delaware river: Philadelphia Metropolis

My Declaration of Independence

Best of VoxPop» It is no coincidence that I now live only a few blocks from Independence Hall. When I was a toddler, I was determined to do everything by myself, so my grandfather dubbed me the Declaration of Independence. The name still suits me. To appreciate this, you need to know that I am legally blind. That means that I have minimal sight in one eye and none in the other, and no depth perception. While I can get around without the assistance of either a guide dog or a white cane, I can't read street signs or facial expressions, and I hold printed matter inches from my eyes to read it. You will be relieved to learn that the state of Pennsylvania, in its wisdom, will not grant me a driver's license. (Comments)

Desperate for Work

Best of VoxPop» The ad on Craigslist was for a High Roller Host in Atlantic City. Having worked a seemingly endless string of dead-end jobs, I was drawn to the flashy job title "High Roller Host" -- that and the extremely lucrative salary offered. I applied on my lunch break and before the end of the workday that day, a man named Steven with a slight speech impediment, which I later discovered to be an accent, called to conduct a phone interview. Afterward, he asked if I could come to Atlantic City for an interview right away. Surprised at my luck, I told him I could. That was the beginning of the madness. (Comments)

Learning to Love

By Rebekah Henson» My parents made friends with a toll taker on the Betsy Ross bridge. The relationship began in 2007, when I was in college and my mother was in the hospital with a lesion on her lung the week before Thanksgiving. That November was the scariest month of my life. She was in her early 60s, and when you're a 20-something in college and your parents are in their 60s, you can't help but devote a few hours a week to wondering what might happen if their vices or genetics get the best of them before they watch you graduate college. My Mom's surgery day was the worst, especially when my Dad didn't call, as he had promised, to tell me that everything was all right. (Comments)

Bicycle City: The Revolution Will Have Two Wheels

By Elise Vider» Philadelphia is already considered one of the best cities in America for bikers, but that's only for starters. Writer Elise Vider looks at the steps being taken to turn Philadelphia into a true bike city -- and the resistance bikers meet from people behind the wheels of the cars that share the streets. (Comments)

Growing and Prosperous

The latest U.S. Census data confirms that anyone who has walked around Center City and environs has been observing for years. These areas are prosperous and growing. They are among the 10 neighborhoods Metropolis profiles in the second part of its Changing City series, which catalogues the state of the city during the first decade of the new century. (Comments)