In The News

Love to live here: Four suburban spots make best small towns list

CNN Money Magazine Tuesday, August 23, 2011

A new ranking of America's best small towns names Ardmore, West Goshen, West Norriton and Horsham in the top 60, according to Money Magazine.

Ardmore

Top 100 rank: 45
Population: 12,900

One of Philadelphia's Main Line suburbs, Ardmore is just a few minutes from the city by rail; many residents work there. Many colleges, including Villanova University and Bryn Mawr College, are located nearby, giving residents easy access to still more cultural events.

Source: CNN Money Magazine
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Meet Philly's first Chief Innovation Officer

Technically Philly Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Former New Jersey state CTO Adel Ebeid moves into the newly created post of Chief Innovation Officer of the City of Philadelphia, according to Technically Philly.

Described as "the perfect immigrant story" by the city's Managing Director Rich Negrin, Ebeid, who was born in Egypt but raised in Jersey City after losing as a teenager his father to cancer, rose through the ranks of New Jersey state government to become among the only cabinet level leaders that fiery Governor Chris Christie kept on. Now, after 'flatly' turning down the offer, the soft spoken and succinct Ebeid is preparing to move his wife and new daughter to a city he admits he doesn't know well to help inject innovation into the City of Philadelphia.

Source: Technically Philly
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Where did the soul of Philly go?

Urban Cusp Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The grassroots soul music movement of Philadelphia that created The Roots and Musiq Soulchild hasn't disappeared, and its latest practitioners are worth seeking out, according to Urban Cusp.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Philadelphia had one of the most diverse and respected cultural scenes on the East Coast. One could walk down South Street and hear poets on the corner, see Rasta street vendors selling patchouli and flags, and not make it too far down the block without receiving at least two hand-bills advertising upcoming events. You could walk on UPenn and Temple's campuses and see a range from tattooed Rockers with spiked hair to B-Boy wannabes in full Adidas gear. The culture was so bountiful that it made you stop and ask, "Are we still in Philly or is this Brooklyn?" But, now it almost seems like the diversity has disappeared or at least gone into hiding. Where did all of the culture go? Have all of the true artists been pushed out? Have they sold out or have they all given up and relocated to New York and DC?

Source: Urban Cusp
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Barcade's craft beer and video arcade to open in Fishtown

Inc. Magazine Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Expanding south, the Brooklyn-born Barcade concept comes to Philadelphia next month, according to Inc. Magazine in this profile of its founders

As a kid, Paul Kermizian was younger than most everyone else at the local arcade. He got pushed aside. He had to wait in line.

Not anymore. Today he can play whenever he wants�and he doesn't even have to keep a pocketful of quarters. Kermizian, now 36, is the owner of Barcade, a hybrid craft beer bar and�yep, you called it�video arcade. With four partners, his longtime friends Jon Miller, Scott Beard, Kevin Beard, and Pete Langway, he launched the bar in two locations: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Jersey City. And their retro empire is growing: a third Barcade is scheduled to open next month in Philadelphia.

Source: Inc. Magazine
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National Geographic names Philadelphia a top hiking destination

National Geographic Tuesday, August 16, 2011

With thousands of hiking friendly acres, Philadelphia is one of the best places for a walk in the the woods, according to National Geographic.

An astounding 10 percent of Philadelphia is parkland, and the cherry on top of the 9,200-acre network of green is the Wissahickon, a beloved overgrown gorge that plunges deep beneath the clamor of the city. "The Wissahickon is the best thing in Philadelphia," says Sidney Goldstein, a local Meetup.com hiking group leader. "It feels like you're in wilderness." With 57 miles of trails, there are plenty of opportunities to get lost.

Source: National Geographic
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Rahm Emanuel's brother is Penn's newest bioethicist

The Associated Press Tuesday, August 09, 2011

The brother of Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel joins Penn faculty, according to The Associated Press.

PHILADELPHIA�One of the nation's most prominent bioethicists -- who happens to be the brother of the Chicago mayor -- is joining the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Ivy League institution in Philadelphia announced Friday that Ezekiel Emanuel will hold dual posts in the Perelman School of Medicine and the Wharton School for business.

Source: The Associated Press
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NPR: Philly bucks national trends with Nutter the reformer

NPR Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Philadelphia has avoided many recession-related blues thanks in part to Mayor Michael Nutter's leadership, reports NPR.

In 2009, Mayor Michael Nutter and the City Council doubled the local sales tax from 1 to 2 percent. In 2010, they increased property taxes 10 percent. And most recently, the city's Democratic leadership raised property taxes again --3.85 percent to help pay for schools.

The tax hikes are temporary, but they allow Nutter to brag that the recession did not result in big cutbacks to city services.

"All 70 of our swimming pools are open. Every rec center is open. Every library is open. Every park is open, and all of our services are being provided," Nutter recently told a cheering crowd at the Philadelphia Senior Center.

Original source: NPR
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Beer makes it a happy time to be in Philly

The New York Times Tuesday, August 02, 2011

The New York Times taps into Fishtown's rapidly expanding beer scene.

Here is the second installment of our bar-hopping guide. When it comes to beer in Philadelphia, Anders Larson, a bartender at the groundbreaking Northern Liberties pub 700 Club, puts it best: "It's a happy time to be a Philadelphian. You can rarely say that!" This installment takes a look at the Fishtown neighborhood.

Original source: New York Times
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I'm walkin' here: Philly ranks fifth among nation's most walkable cities

Walk Score Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Walk Score ranks Philadelphia fifth in its listing of the most walkable cities in America.

Philadelphia's most walkable neighborhoods are Center City West, Center City East, University City. Philadelphia's least walkable neighborhoods are Byberry, Torresdale, Fox Chase.

Source: Walk Score
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An in-depth look at cancer research's expansion at Fox Chase

Bio IT World Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Bio IT delves into the partnership between Fox Chase Cancer Center, Ignite Institute and Life Technologies that has formed the Cancer Genome Institute.

Following the widely publicized demise of plans to locate the Ignite Institute for Individualized Health in northern Virginia, the institute has found a new home as part of a three-way partnership at the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Only it won't be called Ignite anymore.

Ignite has been rolled into pre-existing plans at Fox Chase to build a center for personalized medicine, says Jeff Boyd, senior vice president of Molecular Medicine. "The Ignite Institute and Fox Chase are working together with Life Technologies to launch what is now the Cancer Genome Institute at Fox Chase," says Boyd. Ignite's founder, Dietrich Stephan, serves as consulting chief scientific officer of the new institute.

Source: Bio IT World
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Philadelphia ranks fifth in U.S. for green jobs

SFGate Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A new survey by the Brookings Institution ranks Philadelphia fifth among U.S. metropolitan areas when it comes to green jobs, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

San Francisco considers itself a leader of the green economy, a font of eco-friendly jobs.

But according to a new survey, Philadelphia has more. So do Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.

The survey, to be released today by the Brookings Institution, attempts to count green jobs nationwide. It ranked San Francisco sixth among U.S. metropolitan areas, with 51,811 jobs providing goods or services that help the environment.

Original source: San Francisco Chronicle
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IndyHall: We Cared About Philadelphia

Gadling Tuesday, July 12, 2011

AOL's travel blog Gadling makes a stop in Philly and is instantly enamored with Old City co-working space Independents Hall.

Sitting in a kitchen in a loft on Third Street in Old City, talking to one of the most enthusiastic and driven people I've met in years, I began to wonder what would happen if I quit my job, moved to Philadelphia and started my own business. Alex Hillman, wearing a t-shirt that read "I <3 my internet friends," was selling me on the cheekily named co-working space Independents Hall, of which he's a co-founder. His friend Parker Whitney was helping, telling me the story of his two years in Philadelphia.

The IndyHall guys certainly have the attention of the city, or at least some of its politicians. City councilman Bill Green is a big supporter, and government staffers are taking notice of the way things get done when fueled by passionate people-and Victory beer happy hours.

Original source: Gadling
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Philly's Pop-Up Garden gets its New York minute

Off Manhattan Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Philadelphia Horticultural Society's Pop-Up Garden at 20th and Market Streets is not so secret anymore, according to Off Manhattan.

Pop-ups appear in cities everywhere, but mostly selling European sneakers and street artwork. In Philadelphia, things are a bit more down to earth, literally. The Philadelphia Horticultural Society (PHS) recently teamed up with a variety of local businesses, star chefs, academics, artists and urban farmers to create the PHS Pops Up, a temporary garden carved out of a once-gritty vacant lot at the corner of Market and 20th streets.

The nearly 32,000 square-foot temporary oasis�unveiled on June 13th -- is home to a seasonal mix of herbs, vegetables, flowers, and grains, all planted in a pattern inspired by Piet Mondrian's geometric grid compositions. Arching over the entrance to the space is "�colibrium," an exhibit of sustainable greenery erected by Temple University Ambler for this year's Philadelphia International Flower Show. Visitors can check out the verdant spot every Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 2p.m., when the grounds will host tours, fitness classes (botanical bootcamp?), and workshops on topics like container gardening and edible landscapes.

Source: Off Manhattan
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Philly's foreclosure prevention methods held up as model

Think Progress Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Think Progress reports on a study from The Reinvestment Fund that indicates a nearly 85 percent success rate for Philadelphia in stemming foreclosures.

Mediation programs have proven successful all across the country in keeping borrowers from losing their homes, and Philadelphia's is no exception. According to a report from Ira Goldstein of The Reinvestment Fund, nearly 70 percent of borrowers eligible for meeting with their banks participate and about 85 percent of those who strike a deal with their lender are still in their homes 18 months later:

In 2007, the year before the program began, 27 percent of homeowners in foreclosure lost their homes. That fell to 14.5 percent in the six months after the program began, then to 5.7 percent thereafter, Goldstein found. In the first year of the program, 5,000 homeowners took advantage of it, according to data released in June 2009. Of agreements reached through June 2009, 733, or 84.6 percent of 866 homeowners, remained in their homes 18 months later.

Original source: Think Progress

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Da murals: Chicago digs our outdoor art

The Chicago Tribune Tuesday, June 21, 2011

The Chicago Tribune marvels at Philly's outdoor art scene through a pair of tours showcasing the groundbreaking work of the Mural Arts program..

On my latest trip there, Philadelphia again stole my heart. But this time, instead of falling for Philly's red-bricked history, I fell for its outside art. Nicknamed the City of Murals, Philadelphia has more than 3,000 outdoor murals. The nonprofit City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program (MAP) collection includes 1,700 painted walls.

Although founded to help eradicate graffiti in 1984, under Executive Director Jane Golden, MAP now connects artists with communities by creating art in public spaces. When travelers pay for a guided tour from MAP, it helps support Mural Arts' education and youth development, including the Restorative Justice Program, which teaches inmates, ex-offenders and juvenile delinquents how to paint murals.

Source: The Chicago Tribune
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