new jersey: Philadelphia Metropolis

The Custodial Mayor

Michael Nutter will be sworn into a second term as mayor of Philadelphia this week. In this Cover Story, senior editor Tom Ferrick offers an appraisal of Nutter's first term and looks forward to the next four years. In Part Two, we examine the broad forces at work that will define Philadelphia during Nutter's second term. (Comments)

Public Is the New Private

Best of VovPop» Remember Steve Martin's line when people asked if he would mind them smoking? He smiled politely and replied: "Mind if I fart?" Today, though smoking is banned in most public places, no one would bother to ask permission to fart; they would just break wind. That's because private is the new public. Functions, which used to be performed in homes, beauty salons, doctor's offices and even bathrooms, have now become spectator sports. Nowhere is this more obvious than on public transportation where people are crammed together like galley slaves for the duration of their trip. When I lived in the Bronx and commuted to Manhattan on the subways, people were content to read their newspapers or books in relative silence. Occasionally, I encountered a groper, a loud talker or a nose picker or an annoying straphanger who hung too close to a seated commuter. These days, no matter what form of public transportation I take, someone sitting next to me is either eating something incredibly stinky from a (Comments)

Milton ♥ Arlene

If I had one wish, it would be that Arlene Ackerman hook up with Milton Street. I don't know Street's current marital status. I know at one time he had a long-term relationship with a woman who lived in... (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)

The Perfect Prom Tie

Best of VoxPop» Did you ever want to strangle a man with a necktie? The man in question is actually only the torso of a man made of plastic, but wrapped around his neck is the last tie of a particular color and pattern -- yellow with small white checks. It looks like a picnic tablecloth with an identity crisis, but the woman bouncing impatiently next to me has...got....to...have....it!. I struggle. I wrestle. Dust rises around us as I scuffle with the plastic man. Finally, I raise the unknotted tie above my head and declare victory. After all, it's part of my job as a clerk at Macy's Springfield to get the customer what she wants, when she wants it. (Comments)