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What makes a Philly LOVE Story?
It’s the story of how the couple churning out your favorite food first met, about how BFFs-turned-business-partners always have each other’s backs and how an only-in-Philly first date turned into a love that lasts a lifetime … and so much more.
Meet the people redefining what it means to be a part of the City of Brotherly Love in Philly LOVE Stories — real stories about real love in America’s realest city.
Arnold Ford is the assistant principal at Mastery Charter Mann Elementary in West Philadelphia. His Philly LOVE Story is all about promoting positivity and leading with love.
Every day, Ford greets the more than 500 students at Mann with high fives, fist bumps and hugs. These affectionate interactions often go viral on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
Ford’s mission is to make his school a welcoming space, somewhere students can feel safe, seen and fully themselves. He encourages his staff to prioritize “teaching the kid” over teaching content. And he measures success at Mann not only through test scores, but also by how students feel each time they walk through the door.
It’s a message that resonates with third-grade teacher Mickey McFadden, who strives to fill his classroom with infectious energy and acceptance. Though admittedly not much of a hugger, McFadden has followed his assistant principal’s lead and is always ready to hug it out before getting down to work.
Alyse and Lexi Scaffidi are the self-described bite-sized sisters who launched the DreamWalk Fashion Show. Their Philly LOVE Story is one about self-love, body positivity and celebrating the beauty in each of us.
After being told they were too short to be models and feeling not so great about themselves while watching a Victoria’s Secret runway show, the pair set out on a mission to create the world’s most inclusive fashion show.
Together they launched the DreamWalk Fashion Show in 2017. Held in Philadelphia each year, the national event regularly sells out and features models of all ages, abilities, shapes, sizes, races and ethnicities.
The sisters see Philadelphia — with its “underdog” attitude — as the perfect backdrop for their empowering runway show. They’ve seen past Philly’s perceived tough exterior to discover a community that wants to help and uplift one another.
Jessica and Ricky’s Philly LOVE Story is a literal LOVE story. One of the couple’s first dates took place at the Christmas Village in LOVE Park. And their first picture together? You guessed it: taken right under the iconic LOVE sculpture.
The pair navigated through stretches of long-distance dating — with Ricky living in Philadelphia while Jessica returned to Ireland — by getting creative. Ricky often returned to the Christmas Village while FaceTiming with Jessica, recreating their early date despite a five-hour time difference.
Eventually, Jessica and Ricky decided to set roots down together in Philadelphia, citing the city’s culture and diversity as major reasons why Philly is the perfect place to call home. Don’t you just love love?
Meet Danielle and Alexandra — friends and co-owners of Modrn Wellness — a holistic and alternative wellness spa in Center City. Their Philly LOVE Story is one of support and community, of women having each other’s backs.
After closing brick-and-mortar spaces of their own during the pandemic, the pair connected in Philadelphia and found support through a thriving network of women that Danielle helped to cultivate through Self(ish) Philly, an annual conference she founded in 2019 to encourage women to take charge of their health and wellness.
In the new Modrn Wellness space, Danielle and Alexandra are paying the sisterly love they found in Philly forward. A large community room can be used by business owners without a physical space of their own to host wellness workshops, yoga and Pilates classes, sound baths, and tarot readings.
Rasheedah and Tanisha are lifelong friends and founders of Philly Girls Jump, an inclusive jump-rope group on a mission to spread joy while building community in the City of Brotherly Love.
The group got its start when the pair put out a call on social media for their friends to join them for a day of jumping rope in the park. To their surprise, more than 2,000 people showed up to that first event.
Now, the Double-Dutching friends regularly host pop-up jumps throughout the city, welcoming anyone and everyone to join them for a few hours of stress-free fun.
They also work with Philly schools to keep kids active and engaged outside of the classroom. To the members of Philly Girls Jump, Double Dutch is more than a game. It’s therapy, fitness and fun … all rolled into one.
Like many couples, Linda and Anthony met at work — right here at Visit Philadelphia, in fact. The former Visit Philly staffers met on the job in 2005 (back when we were still called the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation).
Working together on some of Philadelphia’s most iconic marketing campaigns and attending events throughout the city, the co-workers quickly bonded over their shared affinity for Philly … and one another.
Though both have since moved on to new roles, Linda and Anthony remain some of Philadelphia’s biggest cheerleaders and credit the City of Brotherly Love for bringing them together.
They reflect on their Philly LOVE Story at the site of their wedding: the beautiful Bartram’s Garden in West Philadelphia.
Sami Aziz is a street photographer whose viral portraits of residents and visitors on South Street have made him an Instagram sensation in Philadelphia — and beyond.
Better known by his @SouthStreetSam Instagram handle, Aziz estimates that he’s snapped more than 100,000 photos since September 2023, when he set out to capture the essence of this iconic Philly neighborhood through the lens of his camera.
Sami’s Philly LOVE Story is one of determination and belonging, of discovering the good in the city he calls home after years of feeling like an outsider who could only see its flaws.
It’s a shift that happened gradually, one shutter click and human interaction at a time.
When asked to describe South Street, an emotional Aziz gives a one-word answer: home.
In this Halloween edition of Philly LOVE Spooky Stories, Laurel Hill Cemetery tour guide Sarah Hammil highlights the mystery surrounding the death and disappearance of Martha Drennan.
Born in 1864 as the granddaughter of Laurel Hill’s first superintendent, Martha was known to frequent the historic cemetery along the Schuylkill River — and seemed to genuinely enjoy her time there.
One early morning in 1903, she left home and vanished without a trace. A headless body matching Martha’s description was discovered months later in Delaware Bay, floating on a chunk of ice. The mystery only deepened when a second body — that of a man — was discovered nearby just hours later.
The grisly discoveries left more questions than answers, and what really happened to Martha may forever remain a mystery.
Today, visitors to Laurel Hill can visit the Drennan family plot, where a photographer once captured mysterious lights dancing above her gravestone. Is it possible Martha still walks among us?
After falling out of love with life behind the barber chair, B. Jawuan Jones found a renewed passion for his craft by hitting the streets and offering free haircuts to those experiencing homelessness.
A video of one of his first free haircuts went viral, attracting 2.4 million views in a single day. More than seven years and 60,000 free cuts later, Jones is still at it, delivering a sense of dignity through haircuts on the streets of Philadelphia and beyond.
One client in particular caught Jones’ eye. While in the barber chair on a hot summer day, Darian Bennett spoke about his plans to become a barber himself.
Within 24 hours, Bennett was introduced to Mr. Ron Curtis, owner of Final Touch Barber Academy, who offered him a full scholarship to pursue his passion. Thanks to the kindness of Jones and Curtis, Bennett is now well on his way to fulfilling his dream.
It’s like Mr. Ron says: A haircut can change your whole life.
Philly is big in Japan — thanks in large part to Kosuke Chujo and his wife Tomomi, owners of Nihonbashi Philly. The Tokyo-based bar is something of a love letter to the city of Philadelphia; its walls adorned with SEPTA route maps, Liberty Bell artwork and Philly sports memorabilia. And on the menu: What else? Cheesesteaks.
How this little slice of Philadelphia popped up more than 6,000 miles away is a winding story that can be traced back to Kosuke’s discovery of the city’s soul music scene.
With help from newfound Philly friend and Witty Gritty CEO Michelle Freeman, Kosuke and Tomomi speak about their ensuing infatuation with Philadelphia, their appreciation for its people and what makes the City of Brotherly Love so special to them.
Joshua Mitchell is always trying to reach people through his music.
The Philly recording artist came out of the womb singing, according to his mother, and has his sights set on global superstardom.
And while he’s definitely tasted success — opening for Ashanti at The Met and performing at Philly’s Wawa Welcome America festival — he prefers to bring his art directly to the people through powerful street performances.
Most days, you can find Mitchell belting it out in Rittenhouse Square, a place that he says feels “welcoming” and “magical.”
The popular Center City park clearly holds a special place in his heart, and Mitchell plans to return to Rittenhouse for an annual concert after his big break.
Joshua’s Philly LOVE Story is one full of big moments, big ballads and big dreams.We wouldn’t want to be standing in his way.
Mike Hagen is Scuba Santa — err, a special friend of Scuba Santa — a deep-diving version of St. Nick who spreads smiles at Adventure Aquarium.
Located just across the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey, the aquarium is home to more than 15,000 aquatic animals and one very special visitor from the North Pole during the holiday season.
Hagen became a volunteer diver at the aquarium after spending 35 years as a lawyer in the Philadelphia court system.
Each year during Adventure Aquarium’s Christmas Underwater event, the Northeast Philly native brings joy to visitors by donning a custom-built scuba suit — complete with a white beard, of course — and swimming alongside sharks, sea turtles and the world’s largest underwater Christmas tree.
In this Philly LOVE Story, Hagen speaks about the satisfaction he gets from interacting with children and swimming with majestic creatures while spreading a little holiday magic.
Established in 1860, McGillin’s Olde Ale House is the oldest pub in Philadelphia and one of the oldest bars in the entire country.
The casual bar with a laid-back atmosphere has served as a gathering space for generations of Philly locals and visitors. Its central location near City Hall makes it a perfect place to meet up before or after a night out in Center City.
For many, “meet me at McGillin’s” has a more literal (and more romantic) meaning. Mike and Nisha and Frank and Monica are just two of the more than 200 couples who met each other at this enduring Philly icon — as recorded in the bar’s official book of “Love Letters.”
Raise your glass to these couples as they join current owner Chris Mullins Jr. and members of the McGillin’s staff to reflect on the bar’s legacy of love in this Philly LOVE Story.
Ian Morrison’s Philly LOVE Story is one of presentation, visibility and authenticity.
Better known as Brittany Lynn, Morrison is one of Philly’s most famous drag performers, regularly leading the city’s Pride celebrations and hosting drag queen story times at schools, libraries and museums throughout Philadelphia.
A Northeast Philly native and graduate of Temple University, Morrison sees Philly as a place where you can show your authentic self and be who you want to be, which is what Pride is really all about.
He gets emotional when speaking about the city and doing the work to make things a little easier for the next generation.
Carolos Aponte, founder and executive director of We Love Philly, sees Philadelphia as the soul of the country — a place centered on friendship where love can truly thrive.
As a history teacher in the city for more than 10 years, Aponte recognized that standardized tests and traditional pathways are not a one-size-fits-all approach to education.
He saw the need for many of his students to heal generational trauma in order to rewrite their stories and envision life after graduation.
We Love Philly is a nonprofit organization that offers students that chance, transforming education through a social-emotional curriculum, mentorship- and pre-apprenticeship programs, and employment opportunities.
The organization helped to transform One Art Community Center — a healing space in West Philly filled with farm animals, murals and music from local artists.
As you can see, love and romance thrive in Philadelphia — and who doesn’t love a good love story?
Let us help you write the next chapter in a Philly Love Story of your own …
Friday Saturday Sunday — Photo by D. Knoll for Visit Philadelphia
Philly restaurants do romance well. From classic steakhouses like Alpen Rose to adventurous dining experiences like the omakase at HIROKI, these fine dining eateries have all the ingredients — impeccable dishes, ambiance, settings and presentations — for an incredible meal and unforgettable memory. Whether it’s the first date or the 70th, a special day or a Tuesday, these 12 spots elevate any occasion.
Crossing Vineyards and Winery — Photo by A. Sinagoga for Visit Bucks County
Hop in love bugs: The City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection’s penchant for romance doesn’t stop at restaurants. Couples (and couples-to-be) have their pick of ways to spend special time with that special someone. Explore a new neighborhood or nearby countryside town. Reconnect over your shared love of sports, music, or Dungeons and Dragons. Or unwind together with a spa treatment or wellness moment.
Barnes Foundation — Photo by C. Smyth for Visit Philadelphia
Philly offers enough dreamy dining experiences, activities and attractions to fill a lifetime, let alone a day. If you have three, let us help you decide how to mix and match everything there is to do and see in the city to create the perfect romantic excursion.
Race Street Pier — Photo by J. Miczek for Visit Philadelphia
With wonder and romance hidden around every historic corner of the city, Philadelphia has the makings of an epic movie. We are casting you in the starring role with this list of swoon-worthy cultural sites, museums, outdoor attractions and photo ops that are just waiting to be discovered by lovebirds like you.
The only way to fully experience Philly? Stay over.
Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
Or maybe you’d prefer to buy two Philly hotel nights and get a third night for free? Then book the new Visit Philly 3-Day Stay package.
Which will you choose?