John Boyce protects and defends Roxborough’s ‘Central Park’

John Boyce has made it his mission to revitalize Gorgas Park.
If it weren’t for people like Roxborough native and Gorgas Park champion John Boyce, things wouldn’t get done. So says David Bower, the volunteer coordinator of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, who has known Boyce for more than 20 years. “They say the squeaky wheel gets

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1 min read

Theater-Going

photo by Ben LeechA driving snowstorm was no deterrent for the Friends of the Boyd, who held a rally to save the Boyd Theatre on December 10, 2013. The Boyd, designed by the Hoffman-Henon firm, which specialized in theaters, opened in 1928 as one of Philadelphia's art deco movie palaces.

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1 min read

Natural Remedies: Program aims to fill prescriptions for diet and exercise

JASTECH development services executive director Jerome Shabazz (right), with Penn State Extension Nutrition Educator Simran James
Pacing through the crowd of people sampling vegan dishes and checking out booths from groups like Philadelphia Backyard Chickens, Healthy Foods, Green Spaces and Eastwick Friends and Neighbors Coalition, Jerome Shabazz seems both busy and content. It’s a festival day

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2 mins read

Into the Woods: New school utilizes its natural environment

This January, Green Woods Charter School, an environmentally-focused K-8 public school, will move from two former parish schools in Manayunk to a new 60,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility at Ridge Avenue and Domino Lane in Roxborough. Innovative features like 12-foot windows, transparent walls, an observation deck and a third floor balcony — together with a three-acre site

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1 min read

Essential Properties: Experts from around the country trade notes on Reclaiming Vacant Properties

With 40,000 vacant lots within its boundaries, Philadelphia knows a lot about the problems and the potential of vacant properties. In September, the city played host to the Center for Community Progress’s (CCP) fifth Reclaiming Vacant Properties (RVP) conference, three days of interactive panel sessions, walking tours of Philadelphia neighborhoods and plenty of networking and

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Re-Shop Flower Shop gifts recyclable bouquets to local sustainability heroes

Local artist Kathryn Sclavi sets up the Re-Shop Flower Shop with students the McVeigh Recreation Center in Kensington. | Photo by Michael Reali Last Wednesday, local artist Kathryn Sclavi braved Philadelphia’s rush hour traffic and the January cold in her ZipCar to pick-up flowers in West Philly. But Sclavi wasn’t going to a florist or

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Zoning Amendment Threatens Urban Farms in Philly

Grumblethorpe Historic House and Garden is one of the gardens that would be seriously affected by the new zoning changes. The two-acre garden grows fruits and vegetables and employs high school students at a weekly farmstand.
This article was originally published in the January 2013 issue of Weavers Way Co-op's Shuttle newspaper.
On December 13, 2012, less

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2 mins read

Blight’s Out

story by Liz Pacheco | illustration by Melissa McFeetersWhen Mabel Wilson and her mother moved to Gray’s Ferry in 1929, her cul-de-sac block was lined with rowhomes. Soon though, many homes were abandoned and the City tore them down, leaving behind a block of empty lots. Looking at these new eyesores, Mabel

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9 mins read

Eastwick Update: Development plans on hold

Story by Liz Pacheco THE GRID OCTOBER 2012 COVER story reported on a development controversy in southwestern Philadelphia’s Eastwick community. Korman Residential has proposed building 722 apartments on 35 acres adjacent to single family homes and the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge. For the City, the land holds great

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1 min read
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