Philadelphia Magazine

Holly Otterbein

Senior writer

@HollyOtterbein
City Life

ACLU, Tea Party Join Forces to Challenge Forfeiture Law

Law lets police permanently take a person’s property — even if they aren’t convicted of a crime.

Citified

Philly’s Hottest New Bar Becomes Gentrification Battleground

Activists take to Yelp to trash Le Bok Fin, a pop-up bar on the roof of a shuttered city school.

Citified

John Dougherty Just Got Even More Powerful

He’s going to become the next leader of the building trades council. Here’s what it means.

City Life

Prosecutors One Step Closer to Examining Years of Chaka Fattah’s Emails

He loses an early round in court.

Citified

Crazy Surge in Center City’s Outdoor Seating

There were zero outdoor cafés in 1995. Now there are 412 businesses with outdoor seating.

City Life

Tate-Brown Family Files Federal Class-Action Lawsuit

The 26-year-old was shot and killed by police during a traffic stop last year.

Citified

Businesses Say Mayor Nutter Is Ignoring Their Papal Visit Pleas

The asterisk? The survey was done by headline-hunting Alan Butkovitz, one of Nutter’s biggest critics.

City Life

Black Lives Matter Activists Drown Out Charles Ramsey

The protesters disrupted a speech by the police commissioner to demand justice for Brandon-Tate Brown.

City Life

Philly Love Notes Says Goodbye Tonight

The site is closing down after 3 1/2 years and 300 odes to the city.

City Life

Wanted: Extras for a #PopeInPhilly Video

Officials still looking to pump up an antsy city.

Citified

Should Cops Who Shoot Civilians Be Named?

A new bill would keep secret the names of most police involved in shootings.

City Life

5 Porngate Questions Seth Williams Needs to Answer Now

Otterbein: We get it, “official reviews” take time. But the D.A. needs to answer these right now.

Citified

The Washington Post Trolls the Entire City of Philadelphia

The paper wrote that Philly is known as a “second-rate stopover between Washington and New York City.”

Citified

Seth Williams’ Month Just Got Even Worse

Did the district attorney’s spokesman violate the city’s political activity ban?

City Life

Kathleen Kane’s Lawyer Was Once a Lawyer for the Mob

Kane is a character — and in Gerald Shargel she’s got a lawyer to match.