December 2010 Archives

The Law of Averages

On average, Philadelphia is doing well, despite the long recession. Unemployment is high, but not as bad in some other areas of the country.  Real estate prices are rebounding after sagging during the recession.  The latest Census data indicates the... (Comments)

Reading the Newspaper

By Joel Mathis» Here's how I screwed up my arrival in Philadelphia: I didn't get a newspaper subscription. That probably sounds anachronistic. We're into the second decade of the 21st century, and newspapers are dying. Philadelphia's daily newspapers, which are just now emerging... (Comments)

Living on Farcebook

By Kathleen Garvin» My new neighbor threatened to kill his girlfriend. At least, this is what the buzz was around my cul de sac a few weeks ago. My tenured neighbors gossiped about this particular guy who had lived on the block for... (Comments)

The State of Wine & Booze

Except for a few aged Stalinists, I can't think of anyone who will lament the demise of our Soviet-style state store system, but don't expect Pennsylvania to move into the same league as New Jersey or Delaware when it comes... (Comments)

A Field Guide to Fixie Chicks

By Alexie Sternberg» A few weeks ago I was riding home from my studio, tired and grimy after sculpting all day. What I wanted and needed was a hot shower and a hot meal and a few hours of sleep. It must have... (Comments)

Alleycat Racer

By Julian Root» It hadn't been four months since I started as a bike courier. Bossman said I was doing well, and I guess it was true. In those early months, there were few thrills greater than tearing around City Hall, weaving between... (Comments)

Changing City: Frankford Ave.

Philadelphia is a city of change. In the coming weeks Metropolis will profile that change with a series of stories about its people, its neighborhoods and its businesses. We begin with a look at three major commercial corridors in the city and the changes they have undergone - positive and negative - in recent years. In Part One, reporter Nick Gilewilz chronicles the revival of Frankford Avenue in Fishtown. (Comments)

Changing City: South Street

Where do all the hippies meet? Not on South Street. Not anymore. The famous commercial strip is going through tough times, suffering from the bad mojo associated with the term "flash mobs" and an economic downturn that has left the street dotted with empty storefronts. South Street still has vitality and still draws throngs of tourists, teenagers and the party hardy crowds that fills bars such as Fat Tuesday, Mako's and Paddy Whacks. What's missing from this picture? Residents from the surrounding neighborhoods, who (Comments)

Changing City: Passyunk Ave.

Philadelphia is a city of change. In the coming weeks Metropolis will profile that change with a series of stories about its people, its neighborhoods and its businesses. We begin with a look at three major commercial corridors in the city and the changes they have undergone - positive and negative - in recent years. Part Three chronicles the revival of Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia. (Comments)

Healing Hands

By Christine Waldman» I have been a massage therapist for 20 years and have had the privilege of working on so many great clients. Among them all, though, the elderly are my favorite group to work on.  One of the reasons that I enjoy... (Comments)

Catholic School Dilemma

Cardinal Rigali's appointment last week of a blue-ribbon commission to examine the state of Catholic education didn't get much ink, but inside the Archdiocese of Philadelphia it was big news. People have been pressing the archdiocesan leadership for several years... (Comments)

Good News, Bad News

The city has been reveling in a lot of good news lately (Welcome back, Cliff Lee). On the other hand, there's the recent release of income data from the Census Bureau that throws some cold water on us. It shows... (Comments)

Letting Go

By Rachel Levy Lesser» I let go first. She held on tight. I walked confidently into the Savannah airport as the breeze blew through the new scarf she bought for me. My aunt got back in the car with tears in her eyes. I would miss her, but this time, she would miss me more. Perhaps I let go so easily because I had a young family waiting at home, the pile of interesting projects sitting on my desk, or simply because of the passage of time. (Comments)

Inglorious (Racist) Bastards

The Philadelphia Inquirer is nothing but a bunch of racist bastards trying to tear down the black leaders of this city.  In so many words, that was the allegation made by a parade of speakers this week who lined up... (Comments)

If I Had a Hammer...

By Faith R. Foyil» I recently attended a local Home Depot "Do it Herself" workshop called Basic Home Repair, figuring it might be of value since the highlight of my basic home repair knowledge is "lefty loosey, righty tighty." The workshop was conducted by... (Comments)

Stand By Your Man

When her ward leader husband Carlos Matos went to jail, wife Renee Tartaglione did a Tammy Wynette and decided to stand by her man. Renee took over as de facto ward leader in Matos' 19th Ward, collecting and doling out... (Comments)

What Goes Up, Must Come Down

By Celyne Camen» I left Philadelphia 23 years ago. In my time away I lived in a Navajo hogan, an adobe hut, a yellow tent, a teepee, a yurt, a barn, a storage locker, and too many apartments, houses and bug-bedded motels to... (Comments)

Gowing Up At 60th and Market

By Ahyana King» "Wait, you didn't live near the school?" he asked. "Definitely didn't," I answered. "So where did you grow up?" "On a little side street right by 60th and Market." "You're lying!" I wasn't. And, he wasn't the first person... (Comments)

Adventures of The Cricket Lady

By Aimee Crawford» Do you know the elderly man who has hooks for hands and is a regular almost everywhere? How about that funny-looking woman always pushing a shopping cart? You know who I'm talking about: the characters in our neighborhoods and lives... (Comments)

Merry Andwho to You

 The problem with trying to extirpate Christmas from our national vocabulary is that it is being done piecemeal.  You get rid of a crèche here, a Christmas tree there, but inevitably you get a push back and - the next... (Comments)

Stranger Encounters of the Jesus Kind

By Ahyana King » "You always have a story. When is your book coming out?" my best friend asked. I knew she was teasing me, but she was also telling the truth. I do always have a story.  For some reason, I have... (Comments)