Uber-urban South Philadelphia might seem an unlikely place to find the next
On an unseasonably cool Saturday during one of this spring’s stretches of
In June 2023, I followed my friend Josh past old, arching oaks
In 2023, Cheltenham-based artist Rebecca Schultz completed a yearslong art project, “Mapping
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In nature there is always something to discover. Maybe you’ll encounter a species living somewhere it has never been documented, perhaps an unexpected crayfish in a creek. What else could be swimming in there? You could find a chestnut tree growing strong where others are afflicted. Could that tree hold answers for how to overcome
Fifty minutes before the first pitch at a Friday night Phillies game in early June, the line at Greens and Grains already wrapped around and down the concourse at Citizens Bank Park. Looking on, Kevin Tedesco, Aramark’s general manager at Citizens Bank Park, and Jason Firestone, Aramark’s senior director of concessions, shared the story of
The name Edible Alphabet might conjure images of sugary breakfast cereal or playful pasta shapes. That’s not what has drawn more than 1,000 adult learners to this innovative series of free, fun English language classes at the Culinary Literacy Center in the Free Library of Philadelphia since 2016. Lindsay Southworth, senior program manager, traces the
There are a lot of materials in our lives — from fabric to furniture to fire extinguishers — that can find continued usefulness outside of the waste stream. That’s the idea behind resourcePhilly (resourcephilly.org), a new website that helps residents figure out where to donate, repair and recycle unwanted items responsibly. Created by Circular Philadelphia,
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Meet Craig Santoro, a bike commuter whose trek to work involves constantly dodging cars. From the vehicles parked in bike lanes to the vehicles whizzing by in driving lanes, the city’s streets are always keeping Craig on his toes. Cue the Philadelphia Parking Authority’s bike patrol. Follow Craig and the PPA as they bring us
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At St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, a tantrum looms. Scalp bristling with electrodes, a three-year-old boy remains stubbornly unmoved by his parents’ pleas that he take his medication. Then his nurse proposes a deal. “Yeah,” the boy responds to her question, “I’ll take the pills if the clown comes to see me.” Within moments, Marilyn
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Bakari Clark describes herself as a student and a gardener. As the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Douglas Dockery Thomas Fellowship in Garden History and Design, Clark can now claim to be a student of gardens. The 25-year-old Virginia native came to Philadelphia to study at Temple University, where she became interested in many aspects
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Ever since Elizabeth Luce began training to become a yoga teacher, she wanted to teach classes outside. Now, every Tuesday evening, she leads a class right on the Delaware riverfront. “The best part about being in this location is it’s so active,” says Luce. “Everyone is out. If they’re not here doing yoga, they’re out
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As Philly gets hotter, air-conditioned community spaces and weatherized homes are becoming essential
In June at the Hunting Park Recreation Center, Ilianny Rodriguez, a senior at Esperanza Academy Charter School, was playing volleyball in the gym with her friends. She says that when it’s very hot, they cope by lying in front of the fan because the gym is not air-conditioned. Rodriguez has noticed that people try to
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Lately, as I’ve walked through the city, I’ve found myself crisscrossing from one side of the street to the other based on the angle of the sun and how much shade the street trees offer. We’ve had a hot, humid stretch here in July, recalling the fierce heat wave in June. It did occur to
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In July, for the second time in five years, Philadelphia’s waste collection system stopped working and trash piled up in the streets. Five years ago there were staffing shortages caused by the pandemic; this time it was a municipal strike by the workers of District Council 33. When collection ceases, such issues as smells and
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It’s a Wednesday afternoon in late June, and Philadelphia is on its fifth day of the first heat wave of the summer. As temperatures climb to 95 degrees, residents of Mill Creek flock to the best place in the neighborhood to cool down: Fletcher Pool. Public spaces like Fletcher Pool are essential in a city
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The concrete jungle isn’t for everyone, or welcoming to anyone, really. Especially in the summer, a landscape of asphalt, concrete, metal and glass doesn’t meet all of our needs. Nor do the indoor spaces — all stale air and artificial lighting — where we spend most of our sleeping and waking hours. But being outside
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Ordering takeout from your favorite neighborhood spot is a treat. What’s not a treat? The disposable packaging that’s used for pretty much every to-go order. Whether you’re digging into a burger and fries or summer rolls and pad see ew, what you’re left with is a heap of unrecyclable trash that’s problematic for both the
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When Peter Merzbacher first started delivering loaves of bread around the city on his bicycle, he had no five-year plan to grow his small baking project into a wholesale business. But today, Merzbacher’s processes 12,000 pounds of dough into bread every week out of its Germantown warehouse. And still, the mission remains the same: nourish
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