It’s been a while since a newspaper has been on these streets, but certainly not because of a lack or want or need. Today, that changes. Today, we begin The Spirit of Penn’s Garden.

For now, the paper is relatively small. We’ve only got eight pages to fit in all of the stories of gripes, concerns and hopes. It’s an impossible task, but we will do our best to select a collection of pieces each week that focus on you and your neighbors. And as time goes on and you continue to read and contribute to the conversation, we can increase the number of pages and breadth and depth of our coverage.

Today, you will also find our newly redesigned website SpiritNews.org. It will be updated regularly with original stories by The Spirit and aggregated pieces from news sources all over the city. It will be a one-stop-shop for your neighborhood news. Take some time to explore the site, join us on social media and sign up for our newsletter.

As many of you know, The Spirit of Penn’s Garden has a sister publication in the Riverwards. It was over a year ago now that we took on the task of revitalizing, retooling and reshaping The Spirit of the Riverwards. With this work, we hoped to dispel some myths surrounding the print media industry: it’s ignored by millennials, it’s a dying industry, it’s a fool’s errand. So far, it’s been a rousing success.

Now, it’s time to expand our efforts and offer the same benefits of a hyperlocal news source that the Riverwards have enjoyed to Penn’s Garden.

In this first issue, you’ll find stories written by and about some amazing people. These folks are your neighbors, your baristas and, hopefully soon, your friends. I think you will read these stories and find some way to relate to them, if not philosophically, at least geographically.

Another important part of this newspaper is to help the community in more tangible ways. Over the next year, we will be organizing neighborhood cleanups, donation drives for schools and veterans and happy hour events to meet our staff and your neighbors.

You see, I’m a persistent optimist. Where others see deeply entrenched differences in people, I strive to see the commonalities, the things that make us all neighbors. I hope this shows through in this newspaper because now is a time when recognizing those commonalities is most important.

The whole city is slowly shifting. The population is growing, buildings are being rehabbed, rehashed and demolished, and all of this is happening whether we like it or not. But that doesn’t mean we can’t help to shape the future of this city and, more importantly, our neighborhood. To do that, to be a part of the conversation of change, we need to speak up. I hope that, in time, The Spirit of Penn’s Garden will be at the center of that conversation. It won’t be easy, but with your help, I’m confident we can do it.

Remember, The Spirit of Penn’s Garden is part of a conversation that you can participate in. If you want to write a story, share your concerns or give us a juicy tip, you can always reach me by email (News@SpiritNews.org). And if you see me walking down the street, don’t hesitate to introduce yourself.

I look forward to this new adventure. On behalf of all of us here at The Spirit, thank you for reading. I can’t wait to meet you and hear your story.

-Matthew Albasi