Answer Block Growing up in South Philadelphia in the 1960s and 1970s meant street summers — homemade fireplug wrenches, half-ball games with broomstick bats and pimple balls cut in half, water ice from Pop’s on Oregon Avenue, pretzels from the cart, and worn-out Converse sneakers slung over telephone wires. There’s something unique about growing up […]
Growing Up in South Philly: Fireplugs, Half Ball & Street Summers Read More »
The Spine of South Philly is often said to be Broad Street, which runs through the heart of Broad Street South Philly. Local South Philly view: I grew up one block off Broad Street in South Philly at 15th & Shunk Street. These aren’t “pins on a map” to me—this is the Broad Street I
Broad Street South Philly: Then vs. Now Read More »
A South Philly Memory What do longtime South Philadelphians remember about soft pretzels and the pretzel man?For generations of South Philly kids, Saturday mornings meant the pretzel man pushing his cart down narrow rowhouse streets, selling classic Philly-style soft pretzels — the traditional twisted, braided-loop shape Philadelphians grew up with, not pretzel sticks or knots.
Federal Pretzel & the School Recess Brown Bags Read More »
When I was a kid in South Philadelphia, pizza wasn’t an endless scroll of choices. It was a short list, and you knew exactly where your family went. For us, South Philly pizza memories always started with Cacia’s—Friday pizza and tomato pies, especially during Lent, were a real neighborhood routine you could set your week
South Philly Pizza, Home-Phone Orders, and August Shore Summers Read More »
How Neighborhood Bars Shaped Friendship, Identity, and a Way of Life South Philly bars in the 1960s and 1970s weren’t just places to drink.They were neighborhood anchors — quietly divided by age, work schedules, and life stage — where friendships formed, reputations mattered, and bonds were forged that lasted a lifetime. In many ways, the
South Philly Bars and Brotherhood Read More »
Some memories don’t fade. They stay sharp—the cold air, the music echoing off rowhouses, and the sense that everyone you knew was exactly where they were supposed to be. Such is the feeling of New Year’s Day in South Philly. For me, New Year’s Day in South Philadelphia wasn’t something you watched on television. It
New Year’s Day in South Philly: Memories of the Mummers When I Was a Kid Read More »
A week ago, our granddaughter Verona gave us something we’ll never throw away: a handwritten letter. It wasn’t a holiday card. It wasn’t a thank-you note. It was a school assignment — and it turned into a keepsake. As part of a class project, Verona was asked to write a letter to her grandparents asking
Dear Verona: A South Philly Christmas Letter Between Generations Read More »
In South Philly, there are a lot of ways to measure the holidays—but my favorite has nothing to do with a calendar. Quick Answer: In South Philly, Christmas traditions often mean holiday bakery runs to Termini’s and Isgro’s, seafood and bread stops (including Ippolito’s), the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, and Midnight
Growing up in South Philadelphia meant winter didn’t need mountains or fancy equipment. Experiencing sledding in South Philly was simply about having snow on the ground, a cardboard box, the lid from a metal trash can, or anything slick enough to slide — and you had a sled. Before the Stadium District, or now it
Holiday shopping in Philadelphia is magical — but it also brings crowded sidewalks, wet floors, and winter hazards that cause many Center City slip-and-fall injuries each year. Center City during the holidays has a feel all its own—window displays, packed sidewalks, and that “let’s meet right here” energy that existed long before anyone had a
Holiday Shopping in Center City Philadelphia: Watch the Ice, Slush, and Wet Floors Read More »
