10. The rats in Rittenhouse Square start to change color. 9. Glen "Hurricane" Schwartz brings out his earth tone bow-ties. 8. Two words: City Hall corruption trials. 7. Pat's Steaks brings back their Pumpkin Spiced Cheesesteak. 6. Kerri-Lee Halkett in boots! 5. Watch the Phillies kick the Brewers' ass! 4. Remind ourselves that the Sixers are a professional Philadelphia sports team. 3. Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz in boots! 2. Mayor Nutter lets his goatee grow in......

Why are cupcakes so trendy? Is it the whole Magnolia Bakery thing in NYC? Whatever it is, you can’t deny that cupcakes are good. Local Philly fav Brown Betty in NoLibs, is opening Brown Betty Petite today in Rittenhouse. The petite size shop only serves cupcakes, but they’re not your plain ‘ol vanilla and chocolate. The store offers everyday favorites like red velvet with cream cheese frosting and vanilla poundcake. And, on certain days of......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY The Shoebox Tour: Michael Karas and Tempei Arakawa explore the limits of juggling (and what can be juggled) at Greg Kennedy Studio (6122 Greene), 7:30 & 9PM. $10 SATURDAY Doggie!: Carnivale of the Dogs at Rittenhouse Square (18th and Walnut), 10AM. Free Empty Orchestra: Opening reception for "Empty Orchestra: Art Meets Karaoke" at Yo! Darkroom (113 N 23rd), 8PM. Free Grand Prix: Sprint Motorola UYRS Grand Prix......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Among Criminals: Among Criminals, Bare Foot Truth, and Tsunami Rising at Upstairs at World Café Live (3025 Walnut), 8PM. $6 Summer’s Really Over: Concluding performance of Philadelphia Weekly's Concerts in the Park with The Hustle and Black Landlord at Rittenhouse Square (18th and Walnut), 7PM. Free Like Butter: Drink Up Buttercup and The Major Leagues at Silk City (5th and Spring Garden), 9PM. $5 (21+) Quizzo Mania: Get......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Hard Core Barbie: Project Runway viewing party every Wednesday, with Barbie design challenge for all in attendance, at National Mechanics (22 S 3rd), 11PM. $7 Gay Catholic Erotica Author: Scott D. Pomfret reads from his new book Since My Last Confession: A Gay Catholic Memoir at Giovanni’s Room (345 S 12th), 5:30PM. Free PW Concerts in the Park: XPN welcomes Adam Arcuragi and The Capitol Years in Rittenhouse......

The big story is the huge fire that started early last night at the Riverwalk at Millennium apartment complex in Conshohocken. The fire destroyed three buildings and left three others damaged. Residents of the apartments are trying to cope with the loss of their homes and, in some cases, pets. This morning, fire trucks were still on the scene and firefighters were napping on the sidewalk as embers from the buildings smoldered. In the wake......

Poor Philly. We've been named the city with the most unattractive people, the fattest, and the most miserable. But, finally we've caught a break. Walkscore.com—an online tool to help people find great neighborhoods to live in—named Philadelphia the fifth most walkable city in the country. San Francisco was number one on the list, with New York and Boston coming in second and third, respectively. Although, one has to wonder how San Francisco is so walkable......

Even though the reviews aren't entirely positive, whether you're planning on going to the movie or not, you've gotta admit this is a pretty good trailer. Plus, footage of Rittenhouse Square!......

The Urban Dictionary has no shortage of definitions for the word "flaky". And this Phillyist has read them all. He feels painfully well-described by their variety and cold accuracy. JERRY ALTMAN: THE ART OF TV GUIDE The TV Guide has been updating housewives on the status of their favorite soft-core porn, er, we mean soap opera, for over 50 years. For half that time, Jerry Altman has played the role of Art Director, guiding the......

Ah, flash mobs. We love them. From massive pillow fights to silent discos, they’re generally outrageous, funny, and tend to be a lot safer than actual mobs. We’ve got word that a flash mob will be striking Rittenhouse Square this Saturday, May 17th. Fifty people, all donned in black, will arrive at noon, streaming into the park from all corners. They’ll meet up in the middle, turn east, and look up at the sun......

2:15 PM I’m in Rittenhouse Square so I’ve stopped at La Colombe for a latte. The line is long but moving fast. La Colombe is easily the trendiest coffeehouse in town. The air is sweeter here; I’ve heard they bring it in from France. 2:16 Wow! I didn’t realize there were so many rich, old, gay men without jobs who like coffee in this city. 2:18 I’m at the counter. I tell the barista......

The sun is out and, although it looks pretty, it isn't doing us much good. It's still colder than a Phillyist's, uh, hand, in a, um, brass, hm, glove? Politically correct humor is an oxymoron. Since it's Valentine's Day, we'll offer something angry for the loners, something romantic for the lovers and something educational for the learners to do in the city that is suddenly too cold for murderers. At least there's something good......

Do you like dogs? Oh, who are we kidding? Of course you do! So then clearly, you'd be interested in knowing that the American Kennel Club has released its list of the Top 10 Most Popular Dogs in America. Tops on the list? For the umpteenth year in a row, it's the Labrador Retriever. Also notable: German Shepherds (our faves) at #4, Poodles at #8 (is that surprisingly low to anyone else?), and, for......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: If You Work Out There: Free Chowder Day (with possible entertainment) at Legal Sea Food’s takeout counter (King of Prussia Mall, 680 W. DeKalb Pike), 11AM-1PM. Free From Chowder to Chicken: Wissahickon Chicken Shack, Jeremy Hollis, Lach, and Mason Porter at The Fire (412 W. Girard), 9PM. $7 Elementary: Laura Lea, Ike, Stellarbelly, and Even the Res at Doc Watson's Pub (216 S. 11th), 8PM. $5 Bring a......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: You've Heard of Her Now: Judy Toll: The Funniest Woman You've Never Heard Of, presented by the Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival, at the Gershman Y (401 S. Broad), 7PM. $10 CD Release Party: Nicole Reynolds performs from her new CD at Tin Angel (20 S. 2nd), 7PM. $10 Suddenly Last Summer: As part of a reading series of Tennessee Williams, Lantern Theater presents Suddenly Last Summer at the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: X-mas Eve Holiday Light Show: The famous light show at Macy's (1300 Market), every hour on the hour from 10AM to 6PM. Free (p.s. it will always be the Wanamaker's light show to us) And While You're There: Visit the Dickens Village on the third floor of Macy's (1300 Market), 10AM-6PM. Free See the Choo-choos: Holiday railroad display at the Reading Terminal Market (12th and Market), 8AM-6PM. Free......

Every weekday of December (except for December 25, that is), Phillyist will be counting down to 2008 with our highlights from the past year and our predictions for the next. If you have a list you'd like to submit, let us know! You guys picked the items in this list - which made this post a lot easier to write! And we thank you for that, because we're really kind of burning out on this......

Wednesday As part of the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society series, Christian Tetzlaff, violin and Alexander Lonquich, piano will give a concert of Beethoven Sonatas. Perelman Theater (Kimmel Center); 8 PM; $22.50 Thursday Acclaimed tenor Matthew Polenzani, accompanied by the accomplished pianist Julius Drake, will give a solo recital of songs by Schubert, Beethoven, Liszt, Britten, and Hahn. Perelman Theater (Kimmel Center); 8 PM; $22.50 The Curtis Opera Theater pairs Haydn's Arianna a Naxos with Poulenc's......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: FRIDAY The N Crowd Thanksgiving Special: Improv Comedy with the N Crowd at the Actor’s Center (257 N. 3rd), 8PM. $10 The Delaware Rag: The Delaware Rag celebrates the release of their new CD at Upstairs Live at the World Café (3025 Walnut), 8PM. Also performing is The Josh Olmstead Band. $9 SATURDAY Rittenhouse Square West: Guided architectural walking tour of the Square (18th and Walnut); meet the......

Tuesday The Academy of Vocal Arts opens its season with Mozart's witty and timeless Così fan tutte. Academy of Vocal Arts (19th and Spruce); 7:30 PM; $48 Yo-Yo Ma comes to the Kimmel Center with Kathryn Stott, piano for an evening of Schubert, Shostakovich, Piazzola, Gismonti and Franck. Verizon Hall (Kimmel Cetner); 8 PM; $38-$94 Thursday Temple University faculty members Lawrence Wagner, clarinet, Jeffrey Solow, cello, and Charles Abramovic, piano give a concert of......

Dear Rittenhouse Square: Thank you, thank you, thank you for the good times we've shared. Thank you for the picnics. Thank you for the people-watching. Thank you for the adorable dogs and even more adorable children. Thank you for serving as a frequent shortcut. I'm a big fan of any diagonal path that can get me there faster. Recently, while crossing the park, I saw two young men in t-shirts and baggy blue jeans carry......

Performance: An·'tis·a·lon (Kaibutsu) (Future Showtimes) One of the things I love so much about the Live Arts and Fringe Festivals is the audience who goes to see the shows. The people waiting to see these shows usually aren't your standard theatre-going audience, or, if they are, they're more relaxed than they are at more traditional shows. They talk to you while you're standing in line. They offer alternative suggestions about other shows to latecomers who......

Not that we don't love Old City (we do), but we figured this week, we should focus on some of the First Friday goings-on that aren't part of the typical First Friday scene. Here are a few places we might be checking out tonight – places where the crowds might even be smaller. (That means more wine for us!) First up will be the Center for Emerging Visual Artists, over in Rittenhouse, as they celebrate......

Tuesday Join the Bucks County Choral Society for their open Summer Sing of Orff's 'Carmina Burana.' Trinity Episcopal Church (6587 Upper York Rd., Solebury); 7:30 PM; $10 Wednesday The Holy Trinity's brown bag lunch series continues with the Father John D'Amico Jazz Trio. Holy Trinity Rittenhouse Square; 12:30 PM; FREE Friday The Haddonfield Players continue their run of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance. 957 E Atlantic Ave, Haddonfield, NJ; 8 PM; $18......

Wednesday The Holy Trinity Rittenhouse Square is going strong with their brown bag lunch concerts. This week features Tom Meany and Michael Simmons, Flute and Guitar duo. Holly Trinity (Rittenhouse Square); 12:30 PM; FREE Thursday The Philadelphia Orchestra recovers from their Free Neighborhood Concert series with an evening of Wagner, Beethoven, and Dvorak. Mann Center; 8 PM: $10-$50 Friday In case you need another dose of Gilbert and Sullivan silliness, the Haddonfield players give their......

Tuesday The Philadelphia Orchestra begins this week of concerts with the unforgettable Beethoven 9. Mann Center; 8 PM; $10-$50 Wednesday Hear the angelic voices of the Keystone State Boy Choir as part of the Holy Trinity's Brown Bag Lunch Series. Holy Trinity (Rittenhouse Square); 12:30 PM; FREE The Philadelphia Orchestra, along with the acclaimed Itzhak Perlman as soloist, will give a somewhat "spanish"-themed concert with works by Chabrier, Berlioz, and Mendelssohn. Mann Center; 8......

Shortly after the sudden death of our close friend and fellow staff member here at Phillyist, Star C. Foster, reader Lisa sent us an email offering her condolences. She also told us how pulmonary embolism, which caused Star's death, was also the cause of tragedy for a friend of hers. She then provided us with some information about the condition, and urged us to get the word out about it and how it could be......

The Philly Orchestra is finally back in town. Hooray! Wednesday Soprano Maria Traub, also a French and Italian professor, comes to the Holy Trinity's Brown Bag Lunch series for a program of operatic favorites. Holy Trinity (Rittenhouse Square); 12:30 PM; FREE Wednesday, Thursday, Friday The Philadelphia Orchestra presents programs of Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky respectively. The Beethoven concert boasts a rather odd slogan of "9 symphonies in 90 minutes" and will feature one movement from......

Tuesday The Center City Opera Theater wraps up its run of the world premiere of Lieberman's The Picture of Dorian Grey. You can read the Inquirer's take on it here. Perelman Theater (Kimmel Center); 8 PM; $39-$98 Wednesday Another installment of the Church of the Holy Trinity's brown bag lunch concert series with the Father John D’Amico Jazz Band. Holy Trinity (Rittenhouse Square); 12:30 PM; FREE Friday Boost your vocabulary while listening to catchy tunes.......

As many of you know, we lost our dear friend and colleague Star Foster this past December to a pulmonary embolism. It has been a difficult six months for us all, but there have been things to celebrate as well. A scholarship fund was established at Central High in Star's name; the prize will be awarded each year to a graduating senior who has shown talent and passion for creative writing. The first award......