Manayunk Magazine - Summer 2014

MANAYUNK LIVE|SHOP|DINE|PLAY

.COM

SUMMER 2014

A Fashionista Celebrates 20 Years on Main Street The Humble Start of the Arts Festival At a New Gallery, the Art is Only Part of the Draw 11 Reasons to Make a Lunch Date in Manayunk

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MANAYUNK.COM A TASTE OF SOMETHING DIFFERENT Brian Sirhal and Timothy Spinner seem to harbor the same raging appetites that their restaurants inspire in us. Following close on the heels of Taqueria Feliz, their first Manayunk venture and their third restaurant in the Philadelphia region, Sirhal (pictured, left) and Spinner (right) are planning an updated take on an updated take on a classic ale house called Beast & Ale, which they expect to open in midJune at 4161 Main Street.

“While we’re still focused on building our Mexican restaurants, we wanted to go in a direction that was a little different and allows our talented team to keep growing in new ways,” Spinner says. They also own Cantina Feliz in Fort Washington and La Calaca Feliz in Fairmount. “We’ll be serving the comfort foods that Brian and I often eat after work.”

The menu will feature riffs on diner staples and mom-makes-itbest classics. And then there’s the centerpiece: the Beast Burger— two thin, griddled patties smothered with American cheese and sandwiched between a pillow-y bun.

The aesthetic’s being described as a “convergence of hunting lodge and American-style greasy spoon.” Think tufted, high-top banquettes. Off the second-floor dining room, there will be a deck that’ll give 25 diners a bird’s-eye view of Main Street in motion.

Across town, one- and two-bedroom apartments are now available for leasing at the still-under-construction Station at Manayunk. Situated along the canal, just west of the Ivy Ridge SEPTA station, the complex will boast a resident bike share program and an onsite fitness cente .

The apartments themselves will feature nine-foot ceilings, granite kitchen counters and stainless steel appliances, and each will be equipped with a full-size washer and dryer and its own hot water heater.

One bedrooms start at $1,455, the two bedrooms, $1,855.

There are 11 different floor plans available altogether. To pore over renderings and pics of the first completed unit, visit stationat manayunk.com. —SCOTT EDWARDS

Manayunk.com Magazine is published quarterly by the Manayunk Development Corp.

Manayunk Development Corporation 4312 Main Street Philadelphia, PA 19127 215.482.9565 | info@manayunk.org 4

contents

06

JuneAugust 2014

Mark Your Calendar

The lowdown on the festival (above), and the dog days beyond

08

Sneak A Peek

At the StrEAT Food Festival, they ate with their iPhones firs

LIVE.

10

Expert Advice

What to look for when buying a period home in Manayunk

12

SHOP.

Business Savvy

Since opening her Main Street shop, Nicole Miller, 20 years ago, Mary Dougherty has become Philly’s fashion queen

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DINE.

Taste This

A field guide to the best eating a ound town come lunchtime.

Staying awake after you clean your plate is on you

PLAY.

20

Local A&E

At the new Bazemore Gallery, the art is only part of it

22

What’s Happening

On the eve of its 25th anniversary, an oral history of the exciting but uncertain days before the first arts festiva

Editorial + Production Editor Scott Edwards Design Cantor Design Sales M7 Media

610.417.9261

bauerjim7@gmail.com Photography

COVER Mary Dougherty, left, and Nicole Miller photographed by SUSAN BEARD (pictured) / SUSAN BEARD DESIGN (susanbearddesign.com).

Assisted by Erika Smith. See “Philly Fashion’s Linchpin,” page 12.

(NOW OPEN) COURTESY OF BEAST & ALE

NOW OPEN

LIVE SHOP DINE PLAY

manayunk.com | Summer 2014

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR

JUNE THROUGH AUGUST

every other saturday

june21-22

Saturday Summer Concert Series

Manayunk Arts Festival

One of the beautiful things about summer is that you never need an excuse to slip outside at every opportunity, and yet they’re in ample supply. The shopping and the outdoor eating were all the enticement that was needed to set aside a Saturday afternoon to stroll Main Street at a very leisurely pace. Now there’ll be a soundtrack while you do just that, or, maybe more appropriately, nothing at all. The Saturday Summer Concert Series will feature live performances on Main Street from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. every other Saturday through the season. These are the kinds of days you fantasized about when you were wrapped in a cocoon on your couch a few months back. Visit the Saturday Summer Concert Series page on Manayunk.com for a full list of upcoming musicians.

The Manayunk Arts Festival dwarfs all the other arts festivals around here. Three hundred artists and artisans from across the country, handpicked by a jury, will shut down Main Street for blocks over an entire weekend in June to flex their muscles in f ont of thousands.

The art and craft covers virtually every medium—painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, jewelry and glass, just for starters—so there’s bound to be something that draws you in and forces you to reach for your wallet, impulsively. Fast becoming a favorite feature is the all-local Emerging Artist Showcase, which’ll be located under a tent at Main and Roxborough streets. The first two editions p oved that if Philly isn’t the most innovative city in the country, it’s one of the most promising.

All of this, of course, is on top of the savvy hunger-inducting shopping that is Main Street, Manayunk. So, eat, drink and be cultured. The 25th annual Manayunk Arts Festival will run June 21, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and June 22, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

jun6 jul4 aug1 sep5 6

First Friday With the intimate shops and galleries along Main Street, and the ones just off the beaten path, along Shurs and Green lanes and some of the other quaint side streets, Manayunk is the kind of downtown that’s begging to be discovered at a casual pace, display window by display window, especially during an occasion like First Friday, when vibrant restaurants beckon at regular intervals for a quick cocktail and a nosh. Grab a sidewalk table and watch the show unfold. Follow The Flags: June 6, July 4, August 1 and September 5, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m

manayunk.com | Summer 2014

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MANAYUNK ARTS FESTIVAL 25TH ANNUAL

ARTWORK BY GERI DIBIASE (WWW.GERIDIBIASE.COM)

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JUNE 21 & 22

2014

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SNEAK A PEEK

Hungry for More With spring in the air and food trucks lining Main Street, it seems safe to say no one was left wanting at the StrEAT Food Festival in April.

Nonetheless, we’re presenting visual evidence, including the three winning shots from our Instagram contest. For their creativity and brief restraint, @amystrauss (crepes),@marlsincharge (tater tots), and @thewallcycling (top right photo with dog) won a $25 gift card and a prize package. As for @thewallcycling, that dog’s an unfair advantage.

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manayunk.com | Summer 2014

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The Bazemore Gallery is excited to share our space and love of art with the community. Our gallery design is based on our intuitive perception of the five elements of Feng Shui. The art on our walls is food for the soul. Our goal is to build relationships with our diverse clientele; new and seasoned collectors, interior designers purchasing for their clients, buyers for corporate collections and television and movie companies looking to rent art work for productions.

4339 Main Street • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19127 215.482.1119 • www.thebazemoregallery.com

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LIVE.EXPERT ADVICE

So You Want to Be a Manayunk Homeowner There’s plenty of character and craftsmanship to go around. Just be prepared to face a few potential pitfalls that come with the period. By Jack Malloy Manayunk is a neighborhood whose history runs deep. The canal was the first started in the country. (Though, budget trouble kept it from being the first finished.) But it’s the closeknit homes which line the hilly avenues that reflect even better a distinct character that’s been forged through centuries, not decades. On Green Lane, west of Silverwood Street, Jacob Levering built the first house in a town that was, at the start of the 19th century, called Flat Rock.

Most of the homes in Manayunk today were constructed in two defining molds, Late Victorian (1850 to 1910) and Classic Revival (1895 to 1950). Outside and in, you’ll find nuance and craftsmanship of the kind that most 21st century homes lack, beyond the highly-customized ones, at least. But these homes can also bear a few age-specific issues, naturally. If you’re in the market, here’s a rundown of what to give a closer look.

Plumbing The sewer lines running from many of the homes from these two periods are partially or even entirely cast iron, which, durable as it is, will inevitably begin to show its age.

Rust will build up on the walls of the pipe and then flake off and block the flow A section may be visible in the basement for inspection. But even with that, it’s probably not a sizable enough sample to be a proper indication of the degree of wear and tear throughout the rest of the pipe. The only way to know with any kind of certainty is to hire a plumber to feed a video camera through the line. Draft this as a contingency in your purchase contract.

Chimney flue liners They’re not a given in homes from either era. And even the ones that are equipped with them may be deteriorating with age, which heightens the risk of carbon monoxide leaks.

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A faulty flue liner doesn’t need to be a deal-breaker. Ask your home inspector to examine it closely. If a concern’s caught at that point, you can negotiate for the repair or even the replacement of the liner.

Radon The universal initial reaction to the mere mention is panic. But try not to overreact. Levels tend to run a little higher in older homes, though they still fall within an acceptable range. (The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standard is 4.0 and below. The national average is 1.3.)

The test is relatively cheap—$125—and simple. You can ask your home inspector to administer it. Should the results come back on the high side, a reduction system can be installed for about the cost of an everyday home repair. The most effective ones are proven to reduce radon levels by up to 99 percent, according to the EPA. Lead paint The ban didn’t come until 1978. So, if you find yourself looking at walls that haven’t been touched in a generation or two, the chances are good that the paint contains lead. And even if it appears you’re in the clear, lead-based paint may be buried under a layer or two of modern paint.

To ensure you’re informed, federal law requires that a buyer be given the EPA booklet “Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home.” The most straightforward route to testing for and removing lead-based paint is to go to the Pennsylvania Health Department’s Web site, www.health.state.pa.us, for a list of certified lead inspectors and risk assessors When eyeing up an older home, whether in Manayunk or anywhere else, a heightened awareness will go a long way.

They’re sturdy homes. Some, after all, have stood strong for over a century. But a little strategic updating will likely be necessary. Consider it the cost of maintaining a legacy. How many homeowners can say that?

Jack Malloy is a Realtor with Century 21 Alliance, in Manayunk. He’s also a director and trustee of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors. To contact him, visit jackmalloy.com.

manayunk.com | Summer 2014

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S H O P . B U S I N E S S S AV V Y

Philly Fashion’s Linchpin

Since the opening of her Main Street shop, Nicole Miller Manayunk, 20 years ago, Mary K. Dougherty has been a driving force in the revitalization of the fashion scene and the city.

Nimble is a word that Mary K. Dougherty shows a clear affection for. She uses it to describe how she proceeds through her days, ideally. And it’s the guiding force of her ever-growing, fashion-centered empire in Philadelphia, which includes her privately owned and operated N icole Miller Manayunk store, her foundation, so to speak. Dougherty celebrated the shop’s 20th anniversary with a red carpet bash in April.

But it was a brush with tragedy that honed her appreciation for the word like none of her mounting accomplishments could. N ot the wholesale business through which Dougherty got her start with Nicole Miller in 1983 and which she’s continued to nurture. Not the second shop, Nicole Miller Bellevue, that Dougherty opened in 1997. N ot her most recent enterprise, the Center City-based PR and event planning fi m, Mary K. Dougherty & Associates. N ot even all the mentoring and philanthropy that was laced throughout all of it. No, it was a car accident this winter that forced Dougherty away from all of it, for the first time in her ca eer, and stole her agility.

“It was humbling and profound because I had everything planned out and nothing was the way I had planned it,” she says.

In the days just before the anniversary party, Dougherty rev12

eled in the onrush of benchmarks of a life lived at full speed again—the career milestone, of course, but also a recent 25th wedding anniversary and their newly-college-bound son.

(She’s the mother of three boys, ages 18, 15 and 13.) All of it maybe a hint more vibrant because, for a fleeting moment, it was threatened.

But the anniversary of the Manayunk shop was always going to be more than another impressive summit scaled with all that those 20 years comprised and everything that Dougherty came to mean to the city at large because of her integral role in them.

Always an astute observer, it was hardly as easy as Dougherty landing in the right place at the right time. Center City was suffering in April 1994. She saw that. She also saw that Main Street in Manayunk wasn’t, thanks to a core of thriving restaurants and fashionable shops. Those pieces made all the difference.

She’d come to understand that during her decade long rounds to shopping centers in the Mid-Atlantic region as a wholesale representative. From that day on, Mary’s Nicole Miller store became the main driver of fashion in Manayunk and still remains that way today.

Dougherty credits former Philly Mayor Ed Rendell and Man-

SUSAN BEARD (SUSANBEARDDESIGN.COM) / ASSISTED BY ERIKA SMITH

By Scott Edwards

manayunk.com | Summer 2014

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DOUGHERTY, LEFT, WITH NICOLE MILLER AT THE ANNIVERSARY PARTY IN APRIL.

ayunk developer Dan Neducsin with pulling the city out of its freefall, but she herself assumed a greater role in that evolution with every year that passed. From her first days as a shop owner, Dougherty helped dictate the tone for the new era, supporting the fresh crop of fashion retailers and emerging designers.

As the fashion programs at Drexel, the University of the Arts and Moore College of Art & Design developed into some of the most formidable in the country, Dougherty created more opportunities for students within her ranks. Today, half of her staff started with her as interns and all have learned the Mary Dougherty/Nicole Miller way. When you shop at Mary’s stores you get a level of customer service and styling from a fashion educated staff that you just can’t find at department stores. If what you want is N icole Miller, Mary’s stores are THE place to go. It’s her attention to detail and her promise of customer satisfaction that makes ALL the difference.

“At the end of the day, I have my eye on the prize,” she says.

“However, I do believe in making sure I’m open to supporting and helping other people and not being so selfish or self-centered that I don’t see a bigger picture. There’s always a bigger picture.”

Yet, it’s the most intimate scenes that resonate with Dougherty: the countless outfits sold for graduations, weddings, first dates, job interviews, even funerals. All of them, an experience shared, a relationship formed.

A guy came into the Manayunk shop not too long ago and bought a red dress. His plan was to pack it in secret and then ask his unsuspecting girlfriend to put it on one night during their trip to Italy. From there, he led her to a spot he picked out beforehand and proposed.

“That’s a big responsibility,” Dougherty says. “That’s not just a dress.”

She wears little else besides Nicole Miller. Always has. After more than 30 years of selling her collections, Dougherty may be the designer’s most pronounced advocate. But for every article sold for a meaningful occasion, it became less about the clothing and more about the people she was selling it to.

Nicole Miller Manayunk and Nicole Miller Bellevue are privately owned and operated by Mary K. Dougherty. N icole Miller Manayunk, 4249 Main Street; nicolemillerphiladelphia.com.

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D I N E . TA S T E T H I S

Eat Your Heart Out When the menus run as deep as they do in Manayunk, lunch is not a meal to be glossed over.

Volo Coffeehouse

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Sorrentino’s Deli

Palm Tree Market

It’s curious that a universal nap time isn’t observed in the afternoon in Manayunk, like in Spain. Wander down Main Street or any one of its beckoning tributaries around lunchtime and you’ll be left with a tough decision. To better prepare you for that inevitable moment, we compiled a field guide to the 11 most mouth-watering sandwiches around town. Staying awake after devouring any of them is squarely on you. —CAITLIN MALONEY The sandwich Roast Italian Pulled Pork. ($8) Broccoli rabe and a mild provolone are layered on top of a thick bed of pulled pork and then pressed into a panino, the soft inside of the roll melding with its contents. Where to get it Greg’s Kitchen, 4460 Main Street; 215-482-4734. The pickle Sandwiches aren’t kids, which is why owner Greg Gillan shows no hesitation in claiming it as his favorite sandwich on a menu full of candidates.

The sandwich Italian Hoagie. ($6) A classic iteration with all the fixings: provolone, cooked salami, hard salami, hot capicola, lettuce, tomato, onions, salt, pepper, oregano, oil and vinegar. Where to get it Sorrentino’s Deli, 4361 Cresson St.; 215-487-0559.

The pickle Patsy Westerfer makes this hoagie exactly the same way her father did when he opened the deli in 1980.

The sandwich Reuben. ($6.29) Its followers are devout, and for good reason: hot corned beef or pastrami—your pick—piled tall with Swiss, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing between two spongy but firm slices of rye.

Where to get it Palm Tree Market, 4366 Cresson St.; 215-621-6765. The pickle Come for the reuben, but kill your grocery list while you wait. The Asian-influenced market is loaded with gourmet finds, like sea kelp chips and organic pasta, along with the nuts and bolts.

The sandwich Smoked Salmon. ($8.75) From bottom to top: mayo, tomato, smoked salmon, arugula and pancetta on Baker Street sourdough, pressed into a panino. Where to get it Volo Coffeehouse, 4360 Main St.; volocoffeehouse.com. The pickle Owner Akos Racz started making these sandwiches by bringing a crate of ingredients in and the staff played around with combinations of its contents. This gem, among others, soon emerged.

The tradition continues, and the menu, in turn, is always morphing.

JPG PHOTOGRAPHY (JPGPHOTOGRAPHY.COM / PHOTOGRAPHERPHILADELPHIA.COM

Greg’s Kitchen

Smiley’s Cafe

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Monthly

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D I N E . TA S T E T H I S

The Couch Tomato Café

The sandwich Beef Gyro. ($7) Spit-roasted beef, thinly-sliced and drizzled with tzatziki sauce, then rolled up with romaine, tomato, red onion, parsley and pickles in a lightlygrilled pita. Where to get it Smiley’s Café, 110 Cotton St.; smileyscafemanayunk.com.

The pickle If devouring this gyro doesn’t make you feel warm and tingly all over, let owner Smiley work his magic. For starters, the guy can thank you in 39 different languages.

Where to get it The Couch Tomato Café, 102 Rector St.; manayunktomato.com. The pickle This beauty has been on the menu since the restaurants opening in N ovember 2007.

Last year alone, more than 2,500 of them were ordered. And the bisque won City Paper’s People’s Choice Award for the best soup in Philly.

The sandwich Avocado BLT. ($12) The simplicity of a mouth-watering combo: fresh avocado and crisp bacon. A little red-leaf lettuce and tomato thrown in, all of it sandwiched between lightly-toasted multigrain bread dressed with roasted-garlic mayo, housemade chips crowding the plate. Where to get it Winnie’s LeBus Manayunk, 4266 Main St.; lebusmanayunk.com. The pickle Thanks largely to this sandwich, Winnie’s goes through up to eight cases of avocados in a week.

The sandwich Bayou Buffalo Chicken. ($7) Consider this you new guilty pleasure.

Chicken tenders are doused in a housemade buffalo sauce, then stacked on top of a bed of tomato and lettuce and covered in bleu cheese, all of wedged neatly into an Italian roll.

Where to get it The Bayou Bar & Grill, 4245 Main St.; bayoubar.com. The pickle The buffalo sauce, a till now closely-guarded secret, includes cayenne pepper sauce, melted butter, a drizzle of honey and various spices. It earned Bayou’s wings Best of Philly honors.

The sandwich Grilled Cheese. ($10) This is not your mom’s grilled cheese. It’s a heaping mix of good cheese with arugula and tomato for acidity, served on housemade wheat focaccia and paired with a creamy tomato bisque. ($10)

The sandwich The Breakfast Burger. ($11.50) You eat pizza for breakfast, so don’t pretend a burger’s out of bounds. Especially this one. A thick beef patty’s piled with a fried egg and country sausage between two slices Texas toast French toast. A cup of warm maple syrup comes on the side, naturally. It’s a McGriddle

Lucky’s Last Chance

Manayunk Tavern

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Bayou Bar & Grill on steroids. Where to get it Lucky’s Last Chance, 4421 Main St.; luckyslastchance. com. The pickle The day owner Chris Barnes’ butcher showed off a special breakfast sausage was, in fact, our last chance at preserving our dignity until lunchtime.

The sandwich Crab Grilled Cheese. ($12) Lump crabmeat and grilled asparagus smothered in melted muenster between two buttery-crisp slabs of Texas toast. A cup of tomato bisque on the side for a hit of acidity.

Where to get it The Manayunk Tavern, 4247 Main St.; manayunktavern.com. The pickle This beauty has been on the menu since the restaurants opening in November 2007. Last year alone, more 2,500 of them were ordered.

The sandwich The E.U. Burger. ($12) A hearty onion roll houses a sturdy beef patty layered with melted Swiss and cheddar, a fried egg, rashers, lettuce, tomato and onion. It’s not, of course, intended for the faint of appetite. Where to get it Kildare’s Irish Pub, 4417 Main St.; manayunk. kildaresirishpub.com. The pickle The rashers, an Irish favorite, and the Swiss work together much better than the actual European Union.

JPG PHOTOGRAPHY (JPGPHOTOGRAPHY.COM / PHOTOGRAPHERPHILADELPHIA.COM

Winnie’s LeBus

Kildare’s

manayunk.com | Summer 2014

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PLAY.LOCAL A&E

A Study in Composition

Between the basement-to-roof renovation and a meticulously thought-out interior design, The Bazemore Gallery itself is intended to be every bit the featured attraction that the contemporary paintings hanging on its walls are.

“I worked hard to preserve the historical significance of this building by paying close attention to restoring the buildings beautiful front façade. The interior was a different story as I had to replace nearly everything.” says Lenny Bazemore, the gallery’s owner and curator. A Main Line resident and seasoned real estate developer, Bazemore bought the building, which sits just beyond the corner of Main and Grape streets in Manayunk, and opened the gallery, his first, on the ground floor last October. But a dramatic overhaul unfolded across the months in between. Several vacant years had exacted an ugly toll. The lone survivor: a Jordan Ivanov wood relief of the canal that was found in the basement in 12 pieces. That, at least, Bazemore could restore. It hangs today in the gallery.

All of that, though, was merely a precursor to the actual origin of the gallery: the conception of its interior. During a trip to China in 2012, Bazemore studied under Wang Xun, a master of feng shui, the ancient Chinese philosophy that, basically, aims to harmonize us with the environments through which we move. For as long as he can remember, Bazemore, who’s known among friends as Zen Len, was drawn to nature, color and symmetry. But it wasn’t until he was introduced to feng shui that his own world aligned. He designed—is designing (it’ll always be a work in progress)—the gallery accordingly, 20

right down to the hanging garden ZEN LEN, AS HIS that’s comprised of ferns and purple FRIENDS CALL HIM, IS orchids, among others, and meant to AIMING TO CREATE A SPACE THAT’S A PURE balance the exposed-brick walls.

REFLECTION OF HIS “I didn’t want to sell, so to speak, OWN LIFESTYLE. people when they came in here,” he says. “I wanted them to interact with the space and the energy of the space so that they would feel more comfortable and relaxed.”

The feng shui elements—wood, fi e, metal, water and earth— will be considered, too, in selecting the art that Bazemore will exhibit. The gallery’s first major show, which was on view in April, featured Hong Kong artist Justin Y, who paints vivid abstracts with his fingers. N ext up is James Brantley, a Philadelphia mainstay and, like Justin Y, a member of the new generation of impressionists, who favors pastel cityscapes and humble portraits.

A basic, personal bond, though, is what ties these shows and those to come to the gallery foremost. “The premise of the gallery is really the fact that my wife and I are art lovers, and we’ve been collecting for years,” says Bazemore, a painter himself who’ll be exhibiting in Germany, Belgium and France over the next two years. They don’t gravitate toward certain genres or even media. Bazemore expects to remain as open-minded as a curator. And should a sprawling, impressionistic landscape balance a living room, all the better. —SCOTT EDWARDS The Bazemore Gallery, 4339 Main St.; thebazemoregallery.com.

COURTESY OF THE BAZEMORE GALLERY

At his new gallery, Lenny Bazemore is exploring the art of living. And what you’ll find on the walls is only the start of what he’s turning up.

manayunk.com | Summer 2014

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hen the 25th edition of the Manayunk Arts Festival descends upon Main Street June 21 and 22, it’ll feature close to 300 artisans and artists, span almost every conceivable medium and draw in excess of 200,000 visitors. It will be, by both measures, one of the largest of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic region, as it has been since its inception.

That first festival, in 1990, lured 100,000 to Main Street, many for the first time in years. It’s a number that pales in comparison to the current standard, but it was an immediate indication of the festival’s potential. Its success astonished everyone who participated in that first event. To themselves and quietly amongst each other, they hoped for the best, but none dared to dream quite that big.

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By Scott Edwards

PHOTOGRAPH BY GERI DIBIASE

P L A Y . W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G

An Unassuming Beginning

No one could have imagined that the arts festival would blow up to be one of the greatest of its kind.

Not even those who did all the heavy lifting in the early going.

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P L A Y . W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G

DAN NEDUCSIN, FAR RIGHT, WITH NORMA AND GARY MANN.

[today, the Manayunk Development Corporation]. At the time, I remember that they only had $14,000 in their treasury. Without hesitation they committed $10,000 of it. This really put me under pressure, because there I was, getting all this support, and everyone believed in me! I realized I had to figu e out how to do it, and I did!

Barbara Boroff, original arts coordinator I was an experienced craft show organizer but Manayunk Arts Festival was really my first street show. I had a list of two or three thousand names and I put it out to all of them. It was a very exciting experience. I got a lot of people to respond, as many as I really needed for the first show, and the quality of the work was good!

This is a look back at how the inaugural Manayunk Arts Festival came to be, and how it changed the course of the next 25 years (and counting) in Manayunk, as told by those who were the most integral to its creation.

This is a look back at how the inaugural Manayunk Arts Festival came to be, and how it changed the course of the next 25 years (and counting) in Manayunk, as told by those who were the most integral to its fruition.

Dan Neducsin, founder I was a developer in Manayunk trying to figu e out how we could bring people to the street. A very good friend of mine who was a photographer told me that he was just in an arts festival in Chestnut Hill and he estimated that about 5,000 people came. I thought to myself, Wow, if we could get 5,000 people to our street it would give us exposure and that would be great. So that’s how I got the idea. I didn’t know the firs thing about an arts festival but I had a good idea where to start.

My good friend David Lipson is the owner of Philadelphia Magazine, so I went to him and said, “Would you sponsor an arts festival?” I think I started by asking him for a full-page ad and he agreed. Philly Mag gave me credibility and courage to pitch the festival. Jefferson Bank was opening a new branch in Manayunk and I said, “This would be a great way to introduce Jefferson Bank to all of Manayunk.” I think I asked them for $10,000 and they said yes! With these two big names on board I made a presentation to the Business Association of Manayunk 24

Neducsin About four weeks before out arts festival, I went to New Hope to visit their arts festival. It was a nightmare. It took me two hours to just get into the heart of the town. So right then I decided we needed to get remote parking lots. And then we decided to make a commitment to run shuttle busses from the festival to the lots. That was one of the best things that I did.

Boroff For the first couple years, we had to set up early Saturday morning, like at dawn. Then Saturday night the artists would take their booths down and we would set everything up again on Sunday morning. That was a nightmare and we changed it after a couple of years. Also we couldn’t mark the booth numbers on the street until the evening. So the night before, I guess starting at around six o’clock, we started marking the street. It took everybody in my family to come out and help to get the job done on time.

Joan Denenberg, current Manayunk marketing consultant and Boroff’s daughter We had a hard time figuring out how to lay out the street. They had it set up one way, and then last minute Friday afternoon, they decided it should be another way, there were maybe 250 booths that had to be marked and it was down to the wire. I remember this clearly because I was seven months pregnant that first year, and here I was, with my whole family, hand-marking the street until two or three o’clock in the morning.

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P L A Y . W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G

chants who I thought would be unique and bring people to Manayunk. I didn’t want chain stores.

THE ARTS FESTIVAL, 2002.

Neducsin Our dream was to bring people to Manayunk, either to bring new visitors to the street or to help those who knew Manayunk rediscover us. We knew this festival would make a world of a difference because people had this vision in their mind of this little mill town.

Denenberg Everybody involved in the planning knew that it had potential, but nobody knew that it would take off like it did.

Boroff That first day of the festival when I walked the street, I bumped into

a cousin who said, “My, God. I haven’t been to Manayunk since I bought my furniture.” And that’s when I knew it was a success. I said, “Wow. This is everything we hoped for.”

Neducsin Instantly after the festival my phone began to ring off the hook with people looking for properties to open up a business. I personally got more aggressive and any time I’d see a property come up for sale I was interested. After a while, because I had so many properties, and I knew what direction I wanted to see Manayunk go, I selected mer-

Denenberg This is sort of a signature event from a branding standpoint—we didn’t really use those words back then, but we knew that to help create Manayunk as a destination that we really need something big. The arts festival was that ‘big idea” right off the bat and it still is today.

Neducsin In the beginning, I had tremendous resistance from some people.

But it turned to be so successful that it gave us more money to promote Manayunk, and even better, it gave us exposure that lasted 365 days.

Denenberg It has really become the backbone for funding the rest of the marketing and events for Manayunk.

The 25th annual Manayunk Arts Festival will be held June 21 and 22 along Main Street. For further details, visit manayunk.com.

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P L A Y . W H AT ’ S H A P P E N I N G

1st Year Artist Profile

Geri Dibiase

by Jane Lipton

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Geri began professionally working as a Photographer in 1978, and started her career by setting up at local art and craft shows in the Philadelphia area. She opened her shop, Main Street Studio, in Manayunk in 1984. Her work has changed considerably over the years and now she prints primarily on canvas. Geri lives in Lewes, Delaware and is a full time art photographer. She helped launch the first Manayunk Arts Festival and is now returning as an artist for the 25th Anniversary.

M. Mag: How were you involved in the festival?

Dibiase: I was one of the founders of the festival along with Dan N educsin and a couple others. In fact I was pretty much all in, as I was also a juror and an exhibitor. We all worked so hard that firs year. The other jurors and I felt a deep responsibility to the show, to do a great job because we understood that in order to have a second year the first year had to be exceptional. N early 600 artists applied and we had more quality artists than we knew what to do with. The show took an entire day to jury because we wanted to show the best variety and best work.

M.Mag: How did it feel to start a show like this?

Dibiase: We asked BAM (Business Association of Manayunk) to take a chance on us and frankly, we were nervous. We told fellow merchants that if this event can pull 100,000 visitors, and even 10 percent came back, it would be huge. But we worried, “What if no one shows up,” or “What if too many people show up.” Well thankfully they took the chance and it paid off huge, the show was a resounding success. It was advertising and promotion that we never could have afforded on our own and I believe that it put Manayunk on the Map! M.Mag: Any other memories from that first year Dibiase: Well, of course I remember being excited about starting something new and how amazing the street looked lined with artists and art lovers for as far as the eye could see, but… I also remember how hot it was! The seasoned artists were prepared with tents and water, they were ready. But we had a lot of artists that were only used to small shows, like the kind under the trees in parks where you set up a table and show your wares. Well some of them go got totally fried out in the sun! It was crazy, people were nearly passing out. The next year, it was tents required. You know some things you learn as you go.

M.Mag: Any last thoughts?

Dibiase: I’m thrilled, honored and excited to be coming back to Manayunk for the 25th year and to have had my artwork chosen for the poster. To all of my Philly friends and customers: Come find me, I’d love to see you! Check out Geri Dibiase Photography at www.geridibiase.com

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25th Anniversary Artist Profil

Ayelet Mittleman Ayelet started Cocoa & Lime in 2006. Her handmade collection of bold collars, delicate earrings, necklaces and bracelets; crafted with a rainbow of gemstones, is inspired by an era when no one dared to step out the door without looking their part. Since moving to Philadelphia from N ew York, though, Mittleman has had a hard time finding her niche in the local craft show circuit.

Newly arrived in Manayunk by way of the Art Museum neighborhood, she scoped out the Manayuynk Arts Festival and applied shortly after. Last year’s festival was her first and she is eturning again this year.

M.Mag: Why did you apply to Manayunk?

Mittelman: Manayunk really had such a nice pull of different artists. When I was looking at vendors from previous years, I was like, you know what? My stuff could fit in here. It was just different enough, but it kind of seemed to go together. (In the scorching heat, Mittelman, six months pregnant at the time, manned her booth throughout the weekend.) I spent most of it jumping from conversation to conversation, getting restaurant recommendations as I was trying to sell jewelry. It was just really exciting because it was my firs opportunity to really get out there and meet the people where I’m now living.

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