Results tagged “benfranklin”

There's Girard Avenue. Girard College. Stephen Girard Park. And Girard Fountain Park, the focus of this week's column. All are named for or funded by Stephen Girard, a banker from the 19th century who is apparently credited with saving the US from financial breakdown in the War of 1812. Created in the 1960s, Girard Fountain Park is next to the fire company on 4th and Arch street at what once used to be 325 Arch Street. A fund established by Girard to improve the Delaware Front of the city was used to refurbish the park in 1976.The park is a pocket park, since it is only .15 acre in size (a little bit bigger than your average row home). Unlike other city parks, this one is not overseen by the Dept. of Recreation or Fairmount Park but by the Fire Department. When approaching the park, you'll first hear the rushing water from its eponymous fountain. That may be the only clue you'll get that this is the park, as there aren't any signs announcing what it is. I wonder if that keeps people away: for the hour I was there, I was the only soul in the park (save for the birds frolicking in the large bowl of bird seed set out for them).

No debate: there’s no better, or more appropriate, place to celebrate the birth of our nation than right here in Philly. Here are a few things to help you enjoy your freedom this weekend. The best part? Most of it’s free.

Three Philadelphia Tour Guides are up-in-arms due to a City Council bill that says all guides must be certified by obtaining a license. The license is given after the guides pass an exam that tests their knowledge of Philadelphia history. They feel this is in violation of their rights and have filed a lawsuit against the city.

And by "revisionist," we mean "drunken."

Phillyist VIP: Matt Nelson

Don’t know about you, but when we think about driving in the city we start to get slight palpitations. Part of it could be that we’re used to walking and Septa; the thought of paying exorbitant amounts to park in UCity on a Friday night convinces us that the El isn’t so bad after all. Plus, there’s storage: when we were living on the outskirts of Center City a parking spot would have cost 2/3 of our rent. Don’t get us started on the exhaust fumes, particularly those from the ancient chariots some of us have to drive around in because after parking costs we can’t afford an upgrade. But there are times when having a car is a necessity, even in the city. You need one to escape the heat and exhaust for the cool ocean breeze in the summer for instance, or to do an IKEA run. And so a balance must be struck.

When the United States finally gained its freedom from King George III, the Founding Fathers went down to the historic City Tavern and got wasted on Thomas Jefferson’s special ale and Ben Franklin’s “Poor Richard’s Shooters."

Another new writer today, folks. Please help us welcome Don Montrey, who is a comedian and a writer. He has no criminal record as far as you know.

The Ben Franklin Parkway at 18th Street.

In honor of Ben Franklin’s birthday, lettuce-clothed PETA activists braved the cold yesterday afternoon to spread the word about animal cruelty. Dressed in nothing but iceberg lettuce, a bit of trim and a stretchy waistband, local Lettuce Lady Nicole Mathews passed out faux-turkey sandwiches, talked to tourists and answered bewildered Franklin Institute attendants in 30 degree cold. All, of course, prompting the perfectly reasonable question, “whaaaa?”

We'd like to start this post off with something we just read in a press release:

Pennsylvania ranks very low amongst other states in requiring breakfast to be served in its schools to the children of low income families. A new memorial design for the President's House, which "would allow visitors to peer down through a glass shed and view archaeological remnants of an 18th-century house once occupied by presidents and slaves," will be unveiled tomorrow night at Freedom Theatre. "The DRPA, whose board meets today to adopt its annual budget,...

Photo from the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway. Photo by author, SkyscraperSunset.com, November 25, 2007....

Moving on from there, we thought we'd maybe hit one of Headlong Dance Theater's First Friday performances (happening at 8PM and 9PM) at the Spirit Wind Studio, across from the Painted Bride. Phillyist loves them some Headlong, and this performance is free, which makes it especially worthy of our affection. Plus, there will be beer.

...this Phillyist walk across the Ben Franklin Bridge.

Wednesdays throughout July, Bleu Martini's Charity Happy Hours will be benefiting Once Upon A Nation. Go between 5:30 and 7:30 and enjoy free hors d'oeuvres and drink specials, and have 15% of your tab donated to this worthy endeavor.

Forget Ben Franklin: the greatest inventor in the area was the Dutch gal who first looked at the bottom of a pot just used to make liverwurst and thought, there has to be something more here. And so was born scrapple, the breakfast delight of Phillyites everywhere (though we've heard they look at you funny in California), including Big Ben himself.

Image credit: Flickr user JasonJT

Looking east from 10th Street in Chinatown, with the Ben Franklin Bridge in the distance.

William Penn keeps his back turned to Lincoln Financial Field after being called "Ben Franklin" by this week's announcers.

Once in a while, our awesome skyline adds a little variety by changing the lighting scheme on a whole bunch of buildings. Our four tallest skyscrapers - One and Two Liberty Place, the Mellon Bank Center, and the Bell Atlantic Tower - will spend their October nights wearing bright pink in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The shift normally happens on October 1st, but since it falls on a Sunday this year, we wouldn't hold our breath. In addition to the skyscrapers mentioned above, the usual cast of characters includes City Hall, the Inquirer Building, the Hyatt Penn's Landing, One South Broad (PNB), the Ben Franklin Bridge, and street level lighting of the National Constitution Center. Last year, Camden City Hall even jumped in the mix, and ever the showoff, the new Cira Centre sported a 300 ft. pink bow, created entirely by its facade lighting. We'll have our eye out for new participants this fall.

October's not the only month to expect a change. During the last few years we've seen green buildings late in the football season, red near Valentine's Day, and of course, red, white, and blue for the 4th of July.

Phillyist appreciates the effort, but the coordination between buildings has been inconsistent in the past. Let's see if they can work as a team this October.