It’s a Tuesday morning in August, and women with young children are filing into Rutabaga Toy Library in East Falls, which is hosting a circle time for parents. The welcoming and well-lit space is a testament to the sharp eye that founder Krystal Cunillera developed in the 16 years she spent as a videographer. Like
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When homeowners make the switch from oil to electric home systems it’s not just better for the environment—it also saves them money. But while the money a family saves on their home energy bills—thanks to solar panels, electric heat pumps, and more—can often pay off the switch in just a few years, affording the initial
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According to Ashley Roberts, eating out as a vegan in Philadelphia is easy. Why? Because so many restaurants offer vegan options. “I feel like you can go into pretty much any restaurant and they can accommodate you in some way,” says Roberts. She describes the contrast between Philadelphia restaurants and the venues she frequents when
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As professionals in the hospitality industry, caring for others is important to longtime friends Stephen Pressman and Heather Gettis. When the pandemic hit and both were laid off from their jobs, restaurant worker Pressman and event manager Gettis found themselves with an abundance of time and a lack of opportunity to do things for others.
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Altering one’s lifestyle to limit waste is by no means an easy life practice, according to Ron Whyte. Whyte, project coordinator of the Mural Arts Philadelphia program Trash Academy, says the difficulty comes from an oversaturation of consumer culture. “We live in a system of extraction, production and consumption, and waste comes at the end
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In 2006, the board of The Philadelphian, a condominium located on Pennsylvania Avenue, faced a financial dilemma. A previous Board of Directors had allowed necessary upkeep to fall by the wayside for years, leaving the 1960s building in desperate need of repairs. Rundown appliances, poorly insulated areas, and many more interior issues were creating high
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Amidst shots and descriptions of swirling hurricanes, raging fires, and dying ecosystems, the documentary Can We Cool The Planet? begins with the words of climate strategist Jane Long, “We can’t go back, there is no path backwards.” But what if there was? Philadelphia filmmakers Ben Kalina and Jen Schneider, and their team of collaborators from
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In February 2019, a group of nine creative engineers, researchers, artists, and designers who had been working and playing together for years founded the Philadelphia Packaging Company. United around attributing value to objects of all shapes, sizes, and traditional economic worths, the collective began telling the stories of businesses that engage in packaging or selling
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Lynn Washington has spent most of her life encouraging people to read. As a graphic designer, she worked for the Free Library of Philadelphia, creating graphics and exhibits that would attract new audiences. As a mother, she read books to her children to excite in them a passion for learning. And now, as the owner
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From the moment childhood friends Julius Aldrich, Brian Bonner, and Derrick Skipper met, laughter has been a central piece of their relationship. At nine years old, Queen Village residents Bonner and Skipper were introduced by their mutual friend Nicholas Herrera and began “running on each other” with teasing arguments and biting humor. In high school,
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