Port Richmond: National Night Out, a Princess in Port Richmond, and a Missing Cat
In case you missed it, we found a few places where people were talking about things happening in Port Richmond: Princess bringing Happiness To Port Richmond and Beyond: Port Richmond native Kennedy McCabe works with the city’s Parks and Recreation office as a recreation specialty instructor, even getting to dress up as some famous characters […]
Fairmount Park: Protecting the Water Supply
One of the largest urban green spaces in the nation sits right here in the City of Brotherly Love. With more than 9,200 acres of parks, trails and trees, Fairmount Park wasn’t originally created to build recreation centers with playgrounds and pools. It was created to protect the city’s water supply. To begin to understand […]
South Philadelphia: The City Unites over Soccer
The city will host the second annual Philadelphia International Unity Cup , a 48-team regional, World Cup soccer-style tournament, this fall with the final match set to take place at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 11. In addition to a highly competitive soccer match taking place that day, there will also be a parade of nations, where each team […]
Fairmount Park: Historic Homes Have Stories to Tell
The Charms of Fairmount Park are six historic houses with six different stories to tell. Cedar Grove, Laurel Hill, Lemon Hill, Mount Pleasant, Historic Strawberry Mansion and Woodford are maintained as historic house museums. Some people have visited all of them while others have never heard of them. In recent years, fewer people are visiting the […]
Fishtown: Get Up’s Gettin’ it in the Park
Anyone who has been to the Electric Factory in the Callowhill neighborhood has seen local artist Get Up’s creations on the walls inside. The 31-year-old Kensington native has been creating street art in the city since 2012, after living and working in Oakland for six years. Get Up is not only a street artist, he is a musician and […]
West Philadelphia: A Slice of Japan in Fairmount Park
Shofuso Japanese House and Garden is getting ready for a partial roof replacement later this summer. While most might find this subject to be of no interest, there is actually a unique story behind it. The roof on the home is made out of hinoki bark. “Hinoki roofs are a pretty rare thing to find […]
West Philadelphia: A Place to Learn About Japanese Culture
Derek Finn is the associate director of Shofuso Japanese House and Garden. He started at Shofuso in 2010 after earning his bachelor’s degree in East Asian studies from the University of Pennsylvania. His passion for Japanese culture kept him at Shofuso, where he started as a visitor service assistant and worked his way up to […]
South Philadelphia: Barry Playground’s Renovation From Public Funding Is Paying Dividends
If you build it, they will come. Recreation centers and urban parks serve as places for people in the busy city lifestyles to escape it all without really having to leave the city limits. From leisure to exercise, people of all ages use these resources. “An interesting trend that I’ve noticed is the more people […]
Manayunk: Along the Schuylkill River, Kay Sykora Always Finds A Way
Just off of Main Street, the section of Lock Street stretching onto Venice Island bears a sign, which dubs it as “Kay Sykora Way.” Jane Lipton, executive director of Manayunk Development Corporation, petitioned to have the section renamed in Sykora’s honor, and said the word “way” holds a special significance. “It was really appropriate. She […]
Newbold: Residents Fear Lack Of Parking Due To Green Space Development
In 2011, The Philadelphia Water Department set off on a 25-year initiative known as “Green City, Clean Waters.” The plan was straightforward in theory – reduce stormwater pollution entering Philadelphia’s sewer system through the use of green infrastructure. Green City, Clean Waters is the largest investment in green infrastructure in the country but by utilizing green […]