center city: Philadelphia Metropolis

A Managerie of Men

By Leslie Cottle» This weekend my girlfriends were approached by a 20-something man claiming that Philadelphia girls just weren't making the cut compared to the usual "Southern Belles" he was used to. He even defined Southern Belle for my friends. Southern Belle (noun)- A girl born and raised in the South. Southern cooking, Southern accent, and Southern "old money". The kind of girl everyone dreams to be or meet. Proper, educated, has etiquette, says, "Yes, sir" and "Yes, mam" and means it. Since I grew up in Virginia and moved to Philadelphia as a teen -- with my "Southern Belle" roots intact - I understand the guy's point of view. But, here is my question: Does he know what kind of men roam around Philadelphia? (Comments)

Sleight of Hand

It's early in the year, but I feel confident in predicting that the biggest political train wreck in Philadelphia in 2012 will be the AVI, the city's plan to reassess all properties to more closely reflect market value. AVI... (Comments)

My Philadelphia: Faces

In the second installment in our series of Philadelphia images is by photographer Alan Barr.  Barr is a born street photographer, traveling the city's neighborhoods, camera in hand, waiting for the right face and the right moment.  Thiis is slideshow represents a... (Comments)

Murder, Inc.

Just when you think you have a problem under control, it slips from your grasp. Mayor Nutter is probably regretting his rhetoric over lowering the homicide rate, At least he is getting frustrated at the trend lines, using the word... (Comments)

Management by Dithering

One of the lessons to be learned in the forced closure of dozens of Catholic schools in the region is the danger of institutional drift. For decades, Catholic schools had a fixed and firm role in the world: education and... (Comments)