On an afternoon in late October, students from Sayre High School were trickling into the Cobbs Creek Community Environmental Center’s community room to take off their waders and to review what they had found in the creek. It was a scene you might expect at any environmental center, but a relatively fresh one now that
MoreAn abandoned building becomes a hub for social activism in West Philadelphiaby Natalie Hope McDonaldJust off the Number 10 Green Line, west of the sprawling Penn and Drexel campuses and trendy restaurants, past the tiny street corner bodegas and dimly lit bars, a group of aspiring social activists saw something special in an abandoned building
MoreNorth Philly changes before our eyes by Will Dean with additional reporting by Dana Henry When you think about a sustainable city, what does it look like? Whether it’s a futuristic, shiny sci-fi wonderland or a green treehouse-like Ewok village, you probably don’t think of North Philly. With it’s abandoned industrial buildings and bad
MoreAround 3 p.m., the girls trickle through the front door of a former upholstery shop. From public and private schools in Germantown, Mount Airy and beyond, they arrive in pleated skirts and blue jeans. Yvonne Haughton welcomes each by name as they shed jackets and knapsacks before helping themselves to pudding and hot chocolate.
MoreAn ode to Frankford Ave. And the Elby Nathaniel Popkin
The third-floor factory window frames the view, the restive city in the side-glance of the winter sun. Here’s a swollen plume of white smoke and the granite-colored river, and the Betsy Ross Bridge in the muted but improbable green invented by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Amtrak flies
I know I’m not supposed to play favorites, but of all the pieces in our inaguaral issue, I like Destinee-Charisse Royal’s piece on For My Daughter Library the best. Before I explain why, I’d like to give a little love to some other stories, too, so they don’t get jealous.Our cover subject, Mike McKinley, surfs,
MoreReaching OutPeople’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation
It’s kind of hard to get a job without knowing how to type or use the Internet. Yet, despite our technologically-driven times, many Philadelphians are computer-starved—one more barrier to opportunity.
Philly's Got Culture
With TV waves going digital this February, Nexus/foundation, an experimental artist collective, thought it might be time to go old-school. So they turned their gallery, located in the Crane Arts Building (1400 N. American St.), into a low-frequency AM radio station for the months of December and January. Their control room, made of
This five block stretch of Germantown Avenue isn’t gushing to tell its secrets. You’ll find tall trees and narrow, stone-laid storefronts, not neon lights. But don’t let the formal appearance fool you. Step inside. A shop owner, who probably lives just a few blocks away, will show you Mount Airy’s experimental side.
MoreDon't Panic, Philly--there's work to do!
by Kenneth D. Smith, Ph.D.
Many Philadelphians feel anxious about the unfolding economic crisis. So far we’ve witnessed eye-popping declines in our 401Ks, unprecedented layoffs from CitiBank to City Hall, and planned cuts in City services, including libraries, firehouses, recreation centers and public swimming pools. Given the tense environment, is there
