The Cherry Hill Mall is no longer our anchor | Inquirer Cherry Hill
Plus, district schools could lose money under the proposed state budget.
Hello, Cherry Hill! 👋
Welcome to the very first edition of Inquirer Cherry Hill, your weekly roundup of the top stories impacting your town, from restaurant openings and things to do, to updates from your local government leaders and school district. We know there’s a lot of news to keep track of out there, and we hope to make it easier.
This week, delve into whether Cherry Hill has a true center of gravity, learn how much our schools stand to lose under the newly proposed state budget, and read about how the community has come together to support Cherry Hill residents Celal and Emine Emanet after they were arrested by ICE.
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To outsiders, the Cherry Hill Mall is synonymous with our town. But for those who live around here, we know it’s hardly the anchor it once was.
“If it’s the heart of our city, then it’s got COPD,” resident Jay Lassiter told Inquirer reporter Jenn Ladd. “It is moribund compared to what it was. It’s just kind of an average mall now, whereas before, it basically changed the game.”
When it opened in 1961, the Cherry Hill Mall was the first indoor mall east of the Mississippi, and it drew attention and admiration from shoppers around the region. More than 60 years and several major renovations later, the mall “reads like any other American mall nice enough to have a Nordstrom’s,” Ladd wrote.
Nowadays, Cherry Hill is filled with a dizzying array of great restaurants and shops, from the East side to the West. We’re all just as likely (maybe more likely?) to spend our weekends in strip malls and shopping centers as we are to visit the Cherry Hill Mall. So Ladd set out to answer a question: If not the Mall, what is our town’s center of gravity?
Read more about what Ladd found here, and let me know your thoughts at [email protected].
💡 Community News
More than $300,000 has been raised to support Cherry Hill residents Celal and Emine Emanet, Turkish immigrants and owners of Jersey Kebab in Haddon Township who were arrested by ICE last week. Celal was released, but Emine is still being held in an Elizabeth detention center.
The Oregon man charged with murder in the death of veterinarian Michael Anthony will be extradited to New Jersey for prosecution, a judge ruled.
Condolences to local crafters. After initial plans to close only half its stores, crafts retailer Joann is going out of business and closing all locations, including its Cherry Hill branch. But have no fear — many people in the “What’s Up in Cherry Hill” Facebook group last week chimed in with their local recs for yarn and fabric.
A Cherry Hill man has been sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay $6.1 million in restitution for paying two men to set a fire at a Bucks County warehouse in 2022, as part of an insurance fraud scheme. (Courier Post)
B’nai mitzvah parties have become extravagant affairs with some families spending upwards of $100,000 on the reception. Planners say many are also increasingly looking for unique venues — like the Richmans, of Cherry Hill, who hosted their daughter’s bat mitzvah at the Fillmore in Philly.
Cherry Hill-raised singer Adam Weiner, band leader of Low Cut Connie, canceled his scheduled appearance at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts later this month, distancing himself from the organization after President Trump took it over.
Paul Carocciolo, who runs the Paul Michael School of Music in Cherry Hill, was featured in our “House of the Week” column Tuesday for his top-floor corner penthouse in Fishtown.
A little something to make you smile: A group of neighbors volunteered to help a Cherry Hill woman find her puppy, Shade, after he broke free during a walk last month. “It has shined the brightest light on my surrounding community,” Shade’s owner, Gina Manfredi, told CBS. “My heart is so full, and I can not express the gratitude I feel.”
🏫 Schools Briefing
Cherry Hill schools stand to lose 3% of the district’s state funding under Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed budget, a loss of more than $884,000. (The district also won’t receive supplemental aid that it got last year, bringing its total loss to nearly $4 million for 2025-26.) It’s the second straight year that the district has seen a decrease in state aid, and several other local districts are facing proposed cuts, too.
But here’s a little good news. Because of a $363 million school bond voters approved in 2022, all of Cherry Hill’s public schools are getting upgrades. Our South Jersey schools reporter Melanie Burney checked in to see how the projects are going.
🍽️ On our Plate
Cherry Hill is carving out a niche for itself when it comes to ramen and bubble tea. Here’s where to get a hearty bowl to keep you warm through these last few weeks of winter.
Freeze-dried candy has become a hit on TikTok, but we don’t have to go far to get some. Sugar Crunch, which makes sweets like freeze-dried gummy worms and freeze-dried Skittles, has a vending machine right at the Cherry Hill Mall.
A couple new spots are coming to Cherry Hill: La Liégeoise, which makes authentic Belgian waffles, and Koi Matsu Japanese Restaurant. (Patch and A View From Evesham)
🎳 Things to Do
📘 Calling all readers: The Friends of the Cherry Hill Public Library is hosting a book sale this week, including a $5 Bag of Books sale this weekend. Friends members get exclusive access today, and the sale opens to the public tomorrow. ⏰ Through Sunday, March 9. Various times.📍Cherry Hill Public Library
🥄 Cherry Hill East presents Mary Poppins: Grab your spoonful of sugar — and tickets to East’s spring musical. The show began a few days ago, and continues this weekend. ⏰ Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 9, 2 p.m. 💸 $15 for general admission, $12 for students📍Cherry Hill High School East
🛼 They not like us: Hot Wheelz skating rink is hosting a Kendrick Lamar-themed night, with three hours of skating to Lamar’s hits and more. ⏰ Saturday, March 8, 7:30-10:30 p.m. 💸 $12 admission, $6 skate rental📍Hot Wheelz
💿 The Cherry Hill Record Riot returns: From classic rock to punk, funk to hip hop, you’ll find your jam here. Dealers from all over the Philly area will be offering bargains on LPs, CDs, 45s, and “who knows what else,” organizers say. ⏰ Sunday, March 9, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 💸 Various ticket prices ranging from $5 to $25📍Holiday Inn Philadelphia-Cherry Hill
🎵 For the BeyHive: Vera Bar and Grill is hosting a Beyoncé drag brunch featuring drag queen VinChelle. ⏰ Sunday, March 9, 2:30-5:30 p.m. 💸 $15📍Vera Bar and Grill
😋 Haddonfield Restaurant Week: It’s the sixth annual restaurant week for our neighboring town, complete with prix fixe menus, daily specials, and discounts. ⏰ Through Sunday, March 9📍Downtown Haddonfield
🏡 On the Market
Now, this is a house for entertaining. This seven-bedroom, four full-bath, two half-bath home has an open-concept floor plan with a kitchen designed for hosting. The home, listed for $899,000, also has an in-law suite with its own separate entrance.
Have you seen an interesting listing in or around Cherry Hill? Share it with us in an email to [email protected].
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