Car Share

There is one thing that Philly can get right (maybe it's b/c the city doesn't have control). Philly Car Share is quite an endeavor. Check out their website when you get a chance. You can borrow anything from minivans, mini coopers, prius', miatas, pickup and more. The office just signed up for both Car Share and Transit Checks...way to be responsible!

Fondly Fondue

How you doin? Actually, I'm fonduin...

Lame joke, but hopefully it was amusing on a stupidity scale.

Wednesday proved to be a wonderful friend filled day. For those of you who don't know...I'm a foodie. I'm even a foodies foodie. Not only do I like to go out and try all kinds of wonderful foods, but I love to cook them as well. Those who have been to my infamous Delancey Street dinner parties can attest ... and that's not just the wine talking!

It was an EARLY day. I was on the train by 5:45 in the morning...had a meeting way before first thing. After my marathon morning I had lunch with Lique. Lunch involved trying out all kinds of fun sushi, then washing it down with gelato while walking around town. Gelato with friends brings me back to my summer in italy (great thought process to start the afternoon with).

It was girl's night out at Melting Pot...Gina, Leah and I spent hours conversing, drinking and dipping. It was the perfect way to unwind. What got me through my marathon day (left the house at 5:30 am and returned at 10:30 pm) was the good food and friends.

This having to be overly aggressive and mean at work, coupled with long hours phase needs to end soon. Carrier better get it's act together...

Daily Commute

Part of my love affair with this town is that Philly truly is an intimate city. All the friends who have lived there for some time will understand.

There are off the beaten path streets that create wonderful outdoor volumes on a very human scale. Think about it...you take a narrow street, give it tiny sidewalks and small trees: you create an urban corridor that is now the footpath. On the pedestrian scale it's quite nice, at least for me. I'd rather walk down this street than the broad expanse of JFK with it's huge buildings and highway sized sidewalks.

This block is half of my chosen path of travel between the train and the office.

Abandoned Towers

Water tower where have you gone?

I could start a whole blog on water tower images (thanks to my old neighbor).

Philly has the intriguing collection of abandoned water towers. Some, like the one pictured, have lost the identifiable barrel and are left with only the metal tower.

Something so simple and once so vital can now be found abandoned throughout town. These towers are not just in the old warehouse districts, they are all over the place. The tower pictured is by my office, not far from Rittenhouse Sq..

Chicago hosted a design competition supporting the adaptive reuse of such towers. Needless to say, the entries were all quite interesting. I hope one day Philly has enough insight to turn something so regular, arguably so blighted, into icons for redevelopment and change.

Evergreen?!?!?!

This is one sad plant.

He was a Christmas present, but I didn't get him until about a month ago. He came to me in this sickly brown condition. I'm working on reviving him...

Let's all hope he can be happy and green again! I'm happy and green, well maybe not green...but happy with the spring weather. Sunday was a fun outdoor day.

I tossed around a football, ran around the grass without shoes on, broke out the new red barbeque (bring on the Phillies tailgating!!!), and had coffee outside late into the evening. I also avoided my laundry because it was so nice outside.

I love spring, almost as much as fall. I hope it sticks around for a while!

Mummer-rific

Ok, Ok...I know I've already told you about my love affair with Reading Terminal Market...but let me reiterate. I LOVE the market!!!

Call me crazy (as many of you do)...but how could I give up 6 hours of bliss every Saturday.

This Saturday was Scrapple Fest at the market... various merchants as well as outsiders competed in a scrapple cooking contest...there were pig balloons as well as a pig character walking around...best of all there were Mummers. Mummers in florescent suites...straw hats...strutting around the market. Where else can you get that!

I love love love this place. As a matter of fact, I love Philly...

Urban Tranquility

So...that quiet time I've been craving:

No need to hop on buses, the weather is becoming nicer and my office has a little urban oasis it so lovingly hides. We have a large deck in the back facing an alley. It's nice, quiet and a great place to curl up with a book at lunchtime (or just curl up and nap in a sunny spot-for that matter).

Philly: I think I love thee too much

Favorite Philly Moment of the Day:

Many of you recall the crazy apartment Jean and I lived in, in Powelton Village. Crazy layout, full of lots of character...and lets not forget the creative / experimental art Jean and I had explored.

My final summer there, Jean traveled quite a bit so I basically lived by myself. I was far from lonely... that summer we had an amazing neighbor (if you forgot that he resided in the halfway house next door). This neighbor used to sit out front around 11-1130 every evening and play great blues harmonica for about a half hour. I'd lay in bed, listening to the sounds of the city, cooled by the river breezes and drifting off to sleep listening to my little piece of heaven.

I think that's when I fell in love with Philly.

CANstruction

Everyone should stop by the main rotunda at Liberty Place and check out CANstruction.

Where else can you see a suspension bridge, street scape and multiple love statues all made from cans.

This was a design build competition / fund raiser...all cans are donated to Philabundance once the display comes down.

Congrats to the design firms in town who opted to compete in this socially responsible endeavor.

Shhhhh...

Quiet Bus...

One of the nice things about taking buses across town...is getting on the bus at the first stop. It's nice and empty...just you and quietness (other than the automated voice noting the stops).

I've been craving some quiet time lately...maybe I should just start hopping on buses!

SONIC

Sonic...

It's no longer an urban myth. I don't know about you, but I've wondered, on occasion, if this fast food place really existed, or if it was goofy advertising messing with our minds.

Sonic nationally advertises, yet there are none close to home.

So, Amy and I set out to find a Sonic. It took us an hour, but we finally found the one in Raleigh. How can you pass up a drive in dining establishment that has a soda fountain complete with 168,894 drink combinations...gotta love it!

Lets Mix Things Up

So I'm late with posting and to boot, I'm out of order. Talk about living on the edge!!!

Well this post is from Sunday morning post the evenings bar outings. I can't wait to post Saturday's picture...you won't believe it's real!!! Again, NC is a ton of fun. Amy and I really took to Raleigh, there are a ton of young professionals there. Well after an evening of fun ... wink wink Ms. Borek... we got up early and headed home.

What a long ass trip home...let me tell you, the rain in NJ was the lightest rain we had the whole trip. 95 was a mess...full of accidents (leave it to a suburban losing it's boat on 95 to a long ass ride). Kudos to my brother's Mazda for handling so well. Great ride. I'll post about Saturday, when I get the picture.

This pic is the calm before the storm...

North Carolina and the art of being NICE!

Amy and I spent the weekend in North Carolina...Raleigh area. We had a blast. It was a whirlwind of a trip. Thursday after work we drove down, got in around 2 am and I was up and at my first interview at 8am. It was a long day...3 interviews and 9 hours later I returned to the hotel. Amy and I were in dire need of some food and fun. We had some good eats and caught a cab into town. I can't get over how nice everyone is... it's surreal.

We ended up at Flying Saucer (pictured above) for some good beers and relaxing.

Man, what a decision. The offers are in...my presence has been requested at 3 additional interviews, I found some awesome places to live. Can I do it? Will I make this move by myself? Will I leave my amazing friends?

Stay tuned...Trish is over analyzing as usual...

Let's play a round...

Technically this is Thursday' s post. Ryan sent me her picture...how could I refuse to post it!

There she is ... in all her glory. The golf we lovingly spoke about in a previous post. The perfect friend for late night spontaneous trips to the shore...the ambulance when needed...the girl chaser for her faithful owner.

I'm sure many of my architecture friends have many fond memories of this car...

I'll also never forget going to the shore when she had the busted window (poor thing).

May she rest in peace...

Mail and Star Wars...go figure

Alas...

I was caught without my camera. I had lunch with Lique today, and left my camera in the office. While walking up 18th street we passed a funny looking mailbox. Upon further inspection it was a mailbox moonlighting as R2D2.

It was such a moment of awe and excitement that I decided to Google the image and post it anyway (apparently the USPS is helping Star Wars celebrate it's 30th anniversary). The image is not my own...but I hope everyone comes across one of these in their journeys...they are truly amusing.

Philly, How Do I Love Thee...

***SIGH....

I had coffee with an old neighbor yesterday at the old stomping ground. (for those of you who don't know the house on the left was my home for a while...).

Being back in the old hood, combined with my upcoming decision as to whether or not to leave Philly....I've been reminiscing.

Favorite Sentimental Philly Moments:
1: Dinner Parties on Delancey Street (italian night, fall feast in the garden by candle light, crawfish in the garden...)
2. Thanksgiving at Josh's trinity (how many people did we fit in there?!?!?). Wine glasses thrown down the stairs, Lique keeping the cobbler to herself...
3. Snowball fights on Buckley Green
4. Sledding down the base of the Society Hill Towers
5. BBQ's on Nissa's roof deck
6. The view from Jean and My roof deck in Powelton Village
7. Jean and my attempt at a roof top garden.
8. Happy hours after evening classes...
9. TA Drexel Discovering Architecture Summer Program
10. "Roadtrips are Roadtrips" - KZW (planning and going with Jean)
11. Crazy homeless man I gave my hot pink scarf to
12. Lazy afternoons in Rittenhouse Square
13. Mummers
14. Big Brothers Big Sisters
15. Reading Terminal Market
16. Wiffle Ball during summer evening working at the UPENN bookstore
17. Movie nights around town in the summers (outdoor projections)

....There are so many more...

Breakfast served till HAM

The first time I saw this sign...I really thought it read: "BREAKFAST Served till HAM". Neon signs: are they old fashioned 80's and tacky? Are they effective eye catching ways to advertise?

Graphic art...where does it belong?

Happy Easter

Let's keep this brief...

I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday. I spent a relaxing day at home. Well sort of relaxing...I worked on invitaions for Inviti by Design, a handmade invitation business Diane and I are working on. I also worked on my portfolio. It's shaping up to be a ridiculously busy week.

Spring?!?!

Snow at the clothespin on easter weekend...

Ok, so this post will be devoted to making a difference. Many of you may / may not know that I volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Eastern PA. Yup, I'm a Big Sister. It's an amazingly fun yet rewarding experiance. My little sister is an amazing child, I wouldn't trade her for the world. We do everyday things as well as super fun excursions. Saturday, we spent the afternoon at the Kensington branch library (which I was highly impressed with). We both found books, she: Third Grade Stinks, me: Harry Potter and the Sorcerors Stone. We sat and read for a while and then got library cards and took our books home. Something as simple as spending 2 hours at the library really makes a positive differance in a child's life. I spend a few hours every weekend with her...in between we have a little postcard scavenger hunt. I take pictures of murals and sculptures around town...like the clothes pin. I write clues on the back about it's location and history. Once she gathers a few postcards...we set out on the EL to find them. Not only does this get us out and about...but it bolsters a sense of way finding for her. By learning landmarks and their adjancies, she'll be better suited to recognize where she is if she finds herself lost in town.

I know I've been all about daring my readers lately...but for all of you who don't have the time...I dare you to find a few hours once a week to make a differance one child at a time. There are 1500 little boys in Philly currently waiting to be matched with Big Brothers...are we really all too busy to help one child? (There are plenty of girls waiting for Big Sisters too)

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. >>>MLK Jr.

Abandoned Beauty

Friday was a down and dirty survey day. The office is renovating an abandoned building that comes complete with a live kitty population...dead kitties and birds...fake blood smeared walls (days as a haunted house)...as well as lots of unwanted trash. If you look past the rubbish and foul smell...the buildings got bones. It's a great building...it's fieldstone and brick with high ceilings and lots of windows. With a little TLC this building will shine again.

Renovation / restoration jobs can be quite fun...

I came across an old print from my crazy art days. I forgot how much I loved this one. It was very impromptu...I had an old piece of GWB laying around the apartment...I grabbed a piece of plexi, a tube of oil paint and a wood dowel and created my woods. This is my wood you saw in a previous post, my getaway. By creating this...I brought my woods to the city with me...in what I perceived as a very beautiful way.

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." >>>Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Artificial Flavoring

A little over 2 weeks ago Lique and I had lunch together at a cute little place in town. To brighten my day, she gave me a bunch of daisies that had been dipped in bright colors. A good two weeks later...this picture is the daisies still on my desk.

Shocking yes...what do we suppose they dip the flowers in? I've changed the water every few days...and trimmed the stems, but I've never seen daisies last this long.

The added bonus, unbeknownst to Lique, her simple gesture has been brightening my day for 2+ weeks now!

So, to everyone who enjoyed a rainy Wednesday...let my radioactive flowers brighten your day!

Pooch in the Park

It was a very urban morning. I took the train to town...swung by the office...took a trolley across town to a job meeting. Grabbed the subway downtown to an engineers office... hopped a bus uptown back to work. (in the midst of all the mass transit...I always got off a stop early, so I could enjoy a few block walk in the brisk spring weather).

Mass transit...I really do love it. (call me crazy, but it's so nice to get around without my car). I enjoy all the interesting folks that frequent mass transit...especially the buses. There is this weird shadow that hangs over SEPTA buses. I know many an urban dweller who never takes the bus. Give it a shot...find the one or two lines that work for you...they're fun.

So, getting to today's pic: To round out a perfectly urban morning, I met up with Megan and Alex for lunch in the park. A great way to people watch, if I do say so myself. Painters were out selling their fare, urban skaters were relaxing, mothers/nannies were playing with children...AND let's not forget many workers taking their lunch hour. The 3 of us found a bench...and over came Baby (the pooch pictured). Let me tell you, that is one tough puppy. I think she may have the roughest background I know. She hails from a troubled childhood, while owned and injured by drug dealers. Her new owner adopted her, got her the surgery she needed and a few months later she was featured in Boston Magazine. Now if that isn't a feel good rags to riches pooch story, what is?

Today's post really deserves 2 pictures...one of transit and one of a pooch...but you know the rules...

Spring has Sprung

Monday's Pic...I'm late posting.

Another reason I love Philly...

Springtime...

It's the season when all the leftover grey ice sludge finally melts away. The weather is cool, warm even. Workers start lunching in the park. Sidewalk cafe's start setting the outside tables. People walk around more and children play outside again. Even baron trees start to bud.

The dank realm the city slips into every winter is shed to reveal a beautiful vibrant place full of life and action.

The Baron in the Trees

Typically, Sunday is my non urban day. (although...this evening Ana and I had dinner and went to see our friend Nate in a play...so tonight was a Philly night...kudos Nate to a wonderful job...my "soul man").

On non urban days I prefer to do very un urban things. After a few enlightening hours working at the bookstore I went for a quick walk through the woods at my parents house. It's nice to get away...no sounds but nature, no other humans, no distractions.

It's such a wonderfully comforting feeling to walk in woods that you know...you're not sure how you know them...but after 26 years you can tell the dozens of acres apart. It's been a while since I've been back there...but it's like coming home again. I spent many an hour in those woods as a child... playing, running, exploring, drawing, documenting and laying in the brush staring up at the clouds though the many fingers of the trees. I now have to share my wood with the growing deer population. I prefer the deer population to the ocassional skunk from the late 80's. Walking in a wood that is not part of a park...making your own path...chosing your own tree to turn at...is quite relaxing. I sat on a down tree for a while and reflected. It's a great way to meditate and clear ones mind. It was a refreshing weekend.

Spending time in the woods reflecting had me yearning for Cosimo...(Calvino's Baron in the Trees). What an idea... rebel ...climb into the trees...and stay there for the rest of ones life...

I leave you with a quote from the book...as romantic of a notion it is to remain in the trees, could I really become such a hermit / introvert. I'd need association...I'd need the personal growth thats gained by interaction.

"He understood: that association renders men stronger and brings out each person's best gifts, and gives a joy which is rarely to be had by keeping to oneself, the joy of realizing how many honest decent capable people there are for whom it is worth giving one's best (while living just for oneself very often the opposite happens, of seeing people's other side, the side which makes on keep one's hand always on the hilt of one's sword)."