As the oldest of nine children, Shevy Sputz was her mother’s kitchen assistant in their Brooklyn household. Sputz’s mother, a talented cook and baker, wisely gave her daughter responsibility for making desserts. Decades later, that early family apprenticeship and an heirloom recipe led to the formation of Sputz’s burgeoning Fairmount-based business, Shevy’s Babka Paradise. Although
MoreNice Things Handmade carries on a tradition in South Phillyby Claire Connelly
Saddened by the recent closings of some of Philadelphia’s favorite specialty shops, Elissa Kara made a bold move. In February, the local artist and restaurant veteran opened Nice Things Handmade, a boutique gallery on booming East Passyunk Avenue.
Mural Arts sets its sights on the city’s lunch trucks
After a while, Philadelphia’s omnipresent lunch trucks can blend together, fading into the backdrop of the city. Enter the Lunch Truck Project, a Mural Arts Program bringing vibrant colors and eye-popping designs to our city’s mobile meals.
MoreWendell Berry understands technology’s lure to farmers. In 1950, when he was 16, his father bought a tractor, and suddenly he found he was impatient with his mules. But what does a tireless machine do to a farmer’s relationship to the land? Land becomes something to overcome—a perspective shared by a traveler on an interstate
MoreOne of the most striking things about the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards Program launch was the trucks. Wrapped in vibrant, colorful patterns, the hulking behemoths were belle of the ball. That’s all thanks to a partnership between the Streets Commission, under the guidance of Clarena Tolson, and Philadelphia’s Mural Arts program.
MoreUmbrellas—designed as a convenient solution to getting caught in the rain—can be surprisingly unwieldy. On a stormy day, Philly sidewalks are filled with all shapes, sizes and varieties. But, when the wind is strong, the flimsy shields often can’t withstand the pressure, acquiring that all-too-familiar inside-out look. At that point, the city becomes an umbrella
Moreby Dee Dee RisherEven though I’m not a big consumer, from mid-November well into January, I feel like a recovering alcoholic stocking a liquor store. I’ve painstakingly retrained my U.S. consumer brain to evaluate my needs and wants.
MoreThis year, create your own ornament
Featured Studio: Hudson Beach Glass 26 South Strawberry St.
A combination of science and art, glass blowing may seem like an unattainable and exotic skill. The technique, which involves inflating molten glass into a bubble using a blowpipe or tube, can be a bit intimidating. But, at Hudson Beach Glass, the
Play in the mud, make unforgettable gifts
Featured Studio: The Clay Studio 137-139 North 2nd St.
The Clay Studio's ground floor houses a vibrant gallery of pots, mugs, jewelry and decorative items produced by expert artisans, but the building also hosts three floors of studio space, with artists hard at work. Open since 1990, the studio offers
You are 90 minutes away from knitting your first scarf
Featured Stores: Loop 1914 South St. / Spool 1912 South St.
Craig Rosenfeld worked in property management before opening Loop in 2005. “I had been knitting for a few years and was looking to make a career change,” explains Rosenfeld. The colorful storefront on South Street
Philadelphia’s Joshua Marcus—and his banjo—campaign for environmental justiceby Lee Stabert
They say use what you got. For Philadelphia’s Joshua Marcus, that happens to be a banjo and a connection to the socially-conscious folk music of another era. Armed with those tools, he has completed This Land, a collection of seven songs and oral histories recounting the