Room Upgrade: A second historical hotel gets a green makeover

story by Liz PachecoWITH MORE THAN 50 BOUTIQUE hotels in 24 cities, Kimpton  operates on a large scale, making their sustainability initiatives all the more impressive. Their first hotel in Philadelphia, the Palomar, opened in September 2009 in the landmark Architects Building, and earned LEED Gold certification. This October, Kimpton opened their second

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1 min read

Upper Crust: Delicious meals in the pie of the beholder

story and photo by Marisa McClellan WE'VE ARRIVED AT THE TIME OF YEAR I fondly refer to as pie season. There’s truly no better winter dessert than a flaky pastry filled with something sweetened and spiced. When I bake a pie—especially one that isn’t going to hang around my kitchen—I’ll always make a

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4 mins read

Cheese of the Month: Full Nettle Jack

story and photo by Tenaya DarlingtonIN THE WORLD OF FLAVORED CHEESES, Full Nettle Jack (a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam film, Full Metal Jacket) is a special character. Even if you’re the sort of person who bristles at the mere mention of “nettles”—they do sting, after all—you ought to reserve judgment. This bright-tasting

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1 min read

A Steady Glaze: Arresting art from a ceramic education center

story by Jaclyn HardgroveFounded in 1974 by five artists who needed workspace, The Clay Studio opened with the goal of providing affordable equipment and a shared space for recent art school graduates. Soon though, the founders shifted their mission to focus on education and community outreach. By 1979, the Clay Studio had evolved

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1 min read

Paper Chase: Art torn from the pages of yesterday’s books

story by Liz PachecoTwo years ago, Liddy Russo challenged herself to craft gifts for friends and family without buying new materials. Her solution: Make paper ornaments from old book pages. The spherical origami was so well-received that she started a business, Made by Liddy, and began selling the pieces. “I think it’s really important

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1 min read

Bird Calling: Salvage homes for our fine-feathered friends

story by Jaclyn Hardgrove“The first time we tried to sell our [bird]houses in public, the customers knew more about birdhouses than we did,” admits Matthew Borgen, co-founder of Recycled Rowhouse. Borgen and his partner Monica Giacomucci started cobbling birdhouses from found wood as gifts for friends and family. But after that initial attempt

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1 min read

Ring Leaders: Bario-Neal creates a new gold standard

story by Liz Pacheco | photos by Alyssa Robb When college friends Anna Bario and Page Neal reconnected at a wedding a few years ago, the pair discovered they shared an interest in creating sustainable jewelry. At the time, each had an independent jewelry label, but in 2007, decided to forgo

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1 min read