arts and culture: Philadelphia Metropolis

New-Wave Street Gangs: Armed and Violent

Longtime anti-crime activist Greg Bucceroni wears a three-inch-long scar on his forehead, a souvenir from the June 5, 2008 evening when more than a dozen members of the heroin-dealing "Bart Simpson" gang - named after the brand of dope they peddled - backed him against a concrete wall in West Kensington. Bucceroni wore a blue polo shirt inscribed with the words, Philadelphia Police Youth At-Risk Program that night as he walked toward the home of a troubled teenage boy he was mentoring. (Comments)

Tales of the Freegan Dumpster Divers

Why pay for food when so much of it is free -- if you are willing to go diving for it. Meet John and Samantha, the Philadelphia couple who get most of their food from the dumpsters of area markets It's not easy. And it can be slimy. The couple say they are doing it for a higher cause. Reporter Ada Kulesza reports on a night in the life of dumpster divers. (Comments)

Part Two: Takeover at Olney High

Could Olney High become a model for high school turnarounds? With its emphasis on discpline, with intense oversight of teachers, and with a program that puts troublesome students in special classes, Olney may have found a formula that works. Connie Langland reports from Olney in the second part of this special Cover Story. (Comments)

Black Exodus: Part Two

By Mike Mallowe» What makes African-Americans move to the suburbs? Reporter Mike Mallowe explores the whys and wherefores in interviews with two emigres from the city: one a black couple who moved to Havertown recently; the second a Baby Boomer whose parents were among the first blacks to move to Lansdowne. Our series Black Exodus continues... (Comments)

My Philadelphia: West Philly

By S.G. Grant» We continue our series of Cover Stories on Philadelphia neighborhoods with S.G. Grant's essay about West Philadelphia. It's not the buildings and the businesses that attracts her, but the people -- in all their varied forms, colors and origins. Read on for Grant's census of modern West Philadelphia (Comments)