Philadelphia, PA

There’s a lot going on in the news so here’s a quick overview….

They faced elimination, but laughed in its face. At least for now, both SEPTA paper transfers and Rick’s Steaks aren’t going anywhere. It’s hard to say just yet whether the pending lawsuits in both cases will keep them around to stay or if they are just delaying the inevitable.

Also delayed for the moment is the building new exhibit at the sight of George Washington’s home in Philadelphia. The original plans called for filling in the ruins of the house and building an abstract display and exhibit. But the discovery of the slave passage and quarters during the archaeological dig prompted city and park officials to change course. The new site will incorporate the archaeological findings into the exhibits.

But why build another attraction when you can see it all on your computer, right? hmm. A new program has been designed that will let you visit Philadelphia in 3D via your computer. The program will let users tour the city, book hotels and even drive through the streets of Philadelphia. I’m sure this is great for the agoraphobics of the world, but I’d prefer to see the city first hand and get some, oh i don’t know, exercise?? Center city isn’t all that big and it certainly wouldn’t kill you to walk around downtown….unless you wonder into the street. I can’t promise the cars will stop, Philly drivers are nuts. But anyway, I’m starting to ramble and I really should be off to bed. I’ll leave you with some links to the rest of the stories.

More on the SEPTA story
More on the George Washington Dig
More on virtual Philly

After attempts of negotiation, the Reading Terminal Market Board gave its final word that Rick Olivieri is to leave the market at the end of the month, making way for Tony Luke’s. Rick is down to just his steak shop at Citizen’s Bank Park, which just so happens to be located near a Tony Luke’s. Despite Tony having a stronger pull with fans at the park, Rick still has a few loyal patrons in his corner.

“It’s really a shame,” Pat Wasmer said of Olivieri, just after buying a steak from Rick’s. “He’s part of a legend, he’s been there for so long. I never had a steak from Tony Luke’s, and now I probably never will.”

The board may have made their decision but Rick’s not packing up yet. He still believes he has a case against the board and is preparing to sue. The suit accuses General Manager Paul Steinke and Ricardo Dunston, chairman of the market corporation, of conspiring to deny Olivieri a new lease after orally agreeing to one. The board has yet to comment on the lawsuit.

Here’s the tv spot for Rick’s on CBS News

(Poll)Tell About-Philly what you think:
Should Rick keep fighting the board against the eviction or focus his efforts on keeping up with his other restaurant at Citizens Bank park?

Which do you prefer, Rick’s Steaks or Tony Luke’s?

Related articles
Philly Metro:
Tony Luke’s, Rick’s already squaring off at Citzens Bank Park
Cheesesteak shop owner sues over ouster from historic market
CBS3:
Rick’s Steaks Owner Seeks Court Order
About-Philly:
Rick’s at Risk

And don’t forget to vote here for your favorite Cheesesteak shop! Then keep your eye out for the results.

Rick’s Steaks, Reading Terminal Market, Cheesesteaks, Tony Luke’s

Yay for a new posting category! Philly Films is about movies and tv shows set and/or filmed in Philadelphia. Hollywood and New York may be the filming hot spots, but Philadelphia has served as a backdrop for many blockbuster films beyond the obvious; Philadelphia, and all trillion of the Rocky movies….well, 5 of 6.

Today’s film… or films rather, come from Director M. Night Shyamalan. He filmed so many here that I’m gonna group him together so I don’t have to keep mentioning him.

Wide Awake
Shyamalan’s first major film was shot here in Philadelphia and follows a young boy’s search for God after his grandfather dies, a story told quietly, driven by dialogue. Although Wide Awake was made in 1995, it was not released until 1998 where it grossed a total of only $288,000 against a production budget of $7 million.

The Sixth Sense
In 1999, his second major film proved to be more of a success. The Sixth Sense is a supernatural drama about a psychologist (Bruce Willis) who blames himself for a patient’s suicide and his own broken marriage. Upon meeting a disturbed child (Haley Joel Osment) who claims to see people who have died, the psychologist feels he has a chance to redeem himself. The Movie was was filmed throughout Philadelphia including Boathouse Row and the streets of Center City.

Unbreakable
His next film, Unbreakable, is a drama about David Dunn (Bruce Willis), the sole survivor of a train crash, and his encounters with comic-book collector Elijah Price (Samuel L. Jackson), who is convinced that Dunn has latent superpowers. The stadium where Bruce Willis’ character works as a security guard was filmed in University City at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Mr. Glass’ infamous fall down the train steps occurs at the nearby SEPTA University City train station on the Spruce Street entrance. Theres also a scene filmed at 30th Street station, where Dunn decides to put his power to use. Unfortunately, this film did not live up the the same hype as its predecessor.

Signs
In August of 2002, Shyamalan was able to regain the same success he had with The Sixth Sense in his film, Signs. Filmed on a farm in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Signs is a science fiction drama of a rural Pennsylvania pastor (Mel Gibson) who has lost his faith after his wife’s death caused by Ray Reddy (played by M. Night Shyamalan), a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. However, he manages to regain his faith with his family as they witness the worldwide events of an alien invasion.

The Village
In 2004, Shyamalan shot his 5th movie to be filmed in south eastern Pennsylvania, The Village, in rural Chadds Ford. The Village is a drama starring Joaquin Phoenix, William Hurt, Sigourney Weaver, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Adrien Brody, it tells of a small, 19th-century community (we see the tombstone of a boy is being laid to rest in the opening of the film that reads 1890–1897) run by a group of “Elders” who seem to be content in their isolation from the outside world. The village is encircled by a forest said to be filled with mysterious and threatening creatures. Even as an uneasy truce between the villagers and the creatures seems to be falling apart, one villager (Phoenix) starts to question their forced isolation.

Lady in the Water
In 2006, Shyamalan released his most recent Philly film, Lady in the Water. It’s a fantasy about a Philadelphia apartment-complex maintenance man, Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti), who discovers a young woman named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard) in the swimming pool. Gradually, he and others in the complex learn that she is a water nymph who has come to “the world of man” to bring inspiration to someone in the complex. Her life is in danger from a vicious, wolf-like, mystical creature that tries to keep her from returning to her watery “blue world”. Shyamalan established a production facility at the Jacobson Logistics warehouse site in nearby Levittown, Pennsylvania, where sets for the apartment complex and a half city block of row houses were built. Occasional footage was shot inside the overflow area of the warehouse. Most of the filming was completed after work hours.

It’s not just a coincidence that M. Night Shyamalan films most of his movies in and around Philadelphia, he happens to be one of our Famous Philadelphians. Shyamalan was born in Mahé, Puducherry, India where he spent the first 6 weeks of his life, before moving to Penn Valley, Pennsylvania, an affluent Main Line suburb of Philadelphia. As of mid 2006, Shyamalan lives in Wayne, Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters.

Philadelphia movies, filmed in Philadelphia, M. Night Shyamalan, Wide Awake, The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water

I received a request from Robyn to talk about the fire that happened around a month ago in West Kensington. so here we go…Robyn, I hope I’ve done you proud!

On June 20th 2007, Kensington witnessed its worst fire in history. The fire, ruled arson, started in an abandoned warehouse, near Potter and H street, at about 4 am, before arching across the street and destroying seven homes. The inferno drew 175 firefighters and 50 pieces of fire equipment, caused power and gas outages, and forced scores of people in the area to temporarily evacuate. Residents, Nancy Malave and daughter Kimberly, had only enough time to escape with their lives. The fire left their home of seven years a charred, empty void. Windows were shattered and plastic siding of nearby homes were melted from the seven-alarm blaze. Amazingly, no one was killed or hurt severely; only a few people sustained minor injuries.

Survival is paramount, of course, but starting over after a total loss involves endless small details. The Malaves had to wait in line at a motor vehicle office yesterday to replace their driver’s licenses. Kimberly, a rising Edison High School senior, with a job at a Dunkin’ Donuts near Broad Street and Allegheny Avenue, still has to buy a new uniform, as well as closed-toe shoes to supplement her flip-flops, before returning to work Monday. Her mother used to pick Kimberly up at the end of her shift. Now she will have to depend on public transportation. Michael Matza, Philadelphia Inquirer June 23

Neighbors have donated clothes, along with the Red Cross and Salvation Army. The Simple Way, a Christian-affiliated community-services group, has set up a fund to raise money for the families affected by the fire. You can mail in donations or donate online through their site.

I’d like to end this post with a moment of silence for all the lives lost to Philadelphia fires.

Kensington, Kensington Fire, Potter street, H street, the Simple Way, Philadelphia Fire Department, fire safety

My friend Sally Andersen, at living without meat, is participating in a 24 hour blogathon to raise money for Farm Sanctuary. This girl has a lot of heart so make sure you check out her blog throughout the day and show her a little love and support! GO SALLY GO!!!

Don’t forget about the Great Cheesesteak Debate! I’ll be reveling the results after the weekend so make sure you vote for your favorite! Do it! Do it now! (said in an Arnold accent)

Cruising the Philly Metro on the bus this morning(this has become a regular occurrence), i happened across an article about a new mini golf course that opened in Franklin Square last year. How could I pass up sharing this great summer activity with you all?

Franklin Square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn during the late 17th century in central Philadelphia. It was originally named northeast park but was changed in 1825 to honor Ben Franklin. In its early years, the square was an open common used for grazing animals, storing gun powder (during the American Revolution) drilling soldiers (during the War of 1812). From 1741 to 1835, a portion of the Square was used as a cemetery by the German Reform Church; some of the graves still remain. The area around the square began to decline around the 1920s. After construction of the Ben Franklin Bridge(1922-26), traffic cut off 2 sides of the park to pedestrians and construction of the Vine Street Expressway in the late 1980s only exacerbated the problem. Over the last four decades, Franklin square has been one of the least used parks of the original five, unless you count the homeless making camp there. In honor of Franklin’s tercentenary, Once Upon A Nation and Fairmount Park debuted the newly renovated Franklin Square in July 2006 and since then theres been over 500,000 visitors. The new features from the renovations are the Philadelphia Park Liberty Carousel, Philly Miniature Golf( with miniature replica’s of Philly landmarks), new playgrounds and a restored 19th-Century Fountain.

Conveniently located near Philadelphia’s Historic District, a game of mini golf in Franklin Square is the perfect way to end a day of touring the city.

Related articles and sites
Metro: Goodtimes file
gophila
about.com: Franklin Square

Franklin Square, Ben Franklin, Ben Franklin Bridge, Mini Golf, Philly Parks, Fairmont Park, Once Upon A Nation

I’m drawing a blank on a topic for today. But as it turns out, Sally from Livingwithoutmeat.com, has recognized me as a schmooze worthy blogger! The idea behind this Power To Schmooze Award is to honor bloggers who contribute to the blogging community by inciting conversation and or thought. And with this honor bestowed upon me, comes the power to pass it on to 5 other bloggers I deam worthy. So here’s my list of schmoozy blogs.

*Lyndsey at Lez Keep it real

*Jackie at Kids Dish

*Ricky of the Ricky Cronicles at BLU blogs

*Kerri Smith of wish jar journal

*Frank, founder of Post Secret

Thanks for being awesomely schmoozy!

Rick Olivieri serving up a Philly Cheesesteak at his shop in Reading Terminal Market (photo taken from philly.com)

In an earlier post I had mentioned that Rick’s Steaks, in the Reading Terminal Market, was in danger of losing it’s lease after 25 years. The rally that was supposed to be held in support of Rick’s was cancelled when owner, Rick Olivieri, made an appointment with the board to possibily discuss terms of a new lease. A decision was reached, however, it has yet to be made public.

Why is the Terminal Market Board so eager to give Rick the boot? Rick claims that the board is retaliating against him for advocating for other terminal merchants, though board members deny those allegations. Another theory is the board couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring in Tony’s Luke’s, with it’s great reputation in Zagat’s guide. But can Zagat’s compete with family history? The name Olivieri sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That’s because Rick Olivieri is grandson to Pat Olivieri, founder of Pat’s King of Steaks and the philly steak sandwich. Herbert Oliveri opened Rick’s in 1981 inside Philadelphia’s Reading Terminal Market, with son Rick Oliveri taking over in 1995. Despite being blood, family ties are strained between the Oliveri’s. In October 2006, Pat’s operator Frank Oliveri Jr. sued Rick’s Steaks in dispute over Rick’s references to Pat’s in its signage and literature (Rick’s advertises and promotes its connections to the Oliveri family). The lawsuit stems from Rick’s gain in notoriety after it opened a second location at Citizens Bank Park in 2006, a spot Geno’s Steaks abandoned after two seasons. With the law suit still pending, it could be another factor motivating the board to evict Rick.

Whatever the reason may be, one thing is for certain, Rick Olivieri is not going down without a fight.

If you’re in support of Rick’s or want to share your opinion with him, there’s a page here on his website where you can send in your comments.

Other articles about the Rick’s battle against the Terminal Market Board
Reading Terminal Market: Rick’s Steaks widout? By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Posted on Thu, Jul. 05, 2007

Rick’s owner, market board to discuss lease by mike benner / metro philadelphia JUL 23, 2007

and don’t forget to vote for your favorite cheesesteak stop!

Rick’s Steaks, Rick Olivieri, Reading Terminal Market, Cheesesteaks, Pat Olivieri, Pat’s King of Steaks

Here’s a couple things going on this week. But for more, make sure you check out phillyfunguide.com and Philly2night.com

Wicked
Opening July 25th and running til September 9th at the Kimmel Center $30-138
Ever wonder what made the witch so wicked? See the musical that explores the other side of the missunderstood green-colored woman. Buy Tickets

Summer Fine Craft Fair
Friday July 27th through Sunday July29th at the Chase Center of the Riverfront $7
The Pennsylvania Guild Summer Fine Craft Show is an excellent showcase for contemporary and traditional fine crafts and arts.

Philly events, Wicked, Kimmel Center, Summer fine craft fair, Pennsylvania fine craft guild

There’s only one place to get a Cheesesteak. Philadelphia. Sure, other cities claim to have them. They even try to call them “Philly steaks”, but don’t be fooled. It’s just not the same. Okay, maybe there’s some bias here, but for good reason. There’s no doubt, Cheesesteaks are a big deal to this city. Steak sandwiches first originated here in Philly, in 1930. Credit for invention is attributed to Pat Oliveri (of Pat’s King of Steaks where 9th street crosses Wharton & Passyunk Ave), and Joe Vento (of Geno’s at the intersection of 9th Street and Passyunk Avenue) claims to be the first to add cheese.

And that’s when the great debate began that still continues today. Though Pat’s and Geno’s may be the big names, theres many other favorites on the rise. Whenever I past Jim’s on south street, there’s a line out front wrapping around the corner down 4th street. And I’m pretty sure every diner in the city has “cheesesteak” on the menu.

But just for fun, let’s have a little vote. They all claim to be the best in the city but who’s your favorite for the greesy, cheesy deliciousness that is the Philly Cheesesteak? Pat’s, Geno’s or one of the many others all around Philadelphia? Submit your votes by comment or email me at meg.hine@451press.net. I’ll post the final tallies at the end of the week.

And a side note…The Reading Terminal Market is in danger of losing its staple steak stop, Rick’s Steaks. Rick Oliveri faces eviction after 25 years because the Market management refuses to offer a new lease. But Rick has other plan’s than to just sit back and let them replace his restaurant with Tony Luke’s. The Market planned rally in support of Rick’s Steaks with t-shirts saying, Front: “Save Rick’s Steaks, Save Reading Termianal Market” and back: “Who’s Next?” Other terminal shop owners are now concerned that the evictions won’t end with Rick’s. (Article in the Metro)

Philly Cheesesteak, Cheesesteak debate, best cheesesteaks, vote for favorite cheesesteaks, Pat Oliveri, Joe Vento, Pat’s King of Steaks, Geno’s Steaks, Jim’s Steaks, Rick’s Steaks, Reading Terminal Market

I’ve been kind of busy this week so i apologize for not staying on top of my posts. Right now i’m gonna give you a quick one of little news snipits that i caught today in the newspaper.

A long, slow burn
Lawmakers were unable to agree on the debate to ban smoking in public locations through out Pennsylvania. They managed to come up with two spearate bills; the house version and the Senate version.

Both versions would ban smoking in places such as arenas, stores, restaurants and convention halls. But the Senate allowed full or partial exceptions for more establishments, including a quarter of casino gambling floors, bars where food is one-fifth or less of gross sales, addiction treatment centers, nursing homes and other adult-care centers.

The Senate’s version does not allow local governments to enact more restrictive bans and would pre-empt the one in Philadelphia that would ban smoking in casinos. The House version did not pre-empt tougher local bans.
click here for the full article

Foxwoods plans on hold
Despute over location has the plans for the Foxwoods Casino at a stand still.

Two of the main issues surrounding Foxwoods’ plan concern traffic around its riverfront location and riparian zones, areas of land that jut up against the Delaware River, which the state owns. The commission requested more information on the issues before making any decisions.
Click here for more

City gets Fresh

Country meets city this week in The Bite. We’re checking out the produce farmed locally and making its way into city limits. We’ll also clue you in on which Walnut Street establishment is threatening mutiny (hint: it’s not Le Bec Fin).

Now through Sunday, its Buy Fresh Buy Local week. Competitions, films, tours, and food & drink specials.
Its Munity at the Rum Bar. $3 drink specials every sunday night from 9 to close.
Click here for more.

If you’ve been following along with the SEPTA transportation crisis(part one, part two), I have an update thats actually a few days old but i’m finally getting around to writing it.

The Pennsylvania lawmakers finally decided on a bill that would provide hundreds of millions of dollars to SEPTA for the years to come. BUt is the crisis over? There’s still a lot of concern about the elimination of paper transfers for a majority of riders. But the motivation behind that is to initiate the use of electronic TransPasses which will allow for seamless travel on all forms of public transportation.
Hopefully, with the efforts to bring in and keep riders, we’ll be seeing other improvments in the transit system. Cleaner stations, better transfer/ conection locations, and keeping costs low are a few things to be considered.

For more on this story, check out the article from the Philly Metro.

SEPTA, Fair fares, transfer elimination, TransPass, SEPTA improvements

This has nothing to do with Philadelphia but i’ve had a crazy, busy couple of days and well…seeing this just made my night…

I’ve been planning to do a restaurant review for awhile now so, finally, here we go.

I might as well start with one of my favorite dinning spots in the Philly area, Winnie’s le Bus on Main street in Manayunk. My gal pal Sal and I frequent the cafe style restaurant at least every other week (recently, we’ve gone the past 2 in a row), and we affectionately call it “our restaurant”.
Le Bus offers indoor and outdoor dinning. On a sunny day, I prefer the latter. It gives you a great view up and down Main Street, perfect for a people watcher like me. Inside is an equally pleasent atmosphere with a rustic feel; stone walls, wood beam ceilings and original floral paintings by local artist Tony LaSalle.
Just in the mood for a quick drink or snack? Try the third seating option and pull up a chair at the bar. Catch the latest sports event on the two TV screens, or enjoy pleasent conversation with the friendly bar staff. (speaking of the staff, my friend and I are convinced that you have to be good-looking to work there, which is a nice bonus for the eyes)

Now on to the moment you’ve all been waiting for…the Food! or should i say, “good gotta eat! food“.
No matter what time of day, you’re automatically greated with a basket of fresh bread, made daily at le Bus. The menu changes up depending on the time of day, but you’ll always be sure to find a delicious array of house specialties like, Mom’s Meatloaf, Vegetarian Chili, and the honey chipotle buffalo wings. I’m a big fan of their appetizers. Their nacho platter is big enough for a whole meal, or to share with others and topped with their homemade guacamole (which in my opinion is the best guac ever!). My friend Sally(*cough* writer of living without meat *cough* shameless plug) loves the wide variety of vegetarian friendly meals, such as the homemade veggie burger with guacamole and salsa, the pear salad with candied walnuts, and a new creation she tried yesterday, the brown rice nut salad with hummus, red peppers and pita bread. (who says vegetarians don’t eat well?) Least we not forget their breakfast/brunch menu. Le Bus was voted “Best of Philly” for their pancakes, served with Pennsylvania Dutch maple syrup and fresh fruit. I haven’t been there early enough in the day to try them, but believe me, they are on my list.

If I still haven’t convinced you that Winnie’s le Bus should be your new favorite restaurant (then maybe you’re dead inside) maybe you just need to try it for yourself. If you are convinced, then I guess I’ll be seeing you there. Cheers!

Winnie’s le Bus, Manayunk, Manayunk Dinning, Philadelphia restaurants, good gotta eat food, vegetarian restaurants, Best of Philly, Tony LaSalle, guacamole