south philadelphia high: Philadelphia Metropolis

Diary of a Teenage Eater

By Ada Kulesza» Everyone talks about what poor teenagers eat. At Metropolis, we decided to take it a step further: We asked them what they eat. For two weeks, two 18-year-olds texted details of their daily intake to reporter Ada Kulesza. The results are illuminating and surprising. So, sit down with a piece of chocolate cake, a Coke, a half-dozen cookies and a bag of Doritos and read: Diary of A Teenage Eater. (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)

The Battle of Point Breeze: Part II

There is a touch of espionage when it comes to people in Point Breeze talking about their neighborhood. Everyone uses code words. Property developers and their supporters aren't building to make money, they're "revitalizing a community." Opposition to development is guised as a fear of "rising property values", instead of a fear of racial change. (Comments)

Philadelphia in the Nude

Best of VoxPop» I'm not afraid to get naked. I needed spare cash, so I sold my body - to art. When I moved to Philly, I had no contacts; just my wits and mounting expenses. Posing nude for artists was on my bucket list anyway, just under eating a fried Oreo and above sky diving. At least I could get paid for this. I called a few places, and soon found myself sitting in on the Sketch Club's Saturday open session as an observer. My comfort with nudity I'd discovered trolling along the coast of Sydney, Australia. My friends and I got onto the sand, and were confronted with a beach littered with naked breasts, like sunny-side up eggs frying under the fierce sun. We looked at them, looked at each other, and burst out laughing. It was only a matter of time before the first of us deftly (Comments)

The Hipster Commandments

Best of VoxPop» As South Philadelphia native, I am annoyed at how my neighbors have handled the influx of hipsters moving into our neighborhood. I wouldn't use the word "hate" or even "dislike." Overwhelmed is more accurate, so great has the influx been. My neighborhood, which is just off East Passyunk Avenue, was once a place of close-knit relationships among neighbors, with families who have lived here for generations. Now, it feels like we have been invaded by aliens. Many of my neighborhood favorites - the thrift stores, bars, coffee shops and restaurants - have become a study in beards and plaid. (Comments)