Trivia Art Blog

New Residents Arrive in Camden

Victor's first tenants boost an area that isn't conditioned to move-ins

The city's touristy waterfront officially became a residential neighborhood yesterday, its first residents squeezing through a mob of politicians and cameras to settle into their new luxury lofts.

Does the addition of residents to Camden's riverfront signal a renaissance or is thinking of Camden as the next Hoboken a little premature? After all, it wasn't till just about every square foot of Manhattan was occupied before the Jersey side really took off, and there's still a lot of open in land in just Northern Liberties.

City Diet

Suburban Residents Walk Less, Weigh More
According to studies cited here city dwellers weigh six pounds less than their suburban counterparts. Unfortunately pedestrians in the United States are six times as likely to be killed in traffic as Dutch pedestrians. The other interesting statistic in the Inquirer article is that Portland, OR increased bike ridership 143% in the last decade without increasing crashes.

Riding a bike in Philadelphia

Database of Philadelphia's Murals

muralBase

Speaking of cool web applications, muralBase is an interactive database of murals produced by Philadelphia's Mural Arts program.

Public Art in Philadelphia

FPAA: Public Art Map

The Fairmount Park Art Association has a nifty interactive map of public artwork in Philadelphia. Take a look, I'm sure you'll be surprised how much there is, and how you've been taking it for granted.

Relief on I76, US202 & PA422

Ramps linking Schuylkill, Route 202 set to open

The 5 year PennDOT project is winding up and today is a big day as new ramps will open easing the daily commute for thousands.

By 5 a.m. today, drivers will be able to use a ramp along the westbound Schuylkill that connects to westbound Route 422 and Swedesford Road. The other ramp will connect drivers on southbound Route 202 to westbound Route 422 and Swedesford Road. By 5 a.m. Friday, PennDot will open a ramp along the eastbound Schuylkill to westbound Route 422 and Swedesford Road. Another eastbound ramp will link drivers to southbound Route 202.

View map

Drowning in Their Own Success?

Old City tries to keep its cool

Interesting article about Old City and it's battles to not turn into South Street. Zoning overlays, higher police presence, are among the steps being taken to control the fun in Old City.

Owwwwwww!

Well it's almost been a week and my pulled groin has really come into its own as just a hideously discolored injury. I may have outdone myself this time.
View image

Gushing About the Constitution Center

Word House

City Paper declares the Constitution Center "a stunning Success."

The National Constitution Center is a class act, respectful, restrained and gentle, bold and benign, elegant and intelligent -- a modest monument. How fitting for a building that celebrates what is arguably America's greatest contribution to Western civilization: words on paper that begin "We the People."

$30 Dinners for Restaurant Week

Center City District is promoting Restaurant Week, 3 courses for $30 at over 40 restaurants.
A pretty good deal if I don't say so myself.

Went to Salt - Cutting Edge Cuisine

Salt, ambitious food, expertly presented
I went to Salt Wednesday night and despite not recognizing many of the items on the menu wound up with a great meal, skate, chorizo, calamari, and shrimp. I'll be thinking of it fondly for a long time.

Toll Bros. Reveals Plan for Historic Naval Home

Bland plan: Old Georgetown on the Schuylkill

Inga Saffron's column paints a picture of Toll Bros. "hackneyed" plan for the historic Naval Home's grounds.

On the good side the plan would extend Center City along the Schuylkill with up to 1,200 townhouses and apartments.

Universities Should Anchor Redevelopment

Declaration of Inter-dependence

There is enormous potential here. Philadelphia's industrial age has left it with a rich legacy of colleges, universities and hospitals scattered widely around the city. Each could become the catalyst for improvements in its host neighborhood, and each would find its own institutional situation improved in turn.

Divine Intervention

The Sale of storied hotel recalls legacy of Father Divine

The sale of the Divine Lorraine by New York developer Tony Goldman has the Inquirer waxing nostalgic about Father Devine, the interesting one-time owner of the hotel, but doesn't mention who bought the hotel. I hope they know what they were doing, each time I drove past the Divine Lorraine the past couple of years I was excited remembering, designer and one-time Cindy Crawford sidekick, Todd Oldham was reportedly to design the restoration for Goldman. I guess this never came to pass, but the impressive building at Broad & Fairmount deserves a fresh start.

Smart Meters

Change is in the cards for meters

The Philadelphia Parking Authority plans to introduce plastic debit cards, to be sold in $5 and $20 denominations, for use at city parking meters - all 14,500 of them - beginning in October.

Vincent J. Fenerty Jr., first deputy executive director of the Parking Authority, said yesterday that motorists would be able to purchase the cards - which are not yet on sale - from a Parking Authority Web site, by phone, or at four direct-sales locations. More details on how and where to purchase the cards are to be announced next month.

First deputy executive director with the PPA? Well with titles that long is it any wonder parking fines have gone up?

Money Grubbers

4th down for Owls' Linc talks

The Eagles and the Temple Owls are approaching the 11th hour in their negotiations for Temple regarding using Lincoln Financial Field for their home games.

The two sides have worked out a 15-year deal for $15 million. The sticking point is the payment schedule. The Eagles are demanding all the money up front. Temple is willing to accelerate payments so they will pay the $15 million over 5 years.

The Eagles are revealing themselves more and more as the spoiled child who believes they are entitled to whatever they want. It's not like they put the money up, so now to play hardball with a state funded university is ridiculous.

Update
A deal has been struck and Temple will play at Lincoln Financial Field this year and if the program survives, the next 15 years as well. Temple will pay $1 Million a year, but will acclerate the payments so they will pay the total over the first five years. Interestingly according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Temple had a contract they had agreed to but not signed to pay all the money up front since October 2002.

Jefferson Garage Faces Battle

Battle ahead for Jefferson plan

For its supporters, the garage is the catalyst that will generate retail stores throughout the area - and complement the revival of the Victory Building, the Second Empire marvel that has been rotting away for three decades. To critics, the garage would be a monstrosity that would doom three blocks of Chestnut - the blocks between Ninth and 12th - that already are gloomy enough.

Jefferson has a rotten history of creating and maintaining retail space in its buildings, but the good news is the long neglected Victory Building is being refurbished.

BetterStatistics.com Updated

2002-03 NHL Statistics are now available.

At long last I've uploaded the final NHL statistics for the 2002-03 season.

Innovative Idea on Sharing Cars

Need A Ride?

Only a year ago, PhillyCarShare was just an idea. Today, the nonprofit group that lets people rent cars by the hour has vehicles available for pickup at 10 locations. With a new $260,000 grant from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), the group will add over 50 locations in the next three years. "What the grantmakers want is a reduction in air pollution," explains Clayton Lane, a PhillyCarShare co-founder. Since members pay by the ride, there's an economic incentive to use cars only out of necessity, like for a furniture-shopping outing. Since members regularly walk, bike or take public transportation, car emissions are reduced. But Lane says the grant will also help his group meet two other goals: Serving low- and middle-income communities in Philadelphia and linking car-sharing with transit.

People love their cars, but is this a viable alternative to those who only need a car from time to time.

Dumbest Criminals EVER

CNN.com - Powerball winner recovers lost $545,000 at strip club

Someone broke the driver's side window and took a briefcase containing $245,000 in cash and three $100,000 cashier's checks belonging to Whittaker, who hit Powerball's richest jackpot on Christmas Day, police said. The briefcase, cash and checks were found behind a nearby trash bin.

OK. So what was so valuable that the thief(s) threw away $245,000 in cash plus $300,000 in cashiers checks? Man I cannot wait to see what they actually walked away with. Oh the irony that they left with just a Yanni CD.

Am I Going to Miss This Place?

It's so hard to say goodbye

ESPN Page 2's tour of baseball stadiums hit Veterans Stadium today and Jeff Merron gets the Vet and Philadelphia.

The Vet has one of the worst playing surfaces in all of sports, but it's Philadelphia's playing surface. Like Philly itself, the Vet gets no respect. It oozes Philadelphia character in a way you can only understand if you know Philly.

But will I miss it? Well maybe. After all it is the playground of my youth. And if you haven't been there it's difficult to explain that appeal.

• "Ignore the taps, its all Meisterbrau underneath."


• "After a long road trip don't get anything from the concessions till the 7th inning because until then they're just selling leftovers.


• Yelling down to the bullpen at then Met Todd Pratt, "Pratt, you're still kicking around in this league?" Watching John Franco laugh so hard he fell out of his chair.


• Trying to reason with security, explaining if they let a crackhead play left, you should be able to yell at him.


• Leaving a Temple vs. Miami football game before one of the biggest brawls ever. What was security thinking, trying to take an Italian flag from a group of drunk South Philadelphians.


• Arriving at 2:30 AM and catching more than 2 hours of baseball and Mitch Williams improbable game winning gapper at 4:41 AM. "The worst part about it was sobering up and watching Fregosi manage.


• 99 yard pass plays to Michael Quick.


• Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton tipping caps as each flip-flopped the career strikeout lead each half inning.


• Chanting "Pete, Pete, Pete" as Rose chased Musial. Watching Nolan Ryan over power him three straight times. Then rooting for the Astros to come back so Rose could get another crack at breaking the record in the bottom of the 9th.


• The cheesey sound effects after a homerun. And the even cheesier special effects above the left field bullpen.

Yes, I Enjoyed the Soccer

Yes, I enjoyed the FC Barcelona vs. Manchester United game last night at Lincoln Financial Field. Some quick notes on the game.

• I was impressed by the skills of the players. You really don't get a sense of how just about each pass bends artfully towards it's recipient from TV.


• What was Barcelona thinking with beige uniforms. But of course I kind of like them.


• It was fun to boo Barcelona's Ronaldinho who will go down as the first villain at Lincoln Financial Field.


• Diego Forlan will go down as the first scorer at the Linc.


• I'll be following the career of New Jersey goalkeeper Tim Howard hoping he gets the starting nod for ManU.


• The first streaker at the Linc ran out of steam before the security staff even noticed he was out there. And he didn't get the pants down till after he was being led off the pitch.


• Even if the stadium is loud, it won't be the Vet. And the Eagles front office will be thrilled. Sitting at the top of the stadium I felt I really wasn't the intended audience.

The Old Man Creamed You

Ten years ago today Nolan Ryan whooped up on Robin Ventura, 20 years Ryan's junior. My favorite part of the beat-down was the hesitation Ventura showed as he got to the mound. Like it finally dawned on him that attacking a 46 year old Hall of Famer might not be a great idea, but before he could reconsider Nolan had him in a headlock and had begun firing uppercuts.

Obsessed about Old City

Old City District

Umm guys, sure OCD has a nice ring to it. Maybe because you've heard of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder? Well hopefully they'll be obsessive about keeping the streets cleen.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice

New stadium's design blends luxury, metal and minimalism

The Eagles' owner, Jeffrey Lurie, could have chosen any architectural style for his team's new $512 million home, the most expensive to date in professional football. But Lurie, who swooped in from Boston via Hollywood to buy the Eagles in 1994, decided to appeal to the boutique-hotel set rather than the Union League crowd. The result is a stadium - called the Linc - that forges far beyond the wood-paneled world of conservative Philadelphia and looks boldly into a dynamic future.

Inga Saffron, the Inquirer's architecture critic, may like the Linc, but my first impression is definately Philadelphia, BOO!

As Ms. Saffron points out the stadium does not pay hommage to its Philadelphia roots but instead is inspired by the Luries' California roots. Unfortunately it feels as if Otho, the interior designer from the movie Beetlejuice has been brought in. Gray and black dominate the interior and much of the exterior of the Linc. The continuity of the upper deck is broken up, you cannot walk around the stadium at the upper level. And if you would like to meet your friend in 210 and you sit in 204, it'll take you a good 10-12 minutes of walking through an endless Escher inspired serpantine to get down to the first level where you could meet him. The endzone seats of the lower level don't come all the way back to the scoreboard creating an alley way that I believe will smell as bad as City Hall Station before the Birds off-week. There are even convenient drains in this alley way, as if the architects anticipated the hoards relieving themselves behind their seats.

The TVs, sound system, and jumbotrons were remarkable, but glitches remain. Our section 204 was mislabeled as 203 and there was woefully inadequate directional signage throughout the concourses making finding a way to the upper level a challenge.

All in all, it was a bit underwelming. Especially considering the over the top oppulence of the Wachovia/First Union/CoreStates Center that sits across the street.