Category Archives: Philadelphia

“The view is nice from here; not scenic or nothing, but nice”

My contribution to City Paper last week: On the quasi-public spaces that have sprung up around Penn, which I’ve noticed over the course of my weirdo writer hours, spent transcribing interviews and reading old news articles I’m sure Rutgers, Camden … Continue reading

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Atlantic City is Weird, Possibly Doomed (and I really like it)

In the beginning of this year I spent a lot of time in Atlantic City, just a short NJ Transit ride away from Philly. It’s a very bizarre little place, with a population of just under 40,000, an urban feel, … Continue reading

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Transfers are an inconvenience for riders, so they shouldn’t have to pay for them

As long as I’m re-posting  work that was published awhile ago, here’s my first (and so far only) piece for Axis Philly. It’s about transit in Philadelphia, the historical fights over fare increases, why this one isn’t attracting as much … Continue reading

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PIFA: Theater and the Birmingham Bombing

My City Paper review of Countdown to “BOOM,” part of the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, and put on by Kariamu & Company at Temple University. Unfortunately it only ran twice, on on one day. BRIEF SELF-DESCRIPTION: The bombing of … Continue reading

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Workers Allege Wage Theft in Fancy Sushi Eatery, Fat Salmon

May Day was yesterday and I spent the day covering an action against a fancy sushi restaurant, Fat Salmon (best sushi in the city, 2012). A group of workers allege that the owner has been stealing portions of their tips, … Continue reading

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Will someone please give SEPTA some money?

SEPTA’s Capital budget hearings were sparsely populated and super depressing, largely because there just isn’t that much to be done. SEPTA’s capital budget is really small: $308 million (compare with $1.7 billion for NJ Transit). The federal government no longer … Continue reading

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The worst idea in SEPTA’s Operarting Budget

Last month I covered SEPTA’s Philadelphia operating and capital budget hearings for Next City. I’m not sure which were more depressing, but I’ll start with the operating budget hearings because they came first. They were packed with people, most of … Continue reading

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Bikes for all!

Earlier today Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter test rode a bike share, well, bike around Rittenhouse Square. Now we’ll see if he can actually get the $3 million he needs from City Council, where the Mayor may face a much tougher … Continue reading

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Penn guards: More than a year since the union vote, still no contract

I haven’t been focused on keeping the blog updated as my stories come out and now I’m playing catch up. Below you’ll find my Philly City Paper update on the Penn security guards struggle to unionize, which I first reported … Continue reading

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Municipal workers aren’t to blame for high healthcare costs

Every year the Pew Charitable Trust releases its annual “Philadelphia: The State of the City” report, containing a vast array of data about the city and covering everything from poverty to real estate. Among the statistics included are the cost … Continue reading

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