icons: Philadelphia Metropolis

My Philadelphia: Icons

  Through our stories and essays, Metropolis serves as a chronicle of modern Philadelphia. Over the summer, under the title My Philadelphia, we ran a series of essays about five city neighborhoods. In another series, we profiled young Philadelphians who... (Comments)

The Nuns Still Work

By Mike Mallowe» The priest sex scandals have created lasting wounds for the Catholic Church and the Philadelphia Archdiocese. But there is still one group of religious people who remain free of the taint of scandal: nuns. Though aging and dwindling in numbers, nuns continue to serve important roles as educators, caregivers and social activists. So why are they under investigation by the Vatican? Reporter Mike Mallowe offers this appreciation of American nuns and offers an update on their status and their mission in the region. (Comments)

The Baker's Daughter

By Dana Eiselen» For ore than three generations, the Eiselen family has run bakeries in Philadelphia. It was a tradition that began in the 1880's when the first Eiselen's arrived from Germany. It continues today with a bakery in Roxborough, a community fixture for more than 40 years. How long it remains is an open question. We continue our series on the changing city with a profile of Eiselen's at a critical point. The old baker may soon retire. Is there anyone to take his place? (Comments)

Special Report: Preserving the City's Recent Past

By Alan Jaffe What if the National Park Service didn't have the funds to keep the Liberty Bell from cracking again and crumbling? What if the city zoning board voted to raze Independence Hall and replace it with a tax-ratable... (Comments)

Icons

Twenty eight of the city's landmarks are featured in this Flickr crowd-sourced photo essay, The question is: How many can you recognize? Our guess is: fewer than you think. There are some surprising views of familiar places. Click on... (Comments)