January: Comings & Goings

Mayor Kenney Appoints Christine Knapp New Leader of Mayor’s Office of Sustainability Christine Knapp will head the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability during the Jim F. Kenney mayoral administration. Knapp has been a leader in Philadelphia’s sustainability community for over a decade; she led PennFuture’s Next Great City Campaign, headed Philadelphia’s Urban Sustainability Forum, and most

More
3 mins read

January: To-Do List

Illustration by Kathleen White 1. Order your seed catalogs January may seem like a lull in your gardening endeavors, but there’s no better time to start dreaming about spring. Order your catalog now, and when February rolls around, you’ll be ready to start your planning in earnest. 2. Go wassail a tree Caroling to orchard

More
2 mins read
//

January Shop Local: Bakeries & Cafés

New Bakers, Bakeries and Cafés about Town by Emily Kovach For many of us, the workday begins with coffee and a bagel at the corner café and ends with a baguette from the local bakery. It’s a simple and satisfying pleasure to bite into a still-warm, aromatic sourdough, or see that our favorite kind of

More
5 mins read

When the American Dream is a nightmare, it’s time to wake up

Illustration by James Olstein Running in Circle interview by Heather Shayne Blakeslee For the last few decades, scholar and author Juliet Schor has been studying Americans: the way that we work, play and spend. She’s made her life’s work of understanding the economic and cultural forces that mold us—as well as what makes us happy,

More
5 mins read

PiperWai natural deodorant rocks a crowd funding campaign, hits small screen

No Sweat by William Beisley Jess Edelstein, CEO and co-founder of PiperWai, has a rote but enthusiastic way of discussing her all-natural cream deodorant, which is understandable considering their recent bombardment of interviews. Edelstein, along with co-founder and CFO Sarah Ribner, had four interviews the day before their meetup with Grid, not to mention an

More
2 mins read
//

Baking bread is an easy and satisfying gift to yourself

Daily Bread by Anna Herman It is hard to improve upon the fresh bread available from so many excellent local bakeries. But you can come close, and few things are as magical as transforming flour, water and salt into fragrant loaves—so it is worth your time to try. Whether turning out unleavened, hand-rolled flatbreads, or

More
2 mins read
//

From Covingtons to Beauregards, sweet potatoes hit the spot

Sweet Potatoes by Peggy Paul Casella They might not be as flashy as other super foods, but sweet potatoes pack a serious nutritional punch, and have impressive concentrations of fiber, potassium and other essential nutrients. Most notably, sweet potatoes are one of the most potent natural sources of beta-carotene and other pigment-related antioxidants, which have

More
2 mins read

Personal Essay: How decluttering your home can enrich your neighborhood

Illustration by James Olstein Buy Nothing, Gain Everything by Susan Corcoran About two years ago, I realized that every time I walked into my apartment I felt anxious and unfulfilled. Things I didn’t use were everywhere. I was always questioning why I had so much when it caused me nothing but stress. I first tried

More
3 mins read

Letting Go of Sentimental Items

Letting Go of Sentimental Items by Joshua Fields Millburn My mother died in 2009. She lived a thousand miles away, and it was my responsibility to vacate her apartment in Florida. It was a small, one-bedroom place, but it was packed wall-to-wall with her belongings. Mom had great taste (she could have been an interior

More
1 min read

Minimalism: Can fulfillment be found in an empty room?

Krista Pleger enjoys her clutter-free apartment. A table in the Bella Vista apartment of Susan Corcoran. The shared bathroom space of Art Museum resident Krista Pfleger. Krista’s sink is on the right. Aaron Bitler’s sparse sanctuary. The light-filled, West Philadelphia bedroom of Ayse Unver. Aaron Bitler’s closet of wardrobe essentials. Susan Corcoran’s living room furnishings.

More
9 mins read