Sensi Magazine - Philadelphia (March 2020) by Sensi Magazine

I PHILADELPHIA M A R C H 2020

Are you Out of the Green Closet?

Welcome to a Better Quality of Life

www.TheGreenAlternativeDoctor.com

Focused on Growth.

PHILADELPHIA SENSI MAGAZINE MARCH 2020

sensimediagroup @sensimagazine @sensimag

F E AT U R E S

Greenway Dreams

In a New Dimension

Urban trail construction booms in Philadelphia.

Paper engineers create the first pop-up book to explore the world of cannabis.

D E PA R T M E N T S

9 EDITOR’S NOTE 10 THE BUZZ News, tips, and tidbits

to keep you in the loop GELATO LIFT Cloud Cups brings CBD to sweets. LOCAL LISTENING Philly’s three best podcasts ON THE GLOW Infused juice to boost your mood DIY REVIVAL Where to get your fixer-upper fix

14 THE LIFE Contributing to your

health and happiness SIZE MATTERS

The wins and woes of tiny house living SMOKIN’ COLD Thirsty Dice’s smoked tea cocktail HOROSCOPE What the stars hold for you

34 THE SCENE Hot happenings and hip

hangouts around town A BRAND NEW YOU Expert advice on self-branding HIGH SOCIETY Recapping two stellar fundraising events: the Superhero Project Gala and the Lemon Ball CALENDAR The best events and attractions this month has to offer

50 THE END

How brotherly love is done when you’re a sister

ON THE COVER The Rail Park, among many other beautified urban trails, breathes life back into Phillyʼs abandoned railways. PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT PHILADELPHIA

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A DV I S O R Y B OA R D

A&R Ironworks Iron Works

Ruckus Gallery Smoke Shop

Clout Products Vaporizers

Terrapin Care Station Processing

The Green Alternative Doctor Medical Marijuana Evaluations & Education

Total Cryo Cryotherapy

Green Dragon Hydroponics Hydroponic Equipment & Supply Green Line Hydroponics Genetics: Clone Propagation Greenhouse Payment Solutions Payment Processing High Expectations Marketing Marketing & Consulting

Vireo Health Inc. MMJ Grower Processor

FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACE BOOK Like Sensi Media Group for the parties, topics, and happenings weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re obsessed with right now.

Logic Jiu Jitsu & Thai Boxing Medicinally Jointed Wellness & Beauty Mindleaf CBD Edibles Nearing Nirvana Plant Based Nutrition

T W I T TER Follow @sensimag to stay up-to-date on the latest news from Sensi cities.

Pancea Payroll Payroll Processing PA Green Medical Holistic Medicine Philadelphia Visionary Arts Gallery Art Gallery

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I NSTAG RAM @sensimagazine is home to exclusive photos and content.

EXECUTIVE Ron Kolb Founder, CEO ron@sensimag.com Mike Mansbridge President mike@sensimag.com

Alex Martinez Chief Operating Officer alex@sensimag.com EDITORIAL

Stephanie Wilson Co-Founder, Editor in Chief stephanie@sensimag.com Doug Schnitzspahn Executive Editor doug.schnitzspahn@sensimag.com Jenny Willden Managing Editor jenny.willden@sensimag.com Leland Rucker Senior Editor leland.rucker@sensimag.com

Robyn Griggs Lawrence Editor at Large robyn.lawrence@sensimag.com Helen Olsson Copy Chief Melissa Howsam Senior Copy Editor Bevin Wallace Copy Editor

Mona Van Joseph Contributing Writer DESIGN Jamie Ezra Mark Creative Director jamie@emagency.com Rheya Tanner Art Director Wendy Mak Designer Kiara Lopez Designer Josh Clark Designer Jason Jones Designer em@sensimag.com PUBLISHING Michael Fanini Publisher mike.fanini@sensimag.com

Russell Cacciavillano Associate Publisher russ.cacciavillano@sensimag.com Wendy Lubell Associate Publisher wendy.lubell@sensimag.com Rick Rueda Associate Publisher rick.rueda@sensimag.com B U S I N E S S /A D M I N

EDITOR’S NOTE

I don’t remember

exactly when I fell in love with Philadelphia. Like any crush, I was cautiously optimistic about the possibility of a long-term relationship—while reasonably doubting that my mountain girl heart could ever make a home in America’s sixth biggest city. But a turning point came one March night four years ago, when my husband booked a table at Double Knot, a newly opened, subterranean izakaya, for my birthday. We didn’t know what awaited us down the hidden flight of stairs, but our group was immediately awestruck by the moody candlelight, smoking cocktails, stunning bar, and edamame dumplings. (Especially the dumplings.) It’s the sort of place you’d never find in Utah’s suburbs where I grew up, and one that makes you love a city bold enough to create it. In the following years, Double Knot has never lost its charm, becoming our go-to destination for date nights and hosting out-of-town guests. Beloved only-in-Philly experiences like this quickly evolved beyond bars and restaurants to unforgettable moments: partying in the city after the Eagles won the Super Bowl, racing down Broad Street with 35,000 people in the pouring rain, and singing on SEPTA in lederhosen and dirndls after one-too-many Oktoberfest beer samples. These moments make Philly, well, Philly, charming us (and others) to come and stay—years beyond any planned expiration date. Whether you’re a born-and-bred Philadelphian or a transplant like me, we hope to showcase this vibe in Sensi, sharing the unique stories of the city and its characters. In our March issue, we talk tiny houses, booze-free cocktails, where to find Philly’s best CBD goodies, and why you need a personal brand. We hope you love what we’re creating, but Sensi is here for you, and we want the pages of this publication to reflect that. Whether you email or @ me, let me know what you want to see in Philadelphia’s newest magazine.

Whether you’re a Philly native or a transplant like me, we hope to showcase the unique stories of this city and its characters in our pages.

Kristan Toth Head of People kristan.toth@sensimag.com Amber Orvik Administrative Director amber.orvik@sensimag.com Andre Velez Marketing Director andre.velez@sensimag.com Neil Willis Production Manager neil.willis@sensimag.com Hector Irizarry Distribution distribution@sensimag.com M E D I A PA R T N E R S Marijuana Business Daily Minority Cannabis Business Association National Cannabis Industry Association Students for Sensible Drug Policy

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Cannab-Ice Gelato meets CBD at Fishtown’s Cloud Cups. Get an ice-cold dose of CBD with cannabidiol oil–infused gelato from Cloud Cups. Made in inventive flavors like Nutella, Pop Tart brown sugar, and passion fruit sorbet, each four-ounce scoop delivers a 50-milligram CBD punch—and you’ll only find it in Philadelphia. Available at Pizza Brain in Fishtown, Cloud Cups serves this gelato in the space last occupied by Little Baby’s flagship ice cream shop. The departure of Little Baby’s from the city left a hole the size of an ice cream cone in our hearts. So, the opening of Cloud Cups in its former space is delightful news for dessert lovers in the neighborhood. And it’s not just for CBD users; Cloud Cups serves both infused and noninfused gelato in dairy and vegan flavors. CBD is the nonpsychoactive property of cannabis, and Pennsylvania is one of few states that allow its inclusion in food. This is a key reason the co-creators of Cloud Cups, Sierra Georgia and Galen Thomas, are focusing this business in the City of Brotherly Love. “We wanted to put cannabis in a frozen dessert because it hadn’t been done before,” Thomas says. “[Georgia] being a world-renowned gelato chef, it made sense to put it in gelato.” Georgia brings a background in the sweet stuff as founding owner of Gelat’oh. Thomas says Cloud Cups extracts its CBD straight from the source, allowing the company to infuse more and keep prices lower than other CBD products sold in the city. While he stayed tightlipped about specifics, Thomas believes spring will bring even more dessert options to this neighborhood scoop shop. 2311 Frankford Ave., Fishtown thecloudcupscompany.com

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Cloud Cups co-creators, Galen Thomas (left) and Sierra Georgia, bring CBD-infused gelato to Fishtownʼs Pizza Brain.

CONTRIBUTORS

Jenny Willden

BY THE NUMBERS

3.8

RESTAURANTS

Local Listening

Here are the Philly podcasts we’re tuned into this month. The Boghouse What happens when a Philadelphia couple buys an old theater, digs underground, and finds a trove of colonial treasure? Find out in this podcast that mixes accidental archaeology with Philly lore, showcasing the discarded wonders you can find in subterranean, Revolution-era toilets. boghouse.thehannah.org

The Philly Blunt Listen in as hosts grab a beer with Philadelphia characters, digging in with a series of rapid-fire questions about what makes them tick. From comedians and chefs to DJs and poets, this podcast shares the stories of the cityʼs most fascinating citizens. thephillyblunt.com

Making the Breast of It The co-hosts of this podcast couldnʼt be more different: one is a single girl in the city and the other a suburban-dwelling wife and mother, but both are facing the same diagnosis: terminal Stage IV metastatic breast cancer. With humor and candor, they share their stories and inspire others while facing their own mortality. podcasts.apple.com

Number of eateries for every 1,000 people in Philadelphia— more per capita than New York City SOURCE: billypenn.com

249 YEARS

ON THE GLO

Boost your mood with tart and tasty Sip-N-Glo juice. Currently, the laws on CBD in prepared foods are murky, with some US states banning the practice outright. But in Pennsylvania, CBD with a THC level under .03% is allowed, and it’s often added to smoothies, muffins, kombucha, and more at businesses around Philadelphia. Sip-N-Glo Juicery brings the trend to fresh juice with a wildly popular concoction called Glo Easy. Made with 15 milligrams of CBD, Glo Easy tastes like pink lemonade and contains fresh dragon fruit, lemon, rosewater, hibiscus tea, and strawberries. There’s no funky aftertaste, and it’s supposed to simultaneously calm you and boost your mood for a chill, relaxed energy. Sip-N-Glo worked with experts on the formulation and dosing, opting for an easier-to-absorb, water-soluble version of CBD. You can also add this CBD boost to any of the juicery’s smoothies. Locations in Rittenhouse, Center City, and South Philadelphia sipnglo.com

The length of time Philadelphiaʼs St. Patrickʼs Day Parade has been held—the countryʼs second-oldest SOURCE: philadelphiastpatsparade.com

EVERY

DAYS

How often a new Philadelphia-area brewery opens SOURCE: phillybeerworld.com

“I love the dignity in the name Philadelphia, but at heart, we’re Philly.” —Lisa Scottoline, author

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THE BUZZ

NETFLIX & SWILL

From basic Bud and cases of Yuengling to craft beer growlers and natural wines, Quick Sip lets you skip the trip to the store and have beer or wine delivered to your door. The company has Philadelphia’s largest selection of deliverable wine and beer, and an ever-increasing delivery zone. Stay home in your PJs, and imbibe in comfort with Quick Sip.

VOX POPULI

Question: Who makes the best cheesesteak in Philadelphia?

CANDACE YAEGER

SANDY KERSTETTER NATHAN SCHOMERS ELANA FLEHINGER

_______________________

Owner and Executive Coach Doylestown

Forget Pat’s & Geno’s. After growing up in Northeast Philly, we know the best cheesesteak in town is Steve’s.

quicksipdelivery.com

Director of Network Development West Mount Airy

Executive Research Chef Berlin, Germany (formerly of Philly)

Attorney Fitler Square

John’s Roast Pork in South Philly. It’s a hike for me to get down there, but it’s so worth it. They have the best quality meats in the city. I’m a cheesesteak purist—just steak and American cheese!

Ishkabibble’s on South Street. The service is consistent, the steaks are great “wiz wit.” It was the closest shop to my old place in Queen Village, so I have many memories from that jawn. Also, they have some of the city’s best french fries.

The best cheesesteak in the city is Steve’s Prince of Steaks; I’m a loyal subject of the Prince. The texture of the meat (not chopped) with molten American cheese is an amazing combo. Its cherry soda is pretty great too.

_______________________

DIY REVIVAL

From candle making to wood-sign building, crafting in Philly has gone mainstream. Why buy it when you can make it? That’s the ethos of Philly’s DIY boom. While the word “crafting” might conjure up images of your grandma’s scrapbooks and hand-stitched doilies, new city studios are bringing fresh takes on this pastime. Wannabe DIY-ers come to pour candles, bind books, and build home decor with dates or friends. The storefronts provide the tools, instruction, and space to bring these creations to life— while preventing Pinterest fails.

craft decor worthy of display. 2012 Frankford Ave., Fishtown 8607 Germantown Ave., Chestnut Hill arworkshop.com

PADDYWAX CANDLE

Sip and craft at this candle pouring studio that houses a beer and wine bar. Workshops are open to walk-ins and offered three to five times per day, but it’s best to book online if coming with a crew. Choose a vessel, add a scent, and pour away. While your candle sets, shop the curated collection of boutique AR WORKSHOPS goods and Start with raw materials and build wood spend time signs, canvas pillows, bottle openers, and with your boo wood frames at these home decor workshops or besties. in Fishtown and Chestnut Hill. Visit the retail 1733 Chestnut shop to buy pre-made pieces and gifts, or St., Rittenhouse gather your girlfriends and schedule a slot to thecandlebar.co

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WAX + WINE Forget paint parties—candle pouring is the next hot crafting trend. We love this homegrown studio’s BYO policy, and it offers a huge selection of 75 scents to mix with natural coconut wax. Be aware: after pouring, candles take three hours to “set” before they can come home with you. 1034 Pine St., Washington Square West waxandwine.com

THE BUZZ

PET CBD ALL

BILITIES

BY STEPHANIE WILSON, EDITOR IN CHIEF

NATURAL

A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO WELLNESS

1 READING ROOM The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (Knopf, $27). Showcasing her signature literary prowess, Mandel explores the infinite ways we search for meaning in this much-hyped new release, expected March 24. Also out this month: It’s Not All Downhill from Here by How Stella Got Her Groove Back author Terry McMillan.

2 STREAM THIS Freeform’s The Bold Type. Now in its third season, this sleeper hit could be your new favorite series. It’s mine, in no small part because it centers on three young women working for a New York mag. But also because it’s witty AF, aspirational, and depicts successful women who are defined not by their relationships but by their careers. It’s empowering, and you should watch it for free on Freeform, or on your favorite streaming platform. 3 LISTEN UP NPR’s Life Kit podcast offers tools to keep it together. And by you, I mean me; I need all the help I can get. Picking out a lightbulb last fall had me staring mouth agape in a store aisle for a half hour trying to make sense of all the options. After listening to “Picking Out a Lightbulb, Made Easy,” I know which bulb’s for me. Life Kit’s episodes are short, to the point, and offer tips on how to do things like start therapy, start a book club, master your budget, remove stains, and juggle paperwork, appointments, and repairs. Basically how to adult. 4 GROWING TREND Pot in Pots. The Swiss-cheese-leafed Monstera is last year’s “It” plant. Cannabis is the hashtagable houseplant of 2020. Get in on the trend. Depending where you live, you can find clones or seeds at select dispensaries with an easy google—while you’re at it, look up local laws regarding home grows. Cannabis cuttings (a.k.a. clones) are pretty easy to root—check Leafly.com for tips—and you should definitely bring some to your next plant swap. Spread the word, spread the love.

The benefits of CBD oil is not just limited to people. CBD can contribute to the quality of life for your pets dealing with a spectrum of conditions and is an excellent treatment.

Available in 300mg, 500mg, & 1500mg

“NEW YORK IS…WHERE PEOPLE GO TO REINVENT THEMSELVES; PHILADELPHIA IS… WHERE PEOPLE DISCOVER WHO THEY ARE.” —Peter McAndrews, chef

www.NearingNirvana.com

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Tiny homes are an obvious solution to housing and climate issues. Why isn’t it easier to find places for them? TEXT ROBYN GRIGGS LAWRENCE

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of McMansion Mania. Shafer’s 130-square-foot home (yes, you read that right), built for $40,000, was a hard “no” to all that. It was also cozy and inviting, and Shafer described himself as a claustrophile (someone who loves closed-in spaces). Shafer won the Philosophy and Innovation Award

in our Natural Home of the Year contest because his adorable house embodied everything the magazine stood for, and he wasn’t afraid to say things. He said that we Americans like our homes like we like our food—big and cheap—and he was the first to figure out that putting a tiny house on

PHOTOS BY POVY KENDAL ATCHISON

Size Matters

I visited Jay Shafer’s meticulous American Gothic–style house in a sun-dappled Iowa City backyard shortly after we launched Natural Home magazine in 1999. The Dow had just surpassed 10,000, mortgage credit requirements were melting into oblivion, and America had a bad case

wheels makes it an RV and therefore not subject to city and county minimum-size standards and codes. He wasn’t shy about his intention to make tiny homes a revolutionary alternative in a housing market headed for disaster. “I am certainly not proposing that everyone should live in a house as small as mine,” Shafer wrote in the letter accompanying his contest entry. “Such minimalism would be excessive for most people. What I am saying is that the scale of our homes should be as varied as the spatial needs of their inhabitants, and that it is those needs rather than government regulations and conspicuous consumption that should determine house size.” Shafer’s message was radical, and largely ignored, in the frenzy

leading up to the 2008 crash. But his company, Tumbleweed Tiny Homes, built a following, and he built a name for himself as the godfather of a fledgling tiny house movement (one blogger called him “the George Washington of simple and sustainable living”). He wrote The Small House Book and was on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Then he lost the company in a business dispute and his house in a divorce, and he was homeless for a while, living in a pigpen inside a shed. Determined never to live that way again, Shafer designed a 50-square-foot home that cost $5,000 in Sebastopol, California. He gives master class workshops at tiny house festivals around the world (including the Tiny House Festival Australia in Bendigo, Victoria, March 21–22).

operating and maintaining them costs a lot less. When the International Code Commission made changes to its residential code to facilitate tiny house construction in 2018, it reported lifetime conditioning costs as low as 7 percent of conventional homes. That reality is driving the spike in interest in tiny homes, which are getting a lot of attention as a solution to the affordable housing and homeless crises, with the added bonus of being A Status Symbol for kinder to the planet than Humble Braggers a traditional three-bedThough 82 percent of room/two-bath. Whether renters say they would like to buy a home some- they live in tiny homes for financial reasons day, according to Fannie or not, climate-aware Mae, homeownership is homebuyers get a status at its lowest point since symbol that flaunts their 1965. Ordinary people can’t afford the American honorable choice to reduce their footprint and Dream (median listing live with less—no easy price: $310,000). In the thing to do, even in this Bay Area, homebuyers post-Kondo age. paid twice their annual It doesn’t hurt that tiny income for a house in the homes—generally defined 1960s; today, they shell out nine times their year- as homes with less than ly salary. Only 13 percent 400 square feet—are now readily available in every of millennial renters in style, from your basic the United States will shed to sleek Dwell-worhave enough cash to put thy models. You can buy 20 percent down on a plans and build a tiny house in the next five house yourself or pick out years, according to an one online and have it Apartment List survey. shipped to you. You can Tiny homes are much cheaper, with prices rang- even order one on Aming from $10,000 to more azon. Used tiny homes, along with inspirational than $200,000 (averagstories and information, ing about $65,000), and “The evolution of tiny houses has paralleled the digital revolution, since this whole tiny thing started at the turn of the century,” Shafer told foxnews.com in 2014. “Once it became possible to have a remote little phone instead of a landline and a wall-mounted flat screen instead of a 2-foot-by-1foot chunk on the dresser, folks started seeing the potential for living in what basically amounts to a laptop with a roof.”

LIVE TINY AND FREE More than twice as many tiny homeowners—68 percent compared with 29 percent of all US homeowners—have no mortgage, and 78 percent own their own home. SOURCE: thetinylife.com

LEFT: The dining table in Jay Shaferʼs 130-squarefoot home can be taken down and stored in a closet when not in use.

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THE LIFE

TRY TINY

Think you might love a tiny house? airbnb.com, vrbo.com, glampinghub. com, and getaway.com all have tiny home listings to sample the lifestyle.

SECTION

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROCKY MOUNTAIN TINY HOMES

can be found at sites like tinyhousefor.us, tinyhousetalk.com, and tinyhouselistings.com. Tiny Home Nation: 10K Strong More than half of Americans would consider a tiny home, according to a National Association of Home Builders survey. Potential buyers and just-dreamers flock to check out micro-houses, “schoolies” (converted school buses), and vans at tiny home festivals like the Florida Suncoast Tiny Home Festival in St. Petersburg (March 28–29) and the People’s Tiny House Festival in Golden, Colorado (June 6–7). But the reality is that only about 10,000 people in North America—the lucky ones who have managed to find parking spots—actually live in tiny homes. Like anything that disrupts the norm in a conformist capitalist culture, building a tiny home in a world of ticky-tacky boxes is not easy. The good news is that times are changing, as municipalities consider tiny home villages as a way to house the homeless and marginalized communities. Still, most states only allow tiny homes to be parked in rural areas (Massachusetts, California, Florida, and Oregon are somewhat more

lenient). Because most zoning laws in the United States don’t have a classification for tiny houses, most owners have to follow Shafer’s lead and register them as RVs, trailers, or mobile homes. In most places, zoning ordinances won’t allow you to buy land, park your tiny home/RV, and live happily ever after. You either have to rely on the kindness of family and friends with backyards or pay a monthly park fee to rent a space in one of the tiny home villages cropping up across the country. Park Delta Bay, an RV resort in Isleton, California, now has a row reserved for tiny homes. At Village Farm, an RV resort that’s turning into a tiny-home community in Austin, Texas, residents pay about $600 to $700 a month to park and use the services. Slowly, city and state governments are responding to homebuyers’ demands for tiny home

opportunities beyond RV resorts. Portland, Oregon, (but of course) has relaxed its ordinances to allow for everything from tiny house communities to tiny house hotels. In Rockledge, Florida, citizens demanded zoning changes allowing for a pocket neighborhood with homes ranging from 150 to 700 square feet. A tiny home community for low-income residents is under way on Detroit’s west side, and Vail, Arizona, built two dozen 300to 400-square-foot houses for schoolteachers. Advocacy groups have been paving the way for tiny homes since Shafer and a few friends founded the Small Home Society in 2002, and they’re seeing a resurgence. In 2017, a group of University of California-Berkeley students launched the Tiny House in My Backyard (THIMBY) project to promote research and development and raise awareness of tiny house communities.

Operation Tiny Home is a national nonprofit that helps people “maintain a life of dignity” through high-quality tiny housing and empowerment training programs. In Canada, activists calling themselves Tiny House Warriors are taking the revolution to the next level, placing “resistance-homes-on-wheels” along the pathway of the proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline. “We are asserting our inherent, God-given right to our lands,” says Kanahus Manuel, a leader of Tiny House Warrior. “We’re defending what’s ours, and tiny homes are how we’re doing it.”

Interior and exterior of the Letʼs Get Stoked tiny house model from Rocky Mountain Tiny Homes.

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THIRSTY DICE

THE LIFE

17th & Fairmount, Philadelphia, thirstydice.com

RECIPE

Get Smoked

Skip the booze with this refreshing, smoked tea concoction.

TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

A library of more than 800 games await at Thirsty Dice, Philadelphia’s original board game café. Located in the Fairmount neighborhood, the café welcomes all ages (guests 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult) to play its collection for just $5 per person. But its games aren’t the only draw; the café has an all-day food menu featuring inventive options like grown-up Lunchables, donut PB&Js, weekend brunch waffles, and desserts galore. While it offers the usual drink suspects—craft beers, draft wine, boozy milkshakes, and cocktails—it’s the spirit-free sippers that stand out. Whether you’re reducing your alcohol intake or you don’t imbibe at all, you’ll love this smoky, not-so-sweet mocktail named for a popular Japanese card game. Mix one up for athome game nights or try it at Thirsty Dice.

Hanabi Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

6 to 8 ounces of coconut Assam and mint green teas (or substitute Lapsang souchong tea) ¼ ounce lemon juice ¾ ounce ginger syrup Fresh lemon

INST RUCT IONS

• Brew iced tea with a 3:2 ratio of coconut Assam and mint green teas. • Using a smoking gun, smoke iced tea for about six minutes. (If you don’t own a smoking gun, substitute Lapsang souchong tea, which has a naturally smoky flavor.) • Add all ingredients to an ice-filled, highball glass. • Stir and garnish with a lemon wedge. M ARCH 2020

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THE LIFE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mona Van Joseph has been an intuitive since 2002. She is an author, columnist, and host of Psychic View Radio. She created dicewisdom.com, which also has a smartphone app. mona.vegas

HOROSCOPE

MARCH HOROSCOPE What do the stars hold for you? TEXT MONA VAN JOSEPH

you are—and totally step JULY 23–AUG. 22 back from the people Listen to the compliwho are taking advanPeople are about to ment that presents ittage of your good nature. prove to you how much self to you as a critithey love you. March is cism; energies will make MAY 21–JUNE 20 when your gratitude toyou better through jealward people who are ousy and roadblocks. It It’s time to apologize for supporting you will make could be that you realize the things you have done all the difference. it’s time for a change. to hurt people. If your ego won’t let you actual- AUG. 23–SEPT. 22 MAR. 21–APR. 19 ly call them to apologize, write them a “spiritual” There are angels surThere is something to letter telling them you rounding you. Pennies celebrate that presents were unfair to them and and feathers in your path itself to you. To thank the that you are sorry. are likely. This is a month universe for this opporof being aware of how tunity or inspiration, do- JUNE 21–JULY 22 things are lining up for nate to an organization a you. Accept all invitations. few times this month. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” SEPT. 23–OCT. 22 APR. 20–MAY 20 The door to your future couldn’t open any wider. Coincidence will be your Do not try to impress If you want the job, you best friend this month. anyone who isn’t treating can have it. If you want It’s time to drop (old) you well. Please agree that relationship to go ideas that you can’t have with the vibration that to the next level, you what you want…you toyou are perfect the way can have it. tally can. Pay attention! FEB. 19–MAR. 20

PISCES

LEO

GEMINI

VIRGO

ARIES

CANCER

TAURUS

LIBRA

OCT. 23–NOV. 21

DEC. 22–JAN. 19

Practice saying nice things about people. Do not take on the bad karma right now of backstabbing those who truly do not deserve it. Ask yourself: “Am I basing my opinion on someone else’s agenda?”

When you focus on one thing at a time, you are a genius. Avoid multitasking this month. Better to spend the time to make sure it’s done right the first time.

SCORPIO

PISCES, ENERGIES WILL USE JEALOUSY AND ROADBLOCKS TO MAKE YOU BETTER THIS MONTH. IT COULD BE THAT IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE.

CAPRICORN

JAN. 20–FEB. 18

AQUARIUS

Embrace the high energy of spinning lots of You are the owner of this plates right now. You are lifetime and acting as the chef who has many though you do have the pots simmering, and it’s power to change things time to admit that you will make all the differlike it this way. Thrive by ence this month. You will making the magic hapget a sign that you are on pen with all the resourcthe right track. es available to you. NOV. 22–DEC. 21

SAGITTARIUS

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GREENWAY DREAMS Urban trail construction booms in Philadelphia.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT PHILADELPHIA

TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

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ibrant restaurants, crowded sidewalks, and towering skyscrapers. These are things we love about living in our bustling city. And while the Wissahickon and Kelly Drive offer welcome doses of nature, as spring returns, we’re on the lookout for more green in the city. That’s where Philadelphia’s new urban trails come into play. From the Rail Trail to The Circuit, we’ve got the scoop on new greenways to get outdoors this spring— without ever leaving the 215. REPURPOSED RAILWAYS Elevated railways were once vital for transportation in Philadelphia and New York City, carrying passengers and freight into city centers. Used from the late 1800s to the early 1980s, these railroad viaducts were eventually abandoned and left to deteriorate. But as wild plants crept over the old tracks and calls to demolish the “eyesores” grew, a coalition of citizens advocated for an alternative future: revive the freight lines as elevated green spaces. New York City’s rails-to-trails plan came to fruition first, with the lauded High Line rising in the Hudson Yards neighborhood in 2009. The 1½-mile parkway draws tourists and locals alike, with Instagrammable railroad track segments preserved to showcase its transportation past. Today the iconic High Line is arguably too successful, becoming a packed destination for art, food, and garden strolling 30 feet above the city streets. Its achievement pushed forward Philadelphia’s plan for an elevated rail trail on the MonopM ARCH 2020

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festivities, which brought a Hong organization, Friends of the Rail oly-made-famous (albeit long Kong–style celebration, dancing, a Park, is also launching events to abandoned) Reading Railroad flower market, calligraphy classspearhead fundraising for the next Viaduct. Raising $10.3 million es, and themed food and drink phase. You can help by attending dollars was enough to get conto the space. And its nonprofit the April 2 Off the Rails fundraisstruction underway in 2016, and the Rail Park’s first quarter-mile section opened in 2018. This first phase rises above Callowhill, a gritty post-industrial neighborhood that’s changing fast in the Rail Park’s wake. The park is a walkable oasis with city views, porch swings, art installations, Looking for somewhere new to run or ride? and places for you—and your Try these recently added trails. pup—to lounge and chill. Love City Brewing opened a few blocks 1. Cobbs Creek Trail 2. Bartram’s Mile away, and an outdoor pop-up bar 70th St. and Cobbs Creek Pkwy., Philadelphia 2601 S. 53rd St., Philadelphia called The Patio serves up creative Experience a new segment of Schuylkill Banks gets all the cocktails and beers with midcenthe Cobbs Creek Trail at 70th glory, but this 15-foot-wide tury vibes during summer months. Street in southwest Philly. Take multiuse path is a great extenit north to 63rd and Market sion along the riverʼs western A GROWING GREENWAY Street and enjoy the shade as bank. Run or ride it to BarThe Rail Park’s initial construction you wind through the woods tramʼs Garden, a historic site is just a taste of what’s to come. and along the creek. The addionce frequented by George As funds are raised, restoration of tionʼs best feature is a protectWashington, to see preserved the worn viaduct will continue— ed pedestrian passage through buildings and a flourishing wawith hopes for it to one day span the CSX rail bridge underpass, terfront botanical garden. The three miles through 10 neighborwhich previously had a blind trail begins at 56th Street Plaza hoods of Philadelphia. Cutting corner and no sidewalk. The trail and continues for 1.1 miles to across 50 city blocks through also provides a new connection the Grays Ferry Swing Bridge. elevated railroad platforms and to the 58th Street Greenway Part of the greater Schuylkill tunnels, the completed Rail Park and the Schuylkill River Trail. River Trail, Bartramʼs Mile is for would be twice the length and runners, walkers, and bikers, width of New York City’s High and it will eventually link up to Line (but who’s comparing?). the Schuylkill Banks boardwalk. Philly’s Rail Park also differs from the High Line because of its three distinct zones: the current Both cyclists and runners use Center elevated section (the Viaduct), a City's Schuylkill Banks boardwalk. below street level that’s open to the sky (the Cut), and an underground area (the Tunnel). Phase one is open daily and can be entered off Noble Street near the bridge over 13th or on Callowhill between 11th and 12th. The park also hosts events such as February’s Lunar New Year

PHOTO COURTESY OF VISIT PHILADELPHIA

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er, which will honor advocates of public green spaces and just be a damn good time outside. Once the full three-mile Rail Park is complete, it will give pedestrians and cyclists a safe, carfree path across the city while providing outdoor events, education, and recreation to residents and visitors. THE CIRCUIT TRAILS Beyond the Rail Park, the Greater Philadelphia region is quietly boosting its own new collective trail network called the Circuit Trails. You’ve likely run or biked a few of these trails without even knowing it. The name references a collective of 300 multiuse miles traversing southeast Pennsylvania and New Jersey. It’s already one of the largest trail networks in America—and it’s right in our backyard. The Circuit Trails include some of Philadelphia’s most iconic paths, including the Schuylkill River Trail, Schuylkill Boardwalk, Manayunk Bridge Trail, Pennypack Trail, Cooper River Trail, and the Wissahickon’s Forbidden Drive. From waterfront walks to forested paths, the Circuit’s trail diversity highlights how special Philadelphia is as a big city. You can quickly escape the skyscrapers and be alone in nature on a wide variety of biking and pedestrian paths. But many are disconnected from one another, requiring more work for cyclists and pedestrians to use them. This is a big reason why the Circuit Trails Coalition—a collaboration of nonprofit organizations, foundations, and agencies—is working so hard to advance the

Sunny days bring crowds to the city's Rail Park.

completion of the Circuit Trails in Greater Philadelphia. UPCOMING DEVELOPMENTS The Circuit Trails Coalition hopes to add 200 miles to its maps in five years, and while it may seem like an audacious goal, the group is on track to realize its dream by assuring the funding and completion of 166 in-the-works and inthe-pipeline trails. Upcoming completions include linking the Delaware River Trail from Spring Garden Street to Washington Avenue, building a path between the Chester Valley Trail and the Schuylkill River Trail to create 89 miles of continuous trails, and building the 34-mile Wissahickon Gateway to connect Philly’s Schuylkill River Trail to Montgomery County. Connecting the paths adds to their appeal and promotes safer walking and riding in the region. In West Fairmount Park, an

abandoned, overgrown 19th century trolley line will rise again as the Trolley Trail, a five-mile loop for hikers and cyclists. The trolley brought city dwellers to the park until the 1940s, and this revived route will follow much of the original pathway, showcasing old bridge abutments and tunnels formerly used by the trolley. By 2040, the goal is to complete an 800-mile Circuit Trail network. But you don’t need to wait 20 years to enjoy them. Visit circuittrails.org for maps and directions to current Circuit Trails, or use the site’s itinerary tool to find guides for 12 lauded trails. Once completed, both the Rail Park and Circuit Trails will link the region’s urban, suburban, and rural communities, providing a vast network of connected paths for residents and visitors to enjoy. This spring, instead of another run on the crowded Schuylkill Boardwalk, take a new Philly trail for a spin. M ARCH 2020

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Paper-engineering obsessives create the first pop-up book to explore the world of cannabis.

In a New TEXT LELAND RUCKER

DIMENSION 28 P HI L AD E LPH I A

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GET YOUR OWN

Dimensional Cannabis: The Pop-Up Book of Marijuana Poposition Press, $50 marijuanapopup.com

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF POPOSITION PRESS

ollaboration is a wonderful thing. When my friend Rosston Meyer told me a few years ago that he was planning a pop-up cannabis book, I thought it sounded like a great idea. I knew Meyer ran an independent publishing house designing popup books in collaboration with artists. Meyer is a designer with a passion for art and pop culture, so I imagined his books were a modern upgrade of the old-school pop-up books I played with as a child—3-D elements and foldouts, tabs to pull and wheels to spin— but with a modern aesthetic that appeals to adults. “A pop-up on pot would be cool to flip through and play with,” I remember thinking. “I hope he does it.” A few years later, Meyer came around to show me a physical mock-up of his pot-themed popup, which he’d titled Dimensional Cannabis. What he showed me was a modern art form I wasn’t aware existed. Yes, the book featured 3-D elements and foldouts, with tabs to pull and wheels to spin, but what I had pictured was similar only in concept. These were intricate and elaborate kinetic paper sculptures that painted a picture and brought it to life. I was blown away. So, when he asked if I’d be interested in writing the words to go on the pages before me, I signed on immediately. Altogether, Dimensional Cannabis took more than three years to complete, with a total of nine people contributing to the final product published by Poposition Press, Meyer’s independent publishing house. A small press, Poposition designs, publishes,

and distributes limited-edition pop-up books that feature artists or subjects that Meyer finds of deep personal interest. He got started in the genre in 2013, when he started working on a collaboration with Jim Mahfood, a comic book creator known as Food One. The resulting Pop-Up Funk features Mahfood’s diverse designs transformed into interactive three-dimensional pop-ups. The limited-edition run of 100 copies were all constructed by hand. Since then, Poposition has worked with a number of contemporary artists to publish titles like Triad by cute-culture artist Junko Mizuno and Necronomicon by macabre master Skinner. Meyer has been fascinated by pop-up books since he was a kid, and in 2013, he began concentrating on paper engineering and book production. “After making a couple books focused on just artists, I thought that creating a popup book about cannabis would be a good idea,” he says. “There’s nothing else like it in the market, and there’s an audience for adultthemed pop-up books.” For Dimensional Cannabis, Meyer collaborated with Mike Giant, a renowned American illustrator, graffiti writer, tattooer, and artist. Giant’s medium of choice is a Sharpie, and Giant’s detailed line work is instantly recognizable. An avid proponent of cannabis, Giant illustrated the entire Dimensional Cannabis book. Giant and Meyer met at a weekly open studio Giant hosted in Boulder. “When the idea of doing a pop-up book about cannabis came up, he asked if I would illustrate it,” Giant says. “I’ve been an

advocate for cannabis use for decades, so it didn’t take long for me to agree to work on the project.” Meyer began by sending Giant reference materials to visualize. “I’d get it drawn out, hand it off, and get some more stuff to illustrate,” Giant says. “He’d send me previews of the finished pages as we went. It was really cool to see my line drawings colored and cut to shape. That process went on for months and months until everything for the book was accounted for.” The process of making pop-up books is called “paper engineering.” I love obsessives, and the engineers who put this book together, make no mistake, are the ones who spend endless hours figuring out the tiniest details of the folds and materials necessary so that water pipe emerges every time you open the paraphernalia page. “David Carter and I started talking about the idea a couple years prior to actually starting on the book,” Meyer says. “The initial concepts for each spread were figured out, and a different paper-engineer peer was asked to design each spread so that the book had variation throughout.” Dimensional Cannabis is divided into six pages, or spreads, covering the cannabis plant’s biology, medical properties, cultivation, history, and influence on popular culture. The paraphernalia page features many items we associate with cannabis consumption over the years in America, from rolling papers and pipes to vaporizers, dabs, and concentrates—and that foot-long bong that miraculously appears as you turn the page. One spread opens to the full plant, with information on its M ARCH 2020

LEFT: Dimensional Cannabis includes six pop-up pages, including this colorful, meditating figure that dominates the medical spread. It was designed by Isabel Uria.

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Left: The paraphernalia spread shows the many ways people consume cannabis, and includes many items, including a clear, acetate bong, rolling papers, and a vaporizer. It was produced by Ray Marshall, who, Meyer says, “basically knocked it out of the park on his first version.” Below: Well-known illustrator Mike Giant provided the cover, with Kevin Steele providing the coloring for the bookʼs six pop-up spreads

unique and fascinating properties. Another opens to a colorful, meditating figure with text about the healing properties of cannabis. One page is dedicated to its cultivation possibilities, basic genetics, and the differences between indoor and outdoor growing. The history spread takes us back to the beginnings of the curious and long-standing connection between humans and cannabis. Engineer Simon Arizpe had worked with Meyer before and jumped at the chance to work on that one. “I wanted it to be Eurasian-centric as the viewer opens the page, showing the early uses

of cannabis in ancient Vietnam and China,” Arizpe says. “As the viewer engages with the pop-up, cannabis’s use in the new world spreads across the page,” he adds. “We decided [to focus] on moments in time that were either politically relevant, like weed legalization, or culturally significant, like Reefer Madness.” Arizpe feels like the entire project is an example of what can be done working with talented people outside the traditional publishing engine. “Rosston came up with an idea that has a big following and made it happen,” he says. “It is pretty exciting when people can do that out of nothing.” M ARCH 2020

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For Meyer, who says he likes a good sativa when he’s working, the project was a labor of love that spans all his areas of interest. “Not only was this a great experience putting together such a unique book, but having different paper

engineers work on each spread made this a real collaboration,” he says. “There have only been a couple pop-up books produced with a roster of engineers. Dimensional Cannabis is for cannabis lovers and pop-up book collectors alike.”

POP-UPGRADE If the book alone isnʼt enough to decorate your coffee table, Poposition Press offers two more ordering tiers, complete with extra merch to maximize your enjoyment. The Collectorʼs Edition ($240) includes an enhanced pop-up book with gold-foil case wrap, a foil-stamped slipcase, The Good Stuff enamel pin, and a Hemp art print on hemp paper. The Connoisseur Edition ($420) comes with a wooden laser-etched slipcover, two sets of enamel pins, a Dope art print, and a Gramps art print, both on hemp paper.

Meyer originally conceived a scene showing people looking at the book, which morphed into a celebration of the universality of the plant in many cultures and people throughout history.

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MORE INFO

Robyn Graham Personal Branding Strategist robyngrahamphotography.com

A Brand New You

Expert Robyn Graham shares why everyone needs a personal brand.

TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

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but how do you stand out? Show why you’re the expert, why you’re the goto, why you do that work What makes up a better than anybody else. personal brand? People are also finding A personal brand intheir next employee cludes a logo, mission through LinkedIn and sostatement, branded cial media sites. Recruitphotography, and your ers won’t stop on a person content. You have to who has a gray head prioritize those based and no profile pic. Just on what your audience having that professional values. A logo is very headshot shows you care important because it about quality and want makes you instantly to represent yourself for recognizable, but the logo is not going to build advancement—not just the like, know, and trust the day-to-day grind. If you can’t afford a factor. If you have a set budget and are looking to professional headshot, I offer a free e-book build a personal brand, start with visual content that helps you use your smartphone to take betthrough professional photography. People will ter headshots at home. get to see your personality first-hand and how you How do you start building your brand? work in your business. Even if you can’t afford Identify your niche first. You need to know who a full-blown photoyou’re serving. Combine shoot, you should get a professional headshot. Your eyes and smile are gateways to your soul. As for your mission statement, it lets people know What is personal who you are and why you branding? It’s that infusion of your do what you do. This will inspire them to want to personality into your business so people online work with you. can immediately get to Who needs personal know you, like you, and trust you. Before, people branding? would decide in person if Everyone needs a personal brand. I say this they liked you, but since Instagram and LinkedIn because even if you’re corporate, you have a hit the scene, business personal brand. You may people now meet online work for someone else, for the first time, and

PHOTOS BY ROBYN GRAHAM PHOTOGRPAHY

Personal branding expert and photographer Robyn Graham didn’t always help people craft their public personas. But after growing tired of her job in pharmaceuticals, her husband suggested she pursue her love of photography, and she jumped at the chance. After launching her photography business (robyngrahamphotography.com) Graham quickly honed in on personal branding and now works exclusively in this space. She calls the career her “second phase” and uses lessons learned along the way to help others through her podcast, named The Second Phase. “I’ve learned from so many mistakes,” Graham says, “and I can help people not make those same mistakes and brand their business from the getgo.” We asked Graham all about personal branding.

how you’re perceived in that space matters.

your values, vision, and passion to help identify your niche. Once you’ve done that, you can start identifying your ideal client. Then use your mission statement to connect with your audience and get them to trust you. Branded photography is used to get your personality out there. People don’t buy products and services; they buy personality. That’s why big brands use people in their ads to represent their brands. It helps you connect with the products, which converts to sales. How do you find your audience? Once you’ve identified your niche and audience, find out where they hang out. For me, LinkedIn is an incredible tool because I want to work with

SATISFIED CLIENT This area life coachʼs personal brand looks friendly and open to fresh conversations.

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THE SCENE

PHOTOS BY ROBYN GRAHAM PHOTOGRAPHY

professionals. I do get business from Instagram, but LinkedIn is where my ideal clients are. From the real world to online, find where your best potential clients are and connect with them there. In the age of social media, do people still need personal websites? If you have a business, even if it’s a service industry, you need a website. People need to be able to find you, they want to see you, and they want to know what your “why” is before they call or email you. Even one page of who you are and what you do is critical. A website adds credibility to your brand. Often people just have an Instagram and Facebook

page, but to me, that’s not representing you as professionally as a website. What else do people need to build their personal brand? An email list. This allows you to touch base with your audience anytime you want. Whether you’re running a special or have an update to your business, having that touch point is powerful for a personal brand. Social media may not work or a company could fold, prior to our call and but your subscriber list is give them, in a nutshell, always yours. an idea of what I think would benefit them. How do people work with I also offer a one-hour you on brand building? strategy session where I do a free 15-minute I tell you how you can strategy call. I ask them do the least to grow the to send me their website most. You get a recordand social media links ing of that session and

SATISFIED CLIENT The personal brand of this client, a fashion stylist for Worth New York, is sleek and inviting.

then I type up recommendations. My brand insider program is a customized package that includes a website, photography, copy, and a logo. I have a studio just outside Philly, but I also come into the city and I have clients all over.

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THE SCENE HIGH SOCIETY

Everyday Heroes

More than 670 supporters of The Superhero Project gathered to raise funds for premature babies at its fourth annual gala. The project was launched in 2015 by school teacher Kelly Gallagher after her twin sons spent a month in the Holy Redeemer HospitalÊ¼s NICU (neonatal intensive care unit). Almost $150,000 was raised this year, spearheaded by a $30,000 donation from Lauren Holiday, a former World Cup soccer champion. To date, Holiday and her husband have donated $85,000 to this cause.

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W THE SCENE

THE LEMON BALL WHERE: MARRIOTT DOWNTOWN WHEN: JAN. 18, 2020 PHOTOS: PHILIP GABRIEL PHOTOGRAPHY

HIGH SOCIETY

When Life Gives You Lemons

Alexʼs Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) honors a young girl named Alex Scott who set up a front-yard lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for cancer while fighting her own. The Lemon Ball continues this tradition, raising over $900,000 for childhood cancer research this year. The evening included dinner, dancing, dessert, silent and live auctions, and heartwarming speeches from childhood cancer heroes. The 14th annual event coincided with what would have been Scottʼs 24th birthday.

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THE SCENE CA L E N DA R

Women’s History POPS Rocks Phil Month Collins Throughout March Various locations, Philadelphia visitphilly.com

For this city-wide celebration of historical and modern-day women, expect museum displays, pop-up events, film festivals, and tours.

Mar. 6–8 Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Center City phillypops.org

The 23rd Annual Fur Ball: The Great Catsby Mar. 6 Bellevue Hotel, Center City morrisanimalrefuge.org

PHS Philadelphia The Roaring ’20s Flower Show return for this

Orchid Extravaganza Now through Mar. 22 Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square longwoodgardens.org

Cultural Calendar

Mar. 1 Barnes Foundation Art Museum, Philadelphia barnesfoundation.org

March in Philadelphia celebrates women, wine, film, and food at events across the city.

Philadelphia Orchestra: Porgy and Bess

TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

Mar. 5–7 Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Center City philorch.org

Whether you dance the night away at a “fur ball,” catch one of many film festivals, or sip on spirits during Wine Week, March is the first taste of spring in the city, and a perfect time to shake off Old Man Winter and venture out. Feeling extra motivated? Join in on Philadelphia’s largest half marathon or a Phillies-themed 5K. 42 P HI L AD E LPH IA

Peco Free First Sunday

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night of Jazz Age dancing and debauchery to raise funds for the Morris Animal Refuge, America’s first animal refuge.

Paleopalooza Mar. 7–8 Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, University City ansp.org

Philly Craft Beer Festival Mar. 7 The Navy Yard, South Philadelphia phillycraftbeerfest.com

Israeli Film Festival of Philadelphia Mar. 7–29 Various locations, Philadelphia iffphila.com

PHOTO CREDIT: R. KENNEDY FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA

Through Mar. 8 Philadelphia Convention Center, Center City theflowershow.com

THE SCENE CA L E N DA R

LEFT: ST. PATRICKʼS DAY PARADE BELOW: PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA: PORGY AND BESS RIGHT: PHILLY WINE WEEK

Nowruz, meaning “new day” in Persian, is an ancient event marking the Persian New Year celebrated by people in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Experience this tradition with live performances, gallery tours, workshops, and a Persian bazaar.

King of Prussia Restaurant Week

Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Mar. 9–15 Various Restaurants, King of Prussia visitkop.com

Mar. 15 Market Street, Center City phillyparade.com

TOP: PHOTO BY SMYTH FOR VISIT PHILADELPHIA, BOTTOM: PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA

BeethovenNOW Mar. 12–Apr. 5 Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Center City philorch.org

Philadelphia Travel & Adventure Show Mar. 14–15 Philadelphia Convention Center, Center City travelshows.com

Philadelphia Union Home Opener vs. San Jose Earthquakes Mar. 14 Talen Energy Stadium, Chester philadelphiaunion.com

Philly goes green for the city’s largest parade with more than 20,000 participants. Expect floats, marching bands, dance groups, youth groups, Irish associations, and thousands of spectators lining the block.

Les Misérables Mar. 17–29 Academy of Music, Center City kimmelcenter.org

Adam Sandler 100% Fresher Mar. 18 PPL Center, Allentown pplcenter.com

Sugarloaf Craft Festival Mar. 20–22 Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks sugarloafcrafts.com

The Women’s Film Festival Mar. 20–29 Various locations, Philadelphia thewomensfilmfestival.org

Founders Day Mar. 21 The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, University City ansp.org

Red Ball Mar. 28 Vie by Cescaphe, Philadelphia redcross.org

Support the American Red Cross at its largest Philadelphia fundraiser of the year. Expect a blacktie, reception-style gala. Funds support the Red Cross.

Phillies Charities 5K The LOVE Run Mar. 28 Philadelphia Half Citizens Bank Park, South Marathon Philadelphia phillies.com

Mar. 29 Philadelphia Art Museum, Philadelphia motivrunning.com

Philly Chocolate, Wine, and Whiskey Festival Philly Wine Mar. 28 Week 23rd Street Armory, Rittenhouse Square chocolatewinewhiskey.com

Indulge in chocolate cupcakes, cookies, candy, and more at this fest featuring your favorite sweet treats paired with unlimited samples of whiskey and wine.

Mar. 30–Apr. 6 Various locations, Philadelphia phillywineweek.org

Pop a cork all week long at this wine-centric event with tastings, flights, pairings, and specials at restaurants and bars across the city.

qFLIX Philadelphia Film Festival Mar. 22–29 Suzanne Roberts Theatre, Center City qflixphilly.com

Nowruz Mar. 28 Penn Museum, University City penn.museum

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Fighting for freedom is Join the revolution at norml.org

P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E CLOUT PRODUCTS

Quality Check at the Source Spending time in China and getting a first-hand look at production pays off for one vape pen seller.

orking in China for 11 years with vape battery manufacturers has given Matt Reichert, owner of Clout Products, a good perspective on the process of making the best batteries, which is the lifeblood of his business. Clout designs and manufacturers vape pens in West Chester, Pennsylvania. “There is a city in China where a lot of batteries are made,” he says. “But there are multiple factories there making these batteries, and the challenge is to find the right one for you. A lot of them just want your bread. That’s it.” Reichert spent time in a Chinese manufacturing plant witnessing the actual production process and making

customer inquiries with real emails instead of automated email responses. “We want every customer to be a customer for life,” he says. Some of the problems people experience with batteries include issues with charging vape pens in a car, which is bad for batteries. “But sometimes when you’re selling thousands and thousands of these products, even in an A-quality product, you are going to have a dud,” Reichert says. “In every case, you have to take care of the customer.” In addition to three lines of vape pens and cartridges, Clout Products just introduced a small American glass beaker line, getting back to its original product line when the company started with glass. In mid-March, Clout will be rolling out another glass line that is more affordable to the masses. Asked about the vape crisis, “Education Reichert says that it was all about is key misleading information. “There were for the really two separate crises, but it was customer, bundled into one problem,” he says. “And there was a lack of factual because it’s information disseminated about the easy for source of the problems. Kids were them to getting access to nicotine, but that’s be misled a completely separate crisis than vitamin E oil getting into cartridges and go and those being sold as if they were the wrong real THC cartridges.” direction.” Both scenarios have affected his business. It’s been picking up over —Matt Reichert, the last few months, but it still hasn’t owner of Clout Products gotten back to where it needs to be. “Education is key for the customer, because it’s easy for them to be misled and go the wrong direction,” he says.

sure that his products are made with A-grade material—the top quality that is manufactured. “I quickly realized that there were a lot of people in vape battery manufacturing who had never stepped foot in China,” he says. “But I had already developed strong relationships over my 11 years there, and I was able to make the right batteries for my company. The way that I wanted to do this was with A-quality components, because that is going to give the customer a better product.” Reichert says that his team of 12 employees—graphic designers, customer service workers, sales reps, and logistics personnel—is very big on Clout Products customer service, always answering Manufacturer of Glass Art and Vape Pens phones personally and responding to cloutproducts.com

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P R O M O T I O N A L F E AT U R E D E E P R O O T S G R O W S U P P LY

Home Grown Medicine An agriculture supply store brings in more cannacurious growers by getting down to the basics and helping to make the process approachable.

s more states legalize either medical or recreational cannabis, agricultural supply stores are jumping on the opportunity to service a new group of home-growers many of whom are first-time growers, with not only products but additional consulting and educational services to steer them through the grow process. Such is the case for Deep Roots Grow Supply in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, a family-owned and operated agriculture supply company selling grow lights, hydroponic systems, and grow tents. The company has been

working to develop more of a cannabis focus. “We intend to hold classes soon for beginners, everything from propagation to cloning to making your own super soil to trimming,” says Rick Bodenheimer, owner and manager of Deep Roots Grow Supply. “We also do in-home services as consultants,” he says. “We always tell people that we are on-call to answer questions. We make it approachable and don’t make them feel stupid.” Bodenheimer manages Deep Roots Grow Supply with his wife, along with two horticulturist graduates from Temple University. He’s in the process

of creating a Deep Squad in-home consulting team to come out and set up equipment and mix nutrients. “That team will show you the ropes and how to streamline grow operations—and just make it fun,” he says. The company sells a line of different grow lights, including high intensity discharge (HID) and light emitting diode (LED) lights, which are crucial to a successful grow. “You’re trying to replicate the sun indoors as best as you can,” Bodenheimer says. “And the whole idea is to control the ultimate perfect environment. You have to provide the right lights and right soil so that you get the best expression of that plant. You can grow with just water, but you won’t get the decent flower you want,” he says. “This is a hobby for many home-growers, but it’s not simple. You have to put time and effort into it.” Bodenheimer says he advises customers that there are a lot of different ways to grow cannabis. “You can do it with or without soil nutrients, for example. But nutrients provide everything for your plant. It’s a no-brainer. It’s basically putting your plants on steroids.” For Deep Roots Grow Supply, getting into the cannabis industry was at first more of a hush-hush thing, he says. That’s changed over the last couple of years. “People are feeling more willing to explore the industry now, as more barriers come down,” Bodenheimer says. “We are there to help people learn because all the states are going to come online soon. We just want to get people ready for when they can produce their own medicine at home.”

“But nutrients provide everything for your plant. It’s a nobrainer. It’s basically putting your plants on steroids.” —Rick Bodenheimer, owner and manager of Deep Roots Grow Supply

Deep Roots Grow Supply Agricultural Supply Store deeprootsgrowsupply.com M ARCH 2020

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Supplies for Cannabis Grows With hydroponics, LED lights, and microclimate controls, an indoor gardening shop helps a new group of passionate people apply science for successful grows.

t’s becoming a story told more and more in East Coast states like New York and New Jersey, where medical cannabis has recently become legal—and where legal recreational cannabis is on the horizon. People who never considered growing are stepping up and finding answers from traditional gardening sources. It’s that sort of change in awareness that accelerated sales recently at Green Dragon Hydroponics in Gloucester, New Jersey, a relatively small fully stocked indoor gardening supply store (they stock nutrients, LED lights, and climate control and nutrients control products) that has discovered a new customer base. “The industry is evolving and changing, and we are working hard to keep

in a small space. “They ask general questions, like how do you control the environment—temperature and humidity—in a space that is four-by-four foot or in a basement that has a lot of humidity issues,” Davis says. “How can you create a microclimate where plants can thrive? It’s easy to burn the plants if you don’t know what you’re doing or make the soil so wet that the plants won’t take in the nutrients correctly. Being in retail, our whole mentality is that we can offer more specific support and technical guidance than online sites.” Associates at Green Dragon Hydroponics provide lighting consultation and offer help for do-it-yourself projects. The shop also has workshops on hydroponics and indoor gardening, plus other educational information about grow room design and tips about integrated pest and disease management. “It’s where we get to share our passion and connect with people outside the store,” Davis says. “There’s so much that goes into plant growing, from correct temperatures to nutrient uptake,” Davis says. “Growing indoors is just an amazing pursuit.”

up,” says Paul Davis, owner of Green Dragon Hydroponics since 2017. “We are seeing more passionate people coming into the industry, and it’s a great thing to be a part of.” He’s seeing more interest with this new group, especially in LED technologies, and is now working with a number of LED companies. “Currently we work with a horticulture lighting group, and customers enjoy the price point and top-end components these lights offer,” he says. “We tell customers that you need a high-quality light to properly start your indoor grow. Many lights sold on Amazon give misleading claims.” Davis says that, right off the bat, a Green Dragon lot of people want to get started with a Indoor Gardening Shop grow package that allows them to work greendragonhydroponics.com M ARCH 2020

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Sisterly Love When William Penn settled our city in 1681, he named it after the Greek words philos, meaning “love,” and adelphos, meaning “brother”—making The City of Brotherly Love a literal translation of its name. But now, for one year only, Philadelphia has a new 50 P H I L A D ELPH I A

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Philadelphia embraces a new nickname for 2020. TEXT JENNY WILLDEN

official moniker. The city council voted to re-nickname Philly “The City of Sisterly Love” for 2020 to honor the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification, which gave women the right to vote. A full year of food, fitness, history, and wine

events centered on sisterhood are planned to celebrate the centennial. Here Philly street artist Amberella installs one of her signature “Goth Hearts,” complete with a sisterly love theme, at 2005 Frankford Avenue in Fishtown.

PHOTO BY OUT OF FOCUS PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF VISIT PHILADELPHIA

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