No, Seriously, the Rocky Musical Is Coming to Broadway. And the Rocky II House Is Still for Sale

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It was a big hit in Germany, but now it’s coming to its native shores: Rocky, Das Musical. There are many, many questions one might have about such a project, but from where we stand, there’s only one that matters: How does Philadelphia come off?

From what we can gather from German YouTube clips and this revealing peek on Perez Hilton, the set design is generic enough to evoke Philly and its Rocky-movie interiors–although there’s a moment in the German trailer when a building topped by a giant “HAMBURG” sign kind of spoils the fun.

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Okie-Designed Home for Sale on the Main Line

This Okie-designed home for sale is reflective of the famed architects Colonial Revival style.

This Okie-designed home for sale is reflective of the famed architects Colonial Revival style.

Spotlight Listing: Okie-Designed Home for Sale on the Main Line Designed in the 1940s by renowned architect R. Brognard Okie, famed for his Colonial Revival architecture style, this Penn Valley home has been carefully renovated and modernized to meet modern living standards. Set on almost five acres, the house balances formal and casual living spaces, [...]

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Lorenzo & Sons Pizzeria Reopens on South Street

LorenzoJust a quick note to alert the faithful that Lorenzo & Sons–the best pizza on South Street–is back after a terrible fire in June 2012. For those who weren’t tuned into Lorenzo’s frequency, foobooz explained its appeal in the wake of the tragedy:

Lorenzo’s opened in 1988 and has served giant slices to South Street regulars and weekend revelers. The shop has been famous for its gruff service and no toppings policy. It wasn’t till just over a week a go that the takeout spot even offered grated parmesan cheese. In an NBC 10 interview, owner Giuseppe Pulizzi who had to escape the flames from a second floor office, vowed that Lorenzo’s will return.

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Another Warehouse Fire in Philadelphia

Photo: Peter Woodall for Hidden City

Photo: Peter Woodall for Hidden City

Peter Woodall at Hidden City has photos of one of Philly’s highly flammable vacant industrial warehouses at 1815 Sedgely Avenue. Before it burned on Saturday, it represented the city’s rich manufacturing past, starting life as a soap factory at the turn of the century, then was machine company that developed the “world’s first turret punch press,” then was an auto part remanufacturer.

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Bala Cynwyd Library to Reopen With Better Flow and a Fireplace Focus

BALA LIBRARY ALMOST DONEThe 16-month renovation of the Bala Cynwyd Library included the addition of 6,000 square feet, but the space that’s getting the most emphasis is a small seating area that visitors will see right as they walk in. Chairs are arranged around an ornamental fireplace that’s always been in the building but was pretty much ignored. Now it’ll serve as a focal point, looking more like a living room than a shelving area.

What else will visitors see when they get to go in on May 19th? A mural of children’s stories, easier access to an elevator and the reference desk, a better flow to the sections, and a young adult room. Overall, the building’s multicolored glass windows make for a Mondrian vibe–if a library can be compared to Mondrian.

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Property’s Morning Obsession: Christopher Morley’s “Travels in Philadelphia”

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morley2We won’t lie: You can read this collection of delightful, funny and vivid essays about Philadelphia on Google Books, but you can’t see the illustrations, which is half the fun. And this particular copy is from 1921, the year the book came out.

Author Christopher Morley was a quirky sort–for fun he liked to go to libraries and read the newest dictionaries–but as a columnist for the Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger, he was a keen and witty observer of the city’s character.

Here are a few tidbits from the book:

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Home Ownership Is at Its Lowest Ebb Since “Gangsta’s Paradise” Came Out

coolio The Census Bureau released data today that shows that the U.S. home ownership rate has declined to 1995 values, when Coolio was highly valued. Trulia’s Jed Kolko, who’s incessantly called upon to make people feel better upon the release of such data dumps, said, “Tight credit, tight for-sale inventory, the challenge of saving for a down payment, and more rental single-family supply all helped lower the homeownership rate.”

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Knockout! Joe Frazier’s Gym Gets on National Register of Historical Places

Joe+Frazier+JoeFrazierIt was a bit of a shock last year when the National Trust for Historic Preservation chose Joe Frazier’s old gym on North Broad Street for one of the coveted spots on its annual list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places. Local residents who valued Frazier’s mentoring and ceaseless community building at the gym were gratified, as were boxing fans. Though the gym didn’t have local or state preservation status–the building’s architectural worth isn’t profound–the National Trust recognized its value as a part of the country’s African-American history.

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The Many Wonderful Benefits of Fitler Square Living

Picturesque streets are one of the benefits of Fitler Square.

Picturesque streets are one of the benefits of Fitler Square home buying.

The Neighborhood Benefits of Fitler Square Located in the southwestern part of Center City just below Rittenhouse Square, Fitler Square has become one of the city’s poshest neighborhoods, after suffering from years of urban blight in the mid 20th century. The neighborhood owes its name to the square at 23rd and Lombard, named for Edwin [...]

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Trinity Tuesday: One-Bedroom Trinity for Rent in Northern Liberties

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trinity tuesday logoThis one-bedroom unit, which is called “trinity-style” in the listing, is in Cobble Stone Court, a gated community on the narrow section of North Fourth Street that’s between St. John Neumann Way and George Street–pretty quiet, in other words. The largest nearby intersection is at Fourth and Poplar.

The 700-square-foot home has a classic trinity layout: kitchen on one floor; living room on another; and bathroom and bedroom on the third. Perks include a washer/dryer and a “European-inspired shared courtyard” and a video security phone. Bike parking is available in the courtyard.

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