Longform
50 Years of Fresh Air: An Oral History
In college she wanted to be a writer, but the words refused to sparkle like her heroes’. Teaching was a disaster. The middle-school kids mocked […]
Inside the Mind of Nick Sirianni
On a steamy afternoon in late May, I’m sitting inside the Wells Fargo Center, listening to the Super Bowl–winning coach of the Eagles talk about […]
Inside Pennsbury High’s Legendary Prom: The Most Epic School Dance in America
There’s a boat in the lobby of the high school. It’s not a real boat, of course; it’s a 16-foot replica made of Styrofoam. The […]
In College Sports’ Billion-Dollar Arms Race, Philly Schools Are Being Left Behind
Villanova athletic director Eric Roedl is not wearing a green tie this early May morning as an homage to his former employer, the University of […]
Calder Gardens Is Coming to the Parkway — and It’s Unlike Anything You’ve Ever Seen
“You know, I was on the brim of Billy Penn’s hat,” Sandy Rower recalls, pointing to the William Penn statue atop City Hall, hoisted up […]
How Philly Took Over Your TV
Before a single scene of the Kensington-set Long Bright River was shot, Liz Moore gathered her writing team and issued a kind of warning: Authenticity […]
In Kensington, Hope Is Hard-Won — But It’s Growing
One afternoon in April, a beautiful spring day, I drive with Eddie and Anthony from the Last Stop in Kensington to Graffiti Pier on the […]
Josh Shapiro’s Next Big Step
On a pleasant, sunny weekend last fall, three weeks before Donald Trump would win Pennsylvania and every other swing state across America, three months before […]
How Jesse Ito Built a Sushi Dynasty
When Jesse Ito turned 15, his dad, Massaharu, took him to Vetri for his birthday. It was a big deal. Well, dinner at Vetri is […]
How Philly Became the Capital of American Squash
Even though she was only in seventh grade, Tempest Bowden clearly remembers the first time she was introduced to squash. A delegation from Philadelphia’s SquashSmarts […]
Climate Change Is Here. Philadelphia Isn’t Ready
Two years after the flood, Dave Love can’t help but wonder about all the small details that could have changed his fate. The timing, the […]
What Happens to Friendships When Money Gets in the Way?
Some years back, a good friend of mine, whom I’ll call Margot, made the decision with her husband to send their two children to a […]
How Surfside Took Over the Cocktail World
It’s moving day at Surfside headquarters in Kensington. In the main office upstairs, cardboard boxes sit ready to be taped closed, and the neon “Surfside” […]
Tom McAllister’s It All Felt Impossible Explores Growing Up in Philadelphia in 42 Essays
A few years ago, author and Rutgers-Camden professor Tom McAllister was stuck in a writing rut. In an attempt to extract himself from said rut, […]
How Conshohocken Got Cool
It’s a gray day in mid-February, and I’m standing inside a bright shop in Conshohocken perusing the goods. There are crystals — glimmering Brazilian citrine […]