Latinx: Seven Places You Can Find Dominican Chimis
Not to be confused with the Argentinian sauce Chimichurri, the Dominican Chimichurris is an after-party must. Originating in the Dominican Republic, the Chimi is a burger-like specialty sold out of panel trucks in corners of concentrated areas generally surrounded by nightlife and businesses. The Chimi is a tropical twist on the conventional American hamburger. It […]
Spring Garden: Green Street Church Adapted into Chapel Lofts
When Isaac and Rose Miller arrived to Philadelphia in 1986, they were originally looking for a historic district to buy a home from. After seeing the Spring Garden neighborhood in a book about restored historic areas, they became convinced about moving there, which they eventually did in 1998. They moved next to an old church […]
Fairmount: NBR’s Boss Breaks Norms in the Community, as a Woman, and as a Businesswoman
On a day- to-day basis, Shalimar Thomas, North Broad Renaissance’s executive director, schedules meetings with city commissioners, organizes community events and keeps her growing team on track. Thomas’ rigor is fueled by one thing – revitalizing North Broad Street. NBR, which was founded in 2015, adopted a five-year plan with certain goals her team needs […]
Nonprofits: Providing Education For People During And After Incarceration
While Abdul Lateef was incarcerated, he spent most of his time reading. At first, spy novels were his favorite. Then, he moved on to heavier material, like biographies of civil rights leaders and accounts of historical revolutions. “If I didn’t have access to literature, then the culture that permeates the prison environment could have easily […]
Fishtown: Meet The Man Behind the Sound of Philadelphias Music Scene
Brian Hamilton, the founder of smallsound/bigsound, says his business was started by accident. He spends his days designing and building guitar pedals from a loft in Fishtown, but did not always think of his passion for music as a business. From a young age, Hamilton had an interest in music and sound modification. Hamilton started […]
Allegheny West: Bu Bu’s Beer Deli Livelihood Threatened by Restaurant Licensing Bill
A tall, plexiglass wall barricades customers from a metropolis of beer, snacks and lottery tickets at Bu Bu Deli. The same wall functions as a locked door to owner Steve Taing’s home and family upstairs. He lives there with his 18 and 22-year old sons and wife, Lisa. Taing and his parents moved to Philadelphia […]
Mayfair: Young Entrepreneur Aims for Representation Through Clothing Business
Wearing gold frilly earrings, a long, over-sized blue sweatshirt and high-waisted mom jeans, Jennifer Mota loves to experiment with bold fashion statements. At 26-years old, she is the owner and fashion designer of Hu-Huako Custom Apparel. Mota takes her business very serious; especially when it comes to making other women feel beautiful in their own […]
Callowhill: First Phase of Rail Park to Add Green Space to Neighborhood
The Callowhill Neighborhood Association, which is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 dedicated to improving the area, has a defined boundary for its neighborhood. According to the association, Callowhill’s northern border is the north side of Spring Garden Street, its southern border is the north side of Vine Street, its western border is the east […]
Callowhill: History a Large Consideration as Rail Park Construction Continues
The first phase of the Rail Park on the former Reading Viaduct in Callowhill is set to open in June at a cost of $10.3 million paid for by contributions from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, City of Philadelphia, William Penn Foundation, Knight Foundation, Poor Richard’s Charitable Trust, Friends of the Rail Park and others. The […]
Politics: Women Leading Charge on Reentry in Philadelphia
Ask Sisters Returning Home founder Peggy Sims (below) why women are the leaders in reentry in the city and she will say that it’s because they believe in their fights. And often those fights are for women who are returning to their communities after incarceration. Sims is just one of the female leaders in organizations including Pennsylvania […]