Thanks to Philly Brownstoner for the heads up on this story detailing planned renovations at City Hall’s Dilworth Plaza, currently one of city’s biggest missed opportunities. From The Architects Newspaper: Designed by Urban Engineers with Kieran Timberlake and landscape architects Olin, the new plaza will displace an underutilized 1960s-era sunken space that does not easily
MoreThe Latest
During the holidays, “It’s the thought that counts” is a sentiment lost on the McLaughlin clan. We’re an Irish family with five siblings and many more nieces and nephews, so the gift-giving gets competitive—it’s the MMA Championship of generosity. We’re always attempting to outdo each other, overlooking our debt/income ratio for the satisfaction of stupefying each other
More2 mins read
The birth of slow food is an inspiring story. In March 1986, McDonald’s opened its first location in Italy, near the Spanish Steps in Rome. The Steps were built in 1725, the neighborhood was home to John Keats in the 19th century and, not too long ago, Bob Dylan wrote a song about them.
More2 mins read
The New York Times has a interesting short feature on efforts by Walgreens in Chicago to address food deserts by stocking produce and fresh food. They’re calling them “food oases.” A drugstore might not seem the obvious venue for solving a grocery-store problem, but Walgreens offered something useful: ubiquity. “That’s the exciting thing about Walgreens, they’re
More1 min read
Last week, the Redevelopment Authority (RDA) released a report on vacant land in Philadelphia, revealing the grand scope and cost of the city's vacant properties, and a new plan to manage the land in a more uniform manner.
Here are some key statistics from the report:
There are currently an estimated 40,000 vacant lots located in neighborhoods
More1 min read
I had a busy week, so it wasn't until the weekend that I was able to catch up on my stories. 30 Rock, which has really been on a roll lately, featured a hilarious—and pointed—storyline dealing with greenwashing (and smug liberal self-satisfaction). It all started with Liz Lemon, a new pair of jeans and a store
More1 min read
Check out Tenaya’s local holiday cheese picks in the latest GridThis coming weekend, Grid superstars Tenaya Darlington and Marisa McClellan are teaming up for a cheese tasting at Quince Fine Foods. Visit Madame Fromage for details, and be sure to check out their contributions to the new Holiday Issue.
More1 min read
Now that you’re armed with a game plan for surviving the holidays sans meat (see Grid’s December issue p. 26), here are some recipes to further help you along the way. The New York Times has a slew of vegetarian and vegan Thanksgiving recipes, displayed oh so decadently with photos that are sure to make you
More1 min read
The Atlantic has an inspirational (and incredibly detailed) story on urban farming in New Orleans after Katrina. Even more so than Philadelphia, the Big Easy is contending with an abundance of vacant land—and complex food access issues. Urban agriculture has the potential to be a vital element of tackling those problems: Enter the next generation
More1 min read
Over the summer, the Fair Food team went on a series of farm tours. Albert Yee of Messy and Picky has posted some beautiful pics from Meadow Run Farm, Green Meadow Farm and Smucker’s Meats (some of these images are a bit graphic). Nothing like adorable animals to brighten up a Friday afternoon. Via Meal
More1 min read