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One thing you should know: Philly isn’t shy. It’s an award-winning, headline-grabbing kinda town.
Having trouble keeping up with all the Philly buzz? We’re making it easy for you with a weekly roundup of our favorite Philly stories.
Bookmark this page and check back every Thursday for a fresh batch of headlines with that awesome Philly flavor.
Peak fall vibes are upon us, which means it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a brand-new list of our favorite Philly stories:
ICYMI: Philly is loud and proud about being a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors. That sentiment is about to become clearer than ever before.
When the brand-new Philly Pride Visitor Center opens in the Gayborhood in January, it will be one of the first LGBTQ+ visitor centers in the nation.
Inside, visitors can expect to find travel information, attraction tickets and itineraries … with an emphasis on LGBTQ+ businesses, history and cultural institutions.
Come one, come all! Exactly as you are.
The Delco accent is elusive, enigmatic and beautifully strange. It is often-imitated yet rarely replicated. Enter Susanne Sulby.
The dialect coach behind Philly-adjacent hits like Silver Linings Playbook and Mare of Easttown has been tapped once again to teach the cast of HBO hit series Task the ins and outs of this ethereal accent — to rave reviews.
Since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, birding has taken flight as one of the hottest hobbies in Philadelphia.
Scores of residents flock to neighborhoods and nature sites throughout the city to take in the majesty of migratory birds and local feathered friends.
Our pals at The Philadelphia Citizen recently spoke with members of several diverse birding groups to understand how and why this serene activity is thriving in the City of Brotherly Love.
It doesn’t get much more Philly than this. Last weekend, Patrick Moser took home the top prize in the Reading Terminal Market’s second annual Scrapple Sculpting Contest — for his meaty meditation on the Tush Push, the Eagles’ controversial and seemingly unstoppable play.
Moser, who named his creation the Mush Push, joined more than a dozen other contestants in molding Philly’s favorite breakfast meat into wonderful works of art as part of the historic market’s Scrapple and Apple Festival.
Moser’s creation beat out savory takes on the Liberty Bell, Gritty and the Rocky Steps and scored him a pig-shaped trophy and $100 market gift card. This is us giving you permission to play with your food.
Looking for motivation? These Philly kids have got you covered. Meet the determined youngsters of Students Run Philly Style, a nonprofit group that helps local students train to compete in half or full marathon races.
Each year, more than 1,500 kids pound the pavement and rack up miles alongside a team of 400 program volunteers while learning valuable life lessons about the power of practice, determination and commitment.
Even when things don’t break our way on the field, Philly finds a way to win. Case in point: John Deslippe just took home a top prize in the International Apprentice Contest, otherwise known as the “Super Bowl of masonry.”
A member of Philly’s Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, Deslippe won the “restoration” category at the event, which tested masons from across the country in a competition centered on pointing, caulking and cleaning.
Another Local 1 member, Randall Williams, finished in third place in the tile category.
Our hard hats are off to these Philly workers!
With the mercury dropping, it’s finally starting to feel like fall in Philly. From classrooms to community gardens, here are a few of our favorite Philly stories this week:
In the early 1970s, Patrick and Carol Cassidy were just a couple of Phillies fans, spending the summer working at Veterans Stadiums (RIP) for cash and tickets to ballgames. Patrick counted tickets and helped his father — then the Phils’ director of operations — with giveaways. Carol worked the crowd as a Hot Pants Patrol usherette.
Who could have known that love would find them in the stands, leading to a 50-year-long romance that has seen stadiums come and go, World Series wins and losses, and so much more?
To this day, the two are season ticket holders who rarely miss a game.
In other Phillies news, the Schwarbombs were Schwarbombing out west during game 3 of the Phillies’ NLDS playoff run. After back-to-back losses, our Fightin’ Phils came back swinging, managing to stay alive to see another game against the L.A. Dodgers. (Obviously, we were never worried — please ignore our temporary lack of fingernails.)
You might remember that last month, Visit Philly (that’s us!) rolled out a special customizable visual signature to mark the nation’s 250th birthday. Now, you can proudly rep the red and white by customizing your badge with a brand-new batch of Phillies-inspired icons.
— Image by Visit Philadelphia
Everything starts with a dream. For the students at Kensington Health Sciences Academy, their goal was straightforward: a school library.
Dream-in-hand, the high schoolers set out to build themselves a library, book by book. With help from the community, what started out as a single pushcart book collection has now become the “DreamEscape Library,” a full-fledged reading hub with shelves full of reading materials, computers and cozy seating.
Staffed by students, the library is open three days a week after school. The next big dream? For the space to be open during every lunch period.
Forced to flee their homeland by persecution, many members of the Karen (pronounced kuh-REN) community, a diverse minority ethnic group from Myanmar (formerly Burma), have found safety in faraway cities, like Philadelphia.
Despite the first Karen refugees settling here almost two decades ago, the community is often overlooked. Enter the Karen Community Association of Philadelphia (KCAP).
Beginning this past March, KCAP — a three-person operation — connects members of the Karen community with life-changing resources, organizes community events (like potlucks serving produce and dishes native to Southeast Asia), and oversees initiatives to preserve Karen culture.
The people have spoken. Thousands of Condé Nast Traveler readers and editors have jet-setted around the world and back again, and when it comes to global overnight accommodations, one of Philly’s own is among the best of the best.
The W Philadelphia held its own against resorts and luxury properties located in Italy, Botswana, New York City and more. More than just a place to rest your head for the night, the Center City hotel stole the hearts of travelers worldwide with its playful atmosphere, central location, top-notch cocktail program, incredible spa and Philly-centric details.
Caution: Red October loading. Pregame the Phillies 2025 playoff run with this red-hot list of our favorite Philly stories this week:
Philly’s no stranger to culinary accolades, but this is a big one. Seriously. Three Philly restaurants just landed on the first-ever North America restaurant list, a collection of the continent’s best restaurants voted on by 300 anonymous experts across Canada, Mexico and the United States.
In what could be a preview of the city’s Michelin Star status later this fall, Kalaya, Friday Saturday Sunday and Royal Izakaya landed at number seven, 16 and 32 on the list, respectively.
The three celebrated spots received the honor at a glitzy gala in Las Vegas, where Kalaya chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon also earned a special award for North America’s best female chef. We know that’s right.
Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. Not until you tell the Monopoly folks which squares should be included on the first-ever Philly edition of the classic board game.
With a Philly-themed board set to debut in November 2026, gamemakers are looking for the public’s help in deciding which Philly streets, icons and attractions should make the cut. You can make your voice heard right now by submitting suggestions on the game’s official website.
OK, go!
Philly’s cheese game is on point — and we’re not just talking about whiz. In recent years, cheesemongers like Max Lazary and Emilia D’Albero have put the world on notice: Philly is cheddar than you, and we know it.
D’Albero — who studied at the Philly Cheese School in South Philly and goes by Punk Rock Parmigiano on TikTok — recently placed first at the Mondial du Fromage, an international cheesemonger competition in Paris.
It’s a huge deal in the cheese world (mmm … cheese world), and an even bigger deal right here in Philly. Brie cheers for Emilia!
The Office may be set in Scranton, but two stars from the iconic sitcom just showed Philly some serious Brotherly Love by donating $500,000 in game-show winnings to Philabundance.
Oscar Nuñez and Kate Flannery (who play Oscar and Meredith on the show) won a cool million dollars on a recent episode of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? They split their prize money 50-50 between the Philly food bank and Planned Parenthood.
Woooo! We feel God in this Chili’s tonight.
What’s a ballgame without some peanuts and Cracker Jack? Cheryl Spielvogel’s got you covered on the nut front. For 50 years, she’s hawked peanuts to generations of snacky Phillies fans in South Philly.
Spielvogel started selling peanuts at Veterans Stadium back in 1976 — when they cost just 40 cents. Though the price is a little higher now — they’ll set you back $6.50 today — not much else has changed for Spielvogel.
She still loves life in the ballpark and interacting with legions of Phils faithful during every home game. Fifty years on, she’s proof that in Philly, traditions don’t fade, they get better with age.
Move over, Broadway. It’s Broad Street’s time to shine. Relic is a brand-new theater company made in Philly, for Philly and by Philly.
The brainchild of West Philly couple Kendyll Young and Grant Struble, the company was founded to showcase Philly-based actors first and foremost (opposed to, say, their New York counterparts) and create new opportunities for local creatives.
Their first production, Spring Awakening, hits the stage at Christ Church Neighborhood House from October 9 to 26. Save a seat for us!
It’s officially autumn, and this week’s list of our favorite Philly stories is as crisp as an apple from Linvilla Orchards apple.
Last year, Opera Philadelphia turned heads with the introduction of $11 tickets — an unorthodox approach from new president Anthony Roth Costanzo — intended to spur ticket sales and create buzz for the then-struggling institution.
Following a hugely successful 2024 season, Costanzo is hopeful his outside-the-box thinking and a fresh slate of programming will continue to fuel a resurgence during the organization’s 50th season this year. ABC News recently sat down with Costanzo to discuss how his org plans to deliver on its tagline, which promises “Opera, but different.”
Look up! Philly’s newest mural is a sky-high eye-catcher that soars 10 stories over Market Street. And the larger-than-life artwork comes with quite the pedigree. Uplift Justice is the work of famed artist Shepard Fairey — the man behind Barack Obama’s iconic “Hope” campaign poster.
While the new mural evokes patriotic themes and arrived in time for America’s 250th celebration, the reds, whites and blues in the piece intentionally differ from the shades found in the American flag, which Fairey describes as an attempt to throw off expectations. Read more from our friends at WHYY.
Oh, the stories this bell could toll tell. With roots dating back to 1643, the bell at South Philly’s Gloria Dei Episcopal Church (also known as Old Swede’s) is a historian’s dream. The massive bell was among those ringing out in Philadelphia after the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Long inoperable and in a state of disrepair, the bell will soon get new life, thanks to a grant from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund. The grant will fund the repair of the Old Swede’s roof and get the bell in shape for ringing ahead of the city’s semiquincentennial celebrations.
It just wouldn’t be a week in Philadelphia without another culinary accolade. This time, the praise comes from Bon Appétit, with the famed foodie mag listing Provenance among the best new restaurants in the nation.
The Headhouse Square spot earned the accolade in part because of chef Nich Bazik’s “profound patience” in combining and plating elements of French and Korean cuisine. Read more, and check out the full list right here. Caution: Don’t click on an empty stomach.
The robots are our future. Teach them well, and let them lead the way. A brand-new AI hub in Kensington serves as a training ground for young professionals looking to experiment with artificial intelligence while learning valuable job skills and even earning real-world business experience.
Unveiled during a ceremony this week, the space is the result of a partnership between Dell Technologies and Hopeworks — a nonprofit organization that uses trauma-informed care to educate and train young adults looking to advance their careers. There’s nothing artificial about our love for this story!
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