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FACING THE MUSIC
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Will COVID-19 kill the local live music scene?
Partnership works to reduce opioid epidemic’s impact on foster care families. | Page 14
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OK, that’s enough melancholy, two more o the George Floyd experiment lastquick things. ed what, two months? Which as an aside...I have to tell you this The wretched beast that is the story of real entrepreneurship. About a year 2020 has again taken us for a month ago, I was in the poppy shop ride as video captures a and this kid was in line behind me, police officer shooting a looked at my busted Vans slip-ons Black man in the back, and proceeded to tell me he’s got with seven shots heard in “Air Maxes on Air Maxes” for sale. total, paralyzing this man forever. Intrigued, I asked him where, and This is on the heels of a police he told me that they were waiting officer using his knee to effectively in various sizes in the trunk of his kill another Black man, prompting car. It was then I realized homeboy full-scale riots over a large sweep of had an enterprise from the kicks he the country, including right here in looted from the days of unrest here our own city. in Philadelphia and was hustling Perhaps the one thing that realthem out of his car. ly shocks me about this is that I’m Anyway, my little social experinot sure there’s enough people who ment for the truth was that I didn’t care this time around – as if the divulge I knew where he picked post-traumatic stress from protest@SPRTSWTR those up because I wanted him ing in the name of George Floyd to tell me the truth. Instead, I got has dried the well. The unfortuvague. nate reality is that the death caught “Don’t worry about all that, I got ‘em on camera of an unarmed Black civilian has jarred our brains and baffled most of us on though if you tryna see ‘em,” he suggested. I didn’t cop. I mean, I yeah wanted to. But how this shit just keeps happening time and karma. time again. Lastly, I want to thank the group of people I can’t speak for every Black and Brown individual, but I know for me, when I keep who have decided to roll with us on AltPhilly. seeing this pop-up, for a second I get discour- We really appreciate your support. We post aged that this will never go away, considering content for you to check out daily with all the I’m raising a young Brown man of my own. stuff designed to let you know what Philly’s belly is up to. I mean before I even get to raise him, I could We’d love for you to take a look, and we’ve be the next one. It’s a really insidious reality if you think about it that in 2020, a year that loaded some teaser content on there for you to consider. Check out patreon.com/altphilly should have progressed far past where we are, the lynching or senseless killing of a human and let us know your thoughts in the combeing makes national news every two months? ments section. Until next week. Stay safe, Philadelphia. This is an insane time to be alive.
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39,000 The number of students back on campus this week at Temple as in-person classes have resumed amid the dismay of students, faculty and even those living within the confines of its North Philadelphia neighborhood. Temple is the only large city school that has resumed in-class learning as Penn, La Salle and Drexel have all pressed pause because of COVID-19. The university believes its protocol and procedures that have been put in place will keep students safe. However, it forgot that it’s the students who are the sum of all the parts here and solving how they’ll keep themselves safe is perhaps the more difficult equation.
You can get a fine for putting your garbage out before trash day? Neither did we, until more people started snitching to 311 on their neighbors, and SWEEP officers from the city’s sanitation department are now forced to crack down on violations and dish out citations. Here’s the problem, however: some neighbors are telling PW that while Streets urges people to put their trash out a day later in some sections of the city, trucks are showing up and people are missing their shot. But now, putting it out the night before and it staying out there could get you fined? Streets, if you’re reading this we’d love some clarity...send it to voices@philadelphiaweekly.com
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Bye, bye Brett Sixers head coach Brett Brown didn’t do himself (or curry himself) any favor following a swift first-round exit in the NBA’s Eastern Conference playoffs. So on Monday, when the organization finally let him go, after losing regular season and playoff records, it didn’t really come as a surprise. The man was here through “The Process,” but after this exit, this time by a 4-0 sweep at the hands of the rival Boston Celtics, it looks like the Sixers are back in it. Now, it looks like the 76ers are gunning for former Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue, yes, the same Ty Lue Allen Iverson made a mockery of in the 2001 NBA Finals.
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Stimulus Check? Rent? Food? School? Reopening? Green Phase? Testing? COVID19? Safety? Voting? Stimulus Check? Rent? Food?
OVERWHELMED, School? Reopening? Green Phase? Testing? COVID19? Safety?
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Voting? Stimulus Check? Rent? Food? School? Reopening? Green CONFUSED, Phase? Testing? COVID19? Safety? Voting? Stimulus Check? Rent? Food? Safety?
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The number of people arrested after a drug sting broke up the factions of three different trafficking operations. In addition to being arrested and charged with a laundry list of offenses, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said police and officials also seized over 20 guns, and doses of fentanyl and crack numbering in the tens of thousands, according to an Inquirer report.
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He said it...
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Stimulus Check? Rent? Food? School? Reopening? Green Phase? Testing? COVID19? Safety? Voting? Stimulus Check? Rent? Food? School? Reopening? Green Phase? Testing? COVID19? Safety? Voting? Stimulus Check? Rent? Food? School? Reopening? Green Phase? Testing? COVID19? Safety? Voting? Stimulus Check? Rent? Food? Safety?
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“I’m constantly cleaning up drug vials, urine, human feces, trash everywhere. If you’re trying to clean and you’re in their area, the homeless people don’t really want you in that area.”
Voting? Stimulus Check? Rent? Food? School? Reopening? Green Phase? Testing? COVID19? Safety? Voting? Stimulus THX! Check? Rent? Food? Safety?
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– SEPTA worker Darryl Gardner to the Inquirer regarding what it’s like to work in sanitation for the transit authority’s series of bus, train and trolley stations. According to the report, 15 cleaners have contracted COVID-19. Customarily, people who do yeoman’s work, like Gardner, max out after just five years. We want to offer them a personal show of gratitude for sticking it out that long. Yeesh.
OVERHEARD IN PHILLY
“I miss the people-watching on the EL the most, that’s for sure. It was sometimes the best part of my day.” — The response from a University City sociology professor to a PW writer, who now does most of his work from home, when asked what he missed most from what has now been a nearly five-month hiatus from the classroom. Hate on taking SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line all you want, but judging by this response, there’s clearly an appeal to some. NM-00428291
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‘IT WOULD BANKRUPT US’
Musicvenues venues Music saycity’s city’s plan plan say to reopen reopen isn’t isn’t to the answer answer the
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hen COVID-19 hit in March, system of independent live music venues closing all non-essential busi- and promoters. This couldn’t come a minute nesses, it was live arts, mu- more quickly, as beloved venues such as Stelsic and comedy venues that la’s in Cleveland, Barracuda in Austin, and would wind up hurting more Great Scott in Boston have shuttered permathan most, especially consid- nently. ering the beyond-billion-dolThen there is the bipartisan S. 4258, the lar-a-year peak that live music had reached Save Our Stages Act (introduced by Sens. in 2019. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Amy Klobuchar (DUnlike restaurants, permitted do takeout MN)), and S. 3814/H.R. 7481, the RESTART and outside seating, live venues that didn’t Act (introduced by Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) serve food couldn’t move a muscle. Because and Michael Bennet (D-CO), in the Senlive venues had to completely shutter ate and Congressmen Jared Golden without staff, most couldn’t apply for (D-Maine) and Mike Kelly (R-PA)) in PPP loans. Unless they had access to a the House. A.D. large landmass with drive-in opportuTheir twin goal is to make grants nities, they were completely screwed. AMOROSI to eligible venues equal to the lessAnd while C-19 affected large-scale, er of either 45 percent of operation international-operating promoters costs from calendar year 2019 or $12 such as Live Nation and AEG that own and million, while authorizing the appropriation operate venues in the area, it was indepen- of $10 billion-plus for the grant program. dent venues and promoters that were stuck Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) last week made in freefall without a net, without corporate a show of supporting these initiatives with monies or stock options upon which to lean, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy by his or hopes to open – even with social distanc- side. The billion dollar ideas are good. What’s ing options – as their usual audiences live in bad is that Congress is on recess through Aufear of close gatherings without a vaccine in gust, while busy with bailing out the USPS. sight. Turning to the uniquely local side of the Whether it’s the effect on local economies government ledger, Mayor Kenney stated, and tax bases or the ecosystem it serves and Aug. 20, that Philly performing arts venis served by, it, the art of independent live ues can open Sept. 8. Health Commissioner music and comedy venues – the first to be Thomas Farley, however, threw the wettest closed, the last to open – is hurt badly, and of blankets by saying that capacity would be could be damaged irreparably, long after limited to 25 people, and live venues are prodoors open. If they get the chance to open. hibited from serving food and drinks on site. This live arts business model is on a respi“Even if you have a giant auditorium, you rator, given – in some cases – six months to can put no more than 25 persons inside,” said live as it is carrying a 90 percent revenue loss Farley in what may have been the second-bigwith closure well into 2021 due to safety con- gest slap in the face to local venue owners cerns and public fears posed by large gather- and promoters alike – the first slap being ings. Without support from Congress, 90 per- C-19’s all-venue shutdown around March 10. cent of independent venues in the U.S. will “I understand the city’s desire to say more need to close their doors forever. businesses are re-opening, something that As of this week, it’s five-and-a-half- everyone wants to happen, but, opening permonths, and counting. formance spaces for audiences of 25 patrons Countering this doom-day proposition, one maximum, regardless of venue size, is not organization, the National Independent Ven- economically feasible – it would bankrupt ue Association, and two initiatives, (Save Our us,” said Hal Real, WCL’s CEO and NIVA Stages# and The RESTART Act, were started co-founder. “From a public health perspecto stave off the wolves. One who started NIVA tive, until there is a widely distributed and and sits as its secretary is Hal Real, founder effective vaccine or a reliable instant test, it of World Cafe Live. NIVA, composed of 2,000 spaces and promoters, states its mission is to “preserve and nurture” the wounded eco-
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is not safe for our staff, artists, or guests to open places like ours that are all about bringing the community together for shared live music experiences.” Mark Christman, executive/artistic director of Philly’s avant-garde, jazz-focused Ars Nova Workshop, offered perspective on the 25-person limit, whether it’s shows he’s brought to Johnny Brenda’s or Fringe HQ. “I can’t blame the city for protecting its citizens. We’re not seeing enough leadership in this department.” Promoter Jesse Lundy of Point Entertainment took the laughable 25 entry limit one step further. “Operating with 25 can only work if you have your overhead reduced too,” stated Lundy. “Sadly, the concert industry is ‘just math.’ When you take the emotion out of your favorite bands and the experience of seeing them, the money and viability of being a concert promoter comes down to the simple equation of ‘revenue at the door + ancillary income (booze/food) vs. expenses of putting on the show.’” Local venue owners and promoters (in the case of Union Transfer, Boot & Saddle and R5 Promotions’ Sean Agnew – both) let me in on the behind-the-scenes mess they’re in, and the new bond built when competition turns to camaraderie. Shlomo Lipetz, VP of programming at Philly’s new-paint-smelling City Winery – busy developing his small chain venue’s retail wine program – paused to recall his stillnew Winery’s last show. “Joan Osborne, March 15,” he said. “I remember our back-and-forth, slowly coming to the realization that it may be our last show in a long time. Little did we know just how long.” Unlike many live venues, City Winery was able to take advantage of PPP loans, and received its application’s full amount. “Unfortunately, we burned through most of the money, sadly, since we are still unable to open in any capacity,” said Lipetz. Unlike some live clubs, City Winery did serve its food menu curbside, but selling food out of its SEE MUSIC, PAGE 8
The stage has been empty for a while at World Café Live thanks to COVID-19. Image | Jay Strausser
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Jeff Parker and New Breed perform at Johnny Brenda's on March 10. Image | Ryan Collerd / Ars Nova Workshop
MUSIC, FROM PAGE 7 doors was not found effective and the program closed. As City Winery is a small national chain with 1,300 employees (100 in Philly) 75 percent of all employees have been furloughed. Like most hospitality businesses, profit margins are slim and the ability to save for a rainy day limited. “At City Winery, we had enough to get through a few months if business dipped, but no business was, or is, fully-prepared to go from 100-to-0 overnight.” Kerri Park, the GM at World Café Live, said this is business-as-usual for much of their peers in live music. “We were not financially prepared to be shut down for a prolonged period of time,” added Park.
One frustrating element for artists, audience and booker alike is bouncing venue shows postponed from March through September’s calendar, only to be postponed into 2021 or cancelled completely. City Winery, which puts on shows seven days a week and often books six months in advance, had countless gigs that had to be postponed. “We initially pushed shows into summer of 2020, then fall 2020, then first quarter 2021,” said Lipetz. “Now, most of the postponing shows are pushed to the second and third quarter of 2021.” Independent venues have historically never been part of a larger organization. There was no real need for it nor was the infrastructure in existence. That changed with NIVA, when venues had to close with a need to share in-
AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
formation, resources and what Lipetz called “a massive advantage of speaking in the same voice. It has been a massive help for venues across the country and provided a glimpse of hope,” he said of joining NIVA. The theory that many venues will close by September is not just crying wolf, in Lipetz’s estimation. What hasn’t been helpful – despite NIVA – is the interaction with Philly’ safety measure-ers. “There have been no clear guidelines or road map, not in the federal level, but also in the state and city level,” said Lipetz. “In many states, the state and the city guidelines have conflicted.” Park’s World Cafe Live is another venue serving a curbside take-out menu and benefitting from PPP loans through the CARES Act. Though it “provided a necessary lifeline,” the PPP’s limits were a clear indicator that WCL needed to make the needs of their industry known to legislators; “that even after WCL opens fully it will take at least six months for WCL staff to work its way back to the full slate of events they depend on to cover overhead.” What Park recalled vividly about March 12 and 13 was the moment she pulled her staff together and let them know they would need to close. “My words got caught in my throat, and the weight of the unknown was about as heavy as it gets.” The night of WCL’s last live show, Friday the 13th’s Trace Bundy gig, “It was an un-replicate-able blend of gratitude and despair. It was as though everyone in the room was collectively recognizing, in real time, they were about to find out how much they had previously taken for granted. Guests and staff were silently looking to each other for answers to questions that were already universally understood to be unknown. I also have a very distinct memory of truly appreciating how good the sound was that night.” When it comes to scheduling shows, WCL has had significant cancellations while being fortunate in being able to turn its 2020 calendar into its 2021 calendar. But, enough is enough. “I told my staff the other day that I’m done with trying to predict any kind of timeline anymore,” said Park. “I spent the first two months setting dates and mapping plans, only to rip them up and start over. We haven’t given up on 2020 yet, but we know that it’s going to be an uphill battle and a very different dynamic through the end of the year and beyond.” With 100 people on WCL staff (20 full-time, 80 part-time), the pandemic dropped that number to 10. One significant gift was the “overwhelming outpouring of support that our guests showed with our Emergency Relief Fund for furloughed workers,” said Park who places those funds directly in the hands of WCL’s out-of-work team. As for staff that stayed, Park credited executive chef Rob Cottman with taking a measured approach as to how and when to pivot dining operations, and talent buyer Jeff Meyers. Having access to Real has given Park perspective strengthening a foundation that will sustain an industry that can come out of the
pandemic better than it was before. She is affected not just as an industry professional, but as a fan. “Almost my entire professional life has been devoted to WCL; you learn very quickly about music people that this isn’t what we do, it’s who we are. The fact that the very thing we hold most dear is on the brink of collapse is nothing short of devastating. It’s also an economic disaster because music venues closing will be a domino effect on local economies everywhere.” Park mentioned what Sean Agnew will later – the formation of PIVOT, Philadelphia Independent Venue Organizing Together – to unite for all-venues sake. “We’re not competitors. We’re one big independent family and know we have a powerful collective voice,” she said. On the local political front, Republican Councilman David Oh, the fire starter of the local Music Industry Task Force, has made time for PIVOT, working to find a way for Philadelphia to help make sure it saves its venues. On the national front, Park is pleased by the bipartisan Save Our Stages efforts (“I have no doubt I could find something every single one of these legislators has said that I would 100 percent oppose on both a personal and professional front. However, I’m appreciative of the support they’re putting behind this issue”), and discouraged by the crisis-time summer recess. Pointing out how Aug. 20’s announcement from the city in regard to 25-person capacities is further proof as to how unrealistic it is to re-open and that what is needed is financial support to stay closed, Park stressed that “venues need to stay closed right now, and we need money to stay closed. Please go to saveourstages.com to let your representatives know that you support live music and the role they play in our cities. Also – keep an eye out for more from PIVOT, because as our message develops we will need our fans to show up.” Independent promoters are an equal part of the NIVA equation as a good half of its membership comes from those promoters who bring shows to diverse venues – indoors and outdoors. Ars Nova’s Christman stated his jazz curation’s promotions have been put to good use during C-19. “Working on podcasts about why improvisation matters, releasing recordings from our archives, presenting outdoor concerts like ‘Bird Calls’ (Charlie Parker’s 100th birthday celebration August 28-29, at The Woodlands, 4000 Woodland Avenue), commissioning artists, building a mobile studio, organizing Milford Graves’ ICA exhibition (the drummer’s “A Mind-Body Deal” begins Sept. 25). We’re eager to innovate. But as a venue-less organization in the time of COVID-19, I can’t say we’re eager to innovate indoors.” Ask Christman about membership in NIVA, and, “at the very least, we feel well-informed, part of a larger national community and conversation. I’m impressed with the momentum NIVA has been responsible for building and maintaining.” Then ask Christman if he feels local polit-
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She is af-icos are working for the good of Ars ofessional,Nova. “I don’t know about that. The ofessionalCity’s Office of Arts, Culture and the earn veryCreative Economy has been elimithis isn’tnated, making Philadelphia the only ct that themajor U.S. city without such a thing. the brinkThe Philadelphia Cultural Fund – vastating.something essential and trusted with use musicpaying big dividends – was reduced by ct on localnearly 70 percent. The OACCE and the Cultural Fund encouraged and supw will laterported creativity, which plays a vital phia Inde-role in how a place defines itself and – to uniteis seen by outsiders. This will quickmpetitors.ly dismantle the clusters of creative and knowenterprises and individuals that feed she said. and inspire even more creativity.” epublican After the initial weeks of being ter of theterrified, and working 12 hour days has madeto move all of its dates, things have y for Phil-calmed into a space of quiet exists venues.tential fear for Jesse Lundy and sed by theRich Kardon – the team behind the “I have noboutique Point Entertainment that single onespreads its wealth of bookings to would 100Franklin Music Hall, Mann Music nd profes-Center, Ardmore Music Hall, Undertive of theground Arts, the Keswick and (with is issue”),owner Donal McCoy), The Locks. e summer “The last show I was at was The Minks at the Dawson Street Pub on uncementMarch 10,” said Lundy. “I got home on capaci-that night and said, “Oh my God, I realistic itwas in an enclosed place with other The popular Philly band Dr. Dog performs at World Café Live before C-19 d is finan-people and handled money without restrictions shut down the local live music scene. Image | Jay Strausser essed thatgloves…I’m going to die.” Not a good w, and wefeeling.” o to saveo- Also not a good feeling, without and the indie promotions company Bowery the first one that happened in Pennsylvania. ives knowbeing able to take advantage of PPP loans as People’s Light staff bent over backwards to Presents) of Union Transfer and Boot & Sadrole theypromoters, Point held fast by relying upon two construct the stage and implement plans, and dle. With that, Agnew understands both sides ye out forvaluable lessons that Lundy’s dad taught him. we’re proud to say that they are all selling out, of the venue and promoter equations. essage de-“Protect your credit and save,” he said. “So and people feel safe,” said Lundy of distanced As a sole proprietor, like Lundy, his promoup.” tions operation is so small, Agnew – usually yes, I’m a cheap date with low overhead. I’m live gigs in cars with FM radio-based sound ual part of very fortunate that my wife is working. I just systems from his buddies at DBS Audio. “The an avid adventurous traveler, but not with its mem-don’t spend money, which is easy if you don’t bands are happy, the audience is happy, so this pandemic afoot – is not worried about oters whogo anywhere.” we’re happy. We’ll be stretching this out until the business of R5. “When things open, I’ll be doors and Not claiming to be the Mask Police, Lunable to book,” he said. Though Agnew did not mid-October because of the demand. Very exexpect the city to announce that live venues dy sees absolutely no reason to believe there citing.” jazz cura-will be indoor concerts for a long time. “Peocould start up again, he said, matter-of-factly, Lundy concluded by reiterating that Point good useple talk about 2021, but I don’t believe it for a Entertainment doesn’t own a venue, “which that “with heavy restrictions – limited to 25 about whysecond. America is the laughing stock of the for the first time in my career is the best news people, no food or drink served before, during recordingsworld because of our misguided need to assert I can think of.” But, that such disassociation or after the show – this will rule out almost door con-our ‘rights’ over having even the slightest con- won’t help him or any promoter if any of his every imaginable ‘venue’ in town. BUT. I bet ker’s 100thsideration for our fellow countrymen…or the associated venues close. “It’s a disaster…what there will be some. Would be great to start off 9, at Thepeople in our own families. Our selfishness was once a great, entrepreneurial industry with a few weeks of baby small acoustic shows , commis-knows no bounds.” and hope for higher capacities come winter.” will be one of the last things that comes back studio, or- Along with poking fun at a Congress that When it came to his venues, Agnew was online. Everyone in the concert industry bition (the“just went on vacation and left us all hanging, spends their days trying to figure out a way pretty fast to move all of Union Transfer and gins Sept.Lundy expressed faith in the NIVA/Save Our to make money, and the answer is that, unless Boot & Saddle’s spring and summer shows – as a ven-Stages lobbying effort (“even ole Marco Rubio you’re willing to go against science and ethics, first to September, more recently into the first OVID-19, Isupports independent businesses”), and, as a there’s no way you should be bringing people quarter of 2021. “Now, we’ve pushed 130 shows oors.” at Union Transfer three times over,” he said veteran member of the Music Industry Task together indoors. If Kid Rock and Chase Rice p in NIVA,Force, was able to connect Councilman Oh fans want to attend indoor shows, that’s fine, with a laugh. “The work hasn’t stopped just informed,with PIVOT’s political novices. http://pivotpa. but, not on my watch.” because the venue is closed. This is the work. y and con-net. Pushing the ball down the road.” Currently, Lastly, there’s Sean Agnew, the founder of momentum What has been a late-in-the-game saving R5 Entertainment promotions and booking many of those Union Transfer shows should lding andgrace is the drive-in concert series that he who places shows at Johnny Brenda’s and be held spring-through-summer 2021. The Districts on March 11 was the last started with People’s Light Theatre in Mal- First Unitarian Church, among other venues. ocal polit-vern. https://www.peopleslight.org. “It’s And he’s the co-owner (with Mark Fichera show at Union Transfer. “Things were start-
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ing to get weird and difficult leading up to this,” said Agnew. “It came to a head when the city arranged a conference call the same morning as The Districts show with large event producers – everyone from the Philadelphia Eagles to the people who run the Mann – with their agendas and restrictions. I wasn’t at The Districts’ show, but from all reports, it was just so spooky. Everyone had the best of intentions going into it, but it was weird, for lack of a better term. Forty percent of a sold-out show were no-shows. Nope. No more after that. No one has been in Union Transfer since.” Union Transfer and Boot & Saddle got PPP loans for its full-time staff (around 10 each) until June, and furloughed the rest. Now, however, they can’t bring employees back in as they’re mandated as closed by the state. There is legislation pushing PPP loans in 2021 for businesses mandated to remain closed, but “who knows if this will occur? Will we be forgiven the loans? How many people can we bring back? We were non-aggressive in what we asked for in the first place,” said Agnew. “Then again, we all thought we’d be back to work by August 1. Funny, right?” Not only is he making zero dollars (save for fund-raising “COVID tour 2020” T-shirts that netted around $40,000), Agnew is busy sending out tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of refunds for tickets purchased and shows cancelled. Stating that he and Fichera alone are currently running the Union Transfer/Boot & Saddle business (“we’re back to being DIY,” said Agnew, considering the roots of R5), and has rainy day savings through the next several months, neither venue would be able to withstand another year without selling a single ticket. “The bulk of what we do is constant negotiation with landlords. Our rent is in flux with our landlord. The talks are ongoing… we’re all kicking the can down the road. We don’t know how much we have to pay – it’s all up in the air. And that is even more scary.”The lone positive in this pandemic break, in Agnew’s estimation, is having joined up with NIVA and the local PIVOT crew. “I never really spoke much to Hal Real or many of the local venue owners, and for the first time so many of the independents are banded together,” said Agnew. “When this is done and we can butt heads as one unit, we can truly take on Live Nation. In our wildest dreams, we never thought that we would ever have positive congressional representation – and bi-partisan at that.”
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Reduce worldwide poverty Did you know that the global rate of malnourishment has been reduced by 50 percent in the past two decades and more children are in school today than at any time period in history? By tackling world poverty, we can alleviate the suffering of millions and tackle the most troublesome causes of violent extremism worldwide – lack of opportunity, insecurity, injustice, and hopelessness.
By advocating for global poverty reduction, you can help make drastic changes for those living in poverty, such as those which have been made in the past two decades, even more prominent. You can take action locally to help our global community, and help your own community, by volunteering for the Borgen Project. Visit borgenproject.org.
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THE SHOUT OUT
Mackenzie Smith, Borgen Project Ambassador | UPenn
Ne cou
EMS workers are constantly responding – and forgotten On July 30, Gov. Wolf and Secretary of Health Levine visited the Millersville location of Lancaster EMS to laud the response of the commonwealth’s EMS providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. “During the pandemic, our emergency responders have become more important than ever,” Wolf said. “They have been out on the front lines of this fight, helping attend to COVID-19 patients in their most dire time of need. They have had to adapt their practices to keep themselves and their patients safe, all while continuing to serve as a lifeline to their communities and support the health care system.” While the visit and remarks at that time were appreciated, it is the actions of the governor’s administration and the General Assembly that prove that the essential frontline EMS providers in this war on the pandemic are merely political talking points. The latest frustration to address the financial, physical and emotional concerns facing EMS providers daily was the failure of the Department of Community and Economic Development to award not one EMS agency that applied under the Governor’s Hazard Pay Grant. EMS providers are essential workers who are the frontline of this pandemic EMS providers face the highest exposure to asymptomatic, presumptive and positive COVID-19 patients on every call, every day EMS providers have contracted COVID-19
and several in this commonwealth have died EMS providers are some of the lowest paid health-care workers fighting this pandemic EMS agencies have struggled financially from lost revenue, daily increased PPE costs and increased payroll costs The Hazard Pay Grant was an opportunity to help EMS Agencies compensate our EMS providers for the daily physical and emotional toil of fighting this pandemic. EMS providers do not only treat COVID-19 and other patients but are an essential keystone in preventing the spread of the virus to other patients and the hospital system through proper infectious control procedures and relentless sanitization. It is time for the governor and the General Assembly to heed our warnings and address the financial, physical and emotional concerns facing EMS providers and EMS agencies in this Commonwealth. Efforts to prevent the failure of our entire EMS System should be the main concern of local and state government. Emergency Medical Services, the healthcare safety net and first line of defense in the treatment and prevention of the spread of COVID-19, deserves the financial support of the Governor and the General Assembly. We are continually responding and constantly forgotten.
Dean A. Bollendorf, president, Ambulance Association of Pennsylvania
AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
Image | Kayleigh Harrington
Come Sept. 8, God willing, city restaurants will reopen for indoor dining – albeit with restrictions.
Your turn: Are you ready to run out for a meal at your favorite eatery? Or is it still too soon? Send your thoughts to voices@philadelphiaweekly.com
VOICES OF OUR CITY
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Gun violence in Philly I have been following the posts all over social media, and I am coming to terms that the shootings that are occurring in our areas might not ALL be Black-on-Black. What if the shootings were done by those who have a true hate for blacks to make it look like we are the ones committing the most crimes across the country? With all the Black Lives Matter protests going on and all people of color coming together to fight for black rights all over the world,
there are a lot of people who are not happy with everyone uniting for the cause, and they would like to keep the narrative that we are violent criminals and are deserving of the unfair treatment and prejudice that we receive. I read an article once that spoke of federal agents sending in their agent to infiltrate the Black Panthers and that agents started riots and fights with the local cops in the area to make it seem as if they were violent.
Anonymous | Philadelphia
New judicial districts could hurt city schools In July, the General Assembly passed HB 196, the first leg in a three-stage process to amend Pennsylvania’s constitution. Part of the amendment requires that each of Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court justices is elected from one of seven judicial districts created by the General Assembly. If the bill passes in the next session of the legislature, it could appear as a ballot question before the electorate as early as the spring of 2021. It is therefore possible for some, if not all, of these reconstituted Supreme Court seats to be up for election by November of 2022. Although it is difficult to predict the precise ramifications of such an amendment, a lawsuit currently in the Pennsylvania courts could provide the first test case of the new law. This lawsuit asks the courts to mandate that the defendants in the case – the governor and the General Assembly – allocate more resources to school districts that are currently under-funded by the state. Given that Commonwealth Court expects to hear the case by the end of this year, it would be reasonable to expect a final decision by the Supreme Court no earlier than June 2023. Even though the General Assembly is a defendant in this lawsuit, it will still have the authority, under the proposed amendment, to create these new judicial districts. Since the most underfunded school districts in the state
are concentrated within about 20 percent of the state’s geographic area in southern and eastern Pennsylvania, it would therefore not be difficult for the legislature to create a majority of judicial districts out of populations with adequately funded schools. Judicial candidates from these districts, to gain favor with the electorate, would likely shirk any mention of the ideals of justice and equality; appealing instead to the specific interests of their constituents by campaigning on a platform of “those greedy school districts in the Philadelphia area wanting to take money away from our children’s education.” This case illustrates two major flaws in the proposed amendment: one being that the judiciary would no longer be an independent body, but would rather depend upon the General Assembly in the creation of these judicial districts; and the other being that judges would represent the special interests of particular regions of the tate, rather than the interests of the entire commonwealth. How House and Senate members voted for this bill are available on the web at www.legis. state.pa.us. Many of those members who voted in favor of it are running for re-election in the fall. Would these legislators cast another vote in favor of the amendment if they regain their seats? Hopefully they will divulge that information before November.
Coleman Poses is on the steering committee of Philadelphia Neighborhood Networks and is a member of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools.
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WHO’S MORE DISLIKED? ICEPACK
W
It’s a tough call between Kenney and Farley
hom do you dislike and liver-and-onions at 2am in Cenmore in this scenar- ter City is crucial. I’m talking about io? Mayor Kenney for the close of Midtown III at 18th and waiting to offer Philly Ranstead, the Tafuri family all-day, allrestaurants up to the night restaurant and cocktail lounge on the corner. Only 2017’s closing of Green zone until Sept. Little Pete’s on 17th Street rivals the 8 to avoid the Labor sadness. Day rush (if you’re only letting On the digital stage 25 percent of a room to be filled Temple U’s School of Theater, with four-at-a-time tables, what BY A.D. would the difference be a week AMOROSI Film and Media Arts is getting into the digital staging game earlier?) Or Health Commish this weekend with the online-onThomas Farley for playing with ly Aug. 28 and 29 Temple Theaters Digour heads and only permitting 25 peoital Presents: The Country Wife. The ple – tops – into live music venues and weary Willam Wycherley classic is movie theaters at a shot, without food performed now in a new adaptation by or drink? And by the way, what’s with the Rachel Atkins, and you can check it as a Facebook event here https://www. bowling? They’re opening bowling alleys and have talked about opening facebook.com/events/3034566943322163 The Stable about to pop bowling alleys for awhile as if bowling While we’re near Temple at North is the key to unlocking some marvelBroad Street, developer Daniel Greenous bizarre mystery fresh out of Loveberg’s Clementine’s Stable Café with craft Country. Who is the bowler in this administration, how’s their address Chef Leo Forneas (ex of Sampan) did a soft opening for its bricked-up Brasseand what is their highest score? rie and All-Day Café the other day. The Diner closes Stable looks about to pop, full-time. Gentrify all you want. A downtown REGO’s new single without a 24-hour diner is a snore. Philly electro R&B singer-songwritEven if you haven’t been there for er REGO just released a single, “Killyears, knowing one remains open for ing My Friends,” that not only speaks gelatinous bright yellow pie, flapjacks
Image | Marc Mueller
AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
to death and Black Lives Matter protests – its Bandcamp proceeds go to the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, in support of BLM. Cost? $1. https:// regothereshego.bandcamp.com/track/ killing-my-friends New digs for store If you’re looking to shop Career Wardrobe Philly after this Saturday, don’t. CWP’s last day of shopping or dropping off clothes at 18th and Spring Garden for those who need to look sharp for jobs and interviews is Aug. 29. After that, CWP moves into new digs at 413 N. 4th. Lil Uzi Vert gig You say you’re missing Philly’s Lil Uzi Vert during this pandemic’s live dry spell? Vert is doing a virtual performance Aug. 27 at 6 p.m. through Live Nation for $15 – his first move since dropping Eternal Atake and LUV vs. The World 2 earlier in 2020. While the initial word is that he will go live, without an audience at a-then-unnamed “historic concert venue,” we’re betting The Met Philly as that housed his last live shows. From restaurant to grocery Not sure how I feel about this yet: The Calmels, Charlotte and Pierre, are closing their deeply authentic French
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GOSSIP
restaurant, Bibou, at S. 8th in August, and will reached out to actor-teacher LaNeshe Millre-open in September as a French boutique er-White, the founder of West Philly’s Theatre grocery – an “Epicerie fine - charcuterie - trai- in the X, and the recently annointed executive teur.” Boudins, quenelles, pate en croute ... director of Theatre Philadelphia. Recently visible online via Theatre in the BN, chipsters, Fleur de sel, tapenade et Malabar” – said the fam via email, while closing an X’s Juneteenth virtual tour with Iron Age Theater (as Fanny Lou Hamer), for Iron Age’s 11-year chapter of fine dining. Declaration of In(ter) Dependence series (a Pumpkin BYOB I do know how I feel about this. South recitation of Langston Hughes’ “Let America Street’s 16-year-old Pumpkin BYOB, run by Be America” https://youtu.be/BkpgqowZrSI) and a role in the chorus for X’s virtual readHillary Bor and chef-husband Ian Moroney, has crafted C-19’s most original culinary ing of Viv is for Vengeance, Miller-White has spent her time away from the stages of Philly treats, something they’ve long done anyway. playing games and spending time with her Their takeout menu was innovative, hearty family. and nice-priced. They “Does playing Animal just started outdoor dinCrossing count? Because ing. I’m sure they would I have spent a plethora have made their 50-to-60of hours on my family’s seat room, even with the virtual island with our 25 percent limitation in virtual characters. DecSeptember. orating our island and Then they got this my virtual house gave word from their landme a level of control lord (something Union that didn’t exist with Transfer co-owner Sean all the uncertainties Agnew says he fears of early pandemic life. in my cover story this I’ve also enjoyed visitweek) shared with us ing my real life friend’s via email: the landlord islands, one of the only wants to “raise our always we could actually ready inflated rent. Our “hang out” when this lease ended 4 months all first started. I haven’t ago… and he postponed allowed myself to get so the signing of the new engulfed in a video game lease because of the panin a long time. I truly demic. Yesterday, he said believe Animal Crossing that not only was the was a saving grace for rent going to increase my mental health early the rent, but we would on.” owe him the increase As far as the masks from the last 4 months.” go, she and her fam adBor goes on to say Image | Courtesy LaNeshe Miller White opted mask-wearing that she and her husband improved the landlord’s property greatly very early on in the pandemic. “It feels like one of the easiest and controllable things we over the past 16 years (“plumbing, electrical, everything in-between”), care deeply about can do to be safe,” said Miller White. “Before the community and neighborhood as they live masks were mandatory, I always felt safer and less anxious if I was wearing a mask to the one block from Pumpkin, and that the same landlord has two vacant, renovated apart- grocery store or the post office. At this point, ments above the restaurant that he doesn’t they’ve also started to go beyond functional rent. Bor is ““frustrated, sad and scared.” into fashion.” Miller-White believes that it is going to Who can blame her? If you’re a landlord looking to drain great tenants dry, now is not the be a long time before we are maskless again. time. Never is there a good time, but especially “And actually, I hope masking becomes a normal part of cold and flu season in the United not now. States. When they can come off and we can be Happy 20th! I don’t usually reveal much of my personal close to each other again, I look forward to the life in this column. Not anymore. But, if I was intimacy of whispers and long tight hugs comlooking for a reason to break that rule – as far ing back.” She’ll also busy herself with an online poras celebrations go – being married to Reese “Glamorosi” Amorosi for 20 years is that oc- trayal of Hattie Cantry for Theatre in the X around Labor Day and the new duties of ED of casion. This coming Monday marks that date, Theatre Philadelphia. “I can advocate for the and the garden-to-table cooking instructor needs of people and companies that haven’t and I couldn’t be happier, prouder or more in felt included,” she said of underrepresented love. Black companies, BIPOC companies, and beMasked Philly: LaNeshe Miller-White In Icepack’s continuing saga of asking yond. mask-donning local celebrities what they’ve @ADAMOROSI been up to beyond the pale during C-19, I
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OPIOIDS AND FOSTER CARE Partnership works to reduce epidemic’s impact on families
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Expert data suggests that 60-70% of children in the foster care system are involved in families dealing with substance abuse or opioid use disorder. Now, a coalition of advocacy groups are out to connect the dots in hopes of solving the problem. Image | April Lee AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
The coalition is supported by a grant arental substance use is a factor in from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office more than one-third of all foster for Victims of Crime, and is convened by care placements nationally, which Turning Points for Children, a subsidiary is why Philadelphia has formed of Public Health Management Corporation. a public/private partnership of Some of the players include the Children’s more than 20 organizations and Crisis Treatment Center, Community Beindividuals to develop and imhavioral Health, Community Legal Serplement policies to reduce the impact of the vices, Court Appointed Special opioid epidemic on child-welfare Advocates (CASA) of Philadelinvolved families. “Since 2017, the number of foster BY COURTENAY phia County, the Maternity Care Coalition, and the Philadelphia care placements has surged alongHARRIS BOND Department of Public Health. side the nation’s rising opioid overEven though the coalition dose rates,” said Keli McLoyd, dihopes to reduce the impact of rector of the Philadelphia Coalition on Children and Opioids and policy analyst opioid use on children in the foster care system, substance use in and of itself is not a with the Research and Evaluation Group at the Public Health Management Corporation. reason for child-welfare involvement, McLoyd said. “A community-driven, cross-sector response “So somebody should not be involved in is essential to achieve systemic change and the child welfare system simply because improve outcomes for families in Philadelmom or dad is suffering from a substance phia.” use disorder or an opioid use disorder,” The five goals of the coalition are: to impleMcLoyd said. “What would have to hapment additional child welfare worker training, launch system-wide opioid educational pen is that there would be an event due to the opportunities, enhance child welfare services, substance use disorder, which we usually see guide cross-system collaboration, and ensure show up as neglect or as medical neglect. And sustainability and momentum. Ultimately, then only as a result of that usually would we the coalition aims to develop a comprehen- come to find out mom or dad is dealing with sive strategy where these public and private an opioid use disorder or has a substance use systems of care collaborate to prevent opioid disorder.” misuse among families and to effectively and Because there are so many nuances to this promptly respond when opioid use is present, process, there is not one way to track families McLoyd said. entering the welfare system with opioid use “The goals of the coalition are to really as- disorder, McLoyd said. But anecdotally, in the sist child welfare case managers and child field, McLoyd and other experts believe that 60 welfare workers and really understanding the to 70 percent of child-welfare involved families depth and the breadth of opioid use disorder are dealing with some kind of substance use on families and really [help] families to re- disorder or opioid use disorder. This is why ceive treatment that they need – while also un- bringing all the players to the table to create derstanding that folks who work in the child a map of the system and to come up with polwelfare system typically have very high caseicies to help child-welfare involved families loads – have a very high paperwork burden,” with opioid use disorder is so important, McMcLoyd said. “So we want to be able to assist Loyd said. them without further adding to that burden.” What makes the coalition’s work even more
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April Lee, who formerly suffered from addiction, had to fight through the child welfare system to regain custody of her three children. Today, Lee, who has been in recovery for six years, is a peer parent advocate for Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. Image | April Lee urgent is that COVID-19 has exacerbated problems for child-welfare involved families with opioid use disorder, McLoyd said. People in recovery may not have access to the same support systems they used to have. “All of our stressors are up,” McLoyd said. “And so I think that just typically even a person who has no sort of substance use disorder is feeling a lot of stress right now. And so I think those stressors are magnified especially for people who are in early recovery and really trying to navigate this on their own.” When the courts temporarily shut down due to the pandemic, child-welfare involved children suffered even more. “Kids were able to see mom every week and now have not seen her for three months,” McLoyd said. So, one of the goals of the coalition is to get every child who has been separated from his or her parents trauma care. Another goal of the coalition is to get the funding to replicate the peer support model seen in the recovery
community. April Lee, who has been in recovery for six years and had to fight through the child welfare system to get her three children back, sits on the coalition and is a peer parent advocate for Community Legal Services of Philadelphia. Having that lived experience helps her help families, she said. “I understand their pain, their trauma fully, that’s going through the child welfare system and other systems,” Lee said. “I am literally a person [who has] slept on a cardboard box at my lowest. Not just that, I have a record in recovery. I’ve lost my children. And most people will look at that as a negative experience when it comes down to a job.” But Lee sees it as a positive in her role as advocate because she can relate to what child-welfare involved families with opioid use disorder are dealing with. Lee goes to court with parents, takes calls at midnight “to talk some people down off the
edge,” delivers food to families, and generally advocates for whatever their needs might be. “So it might be parenting classes, sexual trauma classes, anger management. You might need housing…So [in] my position and I pretty much help them make as many connections as possible” and to help parents learn to advocate for themselves, Lee said. “Recently, it’s been more about missing their children, struggling during the pandemic and not being able to [see] their children in person,” Lee added, noting that due to COVID-19, parental visits halted for a time. “I know personally what it feels like to miss your child.” Patrice Garvey, a case manager supervisor with Turning Points for Children, oversees case managers and supervisors working with child-welfare involved families to ensure they are following the proper guidelines and that families are receiving the needed resources to work toward reunification or stabilization, she
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said. If there are conflicts between case managers and families, her role is to “step in and bridge that gap between them, as well as to encourage the families to advocate for themselves, allow them to be empowered” and to make sure the families are taking the steps required by the system, Garvey said. For instance, sometimes “the mom is so overwhelmed, she has four children,” Garvey said. “We step in and advocate with the hospital to meet the schedule that will fit mom so she doesn’t have to bring all four children to the doctor…Whatever the goal is, whatever caused the children or the family to come to Department of Human Services, our goal is to ensure that we address that goal and ensure that the family becomes stable and independent.” When people are dealing with a substance use disorder, “then we do have that pep talk with the families to let them know that this is a serious issue that they have to address,” Garvey said. Turning Points might provide transportation for the individual to treatment, and they discuss how the road to recovery can be long and bumpy. “It takes a while to get over it, so our goal is we’re really a support for them,” Garvey said. “We’re your partners. We want to work together as a team. So we have to build that rapport with them. We have to respect them, and we have to meet them wherever they are.” One of her hopes for the coalition is that it addresses the need for more low-cost or nocost services for families, Garvey said. Lee said she hopes the coalition will get funding for more peer advocates like herself to help families navigate the system. “If we really want to build a village, if we really want to build community, if we really want to say that ‘Hey, we love you. We care about you. We’re concerned with your child’s well-being. We’re concerned about your family’s well-being,’” Lee said, “then put some people next to them that’s going to walk with them.”
This story is a part of the Philadelphia Weekly Behind the Frontlines series, which aims to look at the lives of other essential workers forgotten in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Behind the Frontlines is delivered in partnership with WHYY and Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project among 23 news organizations, focused on Philadelphia’s push towards economic justice. Read more of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.
@CHARRISBOND
PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
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D 5 QUESTIONS:
EMILY DRINKER Singer-songwriter rediscovers her sense of identity in latest single
Philadelphia’s Emily Drinker recently released her single, ‘Enough is Enough.’ Image | Skyler Jenkins
AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
Drinker’s delicate blend of folk, etailing the breakdown of a once intimate, soul and ukulele-driven pop creates a rich sonic haven for her loving relationship, listener to reside in. Completing singer-songwriter Emily Drinker is back her first tour in the U.S in 2019, the young artist also toured with with her new single a friend’s band in South America, “Enough is Enough” – performed at the Philadelphia Folk rediscovering her self-worth and Festival and received support from sense of identity. NPR. With production from PW recently caught Matt Muir, “Enough is up with Drinker to talk Enough” is the lead sinBY EUGENE about her career and new gle from the PhiladelZENYATTA music. phian’s upcoming debut Let’s start with your LP, set for release in the early interest in music. autumn. A track full of When did you first become intersubtle swagger, her impassioned ested in performing, and when vocals and upbeat instrumentation did you realize you wanted to coalesce into something bigger make a career of it? than love… freedom. “I love singI became interested in performing this song because it makes me ing at a young age. Growing up, feel so powerful,” she says. “The track came about at the I spent most summers at a performing arts camp in the Philly end of a long, drawn-out relationship that never seemed to fully suburbs (called Consortium for the Arts), which instilled in me a ‘work,’” she said. “I kept returndeep love of musical theater. I being to this person, despite the gan piano lessons and dance classemotional pain inflicted during es around age 5, and I was always our relationship. For me, the song involved in choirs and a cappella encapsulates that moment many groups in school. of us reach in strained relationAs I got older, I began getting ships when we find ourselves starring roles in many of the throwing up our hands and reachshows I went out for, and a dream ing a breaking point. By the time emerged to be on Broadway. I the chorus hits, I’ve stepped into went to college in New York City my empowered self, exclaim(at Barnard College of Columbia ing that I won’t put up with any University), desiring to be as close of that anymore.”
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Emily Drinker’s debut LP is scheduled to be released this fall. Image | Skyler Jenkins as possible to Broadway, but in college a shift occurred that pulled me away from theater and toward music and songwriting. I began writing my own music and longed to perform more, but I didn’t quite know how to get started. A year or so after I graduated from college, while living in Brooklyn and working three low-wage jobs to get by, I saw an ad on Craigslist for a band that needed a singer to join them on a four-month contract on a cruise ship in Europe. I auditioned, got the job, and flew to Barcelona to join the ship. That was my first real job as a musician, and it was then that I realized that I might actually be able to make a living performing. You’re from Conshohocken originally, but now live in the city. Your name also has come up a few times in some of the other musician profiles PW has done in recent months, so you’re pretty enmeshed in the local scene. How have the city, its rich musical history and its many performers influenced you? Folks are so lovely to have brought me up in their interviews! Before I entered the scene as a performer in my own right, I was taken with the history and culture of the Philadel-
phia Folk Festival. I was so obsessed with that long-standing tradition that I interned at the Philadelphia Folksong Society in college, wrote my undergrad thesis about the Folk Festival, volunteered countless times at the festival, and briefly worked in the office for a time in between cruise ship contracts. Over the last four years since returning from several years of performing on cruise ships, Philadelphia has been a terrific place for me to establish myself as a songwriter. I’ve met so many incredible musicians in Philly, and I feel that the local music community is quite supportive, rather than competitive. I love that aspect of our scene. After a few years of actively throwing myself into the music scene here, I see that I am becoming a name that people recognize around town, and I find that comforting and special in a musical city that I admire so much. I’ve been most influenced and inspired by the folks around me who make their living playing music in this city, who grind away but remain humble. It blows my mind when I meet Philly-based artists who tour with big names, but will still stop in at the local open mics or play the same arduous cover gigs that I’m still doing to get by.
Your new single, “Enough is Enough,” was just released and will be part of your debut LP this fall. Talk a little about how the single came together and how the album is shaping up. Did the pandemic and all of the ensuing closures affect production? How can people hear the new song? Fortunately, “Enough is Enough” was completed before the pandemic hit. In April of 2019, my band and I spent a day at Kawari Sound, (a recording studio in Wyncote) recording seven tracks for the album. We got a ton done that day, but months after that first day I went back into the studio several times to record harmonies, add in other instruments, and watch in wonder as my recording engineer – Matt Muir – expertly mixed the tracks. In July, I was able to return to the studio to work on a few more of the album’s songs, which felt fantastic. After many months removed from the project, it has felt invigorating to come back to this album and to prepare to actually release the thing! There’s still at least a few more sessions needed to finish production, but we’re getting there and I’m very excited. People can find the song anywhere music can be streamed.
What’s ahead for you once the pandemic ends and things begin to return to “normal”? Where do you see yourself in five years? I am longing for in-person connection in live performance spaces again. If that becomes possible again anytime soon, I will be planning a tour and hitting the road, which I was just beginning to get the hang of before COVID. In five years, I see myself touring extensively, and playing all of the music festivals I always dreamed of playing. I see myself creating and collaborating more than ever. I also see myself going back to school to get a master’s in music therapy. What are the best ways for fans to keep up with your music and what you’re up to? I love connecting with folks through Instagram and Facebook, and Spotify has become the go-to in terms of streaming. I also try my best to keep emilydrinker.com up to date with what’s happening in my musical world! Right now I am mailing out free stickers to fans in an effort to get out the vote in November. Please reach out to me on Instagram or Facebook if you’d like a sticker! They are simple, but badass, and say “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. VOTE 2020.”
PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
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THE RUNDOWN Image | Nathan Ansell
How we’re popping in to pop ups
Philly restaurants and bars are getting creative for summer and fall 2020. Across the city, Philly’s entrepreneurs and chefs have found new ways to offer diners inventive outdoor food-and-drink experiences this year. But don’t wait. Pop ups are temporary by nature, so go sooner rather than later. Go to visitphilly.com for a full list of pop ups, but also reach out to the venue before you go because, well, COVID.
Philly River Stroll
The new-for-2020 Philly River Stroll brings three new beer gardens and eateries to the Delaware River waterfront. The River Beer Garden at Race Street Pier offers 100-plus socially distant seats, as well as local craft beer; The Garden at Cherry Street Pier now offers reservationsrequired seating in its 20,000-square-foot oasis with killer views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge; and The Water Garden at Spruce Street serves as a reservations-required floating restaurant on the Delaware River. The new spots supplement the existing great public spaces at Spruce Street Harbor Park, Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest, Cherry Street Pier and Race Street Pier. Various locations, including Spruce Street Harbor Park, 301 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd. Phillyriverstroll.com
The Land on Callowhill Salty’s Seafood & Ice Cream Shack
Restaurateurs Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran pivot from Spain to seafood (and ice cream) this summer. Midtown Village’s Jamonera has transformed into Salty’s Seafood & Ice Cream Shack, offering a deep menu of seaside favorites (steamers, lobster rolls, calamari) and drinks (plus margarita slush pops!) for delivery, takeout and outdoor dining at its 70-seat space on 13th Street. 105 S. 13th St. Saltysphilly.com
AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
An Instagram-ready technicolor mural serves as the backdrop for food and drinks at this new-for-2020 beer garden in Fairmount. To snag a spot at the space’s socially distant picnic tables, follow The Land on Callowhill on Instagram and make a reservation online. 1823 Callowhill Street. Thelandphl.com
Stock Rittenhouse’s Anchor Light
This summer, popular Vietnamese soup restaurant Stock adds seafood to the menu of its Rittenhouse Square location. Anchor Light dishes out rolls (both lobster and crab), crinkle fries, fried chicken sandwiches and more via takeout and delivery five days a week. Pro tip: Pick up your order, then walk a couple of blocks to Rittenhouse Square for a scenic spot to eat. 1935 Chestnut Street. Stockphilly.com
IMAGE: VISIT PHILADELPHIA
Saté Kampar Pop Up at The Goat
Rittenhouse Square’s The Goat welcomes a special guest for summer 2020: Saté Kampar’s Ange Branca. Guests can order out or snag one of the spot’s outdoor tables to enjoy Branca’s Malaysian street fare, including the raved-about Ramly Burger, featuring a double patty wrapped in an egg. 1907 Sansom St. Thegoatphilly.com
Proyecto Tamal
Honduras native Ana Caballero, a former chef at Lost Bread Co., now helps support Philly’s Latinx community by managing Proyecto Tamal. Each week, Latinx cooks make tamales that hungry patrons order online and pick up at a handful of Philly locations (including Lost Bread Co.). All proceeds go directly to the cooks. Various locations, including Lost Bread Co., 1313 N. Howard St. Lost-bread-co.myshopify.com
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Free wedding
To debut a new wedding package, the Club will host a free micro-wedding for one lucky couple. The wedding will bring together a remarkable roster of Philadelphia talent, from floral arrangements by renowned Arrangements Unlimited to breathtaking photography by Philip Gabriel Photography. It will include everything from a delectable wedding cake by Fitler Club’s very own pastry chef, Jeremy Intille, to videography by the award-winning CinemaCake Filmmakers. Hurry, though, as the lucky couple will be selected Aug. 28, and the wedding date is Sept. 12. Fitlerclub.com
With COVID-19 restrictions beginning to ease, we came across a few reopenings and special events to share with you this week.
Reopenings, free weddings, new music and more Muse exhibition
Muse Gallery Philadelphia is hosting Gaiamama | Meditations, a solo exhibition of work by Jacqueline Unanue that celebrates her 20th anniversary of life and art in the U.S. The series, Gaiamama (2019-2020), symbolizes her hope that it is still possible to extend the ties that unite us as humanity, and thus be able to understand the responsibility that each of us have as inhabitants in the protection of our endangered planet Earth. Her recent series, Meditations (2020), was created during the COVID-19 quarantine. This new body of work was intended to interpret the current moment of the whole of humanity – the isolation, the loneliness, and the connections that unite us as humans, all giving us hope. By appointment Sept. 2-27 | 52 N. Second St. | musegalleryphiladelphia.com.
New album, show
Philly-based Lotus will celebrate the release of “Free Swim” on Friday, Sept. 4 with their only live performance for the remainder of the year. The special event takes place at the parking lot adjacent to Citizens Bank Park in their hometown of Philadelphia, part of the Live-In/Drive-In concert series. https://www.mlb.com/phillies/fans/ experiences-and-merchandise/live-at-the-drive-in
Michael Froio Artist Talk
Artist Michael Froio discusses his project, From the Main Line, which explores the historically significant Pennsylvania Railroad corridor across the Commonwealth, while considering its context within the contemporary landscape. Froio is a photographer and educator in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Thursday, Sept. 24, 6–7pm | Donations requested. Eventbrite.com
Books of Note: ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ by Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Athenaeum of Philadelphia holds several early editions of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” as well as an 1853 “Key” to “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” written by Ms. Stowe. Join Librarian Jill Lee and Executive Director Beth Hessel for a conversation about these books and their relationship with the Athenaeum and its culture. Tuesday, Sept. 15, noon – 12:30pm |Free. | eventbrite.com
Rex reopening
Rex 1516, Philadelphia’s destination for elevated Southerninspired cuisine, has reopened for in-person service for the first time since March with daily outdoor dining at a socially-distanced shaded streetery, new dishes, and more amid a bevy of health and safety precautions. It’s open seven days a week from 5-10pm for first-come, first-served outdoor dining at a beautiful plant-lined streetery with six tables boasting longtime favorite dishes from Executive Chef Craig Meyers. 1516 South Street. www. rex1516.com
PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
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Behind the Scenes: Boston and Philadelphia Neon
Len Davidson of the Neon Museum of Philadelphia has been saving and restoring vintage signs for decades. The staff at the museum are ready to give a preview of their new museum, especially since COVID-19 has delayed the grand opening. Dave and Lynn Waller of Williams Neon will take us on a virtual tour of their neon shop, warehouse and a converted fire station. Suggested donation of $10 or free. Presented by Neon Speaks Festival & Symposium. Saturday, Sept. 26, 12:30pm – Sunday, Sep 27, 1:30am.
Eventbrite.com has bunches of things going on virtually over the coming weeks. Here are some of our favorites.
Virtual events we can’t wait to attend Philadelphia Job Fair Musical tasting & discussion
The legacy of Rufus Harley will host Part 2 of musical tasting & discussion: Jazz Migrations/ Philadelphia with legendary panelist Monette Suder and other musical legends from Philadelphia. Harley, who is credited as the world’s first jazz musician to incorporate the bagpipe into the jazz idiom, teamed up with his son, Messiah Patton Harley, and the Bill Anschell trio for a live concert on the campus of Clayton State University in the Spivey Hall performing arts theater for an unforgettable, inspiring, and innovative live concert on Feb. 7, 1998. Visit www.rufusharley.com for music samples. Saturday, Sept. 5, 4 – 6pm | Free
AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
JobFairX virtual job fairs offer you the opportunity to connect with employers from your area without having to get dressed or leave home. Tired of sending your resume over the web and not receiving any responses back? By attending this virtual event, you will be able to live chat directly with hiring managers, get instant feedback on your resume, and get hired on the spot. Monday, Sept. 14, 11am – 2pm | Free
Social Justice, Public Health, and the 2020 Election
Join Temple University’s College of Public Health for an engaging virtual discussion on social justice, public health and the 2020 election with U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta and Delaware County Councilperson Monica Taylor. Representatives from the League of Women Voters will share information on voter registration, where to find information on electoral candidates, and how to support local and national elections. Friday, Sept. 18, 1 – 2:30pm | Free
Penn State Trivia Benefit Join the Philadelphia Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association for a virtual trivia event. All categories will be Penn State themed. In an effort to give back to the local community during these difficult times, funds raised from the event will be donated to Philabundance and Philadelphia Black Giving Circle. Thursday, Sept. 10, 7 – 8:30pm | $15
A Spit Spreads Death: Virtual Tour of South St. West
Join the Mütter Museum and Hidden City Philadelphia for a virtual tour that loops around South Street west of Broad and focuses on the Black community a century ago, from longtime residents to recent migrants from the South. You’ll learn about churches, clubhouses, hospitals and rowhouses as you explore life before, during and after the influenza pandemic that killed more than 17,500 Philadelphians in the early 1900s. Wednesday, Sept. 16, 5:30 – 6:30pm | Free – $5
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How many diners? The city last week announced plans to resume indoor dining on Sept. 8 and other activities even sooner. Here’s a rundown of how all of that will supposedly look.
The doors might be open, but that doesn’t mean establishments will be packed to the rafters. Restaurants cannot be filled to more than 25 percent capacity. No more than four diners per table, tables must be arranged so that diners at separate tables are at least six feet apart or have an impermeable barrier between them.
How the city plans to reopen Sept. 8 Service
Service, as you used to know it, also will change. Servers must wear both masks and face shields for additional protection. There will be no bar service. Alcohol can be served only for on-premises consumption when in the same transaction as a meal. Last call for all indoor dining orders will be at 11 p.m. and establishments will be required to be closed for service by midnight.
Other venues
The Department of Public Health also announced last week that bowling alleys, arcades, and other indoor games will be allowed to resume effective immediately. Indoor theaters and movie theaters will be allowed to reopen on Sept. 8. Venues are not to exceed 50 percent capacity, with a maximum of 25 people allowed. All of these venues will need to prohibit food and drink on site to open.
Are you open again?
We at PW want to keep our readers up-to-date on all of the big plans to reopen, but we can’t do that without your help. If your restaurant or entertainment establishment has reopening plans, let us know at mail@philadelphiaweekly.com and we’ll do our best to share your news with the rest of the city.
What you’ll see that’s new
You’ll also see some changes to the restaurant and the procedures for even getting through the door. Restaurants must install physical barriers such as sneeze guards or partitions in restaurant kitchens and at cash registers, host stands, and food pick up areas where maintaining physical distance of at least six feet is difficult. Restaurants also must screen every employee for symptoms before every shift and prevent them from remaining on-site if they have cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, muscle pain, or new loss of taste or smell. Restaurant owners are also being urged to increase ventilation in their establishments to further decrease the risk of transmission.
PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
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Tall Order Q: I’m a cis male in my late 20s. I’ve recently 6. Into using roleplay and D/s to take out become consumed by a specific fantasy I fear our kinks on said women. is unattainable, a fear that has been made 7. Into giving me the more dominant role. worse by several failed attempts to research it. Now for my questions: Does anyone like A little background: except for a this actually exist? Is there a name couple dates and make-out sessions for the fetish I’m describing? Does with other men, my sex life has alit have a community? Is it similar ways been exclusively with women. to any more accessible fetishes out I’ve had male crushes and often there? Does my loss of libido and thought I might be bi or pan, despite this specific fantasy say something never masturbating to thoughts about me that I’m too close to see? of men or gay porn. (Don’t worry, – Can Anyone Tell Me Anything Dan: I’m not going to ask if I’m gay. Now I promise.) First and most importantly, In general, I’ve led a privileged CATMAN, kinks aren’t things sex life. I’ve never been broken up you “take out” on other peowith and it’s rare for me to expeple. They’re things you share and rience any form of rejection. But enjoy with other people. Perhaps in early 2020, my libido vanished. I that “take out on” was a slip of the stopped masturbating and only ortongue or a little premature dirty gasmed once or twice a month when @FAKEDANSAVAGE talk; lots of people into D/s get off my now ex-girlfriend would insist on talking about their kinks – BB that we have sex. or TT or CBT – as if they’re things But then a couple of weeks ago I began a sadistic Dom gets off on doing to a helpless imagining being one half of a loving gay cou- sub. That’s the fantasy, CATMAN, but in reple that replaced all MM penetrative sex with ality, the Dom and sub discuss their desires MMF sex. My sex life with my male partner in advance, identify areas of overlap, and set would revolve around the limits. (Not just bottoms; two of us going out and tops have limits too.) Howfinding submissive women ever brutal things may look for kinky threesomes. Since to someone who wasn’t a then, I’ve been masturbatpart of those negotiations, ing to this fantasy daily and however degrading things I’m excited at the possibility might sound, kink play is of finding a new lifestyle consensual and mutually that brings me a lot of joy. pleasurable – and if it’s not However, I’ve grown conconsensual and mutualcerned that nothing else ly pleasurable, CATMAN, seems to turn me on at all. then it’s not kink play. It’s Equally as concerning, sexual assault. even minor adjustments to Again, maybe it was a this fantasy ruins the whole slip of the tongue and I’m thing. And to fulfill it I’d being a dick; you did menneed a man who’s at least tion a desire to find suball of the following: missive women, CATMAN, 1. Sensitive, giving, which most likely means easy-going, and an allyou were planning to seek around good guy. out women who wanna be 2. Very physically attrac“used and abused” by two tive. hot bi guys in love. And 3. Into cuddling and genyou’re in luck: there are eral affection, some makedefinitely women out there out sessions, and occasional who would be into this scehand jobs and blow jobs – but absolutely no nario – some readers probably went all WAP penetrative sex or anal play. reading your question – but you’re unlikely to 4. Into picking up submissive women for meet those women on a night out. Meaning, MMF threesomes. you shouldn’t be thinking about casually pick5. Into penetrative sex with said women. ing women up, CATMAN, but rather cultivat-
DAN SAVAGE
“The twin pandemics – the COVID-19 pandemic and the stupidity pandemic – have tanked a lot of people’s libidos.”
AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
SAVAGE LOVE
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ing connections online or at kink events with submissive women who would get into subbing for you and your imaginary boyfriend. Finding a guy who meets your long list of particulars is a taller order. It frankly doesn’t sound like you’re looking for a partner, i.e. someone whose needs you want to meet, but rather a guy you can plug into your masturbatory fantasies. He’s gotta be bi but not into butt stuff, a good guy, a hot guy, a sub where you’re concerned and a Dom where women o take outare concerned… and any deviation from nt role. that long list not only nyone likedisqualifies him from re a nameconsideration for your partner-in-crime, ing? Doeslife it similarmaking each and every tishes outitem on that long list a ibido anddeal breaker. something Relationships require e to see? compromise, CATMAN, Anythingno one gets everything they want, and a long portantly,list of deal breakers ’t thingsmakes for even longer her peo-odds. If you can’t budge share andon any of the items on . Perhapsyour list… well, then slip of theyou might wanna think ture dirtyabout getting yourself D/s get offa sex doll or two. You nks – BBalso might wanna give y’re thingssome thought not just a helplessto your long and rigid but in re-list of deal breakers, eir desiresbut to why that list is p, and setso long and rigid that bottoms;you’re unlikely – as you oo.) How-suspect – to ever find may looksomeone. wasn’t a Zooming out… gotiations, You say your libido ng thingstanked in early 2020, CATMAN, and studies nk play isshow you’re not alone. The twin pandemics mutually– the COVID-19 pandemic and the stupidity if it’s notpandemic – have tanked a lot of people’s libimutual-dos. So, if this fantasy is working for you right CATMAN,now, I think you should lean into it. It may be k play. It’sa tall order, it may be so unrealistic as to be unachievable, but indulging in this very speit was acific fantasy has cracked your libido open and e and I’mcontinuing to beat off about this fantasy might did men-blow your libido wide open. find sub- I don’t like to pathologize people’s kinks or CATMAN,attach meaning to what are usually arbitrary, ly meansrandom, and inexplicable sexual interests. But ng to seekthe taller the order, the less likely it can be wanna befilled, CATMAN, and it’s possible you may not d” by twowant it filled at all – at least subconsciously, at love. Andleast right now. Sometimes when sex is scary there arewe obsess about fantasies that are impossible out thereto realize or partners who’re impossible to o this sce-find because it allows us to avoid partnered t all WAPsex. I know at the height of the HIV/AIDS unlikely toepidemic I was obsessed with a guy I couldn’t Meaning,have because it got me off the hook. My list of ually pick-deal breakers at that time was ironically pretr cultivat-ty short: He had to be Tommy. If he wasn’t
Tommy, I wasn’t interested. Tommy was amazing – totally obsession-worthy – and I did love him. But I know now that I threw myself into my obsession with Tommy to protect myself from a terrifying epidemic. Maybe you’re doing something similar, CATMAN. But if I’m wrong – if this is what you want – there are cities out there with kink communities large enough for two partnered bi guys to find a steady stream of submissive women who wanna sub for them. But your list of deal breakers is going to have to shrink if you ever hope to find a guy who’s close to what you want. And that’s all any of us ever gets, CATMAN. Something close.
“It frankly doesn’t sound like you’re looking for a partner, i.e. someone whose needs you want to meet, but rather a guy you can plug into your masturbatory fantasies.”
Q: I’m a 39-year-old gay man living in Chicago. Recently a good friend of mine got engaged to a wonderful man from Gambia in West Africa. She’s planning a ceremony there next summer and has invited me to attend. After doing a little research, I found out that being LGBT is a crime in that country and the punishment is execution. Should I go to the wedding and stay in the closet the whole time? In general, what do you think about gays traveling to countries that murder our LGBT brothers and sisters? – Intensely Nervous Venturing Into This Event I wouldn’t go, INVITE, and if I were a straight girl, I wouldn’t expect my gay friends to risk their lives to attend my wedding. While a quick search didn’t bring up news about any gay westerners being executed in Gambia in recent history, gay tourists have been arrested, imprisoned, and fined. So instead of attending your friend’s wedding next summer – which may not even happen, due to the pandemic – make a donation in her name to Initiative Sankofa D’Afrique de l’Ouest (www.ISDAO.org), an organization working to improve the lives and legal position of LGBT people in Gambia and other West African nations. On this week’s Savage Lovecast, learn all about cuckolding. www.savagelovecast.com.
THERE’S ALWAYS MORE OF SAVAGE TO LOVE! Read: PhillyWeekly.com Have a question?: mail@savagelove.net
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THE
BIG
PICTURE
Quite the clusterfuck
As the city decides what to do regarding the encampment along Benjamin Franklin Parkway, here’s hoping it doesn’t arrive with a police presence. At the time of this report, city officials and activists were deciding the next steps – peacefully. Have an image you’d like to share? Send it our way via mail@philadelphiaweekly.com or tag us on social media using #PWBigPic.
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Full or Part Time. Immediate Interview and hire for qualifing applicants. Apply at: The Dining Car 8826 Frankford Ave. Phila., PA 19136 SECRETARY/ LEASING AGENT - F/T Located in Montgomery Co. Pleasant person with good phone skills, to show apts., process applications, minimal secretarial work. Email resume to: nsgprop@gmail.com or Call 732-886-6830 FLAGGERS ($12.50/hr) Traffic Plan seeks Flaggers to set up and direct traffic around construction sites. A valid PA driver license and clean driving record a must, good pay and benefits. If interested please fill out an application at 510 Hertzog Blvd, King of Prussia, PA on MondayĘźs 9am - 12pm or online at trafficplan.com.
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T-Mobile proposes to modify an existing facility (new tip heights 49.4’) on the building at 2439 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA (20190676). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that an application will be made to the Department of State of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, at Harrisburg, Pa., on or after July 31, 2020 for the purpose of obtaining a charter of a proposed nonprofit corporation to be organized under the 1988 Nonprofit Corporation Law of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, effective October 1, 1989, as amended. The name of the corporation is The Way Club. The purpose for which it is to be organized are: religious, charitable and educational.
Frankford & York FA#12575019 AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to collocate antennas on a 103-ft building at 165-173 West Berks Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, PA. Public comments regarding the potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of this publication to: Maggie Klejbuk – CBRE, 201 Tresser Boulevard, Suite 201, Stamford, CT 06901, whiteplainsculturalresources@cbre. com or (914) 267-6637.
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The Court of Common Pleas for the County of Philadelphia on March Term, 2020, No. 1226. Notice is hereby given that on March 22, 2020 the petition of Larry Delmar Yellock II was filed for a decree to change his name to Delmar Yellock. The court has fixed September 11, 2020 at 10 AM in room 691 City Hall, Philadelphia, PA. for a hearing. All persons interested may appear and show cause why the petition should not be granted.
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25
NOTICE OF DEFAULT AND FORECLOSURE SALE
WHEREAS, on December 07, 2009, a certain mortgage was executed by Josephine Freeman, as mortgagor in favor of Bank of America, N.A., a National Banking Association as mortgagee and was recorded in Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County in Mortgage Instrument number 52157814 (“Mortgage�); and WHEREAS, the Mortgage encumbers property located at 128 Fitzwater Street Philadelphia, PA 19147, parcel number 022002900 (“Property�); andWHEREAS, the Property is owned by Josephine Freeman by virtue of deed dated July 31, 1987 and recorded August 13, 1987 in Book: 854; Page: 450; andWHEREAS, the Mortgage is now owned by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ("Secretary"), pursuant to an assignment recorded on January 12, 2015 in Instrument Number 52870113, in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania; andWHEREAS, a default has been made in the covenants and conditions of the Mortgage (paragraph9 (b)(ii)), as the Property is not the principal residence of at least one Borrower and the entire principal balance becomes due and owing, and that no payment was made, and remains wholly unpaid as of the date of this Notice; andWHEREAS, the entire amount delinquent as of July 24, 2020 is $593,615.38 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default, the Secretary has declared the entire amount of the indebtedness secured by the Mortgage to be immediately due and payable;NOW THEREFORE, pursuant to powers vested in me by the Single Family Mortgage Foreclosure Act of 1994, l2 U.S.C. 3751 etseq., by 24 CFR Part 29, and by the Secretary's designation of me as Foreclosure Commissioner, recorded on in Misc. , in the Office of the Recorder of Deeds of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, notice is hereby given that at September 15, 2020 at 10:00 AM at the Southeast Entrance of Philadelphia City Hall located at Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107all real property and personal property at or used in connection with the following described premises will besold at public action to the highest bidder: All That Certain lot or piece of ground with the messuage or tenement thereon erected.Situate described according to a Survey thereof made October 24, 1883 by Thomas Daly, Surveyor and Regulator of the First District as follows, to wit:Situate on the South side of Fitzwater Street at the distance of 138 feet 8 inches Eastward from the East side of 2nd Street in the 2nd (formerly part of the 3rd) Ward of the City of Philadelphia.Containing in front or breadth on the said Fitzwater Street 15 feet, 8 inches and extending of that width in length or depth Southwart 57 feet to a certain 3 feet wide alley leading Westward into an 8 feet wide alley which leads Northward into said Fitzwater Street.Bounded Northward by said Fitzwater Street, Southward by said 3 feet wide alley Eastward and Westward by ground now or late of the said Robert D. Pinkerton.Being known as 128 Fitzwater Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147Being Parcel Number: 022002900.The sale will be held on September 15, 2020 at 10:00 AM at the Southeast Entrance of Philadelphia City Hall located at Broad Street and Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107. The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development will bid $593,615.38 plus interest, costs and other charges through the sale date. Ten percent (10%) of the highest bid is the deposit required at the sale.The amount that must be paid to HUD by the mortgagors or someone acting on their behalf so that the sale may be stayed is the total delinquent amount of $593,615.38 as of January 3, 2020, plus all other amounts that would be due under the mortgage agreement if payments under the mortgage had not been accelerated, advertising costs and postage expenses incurred in giving notice, mileage by the most reasonable road distance for posting notices and for the Foreclosure Commissioner's attendance at the sale, reasonable and customary costs incurred for title and lien record searches, the necessary out-of-pocket costs incurred by the Foreclosure Commissioner for recording documents, a commission for the Foreclosure Commissioner, and all other costs incurred in connection with the foreclosure prior to reinstatement.There will be no proration of taxes, rents or other income or liabilities, except that the purchaser will pay, at or before closing, his prorata share of any real estate taxes that have been paid by the Secretary to the date of the foreclosure sale.When making their bid, all bidders, except the Secretary, must submit a deposit totaling ten percent 10% of the Secretary's bid as set forth above in the form of a certified check or cashier's check made out to the Secretary of HUD. Each oral bid need not be accompanied by a deposit. If the successful bid is oral, a deposit of ten (10%) percent must be presented before the bidding is closed. The deposit is nonrefundable. The remainder of the purchase price must be delivered within thirty (30) days of the sale or at such other time as the Secretary may determine for good cause shown, time being of the essence. This amount, like the bid deposits, must be delivered in the form of a certified or cashier's check. If the Secretary is the high bidder, he need not pay the bid amount in cash. The successful bidder will pay all conveyance fees, all real estate and other taxes that are due on or after the delivery of the remainder of thepayment and all other costs associated with the transfer of title. At the conclusion of the sale, the depositsof the unsuccessful bidders will be returned to them.The Secretary may grant an extension of time within which to deliver the remainder of the payment. All extensions will be for fifteen (15) days, and a fee will be charged in the amount of $150.00 for each fifteen (15) day extension requested. The extension fee shall be paid in the form of a certified or cashier's check made payable to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. If the high bidder closes the sale prior to the expiration of any extension period, the unused portion of the extension fee shall be applied toward the amount due.If the high bidder is unable to close the sale within the required period, or within any extensions of time granted by the Secretary, the high bidder's deposit will be forfeited, and the Commissioner may, atthe direction of the HUD Field Office Representative, offer the Property to the second highest bidder for an amount equal to the highest price offered by that bidder.There is no right of redemption, or right of possession based upon a right of redemption, in the mortgagor or others subsequent to a foreclosure completed pursuant to the Act. Therefore, the Foreclosure Commissioner will issue a Deed to the purchaser(s) upon receipt of the entire purchase price in accordance with the terms of the sale as provided herein.KML LAW GROUP, P.C.(215-825-6305)
Public Notice AT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to construct an approximate 51-foot overall height pole within a public right-of-way. The proposed pole would support a telecommunications antenna and associated equipment. The proposed pole will be located at 101 West Berks Street, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania 19122 (N39° 58' 43.5" and W75° 8' 1.5"). AT&T Mobility, LLC invites comments from any interested party on the impact the proposed undertaking may have on any districts, sites, buildings, structures, or objects significant in American history, archaeology, engineering, or culture that are listed or determined to be eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under National Historic Preservation Action Section 106. Comments pertaining specifically to historic resources may be sent to Impact7g, Inc., Attention Ms. Casey Radke at 9550 Hickman Road, Suite 105, Clive, IA 50325 or call 515-473-6256. Comments must be received within 30 days of the date of this notice. NE 747/CR
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REAL ESTATE
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“QUARANTINE IS KILLING ME! I CAN’T STAND THE INSIDE OF THIS APARTMENT ANYMORE!” -Literally Every Young Person in Philly Philadelphians have been trapped in their house for months. Work from home, eat at home, live at home. They’re craving a change of scenery. Don’t wait for them to start searching online. Give PW readers a reason to move today. Contact sales@philadelphiaweekly.com today to get your property listed. All real estate ads come with a FREE Real Estate Reggie listing each week! AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY
REAL ESTATE
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REAL ESTATE
REGGIE Be a part of it all
$2,100 / 1br - 630ft2 - 1 BR 1 BA LUXURY APT CENTER CITYFITNESS CENTER, ROOF TOP, CLUB ROOM. 1338 Chestnut St. near Broad Street. Be a part of it all at Griffin – masterfully renovated apartments located along the Avenue of the Arts in the heart of Center City. With all-new finishes and features, complemented by a smart collection of amenities, Griffin is your canvas for artful Philadelphia living. Features: Designer backsplashes. Stainless steel appliances. Modern kitchens. Quartz countertops. Washers and dryers. Keyless entry. Freestanding kitchen islands. Wood cabinets. Engineered hardwood flooring. Spectacular city views. Carpeted bedrooms. Luxurious bathrooms with quartz countertops and glass showers. Mecho-style blinds. Community Amenities: State-of-the-art fitness center open 24/7. 24-hour front desk. Historic character. Walking distance to dozens of Center City shops, restaurants, and cultural institutions. Billiards. Panoramic views. Onsite bike storage. Valet laundry. 24-hour maintenance. Indoor-outdoor rooftop clubroom. Outdoor kitchen. Onsite management team. Golf simulator. Private conference space. Shuffleboard. Catering facility. Fire pit. Concierge service. Prominent Avenue of the Arts address. Resident business lounge. (833) 695-9442.
The Chancellor
$1,385 / 1br - One Bedroom Apartments Available In Center City! 206 S. 13TH STREET near Chancellor Street. One Bedroom Apartments available for rent! Apartments feature upgraded kitchens and baths. Studios range $905 to $1,080 based on availability. One Bedrooms range $1,385 - $1,460 based on availability. Apartments feature large windows and 9 ft. ceilings. Ask about our No Security Deposit Program! Cats are welcome (add’l fee). All apartments are rented unfurnished. Chancellor Apartments is a convenient high rise apartment community in an amazing location in Center City. We are close to most major schools and universities, public transportation, historical attractions, shopping, restaurants and theaters. Center City at its best! Rent includes: heat, hot/ cold water, 24-hour front desk attendant, free bike storage room, package acceptance service, 24-hour emergency maintenance service, on-site smart card laundry plus card access system and BuildingLink resident services portal access for all residents. The Chancellor boasts several different studio and one bedroom floor plans. Apartments feature high ceilings, large bright windows, ceiling fans in most units, hardwood floors and breathtaking views of the Philadelphia skyline and Delaware River. Many apartments have large walkin closets, too! We have partnered with Optimal Sport Health Club to offer a generous discounted gym membership (we pay your initiation fee). There are several off street parking lots and garages in the area, too! 215-735-8404.
High ceilings
$1,475 / 1br - 1 Month Free - $1000 Move In Credit - High Ceilings - CENTER CITY (Rittenhouse Square). FEATURES: Fully-equipped modern kitchens with breakfast bar. Washer and dryer in select units and on each floor. Hardwood floors. High ceilings and expansive windows with natural lighting. Cable-ready. High-speed Internet. High-efficiency, individually controlled A/C and heat. AMENITIES: Resident sky box with state-of-the-art fitness center and resident lounge. North and south roof decks offering breathtaking city views. PMC Lifestyle™ Program. 24/7 front-desk attendant. Elevator. On-site Trader Joe’s. Secured entry and controlled building access. Pet friendly. SERVICES: 24-hour front desk attendant. 24-hour emergency maintenance. Package-acceptance service. Online resident portal featuring rent payments and work order entry for your convenience. (267) 634-8065.
Want to list your apartment with Real Estate Reggie? For only $75, you get 100 words to describe your place. For only $125, you get 100 words, plus a photo. Need something more or different? Reggie can make it happen. happen Deadline is every Monday at 10 am for Thursday’s issue. Email him at REReggie@philadelphiaweekly.com for details.
The perfect choice
$1,850 / 1br - 642ft2 - LOVELY CENTER CITY APARTMENT. FOR A LIMITED TIME: $1000 Move-In Credit. Receive waived application, and reduced deposit of $500 on approved applications! We offer one-year leases only. 1900 Arch. Center City Philadelphia offers the region’s best shopping, restaurants, and cultural experiences. Home to the Rittenhouse Square, Logan Square, and City Hall districts, Center City is the perfect choice for those looking to work or attend school in the city. Location, lifestyle, and luxury! This 14-story rental community features more than 300 1- and 2-bedroom luxury apartments in Center City’s Logan Square neighborhood. Located just steps away from the new Comcast Center, 1900 Arch offers a resident roof deck, a public courtyard, a state-of-the-art fitness center, resident lounge, and an underground parking garage. Features: Hardwood floors throughout. Modern, fully-equipped kitchens with granite countertops, GE stainless steel appliances, glass tile backsplash, Grohe gooseneck faucets, under-mounted sinks, and breakfast bar. Full-size Bosch washer and dryer in each apartment. High-efficiency, individually controlled A/C and heat. High ceilings and expansive double pane windows with natural lighting. Custom window shades. Cable-ready. High-speed Internet. Amenities: State-of-the-art fitness center with flat screen TVs. Entertainment lounge featuring Wi-Fi, leather club chairs, billiards, shuffleboard, and gas fireplace. Fully furnished resident sky deck. Resident courtyard with fire pits. Dog-walking and pet-sitting services available. Resident bike storage. Bike-share program. Green roofs. Elevator. Pet friendly. Dog Park. Neighborhood: Local attractions include Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Franklin Institute, Walnut Street Shopping, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and Schuylkill River Park. Situated closely to the Comcast Center, One Liberty Place, Two Liberty Place, and Logan Square. Local universities include Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson University. Rittenhouse Square Park Farmer’s Market, Parc, Rouge, Dandelion, Garces Trading Company, El Vez, and Sampan offer exceptional dining within a few blocks. Easy access to Market East SEPTA station and SEPTA bus routes, and routes I-95 and 76. (215) 850-0055.
Spacious one-bedroom
$2,205 / 1br - 835ft2 - Spacious 1 BED 1 BATH in the heart of Center City (2 Free Months). 117 N. 15th Street near Arch Street. Contact us today to schedule a personalized tour of this . Apply within 48 hours of a tour and you will be eligible for 2 months free. Dishwasher. Garbage Disposal. Microwave. In-Unit Washer/Dryer. Pet Friendly (Restrictions Apply). MetroFit Gym & Indoor Basketball Court. Elegant Community Center. Caterers Kitchen. Conference Room. On Site Maintenance. 24/7 Lobby Attendant. Easy Access to All Modes of Transportation. Metropolitan-living.com.
Gated parking
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$1,975 / 2br - 1000ft2 - Center City WashWest 2 Bedroom Condo Including Gated Parking 1225 C South Street near 12th Street. 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo. Rent includes assigned gated parking space. Private outdoor deck off living room. Wood floors and wall to wall carpeting throughout. Master bedroom has a large walk-in closet. Washer/dryer, granite countertops, glass top stove, microwave, dishwasher, central air conditioning. Access to a large condo courtyard. Pets OK. Walk to 2 supermarkets, drug store, subway. Available September 1st. $1975 plus utilities (water/sewer included in rent). Please call 215-704-2946 for more information and appointment.
Rittenhouse
$1,400 / 1br - Center City/Avenue of The Arts/ (Avenue Of The Art’s/Rittenhouse Sq/Brownstone Mansion). One (1) Bedroom- 1 Bathroom Brownstone Mansion. $1400 Per Month Plus Electric and Gas – Gas Heat, Central Air, Intercom System on each floor. Pet Free and Smoke Free Building. Your New Home Features: Hardwood floors thoughout Entire Apartment. Washer and Dryer In Unit. Kitchen with Stainless Steel Appliances- Self Cleaning Oven- Microwave. Spacious 1 Bedroom with Large Closet space and Tons of Natural Sunlight. Walk-in Closets. Full Ceramic Tile bathroom. Privacy provided by the Video-Phone-Intercom from both floors to the building entrance! 1522 Pine Street – Your New Home! – Simply Must Be Seen – Terms are Flexible – A One Year Multi Year Lease is Available. Enjoy the inviting Center City and Rittenhouse Square Area. Live in this restored- newly renovated 1860’s Victorian Brownstone Mansion near Rittenhouse Square, Avenue of The Arts, Center City and the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts. Walk to all Center City Offices & City Hall. Subway and Buses within one Block! Paid Parking available at your Front Door. 215-386-4200.
University City
$1,700 / 2br - NEWLY RENOVATED 2BR 1BA APT MINUTES TO DREXEL, PENN & CENTER CITY! (UNIVERSITY CITY). 437 N. 40TH STREET. PROPERTY DETAILS: 2BR / 1BATH unit in intimate brand new 19-unit building. Ideal social distancing living near campus and hospitals - private units, brand new. Brand new! Walk to HUP, PENN, DREXEL. PRE-LEASING NOW! AMENITIES: Co-working and Study Lounge. Free WiFi (Basic WIFI provided and upgrades available for private service.) Yoga and Relaxation Rooftop. Just you! Private and clean unit. Bike Parking. 15 minute walk to UPENN and Drexel. 1/2 the price of the tall glass towers nearby! Brand new loft apartments. Exposed ducts, central air, granite counters, breakfast bars, and stainless steel appliances. Private washer/dryer in every unit. Elevator building. Enjoy the roofdeck, study lounge, and weight room. Actual bathtubs for relaxation and real functioning windows throughout for fresh air and sun. Pets okay (non-aggressive, trained, and super quiet). Professionally managed. 40spring.com.
Heart of Center City
$950 / 1br - Rittenhouse Square Courtyard One Bedroom, Center City (20th and Walnut). Heart of Center City Philadelphia – Just One block from Rittenhouse Square, Full Kitchen and Bathroom, Laundry Facilities on Premises, Within the UP & Drexel Shuttle District, Walking distance to UP & Drexel & Hahnemann Hospital, Cable & Internet-ready, Maintenance included, One cat allowed, Packages accepted at RE office for your convenience, Robin Apartments management graded A+ by University of Pennsylvania student survey eight years in a row, Leasing October 1st or before, Apartments can be viewed M-F, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, For additional information and viewing please call 215-567-3325.
Two for rent
$750 / 1br - 2 Center City Apartments for Rent. 19th Street near South Street. 1940 South Street, 2nd Floor Front (bed, bath, living room, kitchen). 1940 South Street, 2nd Floor Rear (bed, bath, living room, kitchen, patio). Two medium sized apartments for rent at 1940 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146. Center City area, many stores and businesses around. Restaurants, banks, grocery stores, bars, etc within walking distance. Senior Owner, quiet residence. Smoking allowed, pets allowed as well depending on size. Rent is $750/month. Call or text for details. (267) 671-0970.
The Point at City Line
$1,850 / 2br - 985ft2 - Lease Today, Pets OK, Near Center City. 6100 City Ave. The Point at City Line is located on City Avenue. Lease today! This two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment features a private balcony and a washer and dryer! 855-4596293. Thepointatcityline.com.
Utilities included
$1,750 / 1br - 588ft2 - Splendid 1BD Condo in Center City w. ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED. 1324 Locust St 1603. Available NOW | $250 move-in fee is waived & only first-month rent & security deposit due upfront. Rent this condo and receive ALL UTILITIES INCLUDED with your rent (electricity, water, heat, Comcast Cable TV channels 1-100 + Free HBO). The only thing extra you would need to pay is Internet for your unit if you want it, but there is free wi-fi in the lobby of the building. Unit #1603 is on the highest floor of the building, so it has stunning southern city views. This one bedroom condo has a very large open floor plan living room, with enough space to have a dining area as well. The kitchen has an electric stove/oven, and full sized refrigerator. There are two coat closets in the living area for additional storage needs. The Arts Condominium is a doorman building with 24/7 front desk concierge, large common laundry facilities, a state of the art fitness center, business center, and free wi-fi Internet in the lobby of the building with computer/printer terminals for common usage. Two AC units come with the unit. An ideal Center City location, The Arts Condo building is right in the heart of Midtown surrounded by the city’s best restaurants, cafes, theaters, galleries and other entertainment. Many grocery options. Walkable to almost everything. The Broad Street subway line is a half block away; City Hall just two blocks away, and a PATCO train stop right across the street. Jg-realestate.com.
Adelphia House
$1,600 / 1br - Luxurious One Bedroom in Center City High Rise – On Site Gym! (Apt. 1512). 1229 Chestnut St near 13th St. Designed by prominent American architect Horace Trumbauer, the Adelphia House is a renovated Philadelphia landmark offering a grand two-story lobby with detailed tile floors and beautiful plaster work. Known for its popular restaurants and nightlife spots, Midtown Philadelphia is a fun and exciting place to live. Just steps away from some of Philadelphia’s best culinary experiences, you will revel in the hustle and bustle of Center City life! FEATURES: 24-hr front desk attendant. Controlled access. AMENITIES: PMC Lifestyle™ Program. Elevator. On-site laundry. On-site maintenance. Fully-equipped fitness center. Cat friendly. NEIGHBORHOOD: Local attractions include Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Franklin Institute, Walnut Street shopping, and the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Local universities include Drexel University, University of Pennsylvania, and Thomas Jefferson University. Rittenhouse Square Park Farmer’s Market, Parc, Rouge, Dandelion, Garces Trading Company, El Vez, and Sampan offer exceptional dining within a few blocks. Easy access to Market East SEPTA station and SEPTA bus routes, routes I-95 and 76. (215) 568-5800.
Large kitchen
$1,100 / 2br - Two Bedrooms available for rent near Center City (1210 N Carlisle St). Two bedroom two bathroom apartment available for rent near Temple University. 15 minutes to Center City and 15 minutes transportation to Center City. Two bedroom, two bathroom and a large kitchen space. Lots of cabinets and drawers. $60 credit check. First month, last month, and one month security deposit to move in. $1100/month. Diana: (201)-889-0583
Fully furnished
$1,050 / 1br - Fully Furnished Extra Large Studio in Luxury Arts Condo Center City (Arts Condo 13th & Locust) PRICE REDUCED! Available September 1! MOVE-IN READY! Fully Furnished STUDIO in Luxury Arts Condominium Building located at 13th and Locust. One price gets everything, ready to go, fully furnished, just bring your clothes. Largest studio in the building. Incredible downtown location, close to theaters, restaurants, shops, universities, and hospitals within steps of your doorstep. Utilities Included (Heat, A/C, Water, Electric). Willing to negotiate with good tenant and longer lease terms. Incredible deal at this price. Pets must be under 40 lbs and have additional pet fees. BUILDING & COMMUNITY FEATURES: Beautiful art-deco style high-rise. Magnificent Grand Lobby with high-speed internet access terminals. Controlled Access. Onsite Laundry Facility. 24-hour Lobby Attendant. Professionally-Designed Fitness Center. Call Maggie for info at (215) 847-1900.
Tons of natural light
$1,915 / 1br - 717ft2 - Recently Updated 1BDRM in Center City. 1420 Locust Street 22R. This corner apartment gets tons of natural light and has sprawling city views! Included in the rent: cable, electric, water, sewage, doorman, fitness facility, pool, and some maintenance on the unit (24 hour). In-unit washer and dryer! The kitchen has lots of cabinet and counter space as well as an additional pantry. Kitchen has been recently updated with new stainless steel appliances! Continue through to a large open dining/living room with hardwood floors throughout. Sliding glass doors off the living room leading out to a small balcony. The spacious separate bedroom features two closets — one of which is a huge walk in! The full bathroom is across the hall from the bedroom. The Academy House features a great front desk which provides services to residents like receiving packages, access for approved visitors, and carts for bringing groceries and other items into the building. There is also a mail room, a fitness center and pool onsite. There’s a trash chute in the hallway for convenience. Parking is not included with the unit, but there is a lot which offers monthly parking directly under the building and many other garages nearby. This lovely condo is located on the 22nd floor of the Academy house, in the heart of Center City. It’s ideally located walking distance to both the Broad St. line and the Market Frankford el. Enjoy quick public transit to anywhere in the city, as well as regional rails to the suburbs. It’s close to city hall, the theater district, and numerous restaurants, cafes and shops. It’s really at the center of it all! The Avenue of the Arts is one of Philadelphia’s most popular streets, offering the best of the city’s entertainment, dining, galleries and theaters. Catch a show at the Kimmel Center or Merriam Theater, and check out some amazing local gems like Rival Bro’s Coffee Bar, Volvér, Monks Café, Bob and Barbara’s Lounge, and MUCH more in this iconic area. Jg-realestate.com.
Style and sophistication
$2,062 / 1br - 690ft2 - View Franklin Square & Center City Like Never Before! 401 Race Street. The View at Old City unveils an exceptional portrait of living. A unique fusion of style and sophistication, our apartment residences reflect your contemporary flair. Enjoy the life you deserve. When you live at The View at Old City, your address says it all. Paw Park. Zen Garden. Refrigerated package retrieval. Open and Spacious Floorplans. Designated Bicycle Storage. Reserved, On-Site Parking. Pet-Friendly Community. Cyber Café. Private Entries. Outdoor Grill Station with Fire Pit. 24-Hour Package Acceptance & Retrieval. In-Home Washer & Dryer. Call: (833) 258-4342.
PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | AUGUST 27 - SEPTEMBER 3, 2020
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