s grandparents.

    The backyard and pool area of 1121 Winding Dr. in Cherry Hill, the former home of prizefighter Muhammad Ali from 1970 to 1973. It’s now up for sale for $1.9 million in 2026.

    The current owners, who purchased the Cherry Hill home in 2014, traded in the 1970s decor and design for a modern look, converting Ali’s koi pond into a centerpiece courtyard and fire pit. However, the home retains Ali’s prayer room, which can be found in the lower level, lined with bookshelves.

    The main draw is the ample entertainment spaces, including the basement bar.

    The downstairs bar area at 1121 Winding Dr. in Cherry Hill, the former home of Muhammad Ali from 1970 to 1973. It’s now up for sale for $1.9 million in 2026.

    “There’s a spiral staircase from the main level to downstairs and you walk right into this large bar area, with tables, chairs, and a large TV setup,” Nicholas Alvini of Keller Williams said. “It really is a great entertaining house.”

    The kitchen, including a large island, at 1121 Winding Dr. in Cherry Hill, the former home of prizefighter Muhammad Ali from 1970 to 1973. It’s now up for sale for $1.9 million.

    In recent years, the home has been used for short-term rentals, and “wild parties” led police to visit the home 97 times between 2018 and 2019, according to an Inquirer report. In response, Cherry Hill township council almost adopted a ban on Airbnb rentals before eventually tabling the idea after community members spoke against it.

  • A Cherry Hill man with autism was kicked off a cruise | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    A Cherry Hill man with autism was kicked off a cruise | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    A Cherry Hill mom is on a mission to increase understanding for people with autism after her adult son was kicked off a cruise last month. Also this week, we look at whether Wegmans is using biometric technology to spy on its customers, we’ve mapped how much snow fell around town this past weekend, plus a township resident has been charged in the hit-and-run death of a pedestrian.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    A Cherry Hill mom is advocating for greater autism awareness after her son was kicked off a cruise

    Cherry Hill resident Carolyn Piro poses for a portrait with her son Sean Curran, who has autism.

    Cherry Hill resident Carolyn Piro’s first vacation in a decade didn’t end how she expected. The mom of four — including a son with autism and two other sons with development disabilities — took her family on a Celebrity Cruise to the Caribbean last month to celebrate her 60th birthday.

    She chose the cruise line because the company, Royal Caribbean, claims to offer an “autism friendly” environment. But when her eldest son was kicked off the ship on Christmas Eve over an incident on board, Piro found staff lacked understanding about his needs.

    After having what she described as the “worst Christmas ever,” Piro is on a mission to increase awareness and acceptance for people with autism, The Inquirer’s Melanie Burney reports.

    Is the Cherry Hill Wegmans collecting shoppers’ biometric data?

    Wegmans has nine New Jersey locations, including in Cherry Hill and Mt. Laurel.

    Signs in New York City Wegmans grocery stores recently alerted shoppers that it was collecting biometrics, raising concerns about what it was doing with that data and whether it was collecting it from other stores, too.

    The popular Rochester, New York-based grocery store won’t say if it’s collecting similar data at its Cherry Hill location, but noted it does have cameras with facial recognition technology in “a small fraction of our stores that exhibit an elevated risk,” The Inquirer’s Denali Sagner reports.

    Read more about why biometric technology is gaining traction in stores beyond Wegmans.

    💡 Community News

    • The region saw its largest snowstorm in a decade over the weekend, with Cherry Hill recording 9.3 inches as of Monday morning, according to one figure reported to the National Weather Service. Freezing temperatures are expected to remain this week, meaning the snow and ice aren’t going anywhere. Check out a map of where the most snow fell.
    • Due to the storm, Monday’s township council meeting has been pushed to tonight. The caucus meeting is at 7 p.m., with the council meeting slated for 7:30 p.m.
    • A 34-year-old Cherry Hill resident has been charged in the death of a 75-year-old woman in a hit-and-run on Jan. 17. Shakira Carter allegedly hit Andrea Wilson and her dog, Ozzie, near a crosswalk in the Evesham Road and Alpha Avenue area. Carter, a juvenile detention officer, fled the scene before returning in a different vehicle. She has been suspended from work with the Camden County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident. (NBC10)
    • Last week, Cherry Hill residents Giselle V. Brown and Ted Gallagher were recognized as recipients of the 2026 Camden County Freedom Medal for their contributions to the community. Township resident Jim Peeler was also presented with the 2026 Camden County Congressional Award.
    • Women’s apparel and accessories store Francesca’s, which has a location at the Cherry Hill Mall, is reportedly closing its remaining stores after years of financial turmoil. Francesca’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in late 2020. (Fox Business)
    • In case you missed it, Club Studio Fitness recently announced it will open a 30,240-square-foot location at Ellisburg Shopping Center in the former Buy Buy Baby space.
    • Gearing up for the Academy Awards? While they may still be six weeks out, the AMC Cherry Hill 24 is screening several of the nominated movies, including the William Shakespeare-inspired Hamnet, the Leonardo DiCaprio-led One Battle After Another, and the 1930s-set Sinners.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • Due to snow closures on Monday and Tuesday, the district has planned make-up days for Feb. 16, previously allocated as a holiday for President’s Day, and March 30, which was originally the first day of spring break.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • In case you missed it, the James Beard Award semifinalists were announced last week, and there are two Cherry Hill ties among them: Russ Cowan of Radin’s Delicatessen was nominated in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category, and township native Greg Vernick got the region’s lone nod in the Outstanding Restaurateur category.
    • Speaking of Greg Vernick, his latest restaurant, run by fellow Cherry Hill native Meredith Medoway, opened yesterday. Located in Kensington, Emilia is a neighborhood trattoria with a seasonal menu featuring house-made pasta and live-fire cooking.

    🎳 Things to Do

    🛍️ Hott’s Pop-Up Home and Lifestyle Show: Browse local businesses selling home decor, food, and art. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 30-Sunday, Feb. 1, times vary 💵 Pay as you go 📍Cherry Hill Mall

    🧸 The Winter Fever Toy Show: Browse over 180 tables of antique and collectible toys. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 31, 9 a.m. admission for early buyers, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. for general admission 💵 $10 general admission, $20 for early buyers, free for kids under 12 📍Cherry Hill Army National Guard Recruiting Station

    📼 The Bygone Boomerang Vintage Show: If you’re in search of other vintage finds, this show features vendors selling goods like housewares, clothing, art, and more from the 1950s to ‘90s. ⏰ Sunday, Feb. 1, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. 💵 $5, free for kids under 12 📍Cherry Hill Army National Guard Recruiting Station

    ❤️ Galentine’s Besties Brunch: Tickets are going fast for this third annual event, which connects women with one another. Attendees are encouraged to wear red. ⏰ Sunday, Feb. 1, 1-4 p.m. 💵 $36.09 📍Vera

    🏡 On the Market

    A completely updated Ashland home

    The updated kitchen features two-tone cabinetry and an island.

    Located in the Ashland neighborhood, this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home recently underwent a full renovation down to the studs, and now has new windows, a new roof, new HVAC and electrical systems, as well as a completely updated interior. The first floor features a kitchen with an island, a living room, two bedrooms, including the primary, and a full bathroom. There’s another room and bathroom upstairs, and a basement downstairs. There’s an open house Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $395,000 | Size: 2,470 SF | Acreage: 0.17

    📈 Cherry Hill market report

    • Median listing price: $435,000 (down $25,000 from November) 📉
    • Median sold price: $492,500 (up $35,000 from November) 📈
    • Median days on the market: 52 (up 11 days from November) 📈

    This Cherry Hill market report is published on a monthly basis. Above is data for December from realtor.com.

    🗞️ What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Her adult autistic son was kicked off a cruise ship. Now this South Jersey mother is on a mission to better awareness.

    Her adult autistic son was kicked off a cruise ship. Now this South Jersey mother is on a mission to better awareness.

    While preparing her four sons to take a dream family vacation in the Caribbean last month, Carolyn Piro carefully reviewed every detail to get them ready.

    She also contacted the Royal Caribbean cruise line about accommodations for her children, because her oldest, Sean Curran, has autism, and two other sons also have developmental disabilities.

    The trip ended abruptly when Curran, 31, was kicked off the Celebrity Cruise ship in Cozumel on Christmas Eve after an incident that his family says was mishandled by cruise officials who lacked understanding of his disability.

    “Worst Christmas ever. Horrible,” Curran said. “I’m never going on a cruise again.”

    Piro, a trauma therapist, is now on a mission to increase awareness and acceptance for people with autism. About 1 in 31 children in the United States are diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and that number is 1 in 29 in New Jersey, according to the group Autism New Jersey.

    “They have a place in our society. They have a place in our community,” Piro said.

    Royal Caribbean, which advertises an “autism friendly” environment, said it had reviewed the incident and “concluded we could have been more sensitive to their needs during the debarkation process.” The company, which owns Celebrity Cruises, will provide additional training for employees, a spokesperson said.

    ‘Just trying to be nice’

    Curran lives as independently as possible at home, Piro said. He participates in job training at Ability Solutions in Westville, has a girlfriend, sings with the Pine Barons Chorus, volunteers at an animal hospital, and enjoys dancing.

    The Cherry Hill family was having a great time on a seven-day Caribbean cruise in December to celebrate Piro’s 60th birthday. It was Curran’s fourth cruise, and he knew the ropes and was allowed to roam unaccompanied.

    Four days into the cruise, Curran was in a pool lounge when, he said, a teenage girl asked him to purchase her a Long Island iced tea. He said he bought the drink, unaware that it contained alcohol. His mother and brothers were not with him at the time.

    According to Curran, the girl touched his chest and stomach, used profanity, and followed him to a hot tub, where he lifted her like Shrek did when he rescued Princess Fiona from a dragon in one of his favorite movies. (Piro said Curran enjoys swimming and playing in the water.)

    The girl’s parents arrived and her mother began screaming, Curran said. Ship personnel escorted Curran to a security office, where he was asked to give a statement, he said.

    “I have autism and I was just trying to be nice,” he wrote in the statement, given to ship personnel and provided to The Inquirer. The statement was only a few sentences of explanation Curran wrote about what happened.

    Piro arrived during the questioning and said Curran offered an apology to the girl’s parents. Curran said he asked for patience and repeated what his mother taught him to say about having autism when he encountered difficulty explaining.

    Curran was given 90 minutes to pack and leave the ship, his mother said. She accompanied him, along with another son. Other passengers gawked and pointed as security escorted them off the ship, she recalled, saying, “Look at them: They’re getting kicked off the ship.”

    “It was just so shameful,” Piro said.

    Piro said she believes ship officials had other options, such as restricting Curran to his room, rescinding his room card that allowed him to buy drinks, or allowing him to disembark at their next port of call, she said.

    “With all of the information about autism, there was no compassion. They treated him as a fully functioning adult,” the mother said.

    Piro said the family was given only a security incident report and told that the FBI and Homeland Security would be notified. She was not allowed to speak with the girl’s family, whose full name she does not know. She said no charges were filed.

    Sean Curran, 31, of Cherry Hill, boarding a Celebrity cruise ship in December for a family vacation. He has autism and was evicted from the ship after a misunderstanding.

    Piro, Curran, and another of her sons who left the cruise were reunited with two other family members several days later when the ship docked in Florida.

    Piro said she accepted an apology from Royal Caribbean after returning home, complaining about the incident, and sharing her story publicly. She also said she had asked to be reimbursed for the $20,000 she spent on the cruise and expenses. Royal Caribbean declined to comment on the request.

    A spokesperson said Royal Caribbean’s additional training for its staff will “ensure this experience doesn’t happen again.” She declined to comment further.

    CHOP launches Philly-area autism therapy network in partnership with Soar Autism Centers

    Stacie Sherman, a spokesperson for Autism New Jersey, declined to comment about the specific incident but agreed there is a need for more awareness. She has had similar experiences as the mother of two on the autism spectrum.

    “Education and awareness is key,” Sherman said.

    Sherman said acceptance is slowly growing. Her daughter used to get nasty looks and comments for making loud noises or having a tantrum in public places, she recalled.

    “I get way more smiles and nods, even praise and offers of help. It gives me hope,” Sherman said.

    Sean Curran, 31, of Cherry Hill, plays with a dolphin during a cruise excursion in Cozumel, Mexico in December.

    Seeking change to the system

    When the family arrived home, Piro said, she reprimanded Curran and limited his activities for a month. Piro said she acknowledges that he did something wrong but said his intent was not malicious.

    Piro said she had selected Royal Caribbean for her first family vacation in a decade because it offered initiatives for families with children who have special needs.

    She said she contacted the cruise line a month before their vacation about her children’s special needs. In addition to Curran, two younger sons have mosaic Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome.

    Piro said she requested special seating, for example, to isolate the family in the dining area from noise and large groups. During an excursion, she rented a cabana away from other guests, she said.

    “We don’t go anywhere where people don’t stare, giggle, or make a comment,” Piro said.

    Piro said she plans to monitor whether Royal Caribbean implements the additional training that it has promised. She wants changes “in the system so that this doesn’t happen again.”

    Carolyn Piro, of Cherry Hill, poses for a portrait with her son Sean, who has autism, in their home this month.

    Curran said telling his story was “making me feel better.” He wants to better advocate for himself and others with autism.

    “I want people to treat other people with dignity and respect, compassion, and kindness,” he said.

  • Trash pickup, school closures, and rescheduled meetings: What you need to know post-snowstorm in Cherry Hill

    Trash pickup, school closures, and rescheduled meetings: What you need to know post-snowstorm in Cherry Hill

    The largest snowstorm in a decade just hit the Philadelphia area, closing schools and coating the roads with a sheen of slippery white stuff.

    Cherry Hill received 7 inches of snow as of Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

    Winter storm totals: How much snow and ice fell in the Philadelphia area?

    Garbage and recycling will not be picked up in Cherry Hill on Monday. There will be a one-day delay on all pickups.

    Cherry Hill’s township offices, the public library, and the Cherry Hill schools are all closed Monday. The King’s Christian School and the Y.A.L.E. School in Cherry Hill are also closed, as is the Katz J.C.C.

    The township has urged residents to stay off the roads so that crews can continue plowing.

    The township council meeting scheduled for Monday night has been moved to Wednesday, with the caucus meeting beginning at 7 p.m. and the council meeting beginning at 7:30 p.m.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Fitness classes, juice bars, and cryotherapy: The new, upscale gym coming to Cherry Hill and Lower Merion

    Fitness classes, juice bars, and cryotherapy: The new, upscale gym coming to Cherry Hill and Lower Merion

    Boutique gym Club Studio Fitness is expanding to the Philadelphia area with new locations in Cherry Hill and Wynnewood.

    Club Studio is set to take over 30,240 square feet at Cherry Hlil’s Ellisburg Shopping Center in the former BuyBuy Baby storefront. The gym is expected to open in spring 2027.

    The Cherry Hill gym will be Club Studio’s second New Jersey gym. The California-based chain opened its first Garden State location in Edgewater in May.

    A rendering of the Club Studio Fitness gym slated to open in the Ellisburg Shopping Center in Cherry Hill, N.J., in spring 2027.

    The high-end gym chain is also set to open on the Main Line late this year. Club Studio will take over a 50,000-square-foot space in the Wynnewood Shopping Center, a space formerly home to Bed Bath & Beyond. The Wynnewood gym is expected to open toward the end of 2026.

    Both shopping centers are owned by Federal Realty Investment Trust, a Maryland-based real estate trust with a large Philadelphia-area footprint.

    The addition of Club Studio is “an exciting new chapter for Wynnewood Shopping Center” that continues “the evolution towards more relevant shopping, dining, and now, wellness” experiences, Jeffrey Fischer, Federal Realty’s vice president of leasing, said in a news release.

    The Cherry Hill and Wynnewood gyms will have boutique fitness classes; free weights areas; strength and functional training zones; cardio equipment; juice bars; cryotherapy and red-light therapy; and personal stretch stations.

    Club Studio is planning to open another Pennsylvania location in Collegeville. The chain has around a dozen locations across the U.S., with a large presence in California, and has around 20 new gyms in the works, according to its website.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • Is Wegmans collecting shoppers’ biometric data at its Philly-area stores? The company won’t say.

    Is Wegmans collecting shoppers’ biometric data at its Philly-area stores? The company won’t say.

    Grocery chain Wegmans came under fire earlier this month after signage at its New York City stores revealed it was collecting biometric data on shoppers.

    But the Rochester, N.Y.-based supermarket chain won’t say whether it’s collecting biometric data on shoppers at eight Philly-area stores. There are Wegmans stores in Cherry Hill and Mount Laurel in New Jersey and in Glen Mills, Malvern, King of Prussia, Collegeville, Warrington, and North Wales in Pennsylvania.

    Patrons at some New York City Wegmans locations learned earlier this month that the supermarket chain had begun to collect, retain, store, and share data on their faces, eyes, and voices. The information, Wegmans said, was being used for “safety purposes.”

    “This is information that can be used to identify or help identify you,” a sign posted at Wegmans in New York City said, according to reporting from the online news site Gothamist. “We use facial recognition technology to protect the safety and security of our patrons and employees, and do not lease, trade or otherwise profit from the transfer of biometric identifier information.”

    Wegmans does not “get into the specific measures used at each store” for “safety and security purposes,” Wegmans spokesperson Marcie Rivera said in an email.

    Rivera said Wegmans has deployed cameras equipped with facial recognition technology in “a small fraction of our stores that exhibit an elevated risk.” Wegmans is using the technology in a “handful of states.” It posted mandated signage in New York City to comply with local regulations, Rivera said.

    Wegmans has previously said that the surveillance software is used to help identify individuals who “pose a risk to our people, customers, or operation.”

    Biometric surveillance is becoming increasingly common but is not yet widespread, said Gus Hurwitz, senior fellow and academic director of the Center for Technology, Innovation and Competition at Penn’s Carey Law School.

    Companies that use biometric surveillance do so for a number of reasons, but seldom tell consumers what their data is being collected for. Data collection can help companies understand what consumers are purchasing and how they’re moving through stores, Hurwitz said. Biometric data collection can also be used for dynamic pricing, when retailers change prices in real-time depending on a number of factors, including time of day, demand, weather, and consumer behavior.

    Hurwitz said it’s important to distinguish between real-time and non-real-time biometric screening. Non-real-time screening has been happening for decades in the form of security cameras and other data collection tools, often used for market research purposes.

    Real-time screening, however, is a newer frontier with a far murkier regulatory landscape.

    Businesses in New York City that collect biometric data are required to post signage notifying customers, per a 2021 city law, however the agency in charge of implementing the law has no enforcement mechanism for noncompliant businesses, a city official told Gothamist.

    A bipartisan bill regulating biometric data collection is currently moving through the Pennsylvania legislature. A recently introduced bill in the New Jersey Legislature would require any entity collecting biometric information to post a “clear and conspicuous notice” at every entryway to their business, like in New York City.

    Hurwitz said we’re “still very much in the development era of these sorts of technologies,” and that he expects more and more government entities to hone in on regulating them in the near future.

  • A teen’s search for her mom’s long-lost demo | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    A teen’s search for her mom’s long-lost demo | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    What would you do to find a long-lost piece of a parent’s past? One Cherry Hill teen has spent four years on such a quest. Here’s why. Also this week, work is underway for a 64-unit affordable apartment project, plus there are more changes at the mall.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    This Cherry Hill teen is on a mission to find her mom’s long-lost demo

    Cherry Hill High School East junior Charlotte Astor is on the hunt for a copy of her mom’s long-lost demo.

    A Cherry Hill teenager has embarked on an unlikely journey to find a demo tape her mom recorded with her hardcore band more than 30 years ago.

    Charlotte Astor, a 16-year-old East student, has gone down something of a rabbit hole in search of a tangible connection to her mom’s youth, turning up leads across the country.

    Everything Astor knows about her 47-year-old mom is from stories, but she wants something more. Astor’s quest has connected her with hundreds of people who have tried to help locate one of just a few dozens copies of the tape, made shortly before the group broke up.

    The Inquirer’s Dugan Arnett delves into Astor’s search and the unexpected connections she’s made along the way.

    💡 Community News

    • Township tax bills for the first half of 2026 will be sent out Friday, and residents will have extra time to pay them due to the delayed mailing. There will be an extended grace period until Feb. 18.
    • Work is underway to clear a vacant former residential property at 1991 Route 70 East near Wexford Leas Swim Club. A developer plans to build 64 affordable apartments, including 52 senior independent-living apartments and 12 units for those needing supportive care. (70 and 73)
    • A few mall updates: The Dick’s House of Sport is starting to take shape, with steel framing now rising at the site of the former One Cherry Hill office building. The 120,000-square-foot store is slated to open sometime this year. And inside the mall, plus-size women’s clothing brand Torrid and accessories and apparel retailer Michael Kors recently closed their doors. (42 Freeway)
    • The township is hosting two meetings in the next week where residents 55 and older can provide feedback on the ongoing senior needs assessment. About a third of the township’s residents are 55 and older, so officials want to understand their specific needs. The meetings will take place at the library tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday from 6 to 8:30 p.m.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    • There’s a preschool information session tonight at 6:30 p.m. at West’s new auditorium. And on Tuesday, the Board of Education will host a meeting at 6:30 p.m. See the district’s full calendar here.
    • The school district is currently looking to expand its experiential learning program for seniors and is seeking businesses to offer internship-like experiences. Juniors apply and interview for positions and the program runs from September to March. Learn more about the program here.

    🍽️ On our Plate

    🎳 Things to Do

    🛼 Soda Pop Boba Skate Party: K-Pop fans won’t want to miss this themed skate party, which will feature the popular Korean music, along with Top 40 hits. Popping boba flights will also be available for $9. ⏰ Friday, Jan. 23, 6:30-9:30 p.m. 💵 $14 admission, plus $6 skate rental 📍Hot Wheelz

    ☪️ Create and Celebrate: Kids ages 7 to 12 can make crafts inspired by Muslim culture and traditions as part of the library’s Muslim Heritage Month for Kids series. Registration is required. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 24, 10 a.m.-noon 💵 Free 📍Cherry Hill Public Library

    🎶 Wicked Drag Brunch: Performers will dress as characters from the iconic Broadway show-turned-movie and belt out favorite tunes. ⏰ Sunday, Jan. 25, 2:30-5 p.m. 💵 $19.03 📍Vera

    🏡 On the Market

    An updated five-bedroom home with a show-stopping kitchen

    The 12-foot island has seating for eight people.

    This five-bedroom Voken Tract home has undergone a full makeover, giving it a sleek and bright interior offset by black accents. The home has a living room with a wood-burning fireplace and a wine bar, and an open-concept dining and sitting area that flows into the kitchen, which features a 12-foot island, white cabinetry, quartz countertops, a stone-tiled backsplash, and professional-grade appliances. There are five bedrooms, including a primary suite with a walk-in closet, soaking tub, and double vanity. Other features include a finished basement, an in-ground pool, and outdoor dining and entertaining areas.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $1.3M | Size: 4,030 SF | Acreage: 0.95

    🗞️ What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.

  • A teen couldn’t find her mom’s 30-year-old demo tape. The internet stepped in.

    A teen couldn’t find her mom’s 30-year-old demo tape. The internet stepped in.

    The long-lost demo tape had always held a certain mythos in Charlotte Astor’s imagination.

    For years, the Cherry Hill teen had heard stories about it, recorded about 30 years ago by her mother’s very loud, very short-lived, teenage hardcore band, Seed.

    Shannon Astor, now 47, had been a vocalist for the group, just 14 or 15 years old, at a time when female representation within the genre was rare. Within a year or so, the group had disbanded — but before it did, the group, which typically practiced in a member’s parents’ basement, recorded a single demo. There had been only a few dozen copies produced back then, and they had all sold, scattering out around the South Jersey area.

    For Charlotte, the tape became a kind of white whale — a relic of her mother’s hard-charging past, something the teen occasionally scoured the web for, to no avail.

    She’d never heard her mother’s band. And she wanted to. Badly.

    “Ninety-five percent of what I have about my mother is in the stories she tells me,” says Charlotte, 16, a junior at Cherry Hill High School East.

    But a demo was something tangible. Something concrete.

    “A demo,” she decided, “I can find.”

    And so one night last spring, that’s what she set out to do.

    She had little to go on: A rough estimate of when the demo would have been released (1993-94), a general geographic location (South Jersey), and a single lyric (“In the wind of the AM shadows cling to nearby trees as season shifts to satisfy the light from above”).

    “I have been looking for this tape for 4 years,” she wrote in an appeal to her 1,000 or so Instagram followers, “… and it would mean the absolute world to me to find this tape.”

    But something about her search — this desire to connect with a parent, to bridge a gap three decades wide — resonated. It became, within the tight-knit confines of the hardcore music scene, a united pursuit.

    At an age when most teenagers couldn’t get far enough away from their parents, here was one launching a quixotic quest to better understand hers.

    A senior class photo of Shannon Astor in the 1996 Cherry Hill High School East yearbook. Now 47, Shannon was previously in a hardcore band called Seed.

    Soon, strangers from across the country were digging through old boxes in basements, or tagging old running buddies from Jersey’s 1990s hardcore scene in social media posts. Some reached out to old producers from the area, wondering whether the demo might have made its way into some dusty studio corner.

    Messages poured in, too — hundreds of them — with suggestions ranging from the plausible to the outlandish. Had she tried getting in touch with Bruce Springsteen’s people? You never know what the Boss might have stowed away in some mansion closet.

    “I suddenly had communication with so many people who I thought I would never in my life have any connection with,” Charlotte said. “California to Jersey, and everything in between.”

    The lead singer of a well-known Jersey straight-edge band of the era, Mouthpiece, joined the search, messaging Charlotte after others reached out to him about the tape. (He vaguely remembered her mother, Shannon, but not the band.)

    Much of the outside help, Charlotte notes, has come from the hardcore community.

    Indeed, much of Charlotte’s young life is rooted in the same hardcore music scene that her mother’s once was. Like Shannon before her, Charlotte spends many nights at hardcore shows around the area, photographing the scene for the magazine she self-publishes, “Through Our Eyes.” And like her mother previously, she’s a member of the “straight-edge” hardcore community, a group with a shared collection of ideals that includes abstaining from drinking or drugs. (Her first flirtation with teenage rebellion came when she snuck out of the house one night to go to her favorite record store.)

    And though her mother does not necessarily share Charlotte’s zeal for locating the old tape — “I’m not waiting for some garage band demo to be unearthed,” Shannon joked — she understands what it would mean to her daughter to have it.

    “It’s special to me only because of how much she needed to hear it,” said Shannon. “I’m just so pro-Charli and everything that she does … But this is her journey, and something that was intrinsically important to her.”

    To those in the scene, meanwhile, the response has been very hardcore.

    “A bunch of people banding together to help this random girl find her mom’s thing,” said Quinn Brady, 19, of New York, and a friend of Charlotte’s. “Most people assume that hardcore people are not very nice or friendly. [But] there’s this inherent kinship. It connects people across the nation in a way that not a lot of other genres of music do.”

    A recent selfie by Charlotte Astor (right) and her mother, Shannon Astor, taken at Reading Terminal Market.

    Those outside the hardcore scene have been no less enthralled, however.

    In December, after NJ.com picked up the story, further extending its reach, a documentary filmmaker reached out about the possibility of doing a film on her quest.

    Last year, after posting in some “old-head” hardcore Facebook groups about the tape, Shane Reynolds — a member of the Philly-based hardcore band God Instinct — stumbled upon what appeared to be the most promising lead yet.

    “I found the guy who allegedly made the demo,” Reynolds said.

    But when she got the man on the phone, Reynolds says, it proved to be a dead end.

    The closest Charlotte came was last year, not long after she first posted about the demo on Instagram. Her mom’s former bandmate in Seed, convinced he must have kept something from that period, recovered from storage an old cassette that featured a recording of a single Seed practice session.

    Charlotte took it home, pushed it into the stereo in her bedroom. She stared at the ceiling as the tape began to play and 30 years fell away.

    For the first time, she could put a sound to the stories she grew up hearing.

    “The first thing I heard was a few seconds of my mom talking,” Charlotte said. “That’s my mom, when she was 16. I’m listening to a clip of my mother, listening to her at the same age I am.”

    Charlotte Astor, a junior at Cherry Hill High School East, and her vintage 35mm film Nikon camera in the school’s photography classroom.

    Still, that small taste has only reinforced her devotion to unearthing the actual demo.

    Charlotte remains realistic about her odds of finding it. No, it’s not likely to be found in some radio station’s studio. And no, Bruce Springsteen is almost certainly not in possession of a three-decades old demo tape from her mother’s teenage years.

    But some graying hardcore fan from the ’90s, with a penchant for hoarding and a cluttered garage?

    Stranger things have happened.

    “I have confidence — unwavering confidence — that someone has it,” Charlotte says. “And that I will get my hands on it.”

  • Where does South Jersey start anyway? | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Where does South Jersey start anyway? | Inquirer Cherry Hill

    Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋

    It’s the great debate: Where does South Jersey start, and is there even a Central Jersey? Let us know what you think by marking South Jersey on our interactive map. Also this week, a high-end gym is opening in Ellisburg Shopping Center, plus a Tony Award-winning Broadway show currently at the Academy of Music has surprisingly local ties.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Where does South Jersey actually start?

    It’s a longstanding question: Where does South Jersey start? Is the dividing line the same as where Eagles fans stop and Giants fans begin? Is it based on your area code? Is there some other sign that you’ve crossed from the North to the South?

    The Inquirer is posing that very question to readers, along with one other hotly debated item: Is there such a thing as Central Jersey?

    Readers can weigh in on both and see how others responded here.

    💡 Community News

    • A high-end gym is taking over the former Buy Buy Baby space in the Ellisburg Shopping Center. Club Studio Fitness is expected to open a 30,240-square-foot gym in spring 2027. Club Studio Fitness, the boutique-style gym from parent company LA Fitness, is known for its premium amenities like cryotherapy and red-light therapy, a juice bar, stretch stations, and locker rooms, in addition to its fitness and wellness offerings. Memberships at Club Studio Fitness’ only other New Jersey location, in Edgewater, range from $189 to $249 per month.
    • In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the township is hosting two service events in the coming week. On Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., volunteers will help with trail maintenance throughout Croft Farm. And on Monday, kids 11 to 17 can participate in a youth leadership workshop with the police department. Advanced registration is required.
    • Two Cherry Hill residents are among the 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Medal recipients, awarded by Camden County. Artist Giselle Brown and Col. Ted Gallagher, director of veterans affairs for Camden County, will be recognized alongside nine other recipients next Wednesday. Brown is a 17-year-old whose work has been recognized at the local, state, and national level, and Gallagher is a decorated 28-year military veteran who went on to work at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services before joining the county.
    • Broadway show Suffs is currently in town and has two South Jersey connections, one far less obvious than the other. The touring musical, which is at the Academy of Music through Sunday, was created by playwright, composer, and actor Shaina Taub, whose mother is a Cherry Hill native. It follows the suffrage movement and centers on South Jersey Quaker activist Alice Paul, who was born in Mount Laurel. The Inquirer’s Rosa Cartagena dives into what inspired the Tony Award-winning production.
    • Washington, D.C.-based Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies has named a new principal to its Cherry Hill office. Braxton Plummer will help grow the government relations firm’s practice throughout New Jersey and the region.
    • Park Royal Orthodontics recently opened at 921 Haddonfield Rd. at Towne Place at Garden State Park. The practice offers orthodontic care for all ages.
    • A clarification: We noted in last week’s newsletter that Appliances Outlet will be moving into the space occupied by Whole Hog Cafe and Wine Legend. Appliances Outlet will only take over part of the space, and neither of the current businesses are slated to close.

    🏫 Schools Briefing

    🍽️ On our Plate

    • Chick’s Deli got a shout-out from BestofNJ.com as one of the best sandwich shops in New Jersey. The website noted specialty sandwiches like the chicken cheesesteak with broccoli rabe and sharp provolone “really shine.” It also suggested trying the mushroom cheesesteak.

    🎳 Things to Do

    ♒ Napkin Wars: Battle of the Zodiac!: Represent your zodiac sign during this fun “napkin war” party, where three DJs will spin tunes. ⏰ Saturday, Jan. 17, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. 💵 $19.03 📍 Vera

    👩‍⚕️ Game Plan for Wellness: Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital’s community health expo will include wellness stations and tables, healthcare screenings, cooking and exercise demos, and more. ⏰ Sunday, Jan. 18, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Jefferson Cherry Hill Hospital

    🧁 Valentine’s Day Cupcake Decorating: Registration opens tomorrow for this event geared toward kids in sixth through 12th grade. ⏰ Sunday, Feb. 8, 2-3:30 p.m. 💵 Free 📍 Cherry Hill Public Library

    🏡 On the Market

    A four-bedroom Olde Springs home with an eye-catching kitchen

    The kitchen island has cabinetry which contrasts with the slate-gray cabinets throughout the rest of the space.

    Located in the Olde Springs neighborhood, this four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom home blends classic and modern design elements. Its first floor features include a dining room, a multipurpose room with a tiled fireplace, a laundry and mudroom, and an open-concept kitchen and living room. The kitchen has a large island with white cabinetry that contrasts with the slate-gray cabinets throughout the rest of the space and matches the subway tile backsplash. It opens into a two-story living room. The bedrooms are upstairs, including a primary suite with a double vanity and soaking tub.

    See more photos of the home here.

    Price: $800,000 | Size: 4,053 SF | Acreage: 0.41

    🗞️ What other Cherry Hill residents are reading this week:

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.