Don't look now, but Philadelphia is creeping up on San Francisco and Portland in the race to be America's greenest city.
Already home to PhillyCarShare--one of the larger and more affordable car-sharing fleets around--and the Comcast Tower, the tallest LEED-certified building in the country, Philly is celebrating everything organ-loca-enivro-friendly this Sunday at the 20,000-person GreenFest Philly.
The hottest topic on the Philadelphia dining scene this summer was Parc, which had locals debating whether Philly restaurant mogul Stephen Starr's massive new bistro would be the next Buddakan or an overpriced faux-French stand-in.
Meanwhile, the much less hyped Bistrot La Minette opened on Sixth Street last week and more than a few Philly foodies are saying this one is the real deal.
We told you a couple of years back about how popular Philadelphia tavern Johnny Brenda's was getting in the music game, and less than two years later, this place has firmly established itself as one of Philly's prime live music venues.
The Fishtown bar converted the second floor of a 19th Century building into an intimate live venue that brings out exuberant crowds for an almost-every-night schedule of indie bands. The focus is on local acts, but on occasion they bring in bigger bands (they've featured The National, Grizzly Bear and The Walkmen since opening). With a capacity of just 300, Johnny Brenda's is one of the most intimate venues many of these bands play.
For pre- and post-show fun, the ground floor bar serves hand-pumped local brews and a surprisingly upscale menu (think Littleneck clams; goat cheese, arugula, and watermelon salad).
Related Stories:
· Johnny Brenda's [Official Site]
· PhillyStyle: Drinks, Music & Eye Candy at Johnny Brenda's [Jaunted]
· Philadelphia Music Venues Map [Jaunted]
· Philadelphia Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: Johnny Brenda's]
The Trocadero Theatre, a 138-year-old, 1,200-person Victorian venue, has gone through many incarnations in its time on Arch Street--hosting vaudeville, burlesque, movies and, since 1996, pop music.
"The Troc" has long been known as a place to discover local Philly bands, but as the surrounding Market East neighborhood has transformed into a more desirable location in recent years, the lineup has leaned towards national acts.
The still-quite-diverse list of upcoming shows includes everyone from dance pop duo Chromeo to Swedish heavy metal act Opeth and Bow Wow as Shad Moss. (Wait, Bow has yet another alternate persona?)
Local hipsters get more excited about low-key weekday activities at the Troc's smaller balcony space, including free movies on Mondays, along with Guitar Hero contests and $2 beers.
Related Stories:
· The Trocadero Theatre [Official Site]
· Philadelphia Music Venues Map [Jaunted]
· Philadelphia Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: ambersandwich]
Set in the heart of Old City, The Khyber is one of Philly's longest-standing live music venues, and somehow has escaped morphing into a tourist trap, unlike most of its neighbors.
The laid-back dive bar is your best chance to catch a Philly band that will be famous a year from now, while many already-well-known local bands often return for the nostalgia factor. Upcoming shows range from local dance-rockers Fat City Reprise to indie rock vets Mock Orange and disco-punkers Electric Six.
For non-musical pursuits, the upstairs bar is open every night, with drinking specials that include $1 PBR until 11 pm and an open bar on Sundays for 10 bucks.
Related Stories:
· The Kyber [Official Site]
· Philadelphia Music Venues Map [Jaunted]
· Philadelphia Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: maladjusted]
0 Comments - Add Yours
by BS
We've heard of restaurant owners banning digital cameras, but will they be able to stop the Twitterati from posting mini-reviews between bites? Probably not!
The newly opened Parc is already getting mixed reviews on Twitter. Annie Heckenberger recommends going elsewhere if you're looking for killer escargot:
btw - for those of u wondering, the decor/environment @ parc is a 10. the food is a 3. if u want good brasserie food, stick to perrier.
Another Philly phoodie seconds that thought:
parc at night is just stupid crazy loud...although a whos who of philly.
Related Stories:
· New Philly Restaurant: Parc [Jaunted]
· Twitter coverage [Jaunted]
5 Comments - Add Yours
by pbb
Don't tell the people of Philadelphia that summer is winding down--they're moving full force into September. The city, and its approximately 650,000 Latino residents, is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and has a couple events to get things going.
Up first is Taller Puertorriqueño's 25th Annual Feria del Barrio. The free festival on September 7 includes activities for all ages and brings headliners Marlon (from Objectivo Fama) and Hector Tricoche to town.
Next is another family friendly event. Rosita's Hispanic Heritage Celebration at Sesame Place is celebrating heritage month by throwing a huge fiesta in cooperation with the local Univision network affiliate. Running September 13-14, this event celebrates Hispanic culture with the help of Sonia Manzano, who's played Maria on Sesame Street since 1973! The kid-orientated theme park will run shows with Maria and her puppet pal Rosita throughout the day, and all the usual characters will be floating around, too.
Related Stories:
· Taller Puertorriqueño [Official Site]
· Sesame Place [Official Site]
· Fall Festivals coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo of Feria 2007: G. Widman, via GPTMC]
2 Comments - Add Yours
by kjb
One of Philly's best mid-size concert venues, this (not-too) renovated movie theater is smack in the middle of South Street's always-on nightlife scene, and attracts an appropriately young and rowdy crowd.
Like a growing number of mid-size venues across the country, the 800-capacity Theater of the Living Arts has been recently acquired by Clear Channel spinoff Live Nation, much to the chagrin of local indie rock fans, but it should be noted that they haven't done much to corporate the place up as of yet.
In addition to local indie and hip-hop bands, upcoming shows at TLA include Ice Cube, Sonic Youth with The Hold Steady and "Crash" star Terrance Howard, who, if you didn't know, is apparently an "urban country" singer now.
Shows for national acts are often sold out, so it's a good idea to get tix beforehand.
Related Stories:
· Theater of the Living Arts [Official Site]
· Philadelphia Travel coverage [Jaunted]
[Photo: pleonasticism]
Next 8 >> |
