PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

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FREE | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

Stories from the

Struggle Philadelphians were using savvy ways to stay afloat long before COVID-19 was our reality

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FROM THE EDITOR

Unspoken rule T his week, city councilmembers crafted a letter regarding the trickle down of anti-Asian sentiment from political leaders and its infestation into the collective psyche of residents over the coronavirus.

I personally think councilmembers have more pressing things to be concerned about, and while I applaud the time taken to remind people that the origination of a disease doesn’t mean condemnation on an entire race, it’s sad that this is the state of affairs when it comes to COVID-19.

We are all in this together. Long before this started, this week’s cover story proves just how many Philadelphians deal with living life dayto-day, irrespective of color, race, or sexual orientation. I thought this week it made sense to post the letter in its entirety as it speaks to the way we should think about this situation and not the way some choose to pose it.

respondent Weijia Jiang reported that a White House official had ‘referred to Coronavirus as the ‘Kung-Flu’ to my face.’

“The World Health Organization immediately rebuked these statements and made it clear that not only is such language inaccurate, it is directly linked to racial profiling and xenophobic behavior. Asian American communities, civil rights groups and anti-hate organizations have also denounced such language.

“Of even greater concern, cities around the country have reported increasing hate crime incidents against Asian Americans.

Since March 18, 2020, the online reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate has received over 1,100 reports of incidents of racial harassment and discrimination directed at Asian individuals and businesses. Here in Philadelphia, Asian American and Chinese American communities, in particular, have filed complaints and voiced concerns about increasing harassment, threats and assaults rooted in anti-Asian racism.

“On March 26, 2020, Asian Amer“Anti-Asian xenophobia has conican and immigrant communities tinuously emerged over the course across Philadelphia held a virtual of United States history. From the town hall with hundreds of partic1882 Chinese Exclusion Act — the @SPRTSWTR ipants who bravely shared stories first immigration law to restrict an of alienation, discrimination, and entire ethnic group — to the World harassment faced in the wake of the COVID-19 War II internment of Japanese-Americans, racist rhetoric and overtly discriminatory crisis. We stand with them in denouncing this language and in support of our Asian Ameripublic health and immigration policies, rooted can communities. in racial anxieties and animosity, have con“Asian Americans account for eight persistently been weaponized against people of cent of Philadelphia’s population. The vibranAsian descent particularly in times of crisis. cy of Philadelphia’s Asian community cannot “This time is no different. be overstated. Asian businesses and enterpris“For weeks, political figures, media institutions and influential members on social media es are an economic engine for our City. Youth advocacy groups such as Asian Americans have purposefully vilified China and, by extension, people of Asian descent in assigning United and Vietlead have built a new generblame for COVID-19 — an association that has ation of social activists that push the City of Philadelphia to be more equitable. Arts orgarevealed anti-Asian resentment and resulted nizations such as Asian Arts Initiative have in an uptick in racial hatred. President Trump and his administration have racialized the harnessed the power of art to push the City of COVID-19 pandemic in order to deflect from Philadelphia to think creatively about diversihis handling of a crisis he once deemed a ty and culture. In short, our Asian American community has profoundly contributed to the ‘hoax.’ prosperity of this City.

“On March 7, 2020, Secretary of State Mike “Rising to this moment, businesses and a Pompeo used the term ‘Chinese coronavirus’ host of donors from the Chinese American in a televised interview, triggering multiple community of Philadelphia have raised hunmembers of Congress to begin using the term.

On March 16, 2020, when the United States dreds of thousands of dollars in Personal Protective Equipment and charitable conwas recording tens of thousands of cases of tributions for first responders and essential rapidly-spreading infection, President Trump workers in the wake of this crisis.” used the term ‘Chinese virus’ at a political ralEditors note: This letter was edited for brevity. ly. The next day, CBS News White House cor-

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PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

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STATE OF OUR CITY

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STATE

52 The amount of money thousands of area small businesses deemed non-essential are vying for as of Monday to remain sustainable during the close of coronavirus. Businesses are applying for loans to not only keep running, but also the payroll protection program that would keep employees paid as we all wait out this COVID-19 storm.

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That’s the number of Philadelphia police officers as of Tuesday who have tested positive for the coronavirus.

Tuesday was also the same day the force announced the passing of an officer who died from complications of the virus. Stay safe, Philadelphia.

OF OUR

CITY

Should the Phillies show some good Phaith?

We read an Inquirer report Tuesday that got us thinking. Aramark, which furloughed or laid off many of its employees who work at Citizens Bank Park as subcontractors, isn’t paying hundreds of people who rely on this seasonal work. Some feel that the Phillies, who benefit from the work of the beer guy, or hot dog lady, should kick in some funding as a show of appreciation as a few other MLB clubs have done for subcontractors. With this being the City of Brotherly Love and all, do you think the Phillies should do the same? Tell us what you think via voices@philadelphiaweekly.com.

$350 billion Dan McDonough, Jr. Chairman & Publisher Kerith Gabriel Editor in Chief

John Montesano Alan Bauer Art Director Managing Editor Contributors: A.D. Amorosi, Tom Beck, Jared Brey, Michael Greger, Jamie Giambrone, Courtenay Harris Bond, Brian Hickey, Jon Hurdle, Resolve Philadelphia, Dan Savage, Timaree Schmit, Stephen Silver, Steve Teare. Interns: Cheyenne Fowler, Alex Nagy

To contact the news department: mail@philadelphiaweekly.com.

Ed Lynes Chief Revenue Officer Stephanie Hawkins Controller

Michael Chambers Director of Circulation

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Two Chainz 1,

STATE OF OUR CITY

Meek Mill 0

Well, sort of. To pass the time of stay-at-home orders, rappers have been calling each other out on Twitter to see which hometown has the most bangers, so to speak. On Instagram Live last week, trap rapper 2 Chainz called out Philly’s own Meek Mill to go head-to-head on who has the hits. However, Meek passed on a head-to-head saying on his Instagram: "I just wanna watchhhh lol...Respectfully bowing out to my brother." In the aftermath, fans of 2 Chainz are saying that Meek didn’t want the smoke from Chainz possibly winning the battle. We’re just going to chop it up and say that Meek had more adult things to do.

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Old rules, no tricks It appears that many banks, however, aren’t finding every business worthy of a payday. According to an Inquirer report, establishments like medical marijuana dispensaries and gentlemen’s clubs are being denied for loans that would offer payroll protection for employees. In the case of exotic nightclubs, many of the dancers work as independent contractors and aren’t technically employees of the establishments.

However, as one owner noted in the report, his “bartenders, waitresses, waiters, barbacks, line cooks, busboys, managers [and] assistant managers” are, and they’re the ones losing out on this archaic ideology.

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“They say there’s a shortage of masks for doctors and nurses out here, but I see n----s out here with masks for days. If you can’t buy them and there aren’t any available, where all these people get these jawns from? Who do they know? I’m trying to come up on a couple myself.”

— A perplexed teen with a fair question over the weekend as he left the Target in Northern Liberties. To his point, there are an unusually large number of people you wouldn’t expect to have access to sophisticated hospital masks walking around with them on while we continue to use our coat sleeves as protection...from ourselves.

Dr. Jon Fisher

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Stories from the struggle I A quarter of the city lives below the poverty line. But these aren’t their stories

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

Begging for my own money back

t started with one story that was able to blossom into several.

Our first idea for a Struggles series came in 2018, when a former Every month, without fail, I’m on the colleague of a Philadelphia Weekly phone with my bank begging for my own journalist told the story of how he money back. But to understand how I get to survived week to week on the money this point, perhaps I should tell you how I get he overdrafted from his own bank account into this predicament each month. I work rejust to stay afloat until his next payday. He, tail for a local company downtown. I’m emlike many Philadelphians, has a steady job barrassed to say this but I only make $11.50 where he made a living wage, was able to afan hour, and that’s before taxes. I live alone ford a place to live and buy groceries, but has, with my son, who just turned 7 in February. as he put it, “not much past that.”

My son is autistic and needs to be regularly His story is no longer shocking but instead seen by doctors and is on a medicine regimen sad that this is the reality for many living that each month, even with my healthcare in the poorest big city in America. In a city, from my job, can cost hundreds in copays. where roughly 26 percent of the population Needless to say, I overdraft a lot, but I’m live below the poverty line, according to data fortunate to have overdraft protection, which from a 2019 fact sheet from the Pew is hilarious to say fortunate because Charitable Trusts, there’s not much BY KERITH it’s anything but. My bank will cover separating the larger majority hover- GABRIEL me in overdrafts up to $200, at $35 per ing beyond that bracket than a job that orverdraft. So many times I’ll go to the could cancel them at any moment. bank and just withdraw the $200 and live on But the defining correlation within this the cash just so I don’t have to incur multiple compilation of stories is the immense resiloverdraft fees as I use that $200. iency of city residents to work the system, Sometimes, I’m calling the bank asking for even to the benefit of themselves and their them to waive the overdraft fees so it doesn’t families. We applaud the folks who have takhit my next paycheck. I feel like it really deen the brave step of sharing their story, with pends who I get on the phone to be honest, the goal of letting the rest of Philly know that as some people will look at my account and they aren’t the only ones living in the day-tosee that I really can use the money and offer day struggle. up the overdraft fees, while some [represenWe’d like for this to grow. If you have tatives] just say there is nothing they can do a unique way of providing under difficult about it, which I know is bullshit. circumstances, please share them with us.

New month and the cycle continues. I just Share your story with us via mail@philafeel like I’m stuck in a rut. I don’t have a coldelphiaweekly.com and we’ll follow up. The lege degree, I have my [high school] diplomore of these we hope to share, the more we ma but I’ve only ever worked in [customer] hope to impress upon the powers that can service jobs so I don’t know how to really do create change that they can’t help but lisanything else. I’m almost 34 years old and the ten, and act, to help Philadelphians embarrassment of still being an associate at live a life without stress. a store where your co-workers are almost 10 Read more Struggles stoyears younger than you is something that is ries on our website, philreally sad. adelphiaweekly.com or via Brokein– Tanisha S. | West Philadelphia Philly.com.

Editor’s note: In a follow-up with Tanisha, she tells Philadelphia Weekly, she was given a furlough from her job after her store was deemed non-essential. She’s currently looking for other opportunities.

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Change is good, sometimes

Cursed by credit

My money comes in ebbs and flows. I’m a seasonal worker and my spring and summer months are better than fall and winter. I have to survive on what I get during those months.

I don’t spend much on myself, and I live alone, but there have been those occasions where I’m running really low. That’s when I resort to my change jar. Well, it’s less a jar and more of a change jug.

I’m not set up for the future. I have no retirement plan, no savings, and like I said, I’ve survived for five of the last 39 years on this planet working a position that depends on nice days and warm temperatures. So the winter months, especially after the holidays, usually take their toll, I find myself in dire straits. I’ve taken my jug to the bank to exchange for cash and I just feel like they look at me like I’m a loser. I don’t know, maybe it’s all in my head.

My wife was the primary breadwinner in our home and she never let me forget it. When we finally split in 2010, she said that, “I’ll always be this way and that’s not someone she sees herself with.” Here I thought marriage was for better or worse, but as soon as things took a turn for the worse she took off. In the long run, I’m better off as the nagging has stopped and, honestly, I couldn’t afford her lifestyle anyway, but she lives in the home I helped build while I went to an apartment I was only able to land through having a longtime friend co-sign the lease with me on.

It’s a tough way to live. I have handyman skills but no one will hire me because of my record. Oh, did I forget to mention that?

Yeah, I spent time in [SCI] Chester for being a knucklehead in my younger years and you guessed it, I’m still paying for it.

That change jug has been the one constant in my life. It was pretty full while I was married and being a bit of a coin enthusiast I’ve been accumulating any change I get and dumping it into it. It’s funny, whenever I look at it or am forced to tap it, I’ll look at how full or low that jug is. I find the level it’s at has always been an accurate representation of my life at any given moment.

It’s crazy, but it took me almost half of my adult life to realize that credit is one of those evil necessities depending on your situation.

But I feel like a slave to it as I know one false move and I could lose everything. I’m constantly on the phone with credit card companies transferring balances from one account to another before I incur charges. I’m in my eighth year of paying on a vehicle I was supposed to have paid off in just five years, and I know that once it’s paid off it’s going to fall to pieces, but as a home health nurse, I travel a lot. I have two kids I support on my own and they’re too young to get jobs and support themselves.

I don’t want to get into it, my life story, but I appreciate that there are people like me going through the same thing. I don’t have much of a savings but I’ve clawed tooth and nail to get my once-awful credit back to a standing that I can have a decent limit to at least survive if I were to lose my job and it took a while to find another one. But it’s the last thing I want to have to use as a fall back crutch. To be honest, how fast it went from missing a few payments that put my credit standing in the 500s vs. how long it took to have a 704 is proof that it’s survival of the fittest and it’s really a pit against the haves and have nots.

I look at where I am and I have a decent job, I’m able to buy groceries, but because of kids, I’m living paycheck to paycheck. It wouldn’t take long for me to be in a bad way out here if I were to lose my job. I’m fortunate enough that my position is one where I’m taking care of older people and there’s always work. It’s no joke out here, life is hard for everyone but I feel sometimes, that it’s designed to be that way for whatever reason.

– Scott R. | Whitman

7

– Samantha S. | Elkins Park Editor’s note: In a follow-up conversation with Samantha in April, she told PW that her job has been placed on short-term furlough as the health-care agency she works for was forced to lay off staff due to coronavirus concerns. She hasn’t needed to use her credit card yet as she’s home with children for the foreseeable future and their activities have been halted.

Philadelphia Weekly, is a part of Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project among 23 news organizations, focused on Philadelphia’s push toward economic justice. Read more of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

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NEWS

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Children of the COVID Some foster kids suffering physically, mentally from coronavirus

BY STEVE VOLK

C

oncerns over foster youth in congregate care or group homes, and youth in juvenile justice facilities, are spiking in the time of coronavirus.

The city’s Juvenile Justice Services Center, which houses more than 100 youths at the facility, currently has at least seven in quarantine after a health provider at the facility tested positive for COVID-19 on March 19.

Additionally at Catholic Social Services, youth services director James Black said in a phone interview last week that a staff member at St. Francis-St. Vincent Homes in Bensalem had also tested positive. Black, who had just learned of the diagnosis, was not sure what position the staff member held and said management was in the process of determining how to respond.

Kenneth A. Gavin, chief communications officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, responded to further requests for information with an email statement: “Saint Francis-Saint Vincent Homes (SFSV) is following all coronavirus (COVID-19) recommendations and guidelines provided by government and health department officials at the local, state, and national levels.”

The incidents crystalize the controversy surrounding group living facilities and prisons during the current pandemic, as these facilities seem antithetical to the current medical need for social distancing.

Leola Hardy, chief of the children and youth justice unit at the defender association of Philadelphia, says JJSC officials have indicated the youths in quarantine have not shown any symptoms.

But there are other concerns.

The quarantined youth are allowed out only briefly, for end-of-day showers or an emergency should one arise. To Hardy’s knowledge, they have not been allowed to make phone calls to family or lawyers, raising concerns of civil rights violations.

Hardy also says the health provider tested positive on March 19 and the quarantine is due to end on April 4, and added that officials at the JJSC are “working with” the public defender’s office to resolve their concerns. In the meantime, Broke in Philly and Philadelphia

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

Weekly have learned that the infected youths are living in lonely confinement, in cells arranged around a common room. Those in quarantine have no televisions or radios in their cells but can if they stand, look outside their cells to see the TV. “We are worried about their well-being,” says Hardy.

A recent WHYY report indicated that 150 youth were in the facility and that Marsha Levick, co-founder and chief legal officer for the Juvenile Law Center, a youth advocacy group, was calling for the release of many of those children.

Last Wednesday, Susan Vivian Mangold, CEO of the JLC, said officials at group living facilities for youth need to consider moving

kids to alternate locations, including with their families.

“It’s Dickensian to think about kids in these kinds of facilities right now,” she stated.

“What does social distancing for kids in these places even mean? How can they practice social distancing when they are sharing all their bathrooms and living spaces with [numerous] other kids and sharing such close space with staff?”

Maura McInerney, legal director at the Education Law Center, adds that she is hearing stories from child advocates that youth in numerous facilities are receiving no schooling at all right now. Schools within many facilities have shuttered at many locations because of

the pandemic. McInerney declined to name any specific facilities because “the situation is always changing so fast” only that she gets new information every day.

But, as McInerney noted, “We are talking about a widening of the education gap that already exists at these facilities.”

The ACLU of Pa., on behalf of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, has already filed an emergency request asking the state Supreme Court to use its “King’s Bench” power to protect public health by ordering county common pleas courts to release some people from county jails, including those who committed minor offenses, who are awaiting trial or suffer a high risk of serious illness or death if infected

by COVID-19.

A similar King’s Bench petition is expected to be filed soon regarding youth in custody.

Philadelphia Department of Human Services spokesperson Heather Keafer responded to questions about the safety of youth in congregate care facilities for Philly foster youth with an email: “While I can’t speak to any specific cases of COVID-19, or of any situation at a specific location, congregate care facilities are implementing responses to COVID-19 that are consistent with recommendations from federal, state, and local medical guidance and take into consideration the size of their facility as well as the number of youth and staff on-site.”

As for potentially removing some foster youth from group living facilities during the pandemic, she wrote: “Each child’s case is reviewed on an individual basis. There are many children in care who do not have safe places to return to.”

“Our Kids” is a project of the Broke in Philly reporting collaborative examining the challenges and opportunities facing Philadelphia’s foster care system. Philadelphia Weekly, a part of Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project among 23 news organizations, focused on Philadelphia’s push toward economic justice. Read more of our reporting at brokeinphilly.org.

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VOICES

THE SHOUT OUT

Current “lockdown” policies are in effect through the end of the month. Some officials believe the restrictions can be lifted then, while others say we should expect to self-isolate for months.

Your turn: When do you think the “all clear” will be issued and life will return to at least closer to what we used to call normal?

Send your thoughts to voices@philadelphiaweekly.com

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CITY

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In partial defense of the governor Gov. Wolf has ordered the closure of thousands of “non-life-sustaining” businesses.

He has also urged people to remain at home, self-quarantined. Those decisions have resurrected fundamental questions about the role government plays in our lives. Among them are whether the governor should have the authority to shut down businesses, if he should have used that authority, if gun stores should be closed, and what to do about economic failure.

By shutting down entire sects of commerce, the governor has done remarkable damage to our local economy. He has also placed blue-collar Pennsylvanians in a pit of financial instability. The consequences have, no doubt, been dramatic.

For that reason, I am not comfortable with the governor – or anyone – holding that authority. Not because I don’t trust Wolf with it specifically, but because no man should be able to halt the livelihoods of millions of people with the swipe of a pen. Not in America.

As for the use of power, shutting down businesses was the responsible thing to do.

The governor erred on the side of caution, which is what the public should want from its elected leaders. He was faced with two options. First, ignore the virus and hope people don’t start dropping. Or overreact and shut down everything in an abundance of caution.

No one could answer for the former with their reputation still intact, for there is no excuse for inaction resulting in death. On the flip side, one could answer for the latter: Though I tanked our local economy, thanks to my proactivism, the spread of the virus has been limited. It is always wise to make decisions that you can uprightly answer for. And I cannot be mad at the governor for doing just that.

While shutting down non-life-sustaining businesses was wise, I am troubled that the governor has categorized gun stores as a non-life-sustaining business. Not necessarily because guns sustain life, but because our

federal and state constitutions protect our right to bear arms, which naturally includes our right to acquire them. By shutting down gun stores, he has made the acquisition of guns impossible. As such, he has effectively suspended the right to bear arms. He has snubbed our Constitution.

And the Pennsylvania Supreme Court should have held him to the fire for that. But it did not.

In fact, the court, in its majority opinion, didn’t even bother engaging the constitutional concerns (similar to ones that I’ve expressed) raised by the three dissenting justices – who happen to be Democrats.

But the governor isn’t the only one who’s ignoring our constitution. So too have the Philadelphia, Allegheny County, and Montgomery County police departments. They’ve all closed their gun-permits unit. One would think that because they’re no longer issuing them, the police wouldn’t arrest people for not having a license to carry. But no. People will still face charges and have their guns seized by the police for not having the licenses the police refuse to issue.

But if the departments aren’t issuing and renewing licenses, then what are the people supposed to do? Not carry them? Clearly, this is unconstitutional. But, given their above-mentioned track record, the people cannot rely on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to protect their rights.

Aside from legal woes, the shutdowns have also brought-up economic concerns. Our economy has been dealt a serious flogging.

Businesses cannot pay their employees without revenue for too long. If these shutdowns last much longer, we could see a dramatic increase in poverty.

But we are still in the early stages of dealing with this pandemic. So, we have a few weeks left before businesses can no longer afford to pay their employees. Until that time comes, public health must supersede all other interests, even economic ones.

Jemille Q. Duncan | Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

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VOICES OF OUR CITY

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

COVID and young adults: It’s not only about you COVID-19 is the worst public health catastrophe in recent American history, and young adults like you and us are playing a big part in its spread. Due to higher COVID-19 death rates in older populations with prior chronic conditions, the main focus on the effects of this virus has so far been on those populations.

This has made many young Americans skeptical that they may be impacted and has led to many ignoring social distancing warnings to travel and socialize. These surges have continued after spring break, with “cherry blossomers” and others venturing out to public locations and even themed parties.

We all have countless social ties and are hesitant to forgo our opportunities to go out, see friends, and enjoy our freedom. These times were supposed to be the best of our lives. But, the reality is that by ignoring social distancing recommendations, you may not only be putting yourself at risk, but you are also endangering others.

Current U.S. data shows that roughly 40 percent of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 are aged 20-54 years, and that nearly half of all patients admitted into ICUs are under 65. Young people are getting severe COVID-19 pneumonia, and some are dying.

Several instances of young, healthy people dying due to complications from the infection are occurring, including a 17 year-old boy from California with no pre-existing conditions. While deaths in our age group may be rare, lasting damage and complications are possible.

If it weren’t enough to worry about yourselves, consider that most damage done by our age group is as carriers. Due to limited testing and more mild/asymptomatic cases, young adults are a silent mode of transmission to other high-risk groups. This has been demonstrated in screening studies of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection conducted in several countries around the world.

COVID-19 is extremely contagious, is stable in the air for hours, and for days on sur-

faces.

Additionally, a 5-plus day incubation period means you may be contagious for a while before even showing symptoms, if you show any at all.

While the death rate is under 1 percent for those under 50, these numbers skyrocket after that, with a death rate of 3.6 percent for 60 year-olds, 8 percent for 70 year olds and nearly 15 percent for 80 year-olds.

Individuals with pre-existing conditions such as heart disease or cancer are also at elevated risk.

Let’s all work together to ameliorate these numbers as much as we can.

We encourage you to follow the CDC guidelines, three key aspects are highlighted below: Minimize physical interaction with others. Avoid gatherings outside of your immediate family. This temporary sacrifice is a small price to pay for the well-being of your loved ones and community. With smartphones, Zoom meetings, and social media, this is not a true isolation, the world is at our fingertips and the potential for connection and productivity within our own homes is still large.

Hygiene. Sanitize your hands upon leaving and before returning to your home.

Regularly wipe down surfaces in your home and wash your hands effectively for 20plus seconds.

Be aware of symptoms of infection.

Just because you do not show symptoms does not mean you are not infected and contagious.

It is no longer a question of whether we are overreacting: the severity of this issue cannot be understated. Adhere to the CDC guidelines, share this information with your friends, and advise they do the same. The more compliance there is, the more lives will be saved and the faster we will be able to return to normal.

Nolan Fox and Nicholas J. Fox are seniors at Drexel University.

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

Keep Canadian drugs out of U.S. medicine cabinets The Trump administration recently proposed two rules that would allow states, pharmacies and drug wholesalers to import nonFDA approved medicines from Canada.

No administration, Republican or Democrat, has ever allowed Canadian drug importation – and for good reason. First, experts agree that such a scheme wouldn’t reduce by one penny the co-pay of a single American.

Second, it would expose Americans to dangerous counterfeit medicines.

Here’s what the administration is proposing.

The first of the two rules would allow states, pharmacies and manufacturers to develop their own importation programs, which the federal government must then review.

The second rule would allow U.S. drug manufacturers to import their own drugs and sell them domestically. Each of the administration’s schemes would require various safety tests and regulatory screenings that would negate any savings generated by buying Canadian drugs at a lower cost.

Importantly, Canada doesn’t have enough medicines to function as America’s pharmacy. Consider this – Canada has barely onetenth as many people as the United States.

According to Canada’s acting ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman, if Americans sourced even 40 percent of their prescriptions from Canada, our neighbor to the north would run out of medicine in 118 days.

Hillman explained that Canada is “too small to have any real impact on U.S. drug prices.” And Americans who’ve studied the issue agree. The Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that Canadian im-

portation would reduce U.S. drug prices by roughly 1 percent.

The most dangerous consideration, however, are the massive safety risks of importation.

There’s no oversight mechanism in place for American oversight of Canadian pharmacies. The FDA openly admits that it “cannot ensure the safety and effectiveness of drugs that it has not approved.”

Implementing either of the proposed rules could open the floodgates to counterfeit shipments, expired, mislabeled and unapproved products.

Ill-considered importation schemes put American patients in harm’s way. Consider a 2018 raid conducted by Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Mounties seized pharmaceutical shipments about to cross the border.

Of the 3,586 packages searched, 87 percent contained counterfeit or illegal products. And just last year, the FDA issued a warning to Canadian drug firm CanaRx for distributing “unapproved” and “misbranded” drugs to Americans.

Canada opposes U.S. importation of Canadian drugs. Canada’s foreign ministry warned that the exchange would exacerbate drug shortages in Canada. Already, there are more than 2,000 actual or anticipated shortages in Canada, impacting one in four Canadians between 2015 and 2018.

Drug importation will endanger both American and Canadian lives for little or no savings. It’s time to heed the experts, our Canadian friends and the FDA’s consistent warnings and abandoned these soundbite proposals.

Peter J. Pitts, a former FDA associate commissioner, is president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest.

VOICES OF OUR CITY

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

11

CHARACTER COUNTS Another week inside for our own safety means more time for opinion, rants and really good content to spew across social media. We cast our net into the Twitterverse and pulled out the following gems.

Rick Ross blaring from a Jeep parked on the sidewalk in front of the Post office at 8:30am…...good morning #Philly @PhilliebyNature

Honestly friends are so important during this time. Reach out to friends you haven’t talked to in a while. #supporteachother #philly #phillylove #friends @PhillyNelly2

Still seeing people having gatherings smoking hookah having drinks like nothing is going on in the world around them . And these same people have kids . People are dying and nothing is changing . #COVID19 #Philly #baltimore #stayinplace @MakeUGorgeous

Used to vote #Democrat locally, that’s the system in #Philly. Never doing it again. The #LoonyLeft and their lap dog, #MSM, have shown their true colors during this crisis. It’s disgusting.

The local politicians run later for higher offices. I don’t want to help any get there. @KarenLeeCC

And in #Philly, where the population is 43.7% Black...From April 3: The available data on the race of nearly 1/3 of the 1,675 confirmed coronavirus patients in the city showed 46% were African American, 37% were white, 10% Latino, and 3% Asian American. @TauhidChappell Worried about #coronavirus these dumb MF out here shooting shit up every night... Wild Wild West aka 25th and Clearfield #Philly GET IT TOGETHER So incredibly sad that a few paranoid Y’ALL businesses thought #Philly folks would @TheRealSicko to lose their minds & ransack for booze.

Plenty of other much higher-end estabThe city breathes. Traffic, people. lishments with goods in their windows There’s always a low hum to it. Not now. didn’t do this. Such a shitty signal to It’s eerily silent for Philly., #Philly send. @Chubby215 @MrErikSchut

Image courtesy: Heidi Wiley

Would You Rather Vintage Edition: If you had a choice, which member of the World Series Championship 2008 Philadelphia #Phillies squad would you rather have had on your team - Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, or Cole Hamels? #MLB #RingTheBell #Philly @SportsTechie17

South Philly Acme. Ugh. Grateful for the employees working and keeping the store open but $143 for what would’ve been a $90 trip to ShopRite. Also, GIVE ALL YOUR EMPLOYEES MASKS! #Covid_19 #philly @Jay2PSU I think it’s pretty crazy for the City of #Philadelphia to ask landlords to pay property taxes within 30 days to avoid penalties while at the same time calling on them to forgive rent payments to tenants. @MrJabariJones

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

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MUSIC

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

Rising up

Lancaster-based From Ashes to New wants to reintroduce a little positivity to what seems like a pandemic of pessimism.

Image | Courtesy FATN

From Ashes to New lives up to its name

L

ancaster-based From Ashes To rap, and he couldn’t get anything happening New has garnered nearly 10 million with it. “People would say, ‘You aren’t a rapstreams off its debut album, “Day per. You are white. Just quit. Just get a real One,” and sold 150,000 CDs. From job.’ And I eventually thought I would be that their first tour supporting Five regular 9 to 5 guy.”

Finger Death Punch to their latest To make matters worse, he was making co-headline with Ice Nine bad choices. “Most of what I have Kills, they have been making fans all done has been a failure,” he admits over the world. with an unsettling candor. “Things

BY EUGENE But the success comes from humI fell into. Things I believed. I was ZENYATTA ble beginnings. From Ashes to New pretty damn good at baseball, but I founder and frontman Matt Branmade bad choices. I ruined it. I fell dyberry’s lifelong interest in music into a bad crowd, getting in trouble, progressed along a wide-ranging and partying too much. I was doing path: He was an ardent hip-hop fan who wrote things I shouldn’t have been doing instead rhymes while in junior high, then learned of following what could have been a career piano and guitar. He pursued music with a choice.” passion, ignoring warnings from naysayers Brandyberry found a steady job as a cable around him who shook their fingers in disapTV installer and had to relegate writing and proval, asserting that he was doomed to fail performing to his off hours and weekends. and would never amount to anything.

Rap gave way to joining local rock bands, but His early musical efforts were straight-up his creative contributions ended up being

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

MUSIC

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

frustratingly limited.

He was making good money doing the 9 to 5, but he didn’t have an outlet for the music he was starting to hear in his head, and the voices of people who discouraged him grew louder and almost caused him to lose his focus.

By pushing past the negativity with From Ashes to New, a rock band with a point of view, he found his voice, performing powerful songs that speak of redemption, liberation, and personal salvation.

Brandyberry used money from a workers compensation settlement to begin the FATN journey. At the time, it seemed like yet another questionable choice. Investing his life savings into what amounted to an underground studio-only project, Brandyberry did so in order to generate the quality recordings which eventually got the band some attention.

Formed barely two years ago, the band consists of the cream of Lancaster’s underground scene. “We have all played with each other in old bands and other projects,” explains Brandyberry. “And when those things stalled or fell apart, the guys who wanted to take things a little more seriously began to gravitate toward FATN. It all came together incredibly organically and we clicked almost instantaneously.

It was a real ‘Aha!’ moment, like this was the band we should have been in all along.”

PW recently caught up with Brandyberry to talk all things FATN and the impact the Philly music scene had on him and the group.

The band comes from humble beginnings, and, like many groups, members have come and gone over the years. What sets this version of FATN apart from the rest? Why is it working so well now?

The chemistry is just right now. We all know what we want to do and how to achieve it. The quality of our new music and esthetic shows it, but sometimes you just know when it’s right.

Your bio says your message is true to life, raw and genuine, and your music is a testament to positive inspiration for the happeningpeople of the world that they, too, can take en’t a rap-risks and not settle into an expected life of get a realmediocrity. Why is it important for your uld be thatmusic to inspire people and be more than just a catchy tune? s making It’s important for people to inspire each hat I haveother and encourage success. We’ve spent too he admitsmuch time as humans hating each other and r. “Thingstrying to tear each other down. We just want ved. I wasto reintroduce a little positivity to what seems ball, but Ilike a pandemic of pessimism. d it. I fell Talk a little about the creative process. n trouble,How does the writing process work? How was doingdo your songs come together? ng instead In the past, we would all sit together in n a careera room and write for days on end. We approached it a bit differently with this record as a cableand wrote the majority remotely while on our riting andown. Sending ideas back and forth and Faceweekends.Time chats is what consumed many summer bands, butnights. up being Everything we write is based on feel. The

best songs come together organically and you get that “I know it” feeling. If it takes too much time it’s usually a classic case of overthinking and that idea often gets abandoned.

FATN is based close to Philly, and you have said that, as a young kid, you were obsessed with the city’s hip-hop scene. Has the music scene in Philly influenced the band at all? Do you still find inspiration from some of the hip-hop artists of days gone by?

A lot of hip hop from the late ‘90s all the way up until recently has influenced FATN. As for Philly rappers, Beanie Sigel, Vinnie Paz, and even Fresh Prince were some I listened to all the way back as far as I can remember.

Meek Mill is doing a damn good job at carrying the torch for the city’s hip hop movement these days. I take a lot of different approaches to my flows and lyrics, but I can definitely say I’m still heavily influenced by my roots... no pun intended to, well, you know who, haha.

How has the virus outbreak affected your touring plans? Do you still have shows scheduled in the coming months? How are you spending any downtime from canceled shows?

The virus has truly affected our world pretty drastically. Being entertainers puts us in large crowds on a daily basis, so we were the first to shut down. We unfortunately had to cancel a few shows at the end of a tour in March and are uncertain what the near future holds for another tour planned in May. I’m spending the downtime as I would if we were in between tours. Spending as much time with the family, coming up with fresh ideas for the image of the band, and writing music.

Staying home is something I enjoy while not touring.

In the “old days,” musicians were largely dependent on radio to get their music to the masses. Now we have streaming sites, social media, etc. Talk a little about how you utilize technology to not only get your music to your fans, but also interact with them? Do you enjoy the online interaction, or is it more of a burden?

We love our fans and our fans know it. We interact as much as humanly possible. We try to do live feeds, Q&A’s, contests, and tons of other stuff to keep in touch with our fanbase.

Some of our fans have asked the same question about being a burden. ...That could literally never happen. We will always be here for those who have been there for us.

What’s ahead for FATN – post virus?

Back on the road? New music? Where do you want to be five years from now?

We are going about this as if the virus is going to go away and our touring plans for May will continue. We are planning some dope touring ideas for summer too. The best music we’ve ever created is coming very soon.

Five years from now we plan to be doing our own arena headlining tours and inspiring kids all over the world to go out and achieve their dreams the same way we did.

13

Image | Courtesy FATN Facebook

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

14

PEOPLE

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

Fighting for women Ardella’s House there for women with criminal justice history

BY EUGENE ZENYATTA

T

onie Willis, founder of Ardella’s House in Philadelphia, a nonprofit organization that specializes in assisting women directly impacted by mass incarceration, recently hosted a local Day of Empathy in Philadelphia to discuss dignity for incarcerated women, alternatives to incarceration in diversionary programs and the importance of keeping individuals out of prison and, instead, connected to programs that more “effectively and efficiently address behavioral health conditions that underlie criminal behaviors.”

The event was nothing new for Willis, whose past has taken her around the globe and into the world of entertainers and music’s elite as a promoter of music’s top artists for Warner Bros. Records.

However, she never lost sight of her most important skill set: Her personal touch and a helping hand. She is now focusing her work as founder and director of Ardella’s House.

Ardella’s House is a service and advocacy organization committed to helping women with criminal justice histories realize new possibilities for themselves and their families. AH program services make it possible for women to obtain work, housing and health care, to rebuild their families, and to participate fully in civic life.

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

PEOPLE

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

PW recently caught up with Willis to talk about her work and Ardella House’s mission.

Your bio says that your greatest calling was to “to create a haven for women who are in need of experiencing that consummate grace and uplifting spirit.” Why did you feel such a strong calling to create Ardella’s House?

When I started Ardella’s House, I noticed there was a lot of programming for men. Even in prison, the programming was for men, the prison jumpsuits are designed for men. You know the saying “one size fits all’? Well, in a lot of cases, it’s not one size fits all. It was important to have something specifically for women while serving their time.

Women are the forgotten population when it comes to mass incarceration and, so, I knew it was important for Ardella’s House to give women a voice.

Describe the services Ardella’s House provides.

We have a 12-week program called Life Interrupted. Life Interrupted helps build the foundation for women once they have been released from prison because it is important that they have an exit plan as they re-enter society.

We provide mentoring, family reunification, job readiness, housing and parenting classes.

Talk a little about the early days. How did you come up with the name? Was it difficult to find people to help start the house?

Ardella is my mother who passed away in 2009, and Ardella’s House was created in 2010. My mother didn’t believe in throwing away people. My mother always saw good in everyone, even when no one else saw it. We could be talking about someone and biting her back out, and my mother would always chime in with something good about that person. Ardella’s House is a part of her legacy.

It was difficult in the beginning. No one wanted to deal with women who were incarcerated. For many years, this was a one-woman show. When I started Ardella’s House, I was housing women in my home who could not get a “home plan.” A home plan is necessary for a woman to be released in someone’s custody for a certain time period.

How has Ardella’s House grown since its founding 10 years ago?

It’s grown as far as the increased number of

women we have served and made an impact in their lives. Correctional institutions have even asked us to work with men because our program is that good. We have grown and we still have a long way to go.

We would like to see many more Ardella’s Houses in the City of Philadelphia.

What are some of the house’s greatest accomplishments?

When we have helped women gain custody of their children, when women learn how to advocate for themselves, when women are going back to school and learning how to take care of their family on their own without returning to the things that caused them to be incarcerated in the first place.

Has the coronavirus impacted your work?

Has it created new challenges for you or women impacted by mass incarceration?

Definitely. Our program starts behind the wall and we can’t go into the prisons because they are on lockdown due to the coronavirus. Teaching the women how to be safe and teaching them how they’re supposed to act and giving them guidance such as hygiene practices has impacted our work tremendously on what we are able to do during these difficult times.

What is at the top of your “to-do” list? What changes or initiatives are you championing at the moment?

Currently, we and our partners at Cut 50 have introduced legislation in PA called the Dignity Act for incarcerated women campaign. By bringing back dignity for incarcerated women and bringing legislation to the table, we allow women to feel like women. They have feminine hygiene products, pregnant women aren’t placed in solitary confinement and not having unlimited phone calls with their children, and not being subject to cavity searches by male guards. We just want women who are incarcerated to be treated with basic human decency.

How can people get involved with and help Ardella’s House?

We’re always looking for mentors to encourage these women! They can always call us, email us, connect with us through social media and even write us a letter. We would like to have more people involved. Please visit ArdellasHouse.com for more information.

“It was difficult in the beginning. No one wanted to deal with women who were incarcerated. For many years, this was a onewoman show. When I started Ardella’s House, I was housing women in my home who could not get a ‘home plan.’ A home plan is necessary for a woman to be released in someone’s custody for a certain time period.”

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PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

16

GOSSIP

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

Image | Edward Lich

ICEPACK

Go, Chuck, go!

Peruto gets Icepack’s vote for DA

I

f your April, so far, has included Larry being way too liberal when it comes stuffing your Casa Mexico and Ci- to catching and housing the bad guys (hell, cala sidewalk-delivered dining con- even Jim Kenney is pissed at The Kras), tainer recycling into your regular and seems to be a justice-for-all-sort, even trash bags, driving by churches though in his past that has meant a whole with stoop-sitting priests to collect lot of equally sharp-dressed drug dealers take-out palm on Palm Sunday, acci- got off scot-free. The suits and the haircuts dentally drinking from that bottle of home- alone get my vote, Go, Chuck. made hand sanitizer (love that ethanol rush, Comcast donations We don’t hear from Comcast or Xfinity though), and running up and down stairs unless they want to raise our cable bill or for your multiple, daily Amazon Pantry remove Starz from our channel stable, and and goPuff deliveries to get your exercise, fuck up our time with “Outlander.” I can’t welcome to weird week three (or is it four?) of the Gov. Wolf-extended, stay-at-home-or- believe that (SPOILER ALERT) old Murtagh dered mandate. If anything good has come Fitzgibbons Fraser is dead.

Anyway, a memo went around that the out of the forced home-sitting adventure corp’s top execs such as Comcast – beyond painting everything that chairman and CEO Brian Roberts, could be painted and realizing that CFO Mike Cavanagh, Comcast Cable Netflix DOES have a finite end point

BY A.D. CEO Dave Watson, NBCUniversal of which I’m nearly reaching its cloAMOROSI CEO Jeff Shell and Sky CEO Jeremy sure – it is hearing from old friends Darroc have donated their salaries – people you couldn’t imagine would to coronavirus relief charities and rear their heads, but happily have. that Roberts said that Comcast would comA DA challenger? mit $500 million to help staff with pay and Presently, I’m thinking of Chuck Peruto, the eternally tan, shark skin-suited God- benefits. Atza nize. love-him, Philly-famous, swinging, Rit- Good riddance By the way, in mentioning Gary Heidnik tenhouse Square-housed criminal defense attorney renowned for repping for Gary above, is it me, or did the death of Ira EinHeidnik, who quietly dropped a note onto horn – the so-called Earth Day activator and activist who, in 1977, killed his ex-girlfriend, Facebook about his desire to run against Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Kras- Holly Maddux, while living in Philadelphia ner when The Kras goes up for reelection – last week get surprisingly little play in the next year. I would have expected to see Pe- media? The “Unicorn Killer” died of natural ruto at a virtual Zoom sale at Boyds before causes on April 3 at SCI Laurel Highlands, I thought he would run for public office as PA – the prison where he was housed after being extradited from France in 1997. such.

There was never anything good or noble But Chuck makes decent points about

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

GOSSIP

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

17

Image | Rachel Lynette French

about Einhorn – he was a killer, and acted with an air of entitlement due to his connection with the Bronfman family – but Einhorn was national front-page news forever, and put Philly on the map for non-mob crime before bastards like Heidnik and Fast Eddie Savitz came along. Just saying. Good riddance. But, we could use some news beyond COVID-19.

New restaurant Paloma, the delicately flavored, upscale, Mexican-French BYOB at Eighth Street in South Philly was an underappreciated treasure, and owner-operators chef Adán and Barb Cohan-Saavedra were wonderful hosts.

Sadly, they closed their Paloma (opened in Bella Vista in 2010 after 10 years at Oxford Circle section), right before Christmas in 2016.

Just as sad is that the California architecture-influenced space has been vacant – that is until now. Quietly, and just in time for pandemic take-out – Lazeez Indian Cuisine has opened at 763. S 8th.

Music fests’ fate Music fests in the Philly area, plentiful as they are not, are glorious, necessary annual affairs. Without too much fanfare, though, the Firefly Music & Camping Festival in Dover, Del., set for May (one of the largest, star-studded festivals on the East Coast) and the cool, creaky West Philly Porchfest in June both have been postponed, and-or cancelled due

to coronavirus. Regarding Live Nation/Mann Music Center affairs such as The Roots Picnic with Meek Mill and the Hall & Oates-dictated HoagieNation with Squeeze, we won’t need to wear masks with our Vans – The Roots Picnic is moved until Aug. 1 and HoagieNation slips into its new Sept. 4 date handsomely. The only thing left is summer’s longtime Philadelphia Folk Fest. Stay tuned.

New music On the positive music tip, you get characters such as University of the Arts grad serpentwithfeet who is putting time to good use with a new single, “A Comma,” which appears as part of Adult Swim’s ever-continuing Singles series. Plus, the serpent born Josiah Wise will have a full-blown EP called “Apparition” out in late April, produced by Wynne Bennett, who has worked with Janelle Monáe – serpentwithfeet’s spiritual experimental-hop sister.

Remembering Pizzarelli COVID-19 has taken many people, famous and not famous, international, national and local. On a widely known tip, it robbed us of New Jersey’s Adam Schlesinger, Philadelphia trumpeter Wallace Roney, and vocalist/choir director Forrest Glass. But this one is a little bit personal as this guy played with my father, Philadelphia saxophonist Alfonso Amorosi.

Guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli passed away on

April 2 – a jazz guy who made playing pop OK. Back in the day, classical and jazz musicians were loath to play on pop music sessions. Pizzarelli changed that, and was really one of the first noted non-purists in session music.

Known for a sprightly vibe in league with hot jazz as well as a moody blues tonality, Pizzarelli started off at the tail end of the big band jazz era with leaders such as Lionel Hampton and Benny Goodman, and segued into jazz gigs and recordings with Miles Davis, Gene Ammons, Zoot Sims, and Dizzy Gillespie. He backed Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett. He played on Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind.”

By the late ‘50s, though, he recorded with The Drifters, and later in the ‘60s, Petula Clark, Roberta Flack, and Bryan Hyland’s “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini.” Judy Collins and Janis Ian (for “On Seventeen”) used Pizzareli on their folkier hits. McCartney used him. Phil Spector used him. Henry Mancini used him. He played as part of “The Tonight Show” band with Johnny Carson.

He’s one of music’s most underappreciated players, and leaders, and his kids are excellent players in his spirit. Bucky will be missed.

@ADAMOROSI

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

18

COVID-19

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

THE RUNDOWN

A list of things to do while mandated not to do anything Consider the following podcasts….

Jawn Appetit

After a month-long hiatus, this pod on all things the Philly restaurant scene is back and we’re probably the happiest in Philly. We’ve always appreciated this pod’s no-nonsense approach to the food industry scene as they can look beyond fine dining and give you the reasons why you should (or often should not) dine at a particular spot. This pod is usually served up once a week and its last airing was on April 1. | jawnappetit.wordpress.com/

Chicks in the Office

Pod Save America

This podcast is for lovers of politics or even for those who would simply prefer to get political news in terms they can understand. The four-man crew of aide staff to former President Obama offers up the week in political view with an insider’s view that’s as refreshing as it is honest. Also, we like this one because they frequently host guests worth hearing from and provide a text line for you to ask your own burning questions. | crooked.com/ podcast-series/pod-save-america/

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

For those of you who give AF about what celebrities are up to, who they’re dating and what drug they almost OD’d on, then we’ve found your podcast. Hosts Mia and Fran deliver a pretty interesting dish on what’s going on in pop culture and the folks within it. In addition to celebrity interviews, they take listener-submitted questions on the regular. | barstoolsports.com/shows/ chicks-in-the-office/podcasts

Scam Goddess

We’re huge fans of Laci Mosley and her knowledge of just how shady people can be. Each week, Mosley tells you about the current scams out there and how, just when you think you have a handle on the ways designed to cheat you or pull a fast one, there are other scams out there just waiting to play you for a fool. Fortunately, the Scam Goddess is up on most of them and shares tips and tricks to help keep you from becoming a sucker. | earwolf.com/show/scam-goddess/

Masterclass: Chris Voss

Usually we wouldn’t suggest you spending $90 on anything right now that isn’t food or necessities, but we found Chris Voss’ tutorial on how to get others to do what you want them to do extremely enlightening. Voss, a former FBI hostage negotiator was on the front lines for years in critical negotiations and teaches you the tricks that made him one of the best in the biz. Even if you can’t foot it now, we get it, but we’ll have to say we splurged and it was worth it. | masterclass.com

Pardon My Take

Usually we would never suggest a pair of Barstool podcasts, but, like Chicks in the Office, Pardon My Take is a refreshing look at the world of sports (or sheer lack thereof, right now). Hosted by Big Cat and PFT, PMT, which drops Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, isn’t just sports but how sports really does revolve in all of the decisions made on a grand scale. Last month, the pod also had Dr. Anthony Fauci, the doctor leading the coronavirus charge on for a discussion.| barstoolsports. com/shows/pardon-my-take

COVID-19

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

19

Reading Terminal Market | Instagram

We know what you’re thinking: Why TF would you suggest we follow a grocery store on Instagram? Because they’re killing it on Instagram in the age of COVID-19 right now.

With videos showcasing the local merchants with fresh produce for sale and with vital information on delivery orders, great imagery promoting the local businesses inside and a constant stream of good content, there’s no wonder their orders have increased nearly 30 times over. | instagram.com/rdgterminalmkt/

What we’re digging on social media...

Now This News | Facebook

If you’ve ever watched the mini-segments on Vice, these are kind of like that, but to us just a bit more interesting.

There are multiple segments uploaded to the site on a daily basis and range from two minutes to mini-docs lasting over a half-an-hour. It’s a good way to consume content and get informed while you’re staying inside and remaining safe.

Well, it is for us. There’s also Politics and a channel entitled “Her,” worth watching in the Now This franchise as well. | facebook.com/NowThisNews/

Doug Mar | TikTok

Doug Mar is a Keystone State native who killed Vine (not literally, Vine did that all by itself) when Vine was a thing.

He’s not merged to the Tik Tok platform and has been equally comical. Is his content bordering on the juvenile side of things? Sure. But can life use a little levity right now?

You tell us. tiktok.com/en

Tough Rides | YouTube

This YouTube series presented by Mojo Rides chronicles a pair of brothers who journey through the Amazon rainforest, and the towns throughout, eating the weirdest shit, sleeping in the strangest spots and will have you binge watching their exploits in no time. It’s free to watch and each episode averages about 30 minutes in length, so you don’t have to feel too bad about being glued to your phone for hours on end. | bit.ly/PWRundownToughRides

Stef.C. Photo | Instagram

The Philly-based photographer has been killing it for a minute, but we’ve really been into her work over the last month. She’s finding the angles of iconic Philly that open our minds and have us repeatedly saying, “wow, I’ve never seen [insert Philly icon] quite like that before.” We’re also a fan of Stef because, even though she’s savvy with the camera phone, every now and again a 35mm image will appear on her IG that adds an extra layer of jaw-dropping to what she’s able to capture. | instagram.com/stef.c.photo/

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

20

COVID-19

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

Undead Horde

Digital Trends reports a $6 price tag on this entry, but the great part is you get to play the bad guy. So if you find yourself cheering the heels of the WWE, it might be worth the investment. Build your band of zombies and attack the living! From a practical view, we’re not sure what the world will look like after a few more weeks of self-isolation, but this could be good practice for life as we’re about to know it.

Chances are you have a game – or 58 – on your phone to pass the time when you don’t really have time to do anything better.

These days, you might have a lot of time on your hands. That’s why we’re bringing you some of digitaltrends.com’s picks for best iPhone games. The site has a bunch from which to choose.

Here are our favorites:

What we’re playing...

Homicide Squad: New York Cases

Brutal Hockey

Finally one for the sports fan, who by now is really, really missing sports on TV. Digital Trends describes the game as one for the casual hockey fan, and says “the only goal is to score, and you’re allowed to use any means necessary to get there.” Our mind immediately went to “Slap Shot” when one of the Hanson brothers, we don’t remember which one, declared it was time to play “old-time hockey.” However, we’re pretty sure Eddie Shore isn’t a character you can play in the game.

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

Digital Trends describes it as a hidden object game that has a couple of wise-cracking detectives – we’re imagining Lenny Briscoe and John Munch from “Law & Order” – who solve crimes in the Big Apple. You’ll be examining murder scenes and, with luck and skill, catching the bad guy in no time at all. You have to pay to recharge your energy, but it’s still fun for the casual player.

Retro Highway

If you’re into racing games, this one could be for you. Digital Trends says there are both challenges to complete and the opportunity to compete with buddies or anyone else who’s stuck inside and happens to be playing the game. There is a variety of bikes from which to choose, and you can customize them as you see fit.

Gods of Boom

You shoot people. Yep, that’s about it, but it’s better to shoot people in a game instead of actually, you know, shooting someone in real life. As kind of a reverse play for Undead Horde, you can shoot zombies. Like with most of these games, you play with friends and can upgrade and customize your character.

Stardew Valley

Let’s slow things down for a moment. For those of you who prefer a more relaxed gaming experience, this one could be for you. Digital Trends describes it as a basic farming game with a twist. You can visit nearby Pelican Town to mingle and even find someone to marry – assuming social distancing mandates haven’t been imposed by Pelican Town leaders. There’s an $8 price on this game.

better to ou know, verse play ike with nd can

ose of you ce, this one s a basic

by Pelican arry – n’t been n $8 price

COVID-19

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

One of the first rules of dating online is that, for your first faceto-face encounter, you meet in a public place for, say, coffee. Welp, that ain’t happening these days.

So how should you connect with that special someone you met online? How do you keep a budding romance going? Here are a few tips:

21

Send stuff

File this under “keeping an existing relationship alive” category. If you’ve been dating for a while and you know where the other person lives, sending flowers, food or another appropriate gift – or inappropriate gift, if your relationship has gone to that level – no doubt will brighten someone’s day.

And if you order from a small business, you’ll be helping the local economy as well.

How we’re dating….

Chat more

We found a bunch of dating experts – or at least self-proclaimed dating experts – online and virtually all agreed that now is an ideal time to talk more and meet less. Since you really can’t, or shouldn’t, meet up in person, spend extra time getting to know each other.

Talk about dreams, goals, likes, dislikes, etc. Actually, this isn’t bad advice even when there’s not a virus spreading through society.

Sexting/video chatting

Again, way, way different from actually being in the same room together, but a somewhat viable option given our current circumstances. As Dan Savage – the GOAT when it comes to sex advice – said in last week’s column in PW: “Sext messages and dirty video chats are both allowed and encouraged, kids, so we can get off online with new people as well as established partners who live on the other side of town or the other side of the world. Hell, get the whole polycule together on Zoom – just don’t actually get together (or get under) anyone you don’t live with.”

AMA sessions

An offshoot of chatting more, it’s pretty much just a deeper dive. We all know there are questions we want to ask someone on a first, second or third date, but don’t when we’re face-to-face because we’re worried the other person might toss their drink in our face or just storm off. Here’s your chance to ask those questions without risking public humiliation. Both parties come up with a list of questions and schedule a time to video chat. Then let the fun begin.

Watch a movie together

This requires a bit more ingenuity than normal, but it’s still relatively easy to pull off. In a nutshell, you both watch the same movie on your favorite streaming platform, while also talking on the phone, using FaceTime or, in a pinch, texting. It’s not the same as being at the movies, but you also aren’t paying $27 for a box of popcorn.

Prepare yourself

This is more of a friendly reminder than a tip. These days, some of us probably don’t shower until the dog starts to look at us funny. Appearance and personal hygiene aren’t priorities when you’re locked in a house or apartment for days on end.

However, if you’re planning any kind of video interaction, in the name of God look decent.

First impressions still count, even online.

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

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The No-Pandemic Challenge Q: Your last two columns and your last two podcasts were all about the pandemic. Everything everywhere is all about the pandemic right now. Can you give it a rest? For maybe a week? Could you answer some questions that aren’t about the pandemic? Any fun kink questions come in this week? I could all use a break from the pandemic, Dan, and I’m not alone.

– Columnist’s Oeuvre Vividly Instills Dread Some kink questions did come in this week, COVID, and I’m happy to answer them. But the pandemic does come up in the second one, which you should feel free to skip.

without porn) that I always return to it.

I genuinely enjoy having vanilla sex with my partner. I feel turned on and I have fun.

But I’m often not able to come. It sometimes makes him think he isn’t doing a good job, when in reality he’s doing great and I’m just frustrated with my body.

So I guess I’m wondering: Does continuing to watch belly porn reinforce the kink in my brain? Should I stop watching it and force myself to find other ways to come? Should I somehow find a way to embrace the kink instead?

– Big Belly Woes

Six years ago, I roped Dr. Jesse Bering, author of “Perv: The Sexual Deviant in All of Us,” Q: I have a kink/fetish that’s been into answering a question from giving me a lot of anxiety over the a dad who was worried about last few years. I inadvertently dishis teenage son’s sexual interest covered that I’m turned on by big @FAKEDANSAVAGE in Pokémon. (Yes, Pokémon.) Dad bellies, weight gain, and stuffing. wanted to know if there was anyIt’s actually been there since I was thing he could do about his son’s a little kid, though I didn’t understand it until “pathetic” sexual obsession. now.

Bering explained that his kid’s kinks – that If it’s relevant, I’m a female in my mid-20s, everyone’s kinks – are hardwired. “Nobody in a heterosexual monogamous relationship. knows why some people are more prone to deMy problem is that I have a lot of trouveloping unusual patterns of attraction than ble getting off without others,” Bering said. looking at pictures or at “But whether it’s a penleast thinking about my chant for Pokémon, feet, kink. I believe the comunderwear, or spiders, mon guidance is, “If it’s the best available evinot hurting anyone, it’s dence suggests that some fine.” But I feel super people – mostly males – gross and ashamed. Neihave a genetic predispother my partner nor mysition for being ‘sexually self is large and we both imprinted’ during develvalue our health and opment.” fitness. I have absolutely And once our erotno desire to participate ic imaginations have in this activity with a seized on something, real person. Every time once we’ve imprinted I finish masturbating, on Pokémon characters I feel embarrassed and or big bellies or wresdisgusted with myself. tling singlets, there’s not Some part of my brain obviously craves much we can do about it. Before we’re adults the kink, but the rest of my brain HATES it. I – before we hit puberty – our kinks, as Bering keep telling myself I will stop, but I have such put it, are “pretty much fixed, like it or not.” a hard time getting off with other porn (or For all we know, the teenage boy with the

DAN SAVAGE

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APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

“You can’t starve out your kinks by refusing to think (or wank) about them, BBW, and you can’t pray your kinks away anymore than I could pray my gay away.”

Pokémon fetish was completely comfortable with his own niche sexual interests. The dad wrote in, after all, not the kid. (But if you’re a 23-year-old Pokémon fetishist and your dad routinely invaded your privacy when you were a teenager and heaped shame on you about your kinks, please write in with an update!)

But I have heard from people who, like you, weren’t comfortable with their own kinks, BBW, and desperately wanted to know what could be done. Most sex scientist and researchers agree with Bering: There’s really nothing you can do and masturbating to the porn that turns you on doesn’t “reinforce” your kinks.

You can’t starve out your kinks by refusing to think (or wank) about them, BBW, and you can’t pray your kinks away anymore than I could pray my gay away. Embracing your o it. sex withkinks and exploring them with other consenthave fun.ing adults – or if your kinks can’t be realized sometimesfor ethical reasons, enjoy them through solo good job,or partnered fantasy d I’m justplay only – is the only realistic option. ring: Does That said, some docporn rein-tors have prescribed n? Shouldselective serotonin rece myself uptake inhibitors (SS? Should IRIs), aka antidepresmbrace thesants, to people who were uncomfortable with their kinks. Those drugs don’t selectively d Dr. Jes-eradicate kinks, BBW, Perv: Thethey crater a person’s of Us,”libido. Taking SSRIs ion fromwould mean sacrificing ed aboutthe vanilla sex you enl interestjoy with your partner on mon.) Dadthe same altar with the was any-kink that stress you out. his son’sI can’t imagine you want to go down either of nks – thatthis route, BBW, which “Nobodybrings us back to emrone to de-bracing your kink and ction thancoming clean with your ng said.partner. it’s a pen- The risk you run tellmon, feet,ing a partner about your kink is no doubt the r spiders,forefront of your mind, BBW, because the conlable evi-sequences could be immediate, i.e. he might that somedump you. But not telling your partner about y males –your kink – and leaving him to wonder why predispo-you can’t get off with him but have no trouble g ‘sexuallygetting off alone – isn’t risk-free either. If he ing devel-feels inadequate, if he feels like you’re hiding something from him, if he feels like he can’t our erot-satisfy you … he might dump you. ns have So share your kink with your boyfriend, omething,BBW, and kinks should always be presented as imprintedcrazy and endearing – and potentially really charactersfun – quirks, not as tragedies. You have a thing or wres-for big bellies, BBW, you don’t have leukemia. here’s notAnd you can explore your kinks without gaine’re adultsing weight or stuffing your partner until he as Beringdoes. A little big belly dirty talk could help you or not.” get off with your partner, BBW, and even the y with thefittest person can push their tummy out and

ic

SAVAGE LOVE

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

create the illusion of a rounded belly. Have fun!

Q: My boyfriend and I live in San Francisco where we’ve been sheltering in place. We are unfortunately unable to shelter together, which means that we cannot have physical contact, especially since he lives with a parent who’s at heightened risk. (It’s not an option for him to stay with me for the duration.)

We’re as frustrated about having to abruptly end the physical aspect of our relationship as you might expect. We go for (distanced) walks during the week, we talk every day, and we jerk off in front of webcams together, but that only goes so far.

I was thinking about giving him some of my worn panties for him to do whatever he wants with. My question is this: If I were to wash my hands and be cautious while putting together a pervy care package, is there much of a risk of spreading the virus around by doing this? I’m currently in good health, but I know that people can be infected but asymptomatic and we’re being really careful to keep both of our households as safe as possible. Can the virus be spread via pussy juice?

– Very Aromatic Gift

“I think you should send him that package – but wear gloves while you pack it, don’t send it overnight (your scent will keep for a couple of days), and make sure your boyfriend immediately washes his hands after opening and discarding the package.”

COVID-19 hasn’t been detected in vaginal fluids, VAG, so your pussy juice by itself doesn’t constitute a threat. But the virus, which is usually transmitted through the air (by people with the virus coughing, sneezing, or even exhaling), can survive for hours or days on different kinds of surfaces, including clothes. The virus can live for up to 24 hours on cardboard, VAG, which means it’s the package, not the panties, that are potentially a danger here. If the last person who handled your care package – think the UPS guy who dropped it on his porch – had COVID-19, your boyfriend could wind up exposing himself by touching the box and then his face before washing his hands.

But I think you should send him that package – but wear gloves while you pack it, don’t send it overnight (your scent will keep for a couple of days), and make sure your boyfriend immediately washes his hands after opening and discarding the package.

On the Lovecast, comedian Pete Dominick: www.savagelovecast.com.

THERE’S ALWAYS MORE OF SAVAGE TO LOVE! Read: PhillyWeekly.com Have a question?: mail@savagelove.net

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PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

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THE

BIG

PICTURE

Tunnel of woe Patients heading into the ER at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania stepped into this on a recent morning as health facilities around the city revised protocols to battle the coronavirus. Have a photo you'd like to share with us? Email it to mail@philadelphiaweekly. com or tag us on social at #PWBigPic.

MARKETPLACE

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MARKETPLACE EMPLOYMENT

NOTICE

General Employment

Public Notice

CNC Machinists Set Up/Operators for HI TECH MANUFACTURING OPPORTUNITY Swiss machinists set up/operators CNC Machinists 4 & 5 Axis experience Those with leadership experience welcome. Very competitive compensation for highly qualified applicants. Excellent manufacturing environment. Modern facility, latest equipment, ultra-clean.

Prefer Email to hr@kv-inc.com • kv-inc.com Contact Sandie at 215-322-4044 General Employment

BLOOD DONORS All donors paid $40.00 No appointment necessary.

Walk-ins welcome. Must be healthy and have proper I.D. Must provide Social Security card.Interstate Blood Bank 1250-52 N Broad St. Phila PA 19121 215-765-2554 Hrs. 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM 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 Mondayʼs 9am - 12pm or online at trafficplan.com.

Help Wanted VP of Project Execution-Project Managementw/ Clear Air Solutions, Co. in Malvern, PA- developing/implementing plans for purchasing and installing U.S. pollution abatement systems.

Req: Assoc.degree in Civil Engg or rel. Engg fld & 3 yrs exp in the petro mechanical industry.

OR a HS diplan & 7 yrs exp in the petrochemical industry Reply to: clearairco@gmail.com

FOR RENT Apartments for Rent

8500 BUSTLETON AVE. Corner of Evart St. Spring Special 1BR $875, 2BR $1,100, water & gas incld. 215-742-2261 Grant Garden Apartments Spring Special, upgraded 1 & 2 BR,1 BA. $750 - $980 includes water. Laundry room on site.

Off of Blvd. 215-464-6411 HOME IMPROVEMENT Windows

HAPPY WINDOWS Shutters, 2-Inch Wood, Pleated Shades, Roman Shades, Drapes, Verticals, Mini-Blinds

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215-465-7525

AT&T proposes to replace an existing 20’ traffic light pole with a new 30’ traffic light pole and install a side-mounted antenna (tip height of 21’) at Ben Franklin Pkwy & Kelly Dr, Philadelphia, PA (20200095). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

Public Notice AT&T proposes to replace an existing 20’ traffic light pole with a new 30’ traffic light pole and install a side-mounted antenna (tip height of 21’) at Ben Franklin Pkwy & 20th St, Philadelphia, PA (20200095). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

Public Notice AT&T proposes to replace an existing 20’ traffic light pole with a new 30’ traffic light pole and install a side-mounted antenna (tip height of 21’) at Ben Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA (20200095). Interested parties may contact Scott Horn (856-809-1202) (1012 Industrial Dr., West Berlin, NJ 08091) with comments regarding potential effects on historic properties.

Recent

break up?

PW Classifieds is a great place to

sell your ex’s stuff.

WANTED Help Wanted Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School is requesting bids from FSMCs to provide management services according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) & The PA Department of Education requirements.

A copy of the bid specifications can be found on RAPCS’s website (RAPCS.org). The pre-bid meeting will be held at 2601 S. 58 th Street Philadelphia, PA 19143 on June 15 th 2020 at 12pm. All proposals must be submitted no later than July 6 th 2020 at 12pm. The RAPCS Board of Trustees reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal submitted.

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26

REAL ESTATE

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

REAL ESTATE

REGGIE Walk to St. Joes

$1400 / 2br - Separate Dining Area, Large Closets, Close to Center City. FEATURES: Newly Upgraded Kitchens. Eat-In Kitchens. Professional On-Site Maintenance / 24-Hour Emergency service. Air Conditioning. Garage Spaces Available.

Close to Restaurants. Walking distance to SEPTA Wynnefield Train Station. Close to Shopping, Restaurants and Major Avenues. Off Street Parking. In a Secluded Residential Area, our Wynnefield Apartments Residents have the convenience of living in walking distance to Saint Joseph’s University.

University Shuttle buses are available to students during school hours to Bryn Mawr and City Avenues, and an escort service is available to walk students to the door of our Wynnefield apartments after hours during the school year.

Starting at $1400. Call: 215-600-2117. For more information, visit us at: yourmetropolitan.com/rent-wynnefield.

Close to City Hall

$2200 / 2br - 1100ft2 - 2 Bedroom in Center City - New Renovation.Large, just renovated two bedroom apartment available. Gut renovated traditional brownstone in Center City. Close to SEPTA, City Hall, Rittenhouse Sq. Great location in the heart of Center City. This unit has hardwood floors throughout. Laundry in Unit. Small outdoor space.

Stainless appliances with dishwasher. Lots of character and very good light. New renovations coming to market in Rittenhouse, Fitler Sq, Market East, Old City. Most pets are allowed with deposit. Tenant responsible for all utilities.

1st - Last - Security to move in. No broker fees to tenant.

206efb3a99b13adfb9955a24d69a3266@hous.craigslist.org

Rittenhouse

$1695 / 1br - 600ft2 - Amazing, modern old-world gem!

Center City Rittenhouse. Luxury one (1) bedroom apt in historic building. Available starting in May/June. In a historic building on Chestnut St at 20th St. Restored natural hardwood floors throughout. Kitchen: granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, garbage disposal, breakfast bar. Kitchen was renovated in 2019. New efficient HVAC system for low utility cost. Minutes from RITTENHOUSE SQUARE, 30th Street train station, Penn and Drexel universities, Trader Joe’s, Target, CVS, and the new COMCAST Tower. Very close to awesome restaurants. Perfect for grad students that want the amenities of Center City but don’t want to pay top dollar. No smoking or vaping anything inside the apt, building, or within 25 feet of the building. No elevator in building; apt is on 2nd level.

7d6d1f1647d6386e906e5c82a02d3658@hous.craigslist.org

Midtown

$1770 / 2br - 2 Bedroom~Midtown Center City (201 S. 13th).

2 Bedroom~$1870.00 Midtown. 201 S 13th St. $1,770/ mo. KEY FEATURES: Bedrooms: 2 Bed. Bathrooms: 1 Bath.

Lease Duration: 1 Year. Deposit: $500. Pets Policy: Cats & Dogs OK. Laundry: Shared. Floor: 8th. Property Type: Apartment. DESCRIPTION: 2 Bedroom ~1 Bath, unit. Vinyl Laminate flooring, with carpeted bedroom. Kitchen nook.

RENTAL FEATURES. Range / Oven. Refrigerator. Heat: baseboard heating. Hardwood floor. COMMUNITY FEATURES: Vintage building. Controlled access. LEASE TERMS: Tenant pays electric and cable: water is included. Website: http:// pmcpropertygroup.com/properties/walnut-squareapartment

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.

Massive

$2885 / 2br - 1277ft2 - Massive 2 bedroom 2 bathroom in Center City! The Collins. 1125 Sansom Street. Full Color Brochure Here: http://cl.greystar.com/cw42n3. Call Now: 855-403-1262. This is a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, approximately 1277 Sq. Ft. At The Collins, you’re in the heart of Midtown Village where it’s all happening, from street festivals to cocktail hours to art openings. Stake your claim to insider status in the neighborhood’s newest shopping-and-dining destination. Indulge in luxury loft living in your choice of design styles – modern chic or authentic vintage – steps from the Blue and Orange lines near the best of downtown. Get into The Collins, and live all in. #All_In \. Features: Walk In Master closet and large Guest bedroom closet, Coat Closet, Large Pantry, Open floor-ceiling windows. Designer drop lighting & bedroom ceiling fan(s).En suite Master bath has Beautiful Shower stall with floating glass door and double sinks. Guest bath has soaking city tub with floating cabinetry and spacious countertop. Oversized entry hallway. Front Load Bosch Washer and Dryer in every apartment. Large L shaped kitchen and island seats two counter-height bar stools comfortably. 11’+ ceilings with loft open-air Bedroom walls. Juliet balconies.

Luxury detailing ceramic back splash & espresso cabinetry.

Quartz countertops compliment the GE Stainless appliances.

4th-6th Floor Modern Chic style available end of May-July.

Enviro Quiet wood plank style flooring beautifully cuts down noise.

High-end luxury

$3415 / 2br - 1130ft2 - Center City’s newest HIGH END LUXURY APTS workout rooms HUGE ROOF DECK. $500 security deposit. That’s a total to move in of 1-month rent plus $500. Logan Square is the home of Center City’s newest premier Luxury apartment building. Amenities include an impressive, huge rooftop deck with stunning views and fully furnished. Real on-site fitness workout rooms on several floors, where you can get a complete workout without paying for pricey gyms. Basketball court. Beautifully designed lounge area. 24/7 doorman services and property management contact on site. What’s around? Everything! Walk to local landmarks like Rittenhouse and Logan Squares, The Parkway and its world famous museums. Center City’s top dining and shopping districts are all within a short walk away. Easy commuting? Suburban station is only 2 blocks away! Various layouts available and offered. All feature the same high-end finishes throughout- Bright and contemporary interior.

Hardwood floors in the living area. Carpeted bedrooms. Fully equipped kitchens with top brand stainless steel appliances, granite counters, breakfast bars and wooden cabinetry. Tiled bathrooms with great fixtures. Washer and dryer in every unit. High-efficiency air and heat systems. Cable and internet ready. CHOOSE FROM ONE, TWO OR THREE BEDROOM UNITS. SOME WITH PRIVATE BALCONIES & STUNNING VIEWS. Shimi “Jimmy” Dahan. MRC- Maxwell Realty Co., Inc. Office: 215-546-6000

Heart of Center City

$2100 / 2br - 890ft2 - 2 Bedroom, Center City great location!

Beautiful two bedroom, one bath in the heart of Center City.

Walking distance to everything Center City has to offer restaurants, shops, Jefferson University Hospital and more!

78226780da353675a506a1e9aed7ac1c@hous.craigslist.org

APRIL 9 - 16, 2020 | PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY

Business lounge

SOHO style

Two-car parking

Hardwood floors

$2225 / 1br - 632ft2 - 1 BEDROOM APARTMENT CENTER CITY-BUSINESS LOUNGE, ROOFTOP, CLUBROOM. 1338 Chestnut St. near Broad Street. Griffin Center City. 1338 Chestnut Street. See our property details here: http:// cl.greystar.com/4b8732. This is a 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath, approximately 632 Sq. Ft. 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: Washers and dryers. Carpeted bedrooms. Freestanding kitchen islands. Quartz countertops. Stainless steel appliances. Luxurious bathrooms with quartz countertops and glass showers. Spectacular city views. Modern kitchens.

Mecho-style blinds. Keyless entry. Engineered hardwood flooring. Wood cabinets. Designer backsplashes

$3400 Center City 3-BR Home with 2-Car parking (11th & Locust). This home is beautiful with a lot of upgrades and PARKING for TWO cars! It is a historic home but completely redone and upgraded with the following: Granite Kitchen.

Stainless Steel Appliances. Dark Wood Cabinets in the Kitchen.

Dishwasher. Garbage Disposal. French Doors. Hardwood Floors. Large living area. Modern Bathroom fixtures with Tile and Granite. Central Air Conditioning. Fully finished basement with Fireplace and Laundry Room. Upgraded lighting fixtures, Modern Finishes. Full-size Washer and Dryer. Ceiling Fans in Every room. Beautiful Historic Brick Exterior with excellent lighting! Located between Walnut and locust and 11th and 12th Streets. One -block away from Jefferson Hospital and the Forrest Theatre. Available June 1.

1aee554eeaf039b9afe736387026e16b@hous.craigslist.org

Exposed beams

$2110 / 698ft2 - Exposed Beams and Columns, Roof Lounge, Walk to Center City, Terrace. 1600 Callowhill Street near Callowhill Street.Want more information? http://cl.greystar. com/h62166. Call Now: (267) 460-7663 x 67. OR Text 67 to (267) 460-7663 to text our leasing team. A PHILADELPHIA ICON. This is a Studio, 1 Bath, approximately 698 Sq. Ft. Originally built amidst a sea of immense factories that made up the Callowhill branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, Sixteen Hundred is an incarnation of the city’s manufacturing heritage.

The newly updated Sixteen Hundred is timeless, modern, and distinctly Philadelphian. Features: Expansive Windows.

Panoramic Views Available. Generous Closets. Original Brick Walls. 14’ Ceilings. Equipped Kitchens. Studios, 1 Bedrooms & 2 Bedrooms. Exposed Beams and Columns. Open Loft Layouts. Community Amenities: Visit the Museums. Bike Storage. Roof Lounge. Terrace. Ride the Broad Street Line.

Community Room. Roof Deck & Patio. Fitness Center. Walk to Center City. Ground Floor Retail

$3100 / 2br - 1396ft2 - Enjoy Stunning SOHO Style Open Loft living in the heart of Center City (1352 South St #314). Enjoy Stunning SOHO Style Open Loft living in the heart of Center City and directly on the Avenue of the Arts. Close walking distance to world-class restaurants, shopping, theatre, and all that downtown has to offer. Welcome to your new ~1400 FT 2BR 2BA home that will feature 20~ ceilings, European-style custom stainless kitchen, Brazilian hardwood floors, marble bathrooms, private balcony, floor to ceiling windows, Bosch Washer Dryer, and your own deeded parking spot. Built in 2007, your new building is the only ground up true loft building on the Avenue of the arts. 1352 Lofts features 24/7 concierge services, Can be rented furnished for an additional 500/ month Central Air Hardwood floors Parking available Stainless Steel Appliances Laundry in Building Hardwoodfloors. b6f3c2483bc33cae8ddf5d898a677d60@hous.craigslist.orgs

$1495 / 1br - 563ft2 - Great Price~1 Bedroom~1 Bath~Center City (1411 Walnut St.). 1 Bedroom~1 BA~Hardwood Floors.

1411 Walnut St. $1,495/mo. KEY FEATURES: Sq Footage: 563sf. Bedrooms: 1 Bed. Bathrooms: 1 Bath. Lease Duration: 1 Year. Deposit: $500. Pets Policy: Cats & Dogs OK. Laundry: Shared. Property Type: Apartment. DESCRIPTION: 1 Bedroom Apartment home with Hardwood Floors; Central Heating; Central Cooling; Microwave; Building Features Exercise Room and Front Desk. The original home of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange; 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! RENTAL FEATURES: Living room. Range / Oven. Refrigerator. Microwave. Heat: forced air. Central A/C. Double pane / Storm windows. Cable-ready. Hardwood floor.

COMMUNITY FEATURES: Vintage building. Elevator. Doorman.

Fitness center. Near transportation. LEASE TERMS: 1 year Lease; Tenant pays electricity (cost of heating water); Landlord pays gas and water. Website: http://pmcpropertygroup.com/ properties

Safe, convenient

$1200 / 3br - 1500ft2 - Fully Furnished 3b 2b Center City Condo Safe & Convenient. Totally renovated unit!

Brand new on everything! Gorgeous 3b 2b condo in Center City Philadelphia, walk to the Convention center and Reading Terminal Market. Close to Jefferson Hospital and major transportation. Located in a safe and secured building in the heart of Chinatown. Walk score 99 - easy walk to all major historic sights, attractions, restaurants/ bars and public transportation. The entire condo is fully furnished, each bedroom comes with a queen size bed(all bedding is 100% cotton), a night table, a lamp, a five-drawer dresser and a closet. Full kitchen with pots, cookware, plates and utensils etc. Washer and dryer are in the unit. You can rent the entire unit, or individual room.

One bedroom has its own private bathroom. Both short term and long term are welcomed. $1200/mo per room. e3675a04e25039f8bc450810c8b4c52b@hous.craigslist.org.

Great studio

$1050 / 500ft2 - A Great Studio (500 sq ft) near UPenn, Drexel, and Center City. A 500 sq ft studio: $1050/month, not including utilities ($75-100/month). Expected date for the subletter moving in: end of May or early June (negotiable).

Lease length: until Dec 2020, and the lease can be renewed.

Deposit: One-month rent ($1050). I’m looking to sublet my studio starting from the end of May/early June (negotiable).

It is in the Westminster Arch Apartments (https://www. westminsterarch.com/), and the address is 2215 Arch St. This apartment is located in a safe neighborhood. It is within walking distance to Center City (10 min), Penn’s (15-20 min), Drexel’s campus (15-20 min), two nearby Targets (10-15 min), Trader Joe’s (3 min), and Whole Foods (10-15 min).

The kitchen is equipped with a microwave, a dishwasher, an internal venting and an external venting. This is a ceiling heater that provides heat for the bathroom, which works perfectly during winter. The laundry room and rubbish room are located on the same floor with the studio, which is extremely convenient. This apartment has two elevators, but you can take the stairs because the studio is on the 3rd floor. Bikes can be safely parked on the ground floor of the apartment. There is an onsite manager in this apartment from 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday. The manager will leave your delivered items at your room door, between Monday to Friday. Maintenance and rent payment are done online via your person portal. Generally, your maintenance request will be addressed within a day. I am happy to leave my furniture and appliances for you if you need it (free), which means this apartment is ready for moving in.

Please let me know if you are interested in subletting this unit.

Thank you! ed7f40d3e0cd37c380c7ccf22c7bd6b0@hous. craigslist.org

Live near campus

$3515 / 2br - 1173ft2 - Two Bedroom, Two Bathroom located in Center City! (300 Alexander Court). WELCOME TO THE ALEXANDER. Call Now: (215) 596-4234 x 61. OR Text 61 to (215) 596-4234 to text with us. 300 Alexander Court.

Interested In This Unit? http://cl.greystar.com/0mL98m This is a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, approximately 1173 Sq. Ft. Discover the definition of exceptional living at The Alexander. Here, at our high-rise Philadelphia apartments, you will find the perfect blend of modern design and enduring style. The Alexander will feature luxurious homes with unique configurations and unmatched amenities, all in a smoke-free environment.

Enjoy upscale urban living from the rooftop deck, the lavish courtyard or by simply letting our on-site concierge assist with making your everyday a little more extraordinary. Live in a walkable, pet-friendly residential neighborhood near museums and parks. Classic, warm, and inviting – find your future at The Alexander. Features: Custom cabinets in Kitchens. In-home washers and dryers. Open-concept floor plans. Oversized windows for extra light. Wood-Like Flooring throughout the apartment. Walk-In Closets. Spacious studio-, one-, two-, and three- bedroom apartment homes available.

Picturesque terraces and balconies in select apartments.

Stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops in Kitchens.

Views of Center City Philadelphia from select apartments

REAL ESTATE

PHILADELPHIAWEEKLY.COM @PHILLYWEEKLY

Kathy, Patrick and the

Conway Team

27

Patrick Conway | 215-266-1537

patrick@conwayteam.com Kathy Conway | 215-850-3842

kathy@conwayteam.com

90% OF OUR BUSINESS COMES FROM FRIENDS TELLING FRIENDS.

OUR RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF Thank you for your business.

We are grateful!

We are hoping all will be safe during these days of uncertainty!!

OUR OFFICE IS CLOSED FOLLOWING FEDERAL GUIDELINES.

However, we are working remotely and we are available by phone, text or email. We are actively working on your listing and still searching for your dream home. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

STAY SAFE AND BEST WISHES, Kathy, Patrick and the entire Conway Team!

NM-00426895

Society Hill Office • Pat Conway 215-266-1537 | Kathy Conway 215-850-3842 | Office 215-627-6005 • www.conwayteam.com • VM 215-266-1537 Fishtown This exceptionally well-designed, modern home features strikingly high ceilings on every floor elementally crediting to incredibly expansive windows flooding the interiors with natural light and breezes. Enter into the first floor which features an open floor plan that frames a functional ergonomic kitchen. The back patio allows for seasonal living space outdoors in addition to the balcony, and the full footprint roof deck with beautiful views. $500,000

New Listing | West Passyunk Built in 1925, enter through the original vestibule into a large living room with extra large windows, drenched with sunlight that flows into your nice size dining area. Throughout the first floor, you’ll find gorgeous, wide plank, new hardwood flooring and high ceilings, a touch of old with the new. Continue outdoors to the concrete patio, perfect for urban gardening. 3 BR | 1 BA $219,900

Queen Village This fabulous, nearly 3000 square feet home features a 1-car garage, an elevator, extra den or study in addition to the 3 bedrooms, upper floor laundry, professional grade kitchen appliances, two gas fireplaces, a rear yard with patio, two balconies, whole house audio, plenty of storage, eastern and western directional natural light, and dual zone heating and cooling. $800,000

New Listing | Fishtown This 3-story plus basement charmer has everything you need, with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, a real cook’s kitchen, tons of natural light, and a massive roof deck with city views to delight! This house has been built with an open concept feel, modern amenities, a fully finished basement bedroom/bonus room, and tons of closet space. $580,000

New Listing | Fishtown Welcome to this impressive new construction corner home. Enter into the large open concept living room/dining room and stunning kitchen. This home offers an abundance of windows throughout to give off lots of natural lighting, a wet bar, hardwood floors, an Intercom system, a surveillance system, a backyard, and a large roof deck with city views. Comes with a 10 year tax abatement and 1 year builder’s warranty. 3 BR | 3 BA $665,000

Graduate Hospital This light filled, one of a kind, architecturally designed home evokes a p opular European style with modern details throughout. It features a dramatic open center staircase, a large contemporary kitchen, and a dynamic two-story living room which opens onto a beautiful sunken garden with decking and a glass wall of doors providing natural light, plus an upper paved deck. There’s more: A 1-car garage & 3 years left on the Tax Abatement! $1,195,000

PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY | APRIL 9 - 16, 2020

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