Immigration: Councilman Mark Squilla Helps Serve Immigrant Communities
Councilman Mark Squilla is the councilman for the First District in Philadelphia City Council. Squilla is the representative for several Philadelphia neighborhoods such as Chinatown, Kensington, Bella Vista, Northern Liberties, Fishtown and Port Richmond. A native of South Philadelphia, Squilla has been engaged in public service for close to 30 years, serving on the Philadelphia Democratic […]
Fishtown: Owner Vipul Patel Opened The City’s First Legal Marijuana Dispensary
Behind tinted storefront glass and an intercom-locked door, lies Vipul Patel’s vision: spotless walls and slick flooring, flanked by flat screen displays and colored bleach-white, with a painstakingly grown ivy backdrop behind the front desk. Restore does its best to subvert the stigma and stereotyping around marijuana culture, at least superficially, a move that Patel […]
Fishtown: Pastor Eric Dorsey Treats The Person, Not The Issue
Pastor Eric Dorsey is the director of the Philadelphia Brotherhood Mission Ministries shelter project at the corner of Columbia and East Girard avenues in Fishtown. For the past four years, Dorsey has continued an endeavor originally founded by a Temple University contributor over a century ago. What is the goal of your organization? Back in […]
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 […]
Local Music: Five Unorthodox Places To Catch A Show
Whats the best way to get to know Philadelphia’s music scene? Easy! Head out to one of the many local shows put together by Philly locals. Each of the following venues are known for their eclectic events that bring people together from all around the city and surrounding suburbs. Philadelphia easily has one of the […]
East Kensington: Green Spaces Foster Sense Of Community
Even in the increasingly solitary digital age, people still often feel the need for community in their lives. In Philadelphia and cities across the country, green spaces of all shapes and sizes can fulfill that need. “People like a place to congregate,” said City Councilman Mark Squilla, whose District 1 encompasses East Kensington. “If you […]
Fishtown: Yoga Instructor Strives for Deeper Impact Through Practice
Contrary to its name, the wild ride that comes with owning Grace & Glory Yoga Fishtown is not always a smooth or graceful one for Brittany Everett. The yoga studio at 2220 Frankford Ave. is home of the Philadelphia location, the other Grace & Glory is found in New Jersey, and opened in 2015. Everett […]
Fishtown: Joe Primavera Building Community One Music Lesson At A Time
After graduating from Temple University in 2008 with a degree in music, Joe Primavera taught private guitar and piano lessons throughout Philadelphia and parts of New Jersey. Shortly thereafter, he founded Philly Music Lessons, working out of a small recording studio in the basement of his Fishtown home. Soon after hiring a few close friends to teach […]
Social Issues: Councilwoman María Quiñones-Sánchez Talks Income Inequality
María Quiñones-Sánchez took office 10 years ago representing District 7 in Philadelphia City Council. Long considered a party outsider, it is not uncommon to find her battling politically with Latino leaders in her own neighborhood, as well as other council members. Her sprawling council district is comprised of a wide area, covering all or parts […]