Longform
How Philly Took Over Your TV
Before a single scene of the Kensington-set Long Bright River was shot, Liz Moore gathered her writing team and issued a kind of warning: Authenticity […]
In Kensington, Hope Is Hard-Won — But It’s Growing
One afternoon in April, a beautiful spring day, I drive with Eddie and Anthony from the Last Stop in Kensington to Graffiti Pier on the […]
Josh Shapiro’s Next Big Step
On a pleasant, sunny weekend last fall, three weeks before Donald Trump would win Pennsylvania and every other swing state across America, three months before […]
How Jesse Ito Built a Sushi Dynasty
When Jesse Ito turned 15, his dad, Massaharu, took him to Vetri for his birthday. It was a big deal. Well, dinner at Vetri is […]
How Philly Became the Capital of American Squash
Even though she was only in seventh grade, Tempest Bowden clearly remembers the first time she was introduced to squash. A delegation from Philadelphia’s SquashSmarts […]
Climate Change Is Here. Philadelphia Isn’t Ready
Two years after the flood, Dave Love can’t help but wonder about all the small details that could have changed his fate. The timing, the […]
What Happens to Friendships When Money Gets in the Way?
Some years back, a good friend of mine, whom I’ll call Margot, made the decision with her husband to send their two children to a […]
How Surfside Took Over the Cocktail World
It’s moving day at Surfside headquarters in Kensington. In the main office upstairs, cardboard boxes sit ready to be taped closed, and the neon “Surfside” […]
Tom McAllister’s It All Felt Impossible Explores Growing Up in Philadelphia in 42 Essays
A few years ago, author and Rutgers-Camden professor Tom McAllister was stuck in a writing rut. In an attempt to extract himself from said rut, […]
How Conshohocken Got Cool
It’s a gray day in mid-February, and I’m standing inside a bright shop in Conshohocken perusing the goods. There are crystals — glimmering Brazilian citrine […]
The Beef Bandits of Nicetown: Inside the Biggest Cargo Theft Ring in Modern Philadelphia History
Lieutenant George Ackerman didn’t know who was causing it, but something funny had started to happen. It was the spring of 2022, and Ackerman was […]
Our Phones Are Making Us Miserable — So Why Can’t We Let Go?
There are a few things I do in my daily life that aren’t particularly good for me but that I take great pleasure in. I […]
How the Pandemic Rewired My Sense of Place and Time
In general, I’ve lived a long and happy life. Sure, there have been intervals of hardship — I lost my mother and a sister too […]
From CAPA to Motown Philly: How One Philadelphia High School Made Boyz II Men
The following is an excerpt from the upcoming book Boyz II Men 40th Anniversary Celebration, which chronicles the group’s ascent from Philly teenagers to Grammy […]
Krasner vs. Dugan: Inside the District Attorney Race That Will Define Philly’s Future
Pat Dugan couldn’t take any more from Larry Krasner. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021, at a meeting in the Municipal Services Building […]