Grid Magazine September 2016 [#89]

River City Reprise

The second act of Philadelphia’s waterways ALSO

GRID’S FALL RESTAURANT ROUNDUP TOWARD A SUSTAINABLE PHILADELPHIA

SOAPMAKING SKILLS FOR THE URBAN HOMESTEADER

SEPTEMBER 2016 / ISSUE 89 GRIDPHILLY.COM

Fringe on the Farm Dinner theater reimagined through the prism of the Fringe Festival

CAREFUL IT’S HOT! SOMETIMES A WELL-TIMED COMMAND CAN SAVE US FROM A LOT OF SUFFERING. When you love someone you want the best for them. Sometimes that means warning them they’re about to do something that will cause them a lot of pain. God does this for us.

Join us this fall or listen online as we explore the Ten Commandments as instructions for joy from a loving Father.

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3 1. Deaver Fund Trustee Reginald Middleton plants sugar snap peas alongside Jen Malkoun, Greener Partners’ resident farmer at Lankenau, and elementary school students from Holy Child Academy. 2. Fourth and fifth graders learn how vegetables grow on the farm. 3. Farmer Jen hands out arugula to students from Garrettford Elementary School. 4. Lankenau physician, Dr. Gary Gordon, engages with a student about organic radishes freshly harvested from the farm.

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CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 08

To-Do List Early fall is a time for renewal: Get your closets sweater-ready and don’t forget to register to vote!

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Comings & Goings Find out which doors are opening and closing, and who deserves kudos

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September 2016

FEATURE STORY 19

Never the Same River Twice A decades-long cleanup plan has sparked renewed interest in river sports and recreation. Will we finally come into our own as the river city that we are?

SPECIAL SECTION 29

Dinner and a Show From cocktails to “curtains up,” don’t miss Grid’s picks for Philadelphia dining destinations and Fringe Festival performances

Opinion Philadelphia’s newly appointed water commissioner gives the long view on the health of our rivers

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The Right Question You can worry about your water usage.

But you should be more worried about the energy behind making clean water

26

The Big Picture Harbingers of healthy rivers—like the osprey and bald eagle—have returned to our shores. What does it mean for development in the city?

54

Homestead Acts Soapmaking is an essential homesteading skill

56

Market Watch The underappreciated cauliflower gets its close up

58

Events What to see and where to go

64

Dispatch Saying goodbye to Greensgrow Farms’ Mary Seton Corboy

The cast of “Animal Farm to Table” at Life Do Grow farm in North Philadelphia. Page 47

“What is our food utopia? What are the ideals of food? And how do we make it better?”

—Mike Durkin, director of “Animal Farm to Table”

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Autumn is for Exploring at BARTRAM’S GARDEN Come to Bartram’s Garden this fall and enjoy the landscape, now bursting with color and activity. Enjoy a workshop (Garden members get discounts), take a free kayak paddle on the river, picnic, or explore our paths and trails. You might even see a wild turkey!

5400 Lindbergh Blvd., Philadelphia, PA 19143 • 215-729-5281 Take the #36 trolley.

BARTRAMSGARDEN.ORG Connect. Learn. Be inspired. Bartram’s Garden is a 45-acre National Historic Landmark on the banks of the Schuylkill River.

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EDITOR’S NOTES

by

HEATHER SHAYNE BLAKESLEE

STORY TIME What advocates can learn from artists

O

nce upon a time, I met Stephen King.

Perhaps more accurately, I once had an awkward exchange with Stephen King. It was a brief encounter at a fundraiser in New York, and I’m not sure which of us was more uncomfortable during the 20 seconds we spoke. What I remember most about the moment was craning my neck to address him: He is very, very tall.

There had been much debate about whether to honor King at this particular fundraiser for a literary nonprofit—because of that pesky word “literary.” But there he was, milling about the large hall with no handlers, and I wanted to thank him for his stories.

At a smaller party that year, I’d felt like the coolest person in the world to nonchalantly sip a gin a tonic next to lauded poet Philip Levine, but at the side of Mr. King—a commercial juggernaut—I was terrified to say something dumb. As a middle school student, I had eagerly lapped up classics like “The Stand” and “Pet Cemetery” along with the lesser known titles in the “Dark Tower” series. They were accessible to me at 13 in a way that poetry was not. And like the orginal Grimm’s Fairy Tales, King’s intricate webs were full of sex and death, perhaps not thoroughly suitable for kids but—of course— that was part of the thrill of reading them.

We can argue all day about King’s literary merits: He’s incredibly gifted at creating worlds and drawing you into them, at making you think about the monsters lurking not only under your bed, but in your heart. He’s a master storyteller who knows that (while the deathcount in his novels can be high) a million deaths are a statistic: One death is the stuff of tragedy.

In that regard, advocates ought more often to take a page from the artist’s notebook.

Artists, and the art of telling stories, can help get to audiences who will simply never read the numbers-laden program brochures and info-heavy emails that I am certainly guilty of having penned during my nonprofit career.

The writers, actors, dancers and musicians throughout Philadelphia are untapped allies

for advocates fighting for just causes. It’s exciting to see that this October, for instance, the Wilma Theater is partnering with Philadelphia’s water department and others during the production of “When the Rain Stops Falling.”

You can hear the alignment of vision in the lyrics of songwriters like Michael McShane, aka Cowmuddy, who can also install green roofs, solar panels and grow a mean tomato. You’ll see it at Fringe Festival shows such as “Jungle,” “Animal Farm to Table,” “In the Clearing” and “Pandæmonium,” which will challenge us to consider what the difference is between man and beast, where our food comes from and how we relate to one another across space and time—a fundamental challenge for climate activists trying to connect us globally, as well as to future generations.

Human beings are deeply attuned to narratives. It’s how we communicate, it’s how we make sense of the world. Writer Joan Didion went one step further and said, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”

Whether we live, and how well we live, also depends very much on which narrative frameworks we choose in the coming years.

Will it be a fairy tale about innovation and technology saving the day in the face of our environmental crises, or will we choose a more realistic reckoning with our patterns of consumption? Will the environment and our economy continue to be pitted against each other for dramatic effect? Will we insist on black-and-white, Disney-fied purity during the transition to a clean energy future?

At the offices of every nonprofit in the city, groups of well-intentioned people are making the mistake of trying to surmount our collective challenges with information and mere statistics. Instead of relying on naked facts, they should learn how to tell better tales.

HEATHER SHAYNE BLAKESLEE Managing Editor

heather@gridphilly.com

editor-in-chief Alex Mulcahy managing editor Heather Shayne Blakeslee heather@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 107 copy editors Walter Foley Aaron Jollay Art Director Michael Wohlberg michael@redflagmedia.com 215.625.9850 ext. 113 Designer Marika Mirren marika@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 112 writers Nancy Barton Matt Bevilacqua Peggy Paul Casella Anna Herman Justin Klugh Emily Kovach Debra McCarty Jerry Silberman illustrators Carter Mulcahy Lauren Rebbeck Corey Schumann Julia Tran Jameela Wahlgren photgraphers Jared Gruenwald Margo Reed ___________ sales & marketing manager Claire Margheim claire@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 103 ad sales Boston Gordon boston@gridphilly.com 215.625.9850 ext. 100 distribution Alex Yarde alex.yarde@redflagmedia.com 215.625.9850 ext. 106 published by Red Flag Media 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.625.9850 G R I D P H I L LY. C O M

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TO-DO LIST 1. check on your

2. get your heating 3. plan a system serviced

fall day trip

The better doors and windows are sealed, the longer it will be before you have to resort to turning on the heat. It’s low-cost and easy to install, whether you rent or own.

We all have that moment on the first really cold day when we turn on the heat and hope for the best. But don’t wait until it’s freezing to find out if the heater is still working!

You can take advantage of early fall festivals—like the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival on Sept. 10—but block out a weekend for pumpkin picking before you fill your schedule.

weather stripping

4. reseed

your lawn If you’re managing more land than a patio in South Philadelphia, you may have inherited a lawn. The best long-term plan should be to replace as much turf as possible with lowcare perennial plantings that increase biodiversity. In the meantime, early fall is when you should reseed those areas that you plan to keep. Kentucky bluegrass is a variety that thrives in Pennsylvania.

5. clean your bike chain You’ve been riding all summer, and your chain has collected a ton of grit and dust. It will last longer if you periodically get out an old toothbrush and some Simple Green to clean it off.

6. register to vote You have until Oct. 11 to make sure that you’re registered to vote in what will surely be an historic election. Mark your calendar for the Nov. 8 general election, and if you won’t be around, make sure to apply for an absentee ballot by the deadline on Nov. 1—they’re then due on Nov. 4 to the county Board of Elections. Find out what you need to know by visiting philadelphiavotes.com.

7. replant

the garden While you’re harvesting all those tomatoes and snapping squash off the vine, don’t forget that you can get a second round of cool weather starts in the ground. Peas, kale and lettuce are three plants that you can grow again in the fall now that the summer heat has died down a little bit.

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IL LUSTRATIO N S BY J ULI A TRA N

lutionary Germantown Festival 8. make room

for fall clothes Don’t wait until spring cleaning to donate old clothes that you won’t wear again. That great new sweater you found at the consignment shop is going to need a place to live.

SATURDAY OCTOBER 1, 2016 10 AM ~ 4 PM Battle Reenactments 12 PM & 3 PM Kid’s Activities  Beer Garden Food Living Kitchens at Cliveden An American Oktoberfest at Grumblethorpe 4:00 PM ~ 8:00 PM  5267 Germantown Ave.

9. divide your

For schedule & more info: www.revolutionarygermantown.org

perennials

If your iris or daylily plants have started to outgrow their place in your garden, early fall is when you can divide and replant them to give them a chance to establish roots before the frost.

10. support local

food and theater Center City Restaurant Week is from Sept. 11-16 and 18-23 this year, but don’t forget all the great places just outside the zone. Many of them are listed in our first ever “Dinner and a Show” issue—where you can also see our picks for the Fringe Festival—starting on Page 29.

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NEWS

VILLANOVA AND AQUA AMERICA COLLABORATE ON INTERNATIONAL WATER PROJECTS Experts and engineers from Aqua America Inc. and Villanova University’s College of Engineering traveled to Panama and Nicaragua in August to inspect water project sites, meet with community members and connect with local nongovernmental organizations.

Aqua will provide engineering and water infrastructure expertise to Villanova’s international service work. Past projects include 25 years providing engineering support on water-related infrastructure projects in the Alto Bayano region of Panama, as well as implementation of water supply networks to provide safe drinking water for rural communities in Waslala, Nicaragua.

MAYOR NUTTER TAKES POLICY POSITION WITH UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO After serving eight years as Philadelphia’s mayor and 14 years on City Council, Michael A. Nutter will bring his experience to the University of Chicago’s Urban Labs, which partners with policymakers from large cities to strategize improvements in the realms of crime, education, energy and environment, health, and poverty.

“Urban Labs uses science, data and evidence-based programs to inform and develop urban policy for the biggest impact possible,” said Mayor Nutter, who will continue to be based in Philly while he serves as executive fellow to the program.

Nutter, who left Philadelphia’s City Hall in January after reaching his term limit, also serves on Urban Labs’ National Advisory Council, which is composed of business and civic leaders who provide strategic guidance to Urban Labs.

NEW LAW ALLOWS MORE PLACES TO SELL WINE, BEER Act 39, which has been viewed in a generally positive light by those in the liquor industry, went into effect in August, and the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board is reviewing applications for new permits.

Under the new law, grocery stores can apply to sell wine; wineries will be able to

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GRIDPH IL LY.CO M SEPT E M BE R 20 1 6

ship directly to customers; more gas stations will be allowed to sell six-packs of beer; brewpubs can sell spirits; and state liquor stores can stay open for longer hours.

CITY RECEIVES $7.3 MILLION TO REDUCE POLLUTION AND CONGESTION Five projects aimed at improving air quality and reducing traffic congestion have been awarded more than $7 million in competitive federal funding.

Distributed by the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, the funding includes $416,280 to double the frequency of shuttle service between the Navy Yard and AT&T Station on the Broad Street Line. $2 million will be used to purchase new waste haulers that run on compressed natural gas, which will reduce engine-related methane emissions.

Almost $2 million will contribute to the construction of 10 new bus stations at five intersections on Roosevelt Boulevard, which supports a new bus service currently planned by SEPTA. $868,700 was awarded for a half-mile multi-use trail connecting the Fox Chase Regional Rail station at Rhawn Street to over 16 miles of existing trails along Pennypack Creek in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties.

PHILLY VEGAN CULTURE FEATURED IN HUMOROUS NEW BOOK “V for Veg,” Vance Lehmkuhl’s column in Philadelphia Daily News chronicling the rise of plant-based eating in Philadelphia, is now out in a “best of” collection under the same name. Paperback and ebook formats are available from Sullivan Street Press.

Lehmkuhl’s work has appeared in many publications in the region, including the now-shuttered City Paper, where he served as political cartoonist for 12 years and as a contributing writer.

SOLAR NONPROFIT UPDATES ITS BUILDING, RAISES FUNDS FOR TWO NEW JOBS Community outreach center Serenity House is now powered by the sun after raising funds for roof-mounted solar panels through San Francisco nonprofit RE-volv.

The installation is facilitated by Serenity Soular, which is a collaboration between students and faculty at Swarthmore College and North Philadelphia residents that is based in Serenity House. A stipend was crowdfunded to enable two local young people to attend solar training classes and shadow the installers during the project.

MT. AIRY ART GARAGE FINDS NEW HOME Arts and culture nonprofit Mt. Airy Art Garage will move to its new location in 2018, thanks to a partnership with community development organization Mt. Airy USA, which is developing a mixed-use space at 6651 Germantown Ave. Mt. Airy Art Garage, which hosts exhibitions, performances, classes and other public events, closed recently after losing its lease and will operate as a pop-up at 6622 Germantown Ave. until the new location is completed.

LOCAL FILMAKERS HONORED AT BLACKSTAR FILM FESTIVAL Judge and audience favorites from Philadelphia’s international BlackStar Film Festival were honored at a ceremony in August.

“Migration” was the theme for 2016’s festival, which served as a platform for independent black filmmakers and films about black people from around the world.

Local filmmakers honored for their work at the ceremony included Kyleel Rolle and Isabella Tan (“Praey”), Zach Hauptman (“Mil’s Life”) and Philip Asbury (“See Me on the Beat”).

ENERGY SPROUT WINNERS ANNOUNCED Pennsylvania businesses and nonprofits were awarded $160,000 in grants from this year’s Energy Sprout competition.

Winners include the Energy Coordinating Agency, which hopes to demonstrate the effectiveness of new technologies and create linkages with the public health system; Serenity Soular, which provides job training and job creation for solar panel installation; EthosGen, for a prototype to harvest thermal energy from renewable and waste heat resources; and Renewable Homes LLC, which promotes development of net-zero energy residential rental properties.

The big winner at Energy Sprout was CEWA Technologies Inc., based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, which was awarded $100,000 to reduce manufacturing cost and time per unit on its “concentrating solar power” dishes.

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EDITOR IAL

Victory Lap A decades-long investment in cleaner rivers in Philadelphia has improved biodiversity, recreation on waterways, and revitalized streets and parks everywhere by debra mccarty

D

espite its absolute necessity, clean water is something many take for granted. This was clear in the collective response to stories emerging from Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Summer Olympics about waters tainted by the unchecked flow of sewage and other pollution.

Confronted by the reality that some 6 million Rio citizens face unsafe water as a part of daily life, our response seemed to be one of distancing: That could never happen here in the United States, we said.

But it wasn’t all that long ago that sewage and other pollution impacted our very own waters in ways not too different from what we see in Rio today. Consider that, in 1973, one Environmental Protection Agency study concluded that the Delaware River would never again achieve fishable uses.

Once a waterway has been polluted and degraded, it’s not a problem we fix overnight.

In 1982, when I first started at the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), it was in many ways a darker time for our own waterways. In those days, you might see a few 12

GR IDPH IL LY.CO M SEPT E M BE R 20 1 6

fishermen on the upper reaches of the urban Delaware, but they didn’t venture far into the city. The Clean Water Act, passed a decade earlier, was just beginning to have an impact.

I am proud to have served the city for the last 34 years and to lead PWD as we continue the noble work of improving those waters. Today, our rivers are clean enough to attract a wide variety of recreation and sports—including once unimaginable, water-quality-dependent national events, such as professional fishing tournaments and even competitive triathlons like the ones at the Rio Olympics.

That transformation is inspiring, but our work is incomplete. As the ultimate guardians of our water, we are never satisfied, and we are investing billions in a multi-administration, multi-generational effort to make our rivers and creeks cleaner.

In 2016, Philadelphia and nearly 900 other communities are engaged in the next phase of the Clean Water Act’s challenge: the fight against excessive stormwater runoff and resulting in combined sewer over-

flows. Basically, these are times when heavy rains overwhelm the sewers, sending a mix of stormwater and diluted sewage into our streams and rivers.

Since “Green City, Clean Waters” was formally adopted in 2011, PWD, with the spirited assisstance of our partners, has reduced overflows by 1.5 billion gallons per year, making our waterways that much more valuable as recreational assets. Now, we face the challenge of truly bringing this program to a scale that will protect waterways like never before.

The ultimate goal is to reduce combined sewer overflows on the Pennypack, Cobbs and Tacony creeks, as well as into the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, by 85 percent—8.9 billion gallons annually—by 2036.

It may seem daunting, but reducing that pollution is what it will take to make our waterways much closer to being as beautiful, accessible, fishable and swimmable as Philadelphia deserves for them to be.

The good news? We’re making headway right now, and the improvements aren’t just numbers in a government report. They come IL LUSTRATIO N BY L AURE N R EBBEC K

with real changes for Philadelphians in every neighborhood: improved property values, neighborhood pride and stewardship, a growing green-jobs economy and a citizenry highly engaged around water issues.

With hundreds of greened and water-absorbing acres already in place, residents citywide are now experiencing what will soon be the norm for many more communities: green infrastructure as a central piece of the neighborhood social fabric.

Today, there are 111 Philadelphia streets that are greener for the residents and better for our waterways, thanks to green tools like stormwater-absorbing tree trenches and planters.

There are 18 parks where green infrastructure investments enhance facilities while protecting neighborhood watersheds.

At our schools, 11 campuses have been reinvigorated with rain gardens and trees that minimize stormwater impacts and create spaces where our children learn about the urban water cycle.

In this way, “Green City, Clean Waters” works to improve Philadelphia on two fronts—with each new green infrastructure site, we take another step toward improving our waterways to make them more beautiful, accessible, fishable and swimmable, all while making Philadelphia a greener, better place to live at its core.

When I look at our rivers today, I see a city that has triumphed over the pessimism of the past. My 1982 self would hardly have believed that a place like Spruce Street Harbor Park would be the go-to summer spot in 2016, complete with paddle board yoga and pedal boats. That sea change only hints at what can be achieved if we continue our trajectory toward cleaner water with even greater enthusiasm.

Clean water is a necessity for a healthy city, but bringing our rivers and creeks into a new era of water quality will be an invaluable investment in Philadelphia, making the city even more attractive to businesses and development, potential residents, showpiece recreational and sporting events, and, most importantly, the people who call it home.

3

Fun Events

Celebrate our Waterways this September!

Philly Fun Fishing Fest @ Schuylkill Banks

9/10/16, 7 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. (Rain date: 9/18) Free event with prizes! No license needed, just sign up now at: Phillywatersheds.org/FishingFest FREE FISHING FUN!

Then, head on over to Coast Day to finish off a full day of family fun!

Pennsylvania Coast Day

9/10/16, 11 a.m – 4 p.m.

Fairmount Water Works (Schuylkill River) Walnut Plaza (Delaware River waterfront) Explore the amazing ecosystems of Philly’s tidal waters with free events on the Schuylkill & Delaware Rivers (free shuttle provided.)

FREE BOAT RIDES!

PWD @ PHS Pop Up Garden 9/12/16–9/14/16, 5:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.

PHS South Street Pop Up Garden

Celebrate five years of protecting our waters and greening our city with three evenings of fun, science and art.

Baxter’s Best, a beer made by Saint Benjamin Brewing Company to highlight water quality, will be featured!

BEER, SCIENCE & ART!

Learn more about all of these events at Facebook.com/PhillyH2O

Debra McCarty is an engineer who first joined the staff of the Philadelphia Water Department in 1982. In 2016, she was appointed as its commissioner by Mayor Jim Kenney.

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the RIGH T QUE STION

Water, Water Everywhere To save water, forget about turning the faucet off when you brush your teeth.

Turn off your air conditioner by jerry silberman

Q

uestion: How can I reduce my personal water consumption to protect the environment?

The Right Question: How can I reduce my energy consumption to protect fresh water?

Kayaking down the Schuylkill a couple of weeks ago, in the zone of cool air just above the surface of the flowing water and dipping into the river when I felt the urge, it was hard to think about being short of water. Even after two weeks of intense summer heat and barely any rain, very little soil

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showed on the banks, indicating the river was not seriously low.

But, in fact, shortages of safe drinking water may be a bigger factor in the decline of industrial civilization than collapsing oil supplies. Oil supplies will likely start to collapse in three to four years, but access to drinking water is already a problem in many areas of the globe, including major cities in China.

There has been a significant rise in personal water use in industrialized countries.

Skyrocketing human population is part of the problem. Each person needs water for personal use, but, unfortunately that’s not the main issue: The real explosion in fresh water use has been in power generation, irrigation and resource extraction.

These three major industrial processes, which we don’t normally see and therefore take for granted, are the bulk of our water use. We use enormous amounts of water for power and industry, we destroy aquifers through irrigation, and we further

IL LUSTRATIO N BY CO RE Y SCHUMA NN

reduce available water when we extend our built environment into areas that were formerly absorbing water and recharging our aquifers.

How much water are we using? The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has a fact sheet with some startling numbers, titled “The Energy-Water Collision: 10 Things You Should Know.” It shows that these industrial processes use magnitudes more fresh water than we use in our homes for drinking, cleaning and for yard use. (Which is not to say that we shouldn’t try to put an end to watering millions of acres of toxic lawns.)

According to the UCS report, in the Southeast United States, two-thirds of all withdrawals of fresh water are for use in power-generating plants. What that looks like individually is that an average family of four directly uses about 400 gallons of fresh water per day.

But when you consider their indirect use (the water withdrawn for use at the local power plant) the family actually uses 600 to 1,800 gallons.

Alternative fuels appear to consume much more water than fossil fuels, particularly irrigation-intense ethanol. The comparison, however, likely doesn’t take into account the relatively recent rise of fracking, which now accounts for a majority of our natural gas and at least one-third of our oil; it’s a hugely water-intense process that has the added insult of rendering some of that water unusable.

In addition to mine drainage and fracking, we must also consider other industrial processes that render water and groundwater toxic for generations.

While Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection now has drought

watches up in 34 counties, withdrawals for fracking are unaffected.

At least for water used for cooling at power plants, the use is more short-term.

As outlined in the UCS report, we use water, for instance, to cool the steam that powers electricity-generating turbines. This water, for the most part, remains within the hydrologic cycle and is available for other uses.

Conversely, water released to the environment after being used to cool nuclear power plants is often dangerously warm for fish and other life in streams and rivers.

These myriad questions all get to the life cycle consumption of water in industrial processes, which has not been examined as carefully as life cycle energy consumption— but it’s imperative that we take a closer look.

In my own personal quest to use less energy and water, understanding the enormous consumption of water in generating electricity sinks the idea of electric cars, although a lean and efficient electric streetcar could move people with a fraction of the energy that goes into powering individual cars.

But if you feel you must do something, a simple decision to turn off your air conditioner will reduce your water use much more quickly than, for instance, installing a low-flow toilet in the house.

It will also reduce your contribution to greenhouse gases, the effect of which the air conditioner seeks to mitigate even as it simultaneously aggravates the original problem by using more electricity: It’s not exactly a virtuous cycle.

While we study this problem more closely, I propose a solution.

As the Greenland ice sheet melts, billions of gallons of fresh water are being freed up for the first time in millennia. Perhaps the oil pipeline builders are missing an opportunity? If we could build a pipeline from Greenland to Arizona, people in Phoenix could grow all their own vegetables locally!

If my solution sounds ludicrous, it is.

A water pipeline and a natural gas pipeline have an equal chance of keeping climate change in check and our sea levels from rising. For that, we’ll all need to live lives in which we consume less—directly and indirectly.

Jerry Silberman is a cranky environmentalist and union negotiator who likes to ask the right question and is no stranger to compromise.

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the B IG PICTUR E

The Eagle Has Landed The arrival of a most American emblem to Philadelphia’s shores is a sign that we’re a river city on the rise interview by heather shayne blakeslee

I

f you’ve just arrived in Philadelphia, you might not know that along our famed Boathouse Row, athletes were once advised to have tetanus shots to safely compete. Industrial waste and municipal sewage sullied our waters, and you were more likely to see floating garbage than turtles or fish. Now, after decades of public and private investment, the William Penn Foundation’s watershed expert Andy Johnson says wildlife has returned—and Philadelphians of all backgrounds are starting a love affair with our revitalized rivers.

We can’t get by without water, and the health of our rivers and water supply is about human health, ecological health and economic development. How has the health of our rivers improved biodiversity?

AJ: I was out with a group yesterday on the Cooper River in Camden—Urban Promise, who build wooden boats. We fund them and they have programs for the youth who are involved in building the boats to actually put them on the water and take residents of the community out and give them guided tours.

I know that until the 1980s there was primary sewage being discharged into that river, and there were virtually no birds and virtually no fish, and it smelled. Yesterday, we saw two bald eagles, an osprey, many cormorants, fish jumping, and it was a wonderful experience.

I think that’s emblematic, and we see that on the Schuylkill, other rivers and on the Delaware itself—where there’s evidence that fish have come back and birds have followed—and aquatic vegetation.

There’s celery grass that’s growing on the Delaware between Camden and Philadelphia on the shores... It’s very sensitive to pollution; it’s an indicator species. The fact that it’s growing means the conditions are sufficient.

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What was the original cause of the deadening of the Delaware River?

AJ: It was primarily from industrial waste and municipal sewage. Of course, agricultural runoff was there, too, and there are other things, but those were the primary causes. [This] may be apocryphal, but supposedly as airplanes approached Philadelphia and came in over the river, the pilots could smell the river. Whether or not that’s true, it’s sort of a compelling image. So, Philadelphia had this big turnaround because of the Clean Water Act. I don’t think there’s any question that state and federal regulation that addressed water quality had a huge effect.

In what other ways are people interacting with our waterways now that they aren’t as foul as they used to be?

AJ: One example is rowing on the Schuylkill, which of course persisted through the heavy pollution, but in the past it was highly recommended—or required—that rowers have tetanus shots. I don’t think that’s the case anymore, and there are now triathlons that have a swimming element in the river. There are dragon boats, outrigger canoes, kayaks, standard canoes… I think that’s testament to the quality of the water.

How do you feel Philadelphia compares to other cities that have proximity to waterways?

AJ: My sense is that we have the bones and the history, the traditions, to have significant growth in on-water recreational activity for everyone in the community—not just elite people who can access yachts.

I think that one of the continuing challenges is public access to those waterways.

There are two different kinds of access: One is being able to see the water, which is important because then you get a feel for it, and the other is actually being able to get to it.

Does the city’s master plan address that?

AJ: I think that the master plan includes the right of way along the river and the idea of a trail, which is one of our strategies—in Philadelphia and beyond—the regional trail network that will have miles and miles of trail along waterways. And that’s a way that people experience the river without having to be on [it].

And then the key is to connect to some access point. So, Independence Seaport Museum, for example, now has programs in part fed by Spruce Street Harbor Park, where there’s all that activity. It’s not people going expecting to shop in a shopping mall—that was sort of the vision before: that you go to a shopping mall on the river. Last summer, the numbers at the Independence Seaport Museum went up by 20,000 people, and that’s largely because they’re more visible.

It seems as though it is requiring significant human intervention to just get back to the way that the normal system would be functioning.

AJ: Nature is resilient, so you don’t necessarily have to restore things to pristine conditions, but there are certain factors that can be addressed. Floodplains, for exam-

IL LUSTRATIO N BY CARTE R MULCA HY

ple—there can be deliberate efforts to restore floodplains, which are so important in terms of ensuring percolation and then preventing erosion and sediment going into water.

And to protect us from some of the catastrophic consequences of storms and flooding.

AJ: Yeah, it’s a little bit counterintuitive, because what many people have noticed is that after major weather-related disasters, the impulse to repair and put things back— often some of it’s counterproductive in the sense that there’s rebuilding that’s exactly what was there before, recently, that was destroyed. And then others is removing elements of the landscape or the floodplain or the corridor that actually help to slow floods down. What happens is there’s emergency funding after a disaster, and then the wrong kinds of projects are implemented.

Is there enough urgency around the region to address the threat of superstorms?

AJ: I think that there is probably not enough urgency nationally around those issues. And it’s a really volatile set of issues—it’s not inexpensive and it sort of disrupts the status quo, but it is necessary to think about the consequences and preventative steps that can be taken.

Clearly having beautiful waterways and people seeing them coming into the city from all directions matters—it makes a difference to how we show as a city. How does the health of and access to our waterways affect economic development?

AJ: It’s pretty clear that everything that’s happening along the Delaware… the fact that the river doesn’t smell, and that it’s clean and it’s pretty—meaning it’s not filled with trash, it looks bluish instead of always looking brown or green—that’s something that I think is represented in renderings for these great plans for redevelopment on the land.

You see this beautiful river in the background, but there’s almost no discussion in that context of the river.

[We need to be sure the river] is always part of the discussion when there’s a presentation about a big redevelopment project: “By the way, because the river’s clean, that’s why we’re doing it here.”

And I think that we have an opportunity to have some additional public access in

Philadelphia to the Delaware. The Schuylkill has great public access—but the Delaware is so cut off from the city. [It’s] an opportunity: Spruce Street Harbor is an example... the North Delaware on Lardner’s Point, some other parks that are being developed... those kinds of examples, I think, are just essential.

I was recently at the FringeArts building at Race Street—the river is in the background, and it’s lovely to see. But there’s so much more pedestrian traffic alongside what is a very busy highway. I saw people crossing in the middle of the highway. The city will need to address that in some way.

AJ: It forces other decisions and other questions—and that’s definitely one of them— and other kinds of safety, too. You don’t want people just getting onto the river willy nilly—it’s a serious river. But then I think Independence Seaport Museum is planning to expand the public dockage that they have.

They already have really cool opportunities for different age groups to get on the water.

Glen Foerd, which is owned by the city, is planning to put in docks and have more

T HIS EXC ER PT ED INT ERVIE W H AS BE E N E D I TE D FO R CLA R I TY

access to the water there, and that’s connected to the East Coast Greenway Trail, and that’s sort of emblematic of this goal of having the trail network that’s near rivers, that then connects to public access points to the river.

As a Philadelphian, how did it feel to see those kids on the river?

AJ: It’s thrilling. I was proud of people I didn’t know. They were so enthusiastic, and they were so excited, pleased and also wonderous. To see a bald eagle? Even though they’d seen a bald eagle before, which is incredible when you think about that. It’s not that unusual for them! But it’s something that’s really moving. That’s the diversity. That’s the value in making sure that this kind of thing isn’t seen as a white, elite, “it only matters to the suburbs” kind of movement. It matters to people everywhere. … It’s fragile. We can’t take it for granted.

Andy Johnson is a program director with the William Penn Foundation in Philadelphia.

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a tale of two rivers Boathouse Row and Bartram’s Garden exist on the same river, but are worlds apart.

Continued work on the Schuylkill River Trail may soon connect Philadelphia’s water people by matt bevilacqua

Boaters enjoy the Schuylkill River near Bartram’s Garden in Southwest Philadelphia

P PHOTO HOTO BY COUMRT A RGO ESY R OEED F BA RT RA M ’S GA R D E N

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Alan Robinson in the boatshed of the University Barge Club on Boathouse Row

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P HOTO BY M ARGO REED

ON THE RIVER

W

hen Alan Robinson saw the turtle, he knew things had changed.

It was 1990, and Robinson had recently taken up race walking after turning 40. He was practicing for the Schuylkill River Loop, a popular 8.4-mile race that takes participants from Boathouse Row, up to and across the Falls Bridge, down to the art museum and back up to the boathouses. Near the two stone railroad bridges at the southern end of East Falls, he made an exciting discovery.

“There was a turtle,” says Robinson, an environmental consultant. “I thought, ‘A turtle on the Schuylkill River! My first turtle!’”

Robinson, who rowed on the river during his college days, was more accustomed to seeing garbage and industrial waste on the water’s surface. He can recall, for instance, dodging 55-gallon drums while practicing for regattas. To him, the turtle meant that after decades of cleanup, wildlife was finally returning to the river.

Today, Robinson sees not only turtles but also herons, bald eagles and ospreys along a much prettier and accessible Schuylkill River. Minnows often gather off the dock of the University Barge Club, the Boathouse Row institution that Robinson, now 66, joined nine years ago when he took up rowing again. Since then the sport has exploded in popularity—with Philadelphia as its national center point, thanks in no small part to the improved quality of the Schuylkill water.

“I rowed in the late ’60s and early ’70s, and I never saw the bottom of the river,” Robinson says. “Now, going upriver, it’s clear. You can see the bottom. It was never like that before.”

Isolated by industry for a century and a half, the Schuylkill River long suffered from pollution and neglect. Yet in the last 30 years, it has gradually reopened to the public for recreational use, changing the look of the city and giving its people new ways to lead active lifestyles. More and more rowers have taken to the river, as have kayakers, paddleboarders and canoers. Philadelphians who fish can now safely cook and eat their regulation-size catches, and swimmers can jump into the current for certain organized events.

The Schuylkill is clearly a different river than it used to be, and it continues to be

a different river for Philadelphians who access its waters at different points. The beauty of Boathouse Row invites you from the highway and from street level. In the less affluent neighborhoods of the Southwest, the highway cuts off easy access, and fishing and canoeing—not regattas—have been the main activities. But these two worlds on the same river may soon connect through an ongoing effort to complete a regional trail network that has opened up huge tracts of the city’s riverfronts to walkers, joggers and bicyclists.

Taken altogether, these recent developments on the Schuylkill represent a fundamental change in how civic leaders view the role of Philadelphia’s waterways, which may yet give Philadelphia a more solid identity as the river city that it is.

“I rowed in the late ’60s and early ’70s, and I never saw the bottom of the river. Now... it’s clear. You can see the bottom. It was never like that before.”

—Alan Robinson, rower and environmental consultant A Habitat Returns Forty-four years have passed since the federal Clean Water Act forced local and state officials to start thinking about how to improve the waterways in their own backyards. In the Delaware Valley, according to Philadelphia Water Commissioner Debra McCarty, that meant starting with wastewater treatment plants in Philly and Camden that pumped their noxious byproducts into the rivers.

“Those plants came online and were upgraded and have been performing quite well,” says McCarty, who took over her department in January. “It takes awhile— there’s a lag—but river quality has been improving.”

The next phase is to address stormwater

runoff, which washes litter and toxins from streets, roofs, parking lots and other hard surfaces into the river system. To that end, Philadelphia Water (formerly PWD) created an internationally lauded plan, known as “Green City, Clean Waters,” to build infrastructure that captures stormwater rather than let it escape into the sewers or flow directly into the rivers. Adopted in 2011, the plan’s aim is to cut down stormwater pollutants by 85 percent within another 20 years.

“The biggest problems we face now are not point-source pollution” like raw sewage, says Chris Linn, an environmental planner with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. “It’s runoff from developed areas.”

Organized swimming is allowed in the Schuylkill, although you probably don’t want to compete in a triathlon in the days after a heavy rainstorm, when runoff levels are at their highest. Linn recalls when a friend took him for a swim out to Peter’s Island, in the river off of West Fairmount Park, on a clear day when there wasn’t as much runoff to worry about.

As runoff decreases, the rivers will become better suited for people and animals alike. Fishers and bird watchers will mention that the water has grown more abundant with creatures to catch and spot, an observation backed up by official wildlife population counts. Indeed, Philly’s erstwhile river ecosystem has started to rebuild itself.

“Our indicators of healthy rivers are different varieties of fish,” McCarty says.

“We’re seeing different varieties returning to our waterways. We’re also seeing their predators.”

That should come as good news to people like Steph Mumford, a lifelong University City resident who has been fishing in the Schuylkill since the early 1990s. Mumford says his father would take him to catch catfish and crabs off of a wall next to Bartram’s Garden in Southwest Philly. That wall has since been torn down, but Mumford found a new favorite spot on the northeast side of Bartram’s Garden, where commercial ships used to dock before proceeding downriver to the Delaware or upriver past a pair of swing bridges. The site now houses the garden’s small boat launch.

“I call it Catfish Row,” says Mumford, 33.

“All the catfish are right here.”

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ON THE RIVER

On a hot Friday in August, a rubber-sandaled Mumford took his own three children to his regular spot on the Schuylkill. Taking refuge in the shade of a maple tree, he cast five lines into the river and waited for the tide to come in, eventually catching a medium-sized catfish. (He chose to throw it back, even though catfish have no size limits.) His daughter, Lily, also reeled in a small perch with her Dora the Explorer-themed fishing pole.

Although wildlife has been returning to the city’s rivers at large, this stretch of the Schuylkill has had bad luck with the nearby refinery complex, falling victim to a pair of large oil spills in the ’90s. Mumford says he has since noticed a decline in crabs, clams, river otters and snapping turtles. He also says that the fish here have gotten smaller and less abundant, and that he’ll have better luck with striped bass and shad further upriver, by the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But he still finds himself returning to his regular spot at Bartram’s, near where he used to come as a kid.

“When the water’s real calm, it’s like a mirror,” he says.

The area around the Bartram’s boat launch won’t stay quiet for long. Plans are in the works to bring the city’s most popular bike and pedestrian trail down the west side of the Schuylkill, right through the garden grounds. Although he expects that more people will scare the fish away, Mumford says he welcomes the company. Garden staffers, too, hope to take advantage of the new foot traffic to ramp up programming.

In fact, once the trail is completed and more people come across the Schuylkill, Bartram’s will become an access point to the river that could rival Boathouse Row.

Trail Connections Before 2004, the Schuylkill River Trail, a partially built linear park that will eventually stretch 130 miles along the entire length of the river, ended at the Fairmount Water Works. All the land further south was a tangle of industry and commerce, discouraging planners from trying to extend the trail to the Delaware River as originally intended.

But during a canoe trip in 1989, an architect named John Randolph had a vision for a riverside park in Center City. He established a nonprofit, applied for federal grant funding and held public cleanups to introduce people to the riverfront.

“We had to generate enthusiasm in the general public’s mind that this would be a great idea,” Randolph says. “We had to take people by the hand and introduce them to the river and the potential that the river had.”

Fifteen years later, the Schuylkill Banks finally opened, bringing the trail from the Water Works down to Schuylkill River Park at 25th and Spruce streets.

Since then, the organization Randolph founded has continued to build more trail segments even further south than the Banks, opening up new parts of the river to public use. Under the leadership of Joe Syrnick, the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) spearheaded the construction of the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, which opened in 2014 between Schuylkill River Park and South Street. A second section of the boardwalk, between South and Christian streets, is slated to open later this year.

In 2012, SRDC opened the Grays Ferry Crescent, which arcs between 34th and Wharton streets and will be the last piece of

the Schuylkill River Trail before it crosses to the west side of the river. Right now, though, the Crescent doesn’t really lead anywhere.

For one thing, connecting it to the boardwalk will take a lot of time and negotiation, since active railroad tracks come close to this part of the riverfront. Getting over the water, meanwhile, will involve transforming a defunct railroad swing bridge into a crossing for bikes and pedestrians.

“The Grays Ferry Crescent has been underutilized since it opened,” Syrnick admits.

“Having said that, it’s a quieter part of the trail, it’s not overrun with people and bicycles, and you sort of have it to yourself. But it would be good to connect it across the river and get that interchange of people from east to west and vice versa.”

Syrnick says the bridge restoration could begin as soon as next summer. Already under construction on the other side of the Schuylkill, though, is a segment of the trail known as Bartram’s Mile, which will lead from the swing bridge through Bartram’s Garden and on to just past 58th Street. Garden staffers are betting a lot on this trail.

The oldest botanical garden in North America, Bartram’s has occupied 45 acres on the west side of the Schuylkill since 1728.

While cherished by horticulturalists for preserving a variety of native plants, the garden has a location problem. Squeezed between the river, an industrial corridor and a housing project, it remains difficult to access for anyone without a car. The 36 trolley stops nearby, but it still takes a half-mile walk, partly down a street with no sidewalks, to reach the waterfront. The closest thoroughfare, Lindbergh Boulevard, is uninviting A view of trails along the Schuylkill River

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P HOTO COURTESY O F BARTRAM ’S GA RDEN

ON THE RIVER

Top left: Vanessa Pitts takes a boat out from the Bartram’s Garden boat launch every week; bottom left: Visitors enjoy some time on the Schuylkill River; right: University City resident Steph Mumford after reeling in a catfish

to pedestrians and downright dangerous for cyclists, with its fast-moving traffic and trolley tracks just waiting to ensnare a bike wheel.

“Getting to Bartram’s, you’re crossing some really industrial-designed roadways,” says Justin DiBerardinis, director of community and government relations at the garden. “There’s a bike lane on Lindbergh Boulevard, but I really wouldn’t advise most people to bike on it.” He adds that the unappealing road has limited visitors from the garden’s own neighborhood.

When the swing bridge reopens, however, it will offer the first safe, inviting route for people to cross this section of the river without a car. That will not only open up a sustainable commuting option between Southwest Philly and Center City, it will also present an opportunity for Bartram’s to attract new visitors.

“Once that bridge opens up, that’s really the first big game-changer in terms of audience for us,” DiBerardinis says. “That’s where we’re going to see a substantial spike in our attendance.”

Sensing a chance to expand its appeal, Bartram’s got involved with planning the

Mile. It partnered with SRDC to help with the logistics of building the trail and to provide attractions previously unavailable to park goers. The garden already has free kayaking and rowboating on Saturdays during the warmer months. DiBerardinis says it will start to host organized boat trips up and down the river this fall.

He also hints at the possibility of starting a weekend ferry service between the garden and South Philly.

“Once the trail is fully connected… our profile elevates from being sort of a hidden gem within the park system to being one of the preeminent sites in Fairmount Park,” he says. That means concerts, classes, more boating and an ongoing partnership with the Mural Arts Program to install interactive art exhibits along the trail.

While DiBerardinis anticipates new visitors from across the river, he also says the garden wants to do more to attract its immediate neighbors to the water.

“Every Saturday I come down here and do canoeing,” says Vanessa Pitts, who lives in the adjacent housing project known as Bartram Village. Pitts, a 59-year-old Phila-

P HOTOS: TO P L EF T A ND R I G H T BY M A RG O R E E D; BOTTO M LE FT: COURTESY O F BARTRAM ’S GARD E N

delphia native, moved to the area 10 years ago after a long spell in Florida. A short, energetic woman, she had never tried boating before moving to the neighborhood. Upon discovering the boat launch, though, she took to the activity right away. Since then, she has had a big hand in planning the programming around Bartram’s Mile.

As president of the Bartram Village Resident Council, Pitts acts as something of a liaison between the garden and the Southwest Philly community, organizing events and bringing new visitors to the riverfront. Right now, she’s trying to get a friend in the Coast Guard to teach a boating safety class to dozens of her relatives. (Pitts says that between her and her husband, she has more than 60 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.) By activating the river with her friends and neighbors, Pitts hopes to raise the area’s profile so that more people feel compelled to visit once the swing bridge and Bartram’s Mile open.

“A lot of people don’t know that Southwest exists,” Pitts says. “If they don’t come down here or no one tells them about it, they don’t know there’s something here for them to come and enjoy.”

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ON THE RIVER

Rowers Deirdre Mullen and Alan Robinson head out for a ride on the Schuylkill River in August.

A Busier River While Pitts and DiBerardinis try to catch up with Boathouse Row, Alan Robinson is using the rowing community’s unique position in Philadelphia to advocate for a better river.

All of the clubs on Boathouse Row belong to a longstanding organization called the Schuylkill Navy, which affords them the kind of political structure that can grab the city’s attention.

The Schuylkill Navy is the oldest amateur athletic governing body in the United States; it dates back to 1858. In addition to sponsoring regattas and setting rules for rowing on the river, it serves as a collective voice for Philadelphia’s rowing community.

It has called for dredging certain parts of the Schuylkill, for instance, to remove sediment that builds up due to the Fairmount Dam. (Rowers can be put in danger when they steer their lightweight boats into too-shallow waters.) As more people have taken boats out onto the river, the group has pushed for more resources to teach water safety.

Robinson chairs the Schuylkill Navy River Stewards Committee, which takes the lead on environmental issues on behalf of the organization. He’s partnered with other athletic groups, such as the Philadelphia Canoe Club, on river cleanups. He also convinced Philadelphia Water to donate thousands of reusable bottles to distribute during regattas in an effort to discourage the use of plastic bottles. Meanwhile, clubs on Boathouse Row, including Robinson’s

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University Barge Club, have adopted policies prohibiting disposable water bottles on their premises.

“The city has been so responsive to having a group of users that’s organized enough to get things done,” says Deirdre Mullen, a retired lawyer and another member of the University Barge Club. Like Robinson, Mullen rowed while in college during the 1970s and returned to the sport in the mid-’90s, after a 15-year hiatus. She can also speak to how much her experience with the water has changed since she first picked up an oar.

“It was very tempting to put your hand in the water and smack it on your face just to cool off,” Mullen, 59, recalls of her college rowing days.

“My coach had taken a bottle of water and put it on his desk. It instantaneously went into layers of sediment... He said, ‘This is

what you’re putting on your face. Do not touch the water.’ So that is a world apart from where it is today.”

Sitting on the back deck of their rowing club, Mullen and Robinson talk about the growing number of people whom they see using the river. High school kids regularly take boats out as part of the Philadelphia City Rowing program. More and more people with fishing poles have shown up on the riverbank, catching bigger and bigger fish.

While rowing is hard work and leaves little time to talk, crew members will take the time to call out to each other when they spot an impressive bird hovering over the water.

“I never imagined I’d see an eagle in Philadelphia, much less on the Schuylkill River,” Robinson says, gesturing out from the boathouse dock. “Right here, on a Sunday morning.”

“A lot of people don’t know that Southwest exists.

If they don’t come down here or no one tells them about it, they don’t know there’s something here for them to come and enjoy.”

— Vanessa Pitts, Bartram Village resident and river advocate

P HOTO BY M ARGO REED

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phillybikeclub.org cmyk colors: blue = 95c85m red = 100m80y gray =Pantone 60%colors: black

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901 N 2nd St. Mon-Fri 4pm-2am Sat & Sun 11am-2am

ENJOY DINING OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH IN THE CAFE

1201 N. Frankford Ave Everyday 11am - 2am

The French playwright Molière once quipped, “One must eat to live and not live to eat.” That attitude may have flown in 17th century France, but in modern-day Philadelphia, a city of strong opinions and prodigious appetites, it just sounds like nonsense.

With so many homey bars (with food comparable to posh restaurants), and so many incredible restaurants (with draft and cocktail lists good enough to rival a well-stocked neighborhood bar’s), food and drink are essential components of our city’s thriving social scenes and tourist destinations.

If you’re exploring the scene this September, chances are that no matter the fine establishment you’ve found yourself in there will be playwrights of our own conducting a Live Arts or Fringe Festival show just around the corner—or even right where you are. Hundreds of shows around Philadelphia necessitate alternative performance space, and our bars and restaurants are just some of the corners where our city’s thespians, dancers and provocateurs are putting on a show.

Food coverage by emily kovach Fringe coverage by justin klugh and heather blakeslee

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Dinner

Cocktails Get Their Closeup p If you’re looking for a place to celebrate a happy birthday, or just a happy hour, here are some of our favorite cocktail spots in the city. Get comfy at the bar and get up close and personal with a coupe glass or two.

1 Tippling Place

At this pseudo-speakeasy, plush curtains block out the street, cozy seating arrangements encourage intimate gatherings, and a ridiculously well-stocked bar is a portent of the quality drinks made behind it. The cocktail menu slants seasonal, but a classic Moscow mule or French 75 will also be crafted to perfection.

Location: 2006 Chestnut St. 1tpl.com

Brick and Mortar

Is it 5 o’clock yet? In a town long on happy hours, this one is a serious winner: super-cheap snacks (hello, tandoori pork loin!) and a range of drinks at dive bar prices. Speaking of drinks, we don’t know quite how they do it, but the BAM bartenders mix an old fashioned our editor says is the best she’s ever had.

Location: 315 N. 12th St. bamphilly.com

Double Knot

Looking for an upbeat buzz, but want to graduate from a certain energy drink and vodka combo? Coffee cocktails—so much more than espressotinis—at this uber cool, multifaceted Midtown spot get the job done in style. For something unexpected, try The Charger, with fernet, Tuaca and smooth, creamy nitro cold brew coffee.

Location: 120 S. 13th St. doubleknotphilly.com

La Peg Brasserie

Gin gimlet from La Peg

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This dramatically renovated industrial bar—complete with salvaged materials— lives in the beautiful FringeArts building on the Delaware waterfront. Check out their signature cocktails, cheekily named for theater tropes, like the Load In, combining Lillet, vodka and gin; fitting for a restaurant that often hosts Friday night arts performances.

Location: 140 N. Columbus Blvd. lapegbrasserie.com

P HOTO COURTESY O F P EG GY BAUD -WOOLSEY

Dinner

Good King Tavern

The French know how to drink, and this snug corner bar in Bella Vista brings that sensibility to life. Wines, by the glass or the pichet (carafe) are listed as “Good,” “Better” and “Best,” and a cultivated list of predinner drinks presents pastis, vermouths and other apéritifs any aspirational drinker should get better acquainted with.

The house and classic cocktails get the royal treatment, with splashes of sparkling wine, Fernet-Branca fortification, egg white frothiness and other touches that show a bartender really cares.

Location: 614 S. 7th St. thegoodkingtavern.com

Martha

Martha is the cool new girl in the neighborhood who throws the parties you want an invite to. A swift antidote for the misguided stereotype that cocktails are pretension, the drinks list gets gleefully weird and fanciful.

The Media is the Message blends a porter from Baltimore’s Sterling Pig brewery with aged rum and mole spiced bitters. Timm’s Cup takes gin infused with mild cotto salami and adds (get ready) artichoke-based amaro Cynar, Punt e Mes vermouth, orange curacao, cherry, cucumber, lemon peel and ginger beer. Drinking should be fun, right?

Location: 2113 E. York St. marthakensington.com

Oyster House

Oysters and booze, booze and oysters—we can’t think of a lovelier pair. Wash down those bodacious bivalves with a Don Jawn (white rum, ginger, lime, cassis and St. Germain) or a glass of bourbon-spiked punch.

If classic cocktails and a taste of Maine are your thing, try the lobster roll with a cold martini. It’s next to impossible to be dissapointed when you can choose from an impressive selection of 50-plus gins at this beloved seafood joint. Get there early for happy hour, because their lovely, bright bar fills up fast.

Location: 1516 Sansom St. oysterhousephilly.com

Pour-over glass coffee maker at Double Knot

PHOTO COU RT ESY O F NEA L SA N TOS

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Dinner

Root

A newer addition to the Fishtown food scene, Root has been noticed for an expansive wine list, but the rest of the drinks menu is equally robust. We’re especially digging imaginative takes on gin and tonics, breathing new life into the timeworn combo with fresh herbs, spices and fruit.

Location: 1206 Frankford Ave. rootrestaurant.com

Stateside

Whether you identify as a “gin person,” seek out only brown spirits, or unapologetically crave the sweet and fruity stuff, Stateside has a well-composed cocktail waiting for you, focusing on domestic liquors, fresh juices and ingenious combos.

Consider the Pineapple Collins, one of their signature cocktails. The marriage of Tito’s vodka sweetened up with pineapple, jazzed with a spike of lemon and made sippable with a splash of club soda, will have you asking, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Location: 1536 E. Passyunk Ave. statesidephilly.com

White Dog Cafe

One of the first Philly establishments to truly focus on farm fresh produce, the University City location of White Dog is also home to a beautiful, long and low bar, around which patrons gather throughout the day, especially during their outstanding happy hour. The Dirty Dog, which mixes vodka and spicy pickle juice, is one of our favorite martini iterations around. Highfives for a small but creative list of mocktails, too.

Location: 3420 Sansom St. whitedog.com/university-city.html

Zahav

The modern Israeli cuisine at Chef Michael Solomonov’s first restaurant has been knocking Philadelphians’ socks off for years. The cocktails hold their own: A pitcher of Lemonanna (minty whiskey lemonade), some hummus and a tower of salatim might be the classiest—and the most satisfying—drink and snack trio in the city.

Location: 237 St. James Place zahavrestaurant.com 32

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The Fishtown Mule: a delightful cocktail from Root

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Dinner Bruschetta from Coeur

Small Plate Specials p

These small-plate-focused experiences aren’t supporting acts— they’re the main event. One of the best ways to experience a restaurant is, oddly enough, to not sit at a table and delve into the full menu. Drinks and a few snacks at the bar let you soak up the atmosphere and sample the offerings at a fraction of the price.

On a date? Two seats at the bar is, in our opinion, a much more romantic configuration than a two-top any day.

A Mano

Under the tutelage of Chef Townsend Wentz and the kitchen direction of Chef Michael Millon, A Mano strikes an easy balance between casual and elegant. The seasonally driven menu reads like a love letter to the diverse foodways of Italy, including lots of smartly composed small plates to begin the meal: an antipasti board, slow braised tripe, little vegetable salads and much more.

Location: 2244 Fairmount Ave. amanophilly.com

Bar Hygge

Can’t decide on just one bar snack? Fairmount Avenue’s newest, epically cozy (heck, even their name, pronounced “huu guh,” basically means cozy time) restaurant offers customizable “Hygge boards.”

Choose up to five tasty bites from a rotating list, like coconut chilled shrimp, crispy Brussels sprouts and local cheeses, all of which pair nicely with house-brewed beer.

Location: 1720 Fairmount Ave. barhygge.com

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Bok Bar

While this en plein air rooftop bar has been at the center of a heated debate about the gentrification of South Philadelphia (it’s housed in the renovated former Bok Technical High School), Bok Bar has become a popular gathering place. The soaring skyline views are indeed a draw, as is the simple menu of Filipino and Vietnamese-inspired snacks. Bánh mì and brut rosé play surprisingly well together.

Location: 1901 S. 9th St. bok-bar.com

Coeur

The spirit of Montreal dining is alive and well in Philadelphia at Coeur. We love the irreverent decor, the working fireplace, the old movies playing behind the bar, and decadent food and drink. The entrées and brunch specials don’t disappoint, but the appetizers are where it’s at: oysters, cheese, charcuterie, salads to share and, of course, poutine, satisfy with gusto.

Location: 824 S. 8th St. coeurphilly.com

Crow & the Pitcher

When cheese is what you crave (and let’s be real, it often is), Crow & the Pitcher has got you covered. Their curated cheese program features a weekly rotating list of 12 artisanal dairy delights, with the option to build your own custom cheese board—up to 10 cheeses—or add a beer or wine pairing. Also, a shout out to these folks for their genius late night brunch menu, offered from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Location: 267 S. 19th St. crowandthepitcher.com

ITV

Top Chef Nick Elmi is back with another restaurant concept on East Passyunk Avenue, next door to his first venture, Laurel.

ITV, stands for “in the valley,” a translation of “Passyunk” in Lenape, and this small, stylish space serves up unpretentious French-ish plates, most under $15.

Location: 1615 E. Passyunk Ave. itvphilly.com

Wm. Mulherin’s Sons

This much-lauded new restaurant is showing that there’s more to hip scene-y places than aesthetics (though the interior is quite handsome, with dark wood, cool light fixtures and exposed brick aplenty).

The wood-fired oven works overtime, putting out magnificent pizzas, but the small plates deserve equal credit: Hamachi crudo is listed alongside asparagus salad, stuffed dates, various seafood and veg dishes, all somehow singing in harmony.

Location: 1355 N. Front St. wmmulherinssons.com

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Dinner

Farm-to-Table Stars

You’ll never find a Sysco truck unloading produce into the kitchens of these restaurants—their goal is to keep it local, all year round. The farm-to-table trend certainly had its moment, and in some scenes that moment may have passed. But in our neighborhoods, there is no shortage of chefs holding true to their commitment to support local farmers and crafting their menu according to the mandates of the seasons. Here are our stars.

Steak from Urban Farmer

Aldine

Eight local farms supply much of the product that shapes the menu of thoughtful modern cuisine and drinks at George and Jennifer Sabatino’s first restaurant venture. Corn from Green Meadow Farms in Gap, Pennsylvania, gets a luxurious makeover as custard, plated with radish, black truffle and maitake tempura, while blueberries from Three Springs Fruit Farm in Aspers, Pennsylvania, are muddled into a lively vodka cocktail. The bar also offers a long list of locally crafted spirits and beers.

Location: 1901 Chestnut St. aldinerestaurant.com 36

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Farm and Fisherman Tavern and Market

Though the original Gayborhood location shuttered earlier this year, this Cherry Hill outpost is going strong. Utilizing an impressive amount of product from nearby New Jersey farms, the dishes here are approachable crowd pleasers. Burgers and gussied-up bar snacks may dominate, but you can still find a $28 lamb tasting on the summer menu.

Location: 1442 Marlton Pike East, Cherry Hill, N.J. fandftavern.com

Helm

Each and every item on Helm’s chalkboard menu is designed to highlight super seasonal ingredients, many of which come from local urban farms. Though the three word descriptions of the dishes (“Cod, Squash, Caesar”) smack of pretension, this BYOB’s vibe is decidedly friendly and casual.

Location: 1303 N. 5th St. helmphilly.com

Dinner

Tired Hands Brew Cafe’s vegan potato salad with local red potatoes, cherry tomatoes, herbs and vegan cashew mayo; the Lancaster County blueberry gazpacho with pickled yellow pepper and crème fraÎche; and the smoked salmon rillettes served on butter lettuce with housemade bread

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Dinner

Russet

Tucked inside a charming 19th century townhouse on Spruce Street, chef-owner couple Andrew and Kristin Wood have been putting up beautiful plates made with local ingredients since 2012. The daily changing menu, informed by Italian and French flavors and techniques, is best enjoyed on the outdoor patio with a bottle of wine you’ve toted along.

Location: 1521 Spruce St. russetphilly.com

Tired Hands Brew Cafe

Aldine’s chicken liver mousse with local peaches from Three Springs Fruit Farm

JG Domestic

Lotus Farm to Table

Kensington Quarters

Pumpkin

The glossy, modern lobby of the Cira Centre might be the last place you’d expect to find a farm-to-table restaurant, but Jose Garces did not shy away from bringing the local action to this University City businessplex.

The entire menu spotlights domestic, artisanal products, but the honey, produce and eggs from Garces’ own Luna Farm in Bucks County show off a cool model of vertically integrated sustainability.

Location: 2929 Arch St. philadelphia.jgdomestic.com

While Kensington Quarters strives to highlight seasonal produce and local dairy, meat takes front and center here. Doubling as a butcher shop, the focus—from chicken to chuck roast—is on whole-animal butchery from humanely raised stock. The housemade charcuterie, pork chop, butcher’s steak and barbecue chicken are gratifying options for conscientious meat eaters.

Location: 1310 Frankford Ave. kensingtonquarters.com

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In Media, Pennsylvania, you’ll find beautiful, simple, farm-to-table fare at Lotus.

Started by Courtney Rozsas, a Drexel University alumna with a passion for Chinese medicine, and helmed by Chef Ryan Sulikowski, Lotus serves sophisticated, nourishing dishes for lunch and dinner, like purple potato salad, grilled watermelon, and salmon with summer squash and green tomato ratatouille.

Location: 112 West State St., Media, Pa. lotusfarmtotable.com

Long before sustainability was a buzzword, and before South Street west of Broad was hip, this pocket-sized BYOB was there, serving up farm-fresh food. To eat your way across the ever-changing menu, try the Sunday evening prix fixe special: $45 for five tantalizing courses (think chorizo with green beans, corn and pickled green tomato).

Location: 1713 South St. pumpkinphilly.com

Since storming onto the local craft beer scene in 2011, beer lovers from far and wide have flocked here to sample the creative and sometimes odd Belgian- and French-inspired ales dreamed up in this tiny brewery. The small but carefully curated menu is perfect modern day drinking food: pickles, sandwiches, salads, cheese and charcuterie all from within 100 miles of their Main Line locale.

Location: 16 Ardmore Ave. tiredhands.com/cafe

Urban Farmer

Situated at a swanky address inside The Logan hotel, this “modern steakhouse” strives for transparency when it comes to their list of local food partners. Their website lists dozens of farms and purveyors including Creekstone Farms, Stryker Farm and Birchrun Hills Farm. If a sustainably raised steak is what you’re after, there may be no better selection than here.

Location: 1850 Benjamin Franklin Parkway urbanfarmerphilly.com

Wyebrook Farm

It may be an hour’s drive from the city, but the trek is worth it to experience table-onfarm dining. A 360-acre operational farm committed to biodiversity, sustainability and social ethics, Wyebrook Farm is also home to a lovely restaurant. The kitchen uses only meat raised on premises and local produce—and breezy outdoor courtyard seating offers epic views.

Location: 150 Wyebrook Road, Honey Brook, Pa. wyebrookfarm.com/restaurant-info

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Dinner

Vegan & Vegetarian Show Stealers We have many culinary treasures to take pride in, but one of the greatest is the fact that no vegan, vegetarian or health conscious diner will go hungry on our watch. But, to echo omnivorous local food enthusiasts who are reminding the world that Philly is about more than cheesesteaks, same goes for the meat-free set.

There is so much excellent plant-based food around here, it would be a shame to look no further than seitan and cheese on a roll. These guys steal the show.

Bar Bombón

Loaded nachos, chicken enchiladas and red chorizo tacos may not sound like typical vegan fare, but this cheery bar occupying an unassuming small corner on 18th Street is full of surprises. Traditional Puerto Rican recipes are made over and modernized with vegetables and plant-based proteins (homemade tortillas, too), and the bar keeps pace with an alluring list of fruitforward margaritas and cocktails.

Location: 133 S. 18th St. barbombon.com

Cedar Point

While Cedar Point is not strictly veg, it offers plenty of mouthwatering choices: veggie wings, cauliflower fritters and a pulled portobello sandwich among them.

At brunch, vegans can choose happily between sweet and savory, by subbing plantain cakes for eggs in dishes like the Red Flannel Hash or opting for the dairy-free oatmeal waffles.

Location: 2370 E. Norris St. cedarpointbarandkitchen.com

Miss Rachel’s Pantry

The weekly, by-reservation-only prix fixe Farmhouse Table Dinners at this adorable café in Newbold bring a convivial dinner party vibe to dining out. Sitting at a communal table with a group of strangers is more fun than it sounds (honestly!), and the six courses from the buzzing kitchen are flavor-packed, refined vegan comfort food.

Location: 1938 S. Chadwick St. missrachelspantry.com

Stock

Great vegetarian pho can be elusive—often a bland, watery broth replaces the rich depth of its meaty counterpart. But at Stock, an 18-seat BYOB in Fishtown, the vegan mushroom pho broth is complex, layered and earthy, brimming with tofu, herbs and tangles of rice noodles. Not feeling the soup? Tofu bánh mì, spicy peanut noodles and curries are equally delicious.

Location: 308 E. Girard Ave. stock-philly.squarespace.com

Pho from Stock; with thai papaya salad and Burmese cold noodles

Flora

Seasonal, local produce takes front and center stage at this self-proclaimed “vegetable restaurant” in the North Philly ’burbs.

Every menu item exalts fruits and vegetables (e.g. tomato and spiced eggplant tart, with smoked corn, pesto, white balsamic, arugula and mint), providing wonderful reminders of just how much is possible with plants and grains and creativity.

Location: 307 York Road, Jenkintown, Pa. florajenkintown.com

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P HOTO COURTESY O F EVAN KAL M AN F RO M THE FO O D B LO G AD D 1TBSP.COM

Dinner

Su Xing House Restaurant

Vegan Chinese is major comfort food, and while there are dozens of eateries in Chinatown to find General Tso’s tofu, there’s something special about Su Xing. Greasy, over-sauced mock meats take a back seat to vegetable laden dishes, many featuring incredibly textured mushrooms. Their lunch special, a multidish affair for under $10, is one of Center City’s hidden gems.

Location: 1508 Sansom St. suxinghouse.com

V Street

V Street, the hipper, younger cousin to the much-lauded Vedge—both owned by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby—draws a crowd with its plant-based street food and solid drink menu. Painted with a global palette of spices, veggies get dressed up in all kinds of clever ways, like the grilled corn dusted with za’atar and slicked with butter spiked with an intense Yemeni green chili paste called zhoug.

Location: 126 S. 19th St. vstreetfood.com

Dandan noodles with five-spice mushrooms, zucchini and red chili sesame sauce from V Street

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Dinner

Dessert Divas A few bites of a well-composed, balanced, exciting dessert is how all dinners should end.

Sadly, lots of restaurants phone in an obligatory dessert menu with a smattering of mundane items that make it all too easy to say, “No, really, I shouldn’t.” We want desserts whose siren song is impossible to turn down, desserts that seduce and then fully keep their promise of pleasure. Here’s where to find them.

Barbuzzo

Home to arguably the most hyped dessert in Philadelphia—the salted caramel budino, essentially rich pudding with chocolate crust and caramel sauce served in a cute little jar—there are more stunning sweets to be found at Barbuzzo. Chef Marcie Blaine has her own line of artisanal chocolates, which are available here as a tasting flight, and the interestingly flavored housemade gelato and sorbetto are superb as well.

Location: 110 S. 13th St. barbuzzo.com

Bar Ferdinand

Bar Ferdinand, a Spanish tapas bar in Northern Liberties, is one of those places that transports you to a different time and place. Details like lighting, murals and tiling help create an atmosphere that, along with the food, earn it authenticity. This theme carries right through to dessert, with custardy flan, flaky churros, brandied cherry-topped rice pudding and other Latin delights.

Location: 1030 N. 2nd St. barferdinand.com

Fine Palate

The Pickled Heron

Le Virtù

Vernick Food & Drink

There’s something about a baked Alaska: its kitschy throwback factor is high, but the combination of a brownie, ice cream and caramelized meringue is so good, we’re not sure why it ever went out of style. There aren’t many places to find this retro treat, but Fine Palate, open in Center City since October of last year, does it with finesse.

Location: 231 S. 15th St. finepalategroup.com

Proving that Italian desserts go way beyond tiramisu, the dolci section of the menu at this East Passyunk slice of Abruzzo features wildly delicious bocconcini di tartufi (chocolate semifreddo bon bons), torta di mirtillo (blueberry olive oil cake) and a handful of other wondrous treats you won’t find in any old red gravy joint.

Location: 1927 E. Passyunk Ave. levirtu.com

Salted caramel budino with dark chocolate crust, vanilla bean caramel and sea salt from Barbuzzo

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If Frenchie delights with a cheffy twist are your thing, this quaint BYOB has got your number. Think: Lillet crème brûlée, chocolate chiffon cake with lilac ice cream, hazelnut tart with whipped mascarpone and coffee ice cream, and Nutella ice cream with strawberries from Sunny Harvest Farms.

Then think: How fast can I get to Fishtown?

Location: 2218 Frankford Ave. thepickledheron.com

This dessert menu, crafted by pastry chef Jennifer Sokoloff, delivers just a handful of dignified options. Light-as-air pistachio pavlova with pistachio crème and sweet tart caramel-rhubarb sorbet is a sharp contrast to the sumptuous chocolate layer cake, gilded with espresso caramel and malted milk ice cream. But both—and all—show a refinement of technique and a clarity of vision that makes this one of the oft-cited “Best in the City” restaurants.

Location: 2031 Walnut St. vernickphilly.com

Strawberry pie with basil ice cream, one of the seasonal desserts at Vernick

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Seeing Stories: Visualizing Sustainable Citizenship A yearlong series engaging the tangible, aesthetic, design, and activist practices that impact our environment

A Conversation with Rachel Sussman Tuesday, September 27, 6:00 PM Temple Contemporary, 2001 North 13th Street Artist Rachel Sussman opens the series with a discussion of her artistic practice, in which she explores time, the universe, and nature.

library.temple.edu/beyondthepage *Programs are free and open to all.* This series is co-curated by Temple Contemporary, Temple University’s Office of Sustainability, and Temple University Libraries’ Beyond the Page Public Programming Series, along with faculty and graduate students from the Tyler School of Art, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. Additional support has been provided by the General Education Program, Department of Planning and Community Development, and the Feinstein Center for American Jewish History.

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Curtains Up! Come September, the kids go back to school—and Philadelphia’s arts scene goes into overdrive. As always, there are an overwhelming number of Live Arts and Fringe Festival shows to choose from. Where to begin?

These four performances are specially selected for Grid readers, so get ready to explore our food systems, our place in nature and what we learn about ourselves when we trek into the woods.

“Animal Farm to Table” performers (left to right on the ground) Lisa Fischel, Shamus Hunter McCarty and Kevin Rodden. Top on ledge, director Mike Durkin

P HOTO BY JA R ED GRU ENWA LD

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Show

Big Brother or Big Ag? In ‘Animal Farm to Table,’ The Renegade Company forces us to look at our food by justin klugh

D

ripping with sweat at North Philadelphia urban farm Life Do Grow, Mike Durkin is mapping out staging areas for talking pigs.

“I call over here!” says one of his actors, racing to a hammock in the shade.

Unlike actual pigs, who don’t sweat much, the humans portraying characters in The Renegade Company’s adaptation of “Animal Farm” are covered in it.

George Orwell’s classic 1945 novella about animals taking control of the farm on which they live is cited as a critique of communism in the Soviet Union. Its broad themes of revolution and cyclical hierarchy have been referenced by everything from Pink Floyd to X-Men: The Animated Series.

Renegade’s original production, “Animal Farm to Table,” will use the book’s message as a commentary on food production and consumption.

“For me, the inspiration is: What is our food utopia?” explains Durkin, artistic di-

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rector for the project. “What are the ideals of food? And how do we make it better?”

Durkin will employ Renegade’s abstract techniques to involve the audience as much as possible, calling the work “One part performance, one part town ­hall style discussion, one part meal.” The idea is to get viewers to think, not sway them in a particular direction.

“You could eat meat, you could not eat meat—we’re not here to make any judgements. It’s more an understanding of people’s relationships to food,” he says. “It’s about being aware of the food choices that we make and that each person has their own reason why they do so, and it’s their right to have those reasons.”

Audiences will be led about the grounds by characters from the book such as Napoleon, Snowball and Molly, each presenting a radically different view on the topic of food. Eventually, the audience will be tasked with gathering ingredients for a chef to prepare a meal.

“We’ve made a lot of these choices because of habit, and I think that sort of leads us in how we make our meals,” Durkin says. “I think that’s something that we understand, and we should continue doing, or we should find ways to adjust it.”

Animal Farm to Table The Renegade Company therenegadecompany.org When: Sept 9-10 • 6 p.m.

Sept 11 • 3 p.m.

Sept 12 • 6 p.m.

Sept 15-17 • 6 p.m.

Sept 18 • 3 p.m.

Where: The Urban Creators Farm 11th and Dauphin streets Philadelphia, Pa., 19133 Price: $20

P HOTO COURTESY O F DAN IEL KONTZ

Show

D&S Fringe

Lesley Berkowitz - Zak (L) and Eric Preisendanz (R) in publicity shots from “Animal Farm to Table”

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Show

Rebirth of the Jungle A dance company explores our heart of darkness in a Center City bar by heather shayne blakeslee

B

radley’s Bucks—an all-male dance troupe that has been offering up semiregular performances this past year at bar and burlesque hub Franky Bradley’s—makes its Fringe Festival debut with “Jungle.” The production will explore the rebirth of the jungle in a post-apocalyptic ecosystem where—after the first red sunrise—man struggles to redefine his relationship with the other beasts who inhabit his world.

Producer and co-creator Dave Morreale, 30, who is also the venue director at Franky Bradley’s, says the concept was born out of an ongoing creative bent in the company.

“We’ve always had this interest in an animalistic style of dance,” he says.

The troupe, all University of the Arts graduates, is relatively new, but don’t come expecting a bunch of Fringe first-timers.

Morreale told Grid that the other co-creators of the piece, Teddy Fatscher and Tom-

my Schimmel, who are also directors of the company, are talented and experienced dancers who have performed in several Fringe pieces, including with JUNK choreographer Brian Sanders.

By bringing high production values to where people already are, Morreale hopes to introduce more people to dance in Philadelphia.

“It’s unique because the environment is so comfortable,” he says.

But you won’t be able to get too comfortable; it is, after all, the Fringe. Morreale mischievously describes “people flying through the air on a cargo net made of duct tape,” a set that is essentially “a huge art installation” and a moment in which they’ll make it rain with real water—to say nothing of the waterfall.

“Something that we’ve always done,” says Morreale, “is push the boundaries of what we can do.”

Jungle

Bradley’s Bucks fringearts.com When: Sept 20-21 • 10 p.m.

Sept 22 • 10:30 p.m.

Where: Franky Bradley’s 1320 Chancellor St. Philadelphia, Pa., 19107 Price: $15

Tommy Schimmel and Teddy Fatscher in a rendering for the Fringe production of “Jungle”

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Co-ed | Quaker | Nursery - Grade 8

HANDS ON

minds on

Smart Education

in a culture of kindness

OPEN HOUSE

OCTOBER 1 & NOVEMBER 2 9:00 - 11:00am Register Online:

FriendsHaverford.org

This is our last hope!

A series of informal, intimate talks given by literary and cultural luminaries. Join the conversation after the talk and share your thoughts and questions.

August 26 | 6:00 p.m.

Whit Stillman September 22 | 6:00 p.m.

Witold Rybczynski October 6 | 6:00 p.m.

David J. Skal October 20 | 6:00 p.m.

Caoilinn Hughes and Stephen Sexton November 10 | 6:00 p.m.

Willard Spiegelman

The Rosenbach 2008 Delancey Place Event tickets are $15.

Please reserve in advance. To learn more, visit rosenbach.org

A deal to build houses on the Wiota St. Garden is well underway.

There will be a rally to save the garden on September 18th at 4:00 P.M. at the garden at 4022 Powelton Ave. Spread the word.

You may bring your own picnic.

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Show

Alone, Together “Pandæmonium” explores a hellish landscape of our own making interview by heather shayne blakeslee

I

n “Paradise Lost,” John Milton’s epic poem about the fall of man, he envisions the mythical city of Pandæmonium as the capital of hell, a mansion built on a lake of fire by the demon Mulciber.

For Philadelphia choreographer and dancer Nichole Canuso, co-performer Geoff Sobelle and director Lars Jan, it’s the place they’ve chosen to explore for a multimedia dance performance of the same name.

In order to ground what the producers have a called a “cinematic dance-theater concert” in an actual place, they filmed scenes in the Mojave Desert, a sprawling entity in the Southwestern United States that has no respect for geo-political boundaries: Its blazing heat and dry landscapes stretch over California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. They cite the “burnt-out telephone lines, empty swimming pools and unfinished suburban developments” in the area as a Pandæmonium of our own making.

Canuso gave Grid some insight as to why the piece is so relevant to our current environmental and political crises.

What in particular about the desert landscape drew you to the idea of two people being together, but also separate?

NC: In addition to thinking about two people being simultaneously together and apart,

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we’re also curious about the ways one can feel very far from certain aspects of their own self.

For instance, the experience or sensation conjured in an open landscape—like the desert—can be difficult to access or interact

with when you return to life in a crowded environment.

Using technology, in this case video that merges the performances of two separate dancers into an onscreen duet, is an interesting choice considering that all of our screens and devices usually serve to alienate us from one another—albeit under the auspices of connecting us.

NC: The audience sees two performers together on the screen but separate in the real space. The screen connection has visual beauty but lacks the energy, volume, density and sweat of the live bodies. The ability to watch both of those very different versions of the interaction makes palpable the loss inherent in the digital duet. It shines a light on what is missing in that screen, and speaks more to divisions than connections.

P HOTO COURTESY O F LA RS JA N

What was it like filming in the desert this past July?

NC: It was fantastic and definitely an essential aspect of the development process.

We took two trips. One last year in which Geoff (Sobelle), Lars (Jan) and I camped in the Mojave. This recent trip was more elaborate and involved the whole team: We built a version of our drive-in movie screen (the set for the stage production) out in the middle of the desert. Filming in the desert reoriented the show in a great way, and we are currently rebuilding the work in response to that material.

You said in your interview with the Fringe Festival that Pandæmonium is the moment “you wake up on the other side of a rupture that you cannot repair, a break from reality that you cannot return to: for

an individual, a nation or an ecosystem.”

When it comes to the rupture of nations, has the unreality or alienating character of this year's presidential election or other geopolitical events entered your mind at all as you’ve worked on the piece?

NC: Yes, those ruptures and divides are present in our minds and permeate our thinking. Especially the fear-based rhetoric that fuels so much of the conversation.

How does it relate, in your mind, to our current environmental crises?

NC: As a whole we are certainly causing irreversible damage to our environment.

There are so many ways that we can flirt with the edge of extreme danger, refusing to acknowledge the potential drop on the other side. It’s like partying right up to the edge of a cliff, with a blindfold on.

Nichole Canuso and Geoff Sobelle at Kelso Dunes during a research expedition to Mojave National Preserve in California during winter 2015

Pandæmonium

Nichole Canuso Dance Company nicholecanusodance.org When: Sept 14-17 • 8 p.m.

Sept 18 • 3 p.m.

Where: FringeArts 140 N. Columbus Blvd.

Philadelphia, Pa., 19106 Price: $29

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Show

Into the Woods Can we find ourselves in the forest? by heather shayne blakeslee

A

t the Fringe Festival two years ago, Birds on a Wire Dance Theatre offered audiences an abstract performance piece that retold the story of Little Red Riding Hood via a duet with dancer Kate Abernathy and cellist Rachel Icenogle.

Crystal Nicole is one of the dancers in the Birds on a Wire production of “In the Clearing”

Wire’s artistic director Melissa Cameron says the piece stayed with her and became a launching pad for this year’s Fringe production “In the Clearing.” She relates that while we have “Disney-fied” versions of old fables, where there are clear lines between

good and evil, she’s more interested in the complicated source material.

“In a lot of these old fairy tales, it’s not quite so clear-cut,” she says. Going into the woods is a way to explore both the light and dark sides of our character. “There’s also this idea of Little Red Riding Hood also being the wolf,” she says, “not something entirely separate… but a part of her.”

Cameron says that her work definitely comes from a female-centric experience but that, as with good and evil, there aren’t easy dividing lines when it comes to gender.

“There is something so pervasive about these questions of gender and sexuality and the intersections of how we define ourselves and our identities,” she says.

During part of her childhood in suburban New Jersey, she and her playmates used to dare each other to go further and further into the woods behind their homes.

“In reality, it was probably 15 feet!” she says, but the idea of going further in to find your limits, test your boundaries and to challenge your fears persisted as she worked collaboratively to choreograph the piece.

While it’s created as a dance show for adults, the matinee performance invites children to attend without their parents fearing withering stares from fellow patrons. They’ll encourage “noise and wandering and exploring what a theatrical setting is.”

In the Clearing

Birds on a Wire Dance Theatre birdsonawire.org When: Sept 9 • 8 p.m.

Sept 10 • 1 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Where: Christ Church Neighborhood House 20 N. American St. Philadelphia, Pa., 19106 Price: $17

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P HOTO COURTESY O F P L ATE 3 P HOTOGRA PHY

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HOM E STEAD ACT S

Clean and Simple Handmade soap is a simple pleasure that also requires care and precision by anna herman

S

oapmaking is a blend of art and chemistry, and you shouldn’t take the chemistry part lightly. Once you understand the basic chemical process, you will see the importance of taking precautions. Then you’ll learn the many possible combinations of ingredients, and your inner artisan can emerge.

I have come to rely on handmade smallbatch soap to both cleanse and moisturize.

This may seem like a contradiction, but when made well with quality oils, this is exactly what good soap can do.

The process that transforms liquid oils into a solid, skin-nurturing bar of soap requires goggles, gloves and a well-ventilated room.

The key ingredient is pure lye—an extremely caustic alkaline substance that one could also use as drain cleaner. It can be found at most hardware stores—don’t get drain cleaner that has other ingredients besides 100 percent lye.

Lye should be treated with the respect strong chemicals command. That said, a pair of chemical-resistant gloves and goggles will set you back only about $15. Don’t be afraid—just be prepared.

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GRIDPH IL LY.CO M SEPT E M BE R 20 1 6

The art of soapmaking is in the blend of oils, the botanical or edible “add-ins” such as calendula petals or oatmeal, and the shape.

First, each oil has its own particular attributes, which can be explored at lovinsoap.com/oils-chart. While some modern soapmakers still use the once common animal-based lards and tallows (bear, beef or deer) in their soap blends, most choose nut, seed or fruit oils for their lather or skin-softening benefits. Your blend will likely be based on availability, affordability and desired use.

Coconut oil is easy to find and makes great lather, but it can be drying to skin if used exclusively. Olive oil is less cleansing, but is mild and moisturizing. Some oils contribute hardness to a bar, and others are best for sensitive skin. My standard recipe is based on a mixture of organic coconut oil and olive, sunflower or safflower oil.

Botanical elements such as herbs (sage and mint) and flowers (calendula) from the garden, ingredients from one’s pantry (oats, cornmeal, dried orange peel, poppy seeds) can add texture, abrasion or soothing prop-

erties. Many natural clays, ground spices (turmeric) and dried petals and roots can be used to color and add specific healing properties to your bars. Visit Mountain Rose, mountainroseherbs.com, for many excellent botanical options. For scents, use only quality essential oil rather than the synthetic “fragrance oils.”

For molds, you can use silicone baking pans, half of a waxed milk carton, or candy or candle molds if you’d like to make something a little more fun—especially if you plan to give your soap out as gifts.

My favorite “gardener and cook” soap is a mix of organic raw coconut oil, sunflower oil that has been infused with calendula petals with oats, cornmeal and sage along with lemongrass and lavender essential oils. Cleansing, moisturizing, soothing.

My hands were as happy to make it as they were to use it after a day of picking weeds.

Anna Herman is a garden educator who raises chickens, ducks, bees, fruits and veggies in her Mount Airy backyard.

HOM E STEAD ACT S

MAKING SOAP

THE PROCESS

The science of soapmaking (saponification) requires precise measuring. You need the proper ratio of oil to lye and water to completely react all the caustic lye and leave just enough unreacted oil leftover for emollience. Brambleberry, a soapmaking supply company, has an online calculator I trust to create foolproof recipes with whatever oils I have on hand.

During soapmaking, you create a chemical reaction that creates high heat and caustic fumes, so in addition to your basic recipe of oils and lye, it’s important to have the right gear and a well-ventilated space.

1. Goggle and glove up, measure your ingre-

dients, have molds ready, and turn on the exhaust fan or open a window.

saponification reaction is well underway.

Depending on the oils, the temperature and other factors, this could take up to 15 minutes, but is usually done within 8 minutes.

2. Add the measured lye slowly to the

weighed or measured water (or desired liquid). Stir and let lye water sit. Remember: Always add the lye to the water and not the other way around! This is an exothermic (heat-generating) reaction, and this lye water will get extremely hot. Be sure to use a heatproof container, such as a canning jar.

This lye water will smoke and send off fumes, which is why room ventilation is important. Let the lye water sit (I leave it in the empty sink) while you measure and assemble the remaining ingredients.

5. Mix in any desired add-ins such as lav-

• An immersion blender

3. Weigh and mix the oils in a large nonre-

7. Unmold your soap. The saponification

• A well-ventilated room

active (stainless steel) bowl. Melt any oils that are solid at room temperature (such as coconut or palm) to liquid state (over a pot of hot water, double boiler style).

process continues for days, but it can be safely unmolded within a day or two. If you used a large mold, slice the soap within two days before it hardens and may become too brittle to divide.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Heat-safe mixing containers (a canning jar will work) • Chemical-safe gloves • Safety goggles • A cooler and wool blanket

ender leaves or oatmeal with a nonreactive spoon. Remember that whatever utensils you use will need to be either reserved for soapmaking or very well cleaned before putting back into kitchen rotation.

6. Pour into a mold. The soap mixture will

continue to generate heat as the reaction continues. Contain this heat by placing the molds in an insulated box (Styrofoam or a cooler wrapped in a wool blanket) overnight.

4. Add the lye mixture to the oils and use

the immersion blender to blend. Within 5 to 8 minutes, the mixture will thicken and become opaque. Once it is the texture of thin pudding or cream sauce, it is considered to be “at trace.” This is the point where the oils and lye mixture are well emulsified and the

8. Cure before use by setting the soap on

a rack for at least 4 weeks. During curing, some of the water will evaporate, and the soap will become harder and milder.

9. Enjoy your soap!

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MA RKET WATCH

A New Take on Cauliflower Vegetarian buffalo wings are a hearty treat by peggy paul casella

M

ark Twain once said, “Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.” Though it’s often upstaged by its flashier, green-hued cousin broccoli, cauliflower has many unique attributes and nutritional benefits that should earn it a place in your regular meal rotation all season long. It comes in a variety of colors, including white, buttery yellow, green and deep purple (which turns green when cooked). The entire “curd” or floret portion is edible—from the thick, trunk-like stem to the tightly packed buds—and its dense constitution makes it a perfect candidate for making lighter mashed “potatoes” and roasted or grilled vegetarian “steaks.” And it’s packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. When shopping for cauliflower, keep an eye out for evenly colored, tightly packed heads that are free of bruises or brown spots.

Keep it in the fridge, wrapped tightly, for up to one week before cooking. Cauliflower is delicious raw or cooked and is particularly well suited for roasting, baking, braising, sautéing and boiling. When boiling, add a few drops of lemon juice or milk to prevent discoloration.

Peggy Paul Casella is a cookbook editor, writer, urban vegetable gardener, produce peddler and author of the blog Thursday Night Pizza.

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Buffalo Cauliflower “Wings” Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients • 1 large head cauliflower, broken into 1 to 1 ½-inch florets (about 8 to 8 ½ cups) • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1/2 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot) • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley • Blue cheese dressing, for dipping

Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 2. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the oil, then dump them onto

a large-rimmed baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the cauliflower is tender and golden.

3. While the cauliflower roasts, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium

heat. As soon as the butter is completely melted, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the hot sauce and salt.

4. Take the cauliflower out of the oven when it has finished roasting. Pour the

sauce over top, toss to coat and return the cauliflower to the oven. Roast for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is heated through and begins to caramelize.

5. Remove the cauliflower from the oven, transfer it to a platter and sprinkle the

parsley over top. Serve warm with blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping.

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EVENT S

S ep tember 2–4

Parks on Tap at the Schuylkill Banks

Parks on Tap: FDR Park Parks on Tap brings its traveling beer garden to FDR Park. myphillypark.org WHEN: Friday and Saturday 1 to 11 p.m.; Sunday noon to 10 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: 1500 Pattison Ave.

S ep tember 3 Weekly Yoga at Lemon Hill Enjoy weekly yoga classes at Lemon Hill this summer every Saturday through Sept. 17. These all-levels classes will be led by a rotation of local teachers from Yoga and Movement Sanctuary. myphillypark.org WHEN: 9 to 10 a.m. COST: $10 WHERE: 3298 Sedgley Drive

Beyond the Canvas An exhibition celebrating the transition from traditional art to bodypainting, featuring the art of Matt Deifer and Joy Taney. There will be DJ sets, bodypainted models, live viewing of the new Matt Deifer/ Bodypaint.Me documentary, complimentary beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres. bodypaint.me WHEN: 6 to 11 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Get It Gallery, 1119 Leopard St.

Enjoy live music, free food, a local farmstand, cooking demonstrations, horseback rides and activities for kids. greensgrow.org

S ep tember 7–11

WHEN: 5 to 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Greensgrow West, 5123 Baltimore Ave.

Parks on Tap: Fairmount Water Works Parks on Tap will bring its traveling beer garden to Fairmount Water Works. myphillypark.org

S ep tember 7 P.M. @ Penn Museum Summer Nights Concert: Trinidelphia Wind down the Penn Museum’s summer series with Trinidelphia’s blend of calypso and American Top 40. The galleries will remain open until 8 p.m., with a tour at intermission. A garden bar will offer light fare and beverages for purchase. Concert moves indoors during inclement weather. penn.museum WHEN: 5 to 8 p.m. COST: $10 WHERE: Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

South Philly Green Drinks South Philadelphia Green Drinks is part of a worldwide movement to bring sustainably minded individuals together to network, share ideas and strengthen communities. greenlimbs.com WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Bridget Foy’s, 200 South St.

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GR IDPH IL LY.CO M SEPT E M BE R 20 1 6

WHEN: Wednesday and Thursday 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 1 to 11 p.m.; Sunday noon to 10 p.m.

COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Fairmount Water Works, 640 Waterworks Drive

S ep tember 8

Come to Chanticleer Garden to experiment with photography with optimal light and without other visitors. Following a brief presentation of the basic principles of garden photography and how to create a sense of place, Lisa Roper will lead the group into the garden to put these principles into practice. www.pennhort.net/chanticleer WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. COST: Members $20; nonmembers $30 WHERE: Chanticleer Garden, 786 Church Road, Wayne, Pa.

Philly Vegan Homecoming Great food and raffle prizes await at this dance party, which supports the Humane League’s efforts to help reduce animal suffering. phillyveganhomecoming.eventbrite.com WHEN: 7 to 10 p.m. COST: $25 WHERE: Friends Center, 1501 Cherry St.

Photography: Capturing Late Summer Color

S ep tember 9

Greensgrow West Grand Opening Visit Greensgrow West’s new, larger home during the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll.

S ep tember 10 Weavers Way 11th Annual Urban Farm Bike Ride Join members of Food Moxie and Weavers Way Co-op as they pedal their way through Philadelphia, stopping to visit urban farms and community gardens. foodmoxie.org/bikeride WHEN: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: $50 WHERE: Starts at Philadelphia Brewing Company, 2439 Amber St.

P HOTO COURTESY O F AL BERT YEE

EVENT S Philly Freedom Walk Walk through Center City from the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk to Penn’s Landing, from Eastern State Penitentiary to Independence Mall, visiting numerous points of interest, with a break for lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. Participants can travel the 15-to-20-mile route at their own pace. freewalkers.org/events WHEN: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: 3101 Market St.

Pennsylvania Coast Day Enjoy free family fun at Penn’s Landing, which includes boat rides, kayaking, kids’ crafts, face painting, pedal boating, exhibits and more. There will also be a hands-on science lab and more with paid admission to the Independence Seaport Museum. delawareestuary.org WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: 211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.

Sunset Sail Fundraiser The nonprofit South Jersey Land & Water Trust is holding its annual fundraising Sunset Sail on the A.J. Meerwald. Enjoy snacks, beer, wine, excellent company and beautiful views from the Delaware River. Tickets must be purchased in advance. sjlandwater.org WHEN: 4:30 to 7 p.m. COST: $65 WHERE: 3 York St., Burlington, N.J.

Tomato Jam Workshop with Marisa McClellan Learn how to safely and deliciously can tomatoes with the author of “Naturally Sweet Food in Jars” and Food in Jars blogger Marisa McClellan. You’ll get hands-on practice making a batch of honey sweetened tomato jam, and McClellan will demonstrate how to use the boiling water bath method for safe, shelf-stable preservation. greensgrow.org WHEN: Noon to 2 p.m. COST: $35 WHERE: Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St.

Ab Fab GayBINGO! GayBINGO raises funds for HIV/AIDS services in the region and is open to anyone who enjoys campy humor. Cash prizes will be awarded. aidsfundphilly.org

We are excited to announce a new book by our resident cartoonist, Daniel Sean Kaye!

Never Take a Hermit Crab for Granted September 18

WHEN: 7 to 10 p.m. COST: Balcony $25; floor seats $30 WHERE: The Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St.

11th Annual Weavers Way Urban Farms Bike Ride Pedal your way through Philadelphia’s neighborhoods in celebration of sustainable agriculture and in support of Weavers Way Co-op’s affiliated nonprofit, Food Moxie (formerly Weavers Way Community Programs). Fee includes snacks, pizza, Equal Exchange Coffee, beer from Philadelphia Brewing Co. and a T-shirt. foodmoxie.org WHEN: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: $50 WHERE: 2440 Frankford Ave.

Kensington Gardens Pop Up Beer Garden #3

Fall Turf Workshop

Kensington Gardens is a series of five popup beer garden events in Philly’s vibrant River Wards community. There will be local beer pours and tasty food trucks. All ages may enter, but you must be 21 or older to drink. kgphilly.com

Dan Kallen will use his experience from the golf course to help participants rejuvenate their lawns for the fall or get started on a new lawn. Bring a soil sample (a 1 cup dry sample from a 3-inch depth) for a soil pH testing. primexgardencenter.com

WHEN: 5 to 10 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: 2670 Coral St.

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. COST: $10 WHERE: Primex Garden Center, 435 W. Glenside Ave., Glenside, Pa.

The book follows our friend, Milo the hermit crab. Milo realizes his owner isn’t paying enough attention to him, and he escapes his cage and starts exploring the house. On his adventure, Milo has to decide if he should stay mad at his owner or do the kind thing and forgive. The book is a reminder to kids to care for their animals, but also serves as a metaphor for all of us to appreciate others in our lives.

All the book’s proceeds go to support local Police Athletic League programs and Citizens and Police Together, a community-building group serving families.

For more information, or to order a book: daniel.sean.kaye@comcast.net danielseankaye.wix.com/hermitcrabbook

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EVENT S Lectures, walks and workshops with University of Nature on Sept. 24 at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education will look at flooding, changes to habitat and other impacts of global climate change

S ep tember 10

and

11

Community Garden Days Gardeners will receive 10 percent off of purchases made for their community garden. Your garden must be preregistered to receive the discount at the time of purchase. greensgrow.org WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St.

S ep tember 11 Greenfest Philly More than 150 exhibitors and vendors will fill Headhouse Square with local green wares, food, live music, and sustainably minded demonstrations and activities during the area’s largest environmental festival.

Organized by the Clean Air Council. cleanair.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Headhouse Square, 2nd and South streets

S ep tember 13

S ep tember 15

Orchard to Table Dinner with the Philadelphia Orchard Project

‘Dread Scott: A Sharp Divide’

The Philadelphia Orchard Project is hosting its first Orchard to Table Dinner, featuring a seasonal menu, live music and a tour of its orchard at historic Bartram’s Garden. phillyorchards.org WHEN: 5 to 7:30 p.m. COST: $60 WHERE: Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd.

S ep tember 14 ‘The Freedom Principle’ Exhibition Opening The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania presents “The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now,” with an opening celebration with complimentary snacks and a cash bar. icaphila.org WHEN: 6:30 to 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 S. 36th St.

This exhibition is on display through Nov. 5, and there will be a talk with the artists about racial and cultural disparities within the criminal justice system. A welcoming reception will follow at the Rowan University Art Gallery. rowan.edu/artgallery WHEN: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Eynon Ballroom, in the Student Center, 201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro, N.J.

S ep tember 17 Free Plant Clinic Rutgers Master Gardeners of Camden County presents an opportunity to have all of your gardening questions answered. Bring your plants or a piece of a diseased plant to get identification and treatment suggestions, or bring a sample in a small container of any insect from your garden that you need identified. camden.njaes.rutgers.edu/garden WHEN: 9 a.m. to noon COST: Free WHERE: Camden County Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill, N.J.

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EVENT S Plant Walk and Climate Change Monitoring Workshop Explore Parks and Recreation’s research sites in Haddington Woods through a series of observation exercises. Guided by staff from Parks and Recreation and the Office of Sustainability, the walk will provide tips for observing ecological changes in nature. treephilly.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon COST: Free WHERE: Meet at the Bocce Court parking lot near Vine and North Daggett streets

Open Hive Days Join The Land Conservancy’s apiarist, Dan Borkoski, for an inside look at the busy, buzzy world of honeybees. Participants will get a close-up look at a hive during routine inspection while gaining practical beekeeping knowledge. tlcforscc.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to noon COST: Members $5; nonmembers $10 WHERE: New Leaf Eco Center, 776 Rosedale Road, Kennett Square, Pa.

Open GreenHouse at Wild Ridge Wild Ridge Plants invites gardeners to a day at their native plant nursery. There will be tours of the nursery and native permaculture gardens, a plant identification class, and a special discount on native wildflowers, shrubs and grasses. Please email for directions and registration: rachel@wildridgeplants.com

Institute of Contemporary Art’s current exhibition. Throughout the night, DJs will spin a mix inspired by the exhibit. icaphila.org

S ep tember 21

WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Institute of Contemporary Art, 118 S. 36th St.

Tree Tenders Basic Training

S ep tember 18 Mexican Independence Day Festival

S ep tember 23

WHEN: 2 to 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, Chestnut Street and Columbus Boulevard

A nonprofit art and craft fair providing a venue for sale of work, self-promotion and networking for artists, artist collectives, students and businesses who serve artists.

S ep tember 19 Deadline to Apply for Citizens Planning Institute

wildridgeplants.com WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Wild Ridge Plants, Pohatcong, N.J.

COST: $100 to $125, with scholarships available WHERE: 1515 Arch St., 18th Floor

This workshop will provide attendees with the ins and outs of managing honeybees, including understanding bee biology, behavior, hive management, swarming and equipment. greensgrow.org WHEN: Noon to 2 p.m. COST: $35 WHERE: Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St.

‘I Wonder What Else Could Be Different Around Here’: A Poetic Intersection with Music and Art As the closing celebration for PHILALALIA, an annual poetry/book arts festival, Yolanda Wisher (Philadelphia’s poet laureate) and Dick Laurie (poet and jazz musician) will perform poetry and music in conversation with “The Freedom Principle,”

WHEN: 5:45 to 9 p.m. COST: $25 WHERE: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th St.

Celebrate Mexican independence with music, food, dancing and more. Browse traditional arts and crafts, dance with Mexican rock bands and enjoy face painting and giveaways. delawareriverwaterfront.com

Want to learn about the nuts and bolts of planning, zoning and development in Philly? Become a more engaged citizen and apply for classes on Wednesday evenings in October and November. Citizens Planning Institute is the education and outreach arm of the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. citizensplanninginstitute.org

Beekeeping 101

Become a Tree Tender and learn to plant and care for trees in your own neighborhood during this three-part course. phsonline.org

Homeschool Day— Archaeological Adventures: Exploring the Middle East Take a guided tour of the “Iraq’s Ancient Past” and “The Golden Age of King Midas” special exhibitions before they come to a close this winter. Homeschoolers can try their hand at making a mosaic or a cylinder seal and visit conservators in the Artifact Lab. Young learners can hear more about the ancient writing tablet collections and learn to write their name in ancient cuneiform. Advance reservations are required; call (215)746-6774 for more information. penn.museum COST: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: $15; one adult per family is free and children 3 and under are free WHERE: Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

Art Market at Tyler

tyler.temple.edu WHEN: Noon to 8 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Temple University, Tyler School of Art, 2001 N. 13th St.

S ep tember 24 19th Annual Walter E. Brandon Sickle Cell 5K Walk/Run This fundraiser is sponsored by the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, Philadelphia/Delaware Valley Chapter and AFSCME District Council 33. firstgiving.com WHEN: 7 a.m. to noon COST: Free for individuals with sickle cell disease; $30 per person for walkers and runners; $10 for children 12 and under (includes T-shirt); WHERE: Fairmount Park, across from the Please Touch Museum, at Belmont Avenue and North Concourse Drive

Uhuru Book Fair and Flea Market The second annual Uhuru Book Fair and Flea Market is a free all-day festival in Clark Park featuring poetry, spoken word, authors and their books, special activities for children, music, food and vendors. Free education resources will be available throughout the day. uhurubookfair.blogspot.com WHEN: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: 4300 Chester Ave.

University of Nature: Living with Climate Change The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education offers in-depth lectures, handson workshops and walks, all delving deeply

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EVENT S A green roof from contractor Future & Sons, which will hold a workshop at Greensgrow West on Oct. 15

into the defining environmental issue of our day. Join in a climate change oral history workshop, explore the relationship between illness and climate change or dive into paleoclimatology. schuylkillcenter.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. COST: $55 WHERE: Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Road

The Dude Hates Cancer South Bowl hosts the 11th annual The Dude Hates Cancer Charity Bowling Tournament, a Lebowski-themed fundraising campaign benefiting the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Since its inception, The Dude Hates Cancer has raised over half a million dollars for the organization. philly.thedudehatescancer.com WHEN: 1:30 to 8 p.m. COST: $30 WHERE: South Bowl, 19 E. Oregon Ave.

Going Up: Climate Change + Philadelphia Eight artists explore various dimensions of the future of a hotter, wetter Philadelphia during the opening of this gallery exhibition about climate change. schuylkillcenter.org WHEN: 4 to 6 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, 8480 Hagy’s Mill Road

Electronics Recycling: Weird Waste Day Weavers Way Environment Committee is joining with GrinCH, Green in Chestnut Hill, for this event, which benefits the Environment Committee’s program and GrinCH’s Green Warrior Student Grant Program.

WHEN: 9 a.m. to noon COST: Suggested donations $10 to $20; TV monitors are $30; air conditioners, microwaves and dehumidifiers are $10 WHERE: Norwood-Fontbonne Academy, 8891 Germantown Ave.

Flea Market—Lower Moyamensing Civic Association Come check out the gadgets, fashion accessories, furniture, appliances and more— accompanied by live music and a friendly neighboorhood atmosphere. Proceeds benefit the civic association. lomophilly.org WHEN: Exact times TBA COST: Pay as you go WHERE: Broad Street, between Snyder Avenue and Jackson Street

S ep tember 25 Brazilian Independence Day Highlighting Brazilian Independence Day through an abundant variety of traditional foods, merchandise and performances, including samba, forró, pagode, capoeira, samba-reggae and more! Part of the PECO Multicultural Series. delawareriverwaterfront.com WHEN: 1 to 7 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, Chestnut Street and Columbus Boulevard

S ep tember 27 Visualizing Sustainability Series: A Conversation with Rachel Sussman Artist Rachel Sussman opens the Visualizing Sustainability Series with a discussion of her practice, “the missing science of biological longevity.” Her ongoing research on our changing climate offers a global perspective on the interrelationship between geologic time and contemporary efforts of building an environmentally sustainable future. tyler.temple.edu/temple-contemporary WHEN: 6 to 8 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Temple Contemporary, 2001 N. 13th St.

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P HOTO COURTESY O F F UTURE AND SONS

EVENT S

S ep tember 29 ‘Spit That Out!’ Book Signing Party A free family friendly book signing party for “Spit That Out! The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Healthy Kids in the Age of Environmental Guilt” by Paige Wolf.

Co-hosted by Wee Wander, this book signing event includes complimentary healthy snacks and access to NEST’s amazing play space. spitthatoutthebook.com WHEN: 4 to 6 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: NEST, 1301 Locust St.

of the museum’s special exhibition, “The Golden Age of King Midas.” Turkish cinema is a flourishing aspect of contemporary Turkish culture, and this festival includes dramas and a travel documentary, as well as post-film discussions after select screenings.

Film synopses are available online. penn.museum WHEN: Friday screenings at 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday screenings at 3 p.m. COST:$10 per film WHERE: Penn Museum, 3260 South St.

O ctober 1 Kensington Gardens Pop Up Beer Garden #4

S ep tember 30 Visualizing Sustainability Series: Curating Digital History with Mireya Loza Mireya Loza demonstrates curating and archiving digital history using the Smithsonian’s Bracero History Archive. This archive collects, interprets and makes available oral histories, objects and artifacts related to the Bracero program, which brought millions of Mexican agricultural workers to work in more than half of the states in America. library.temple.edu/beyondthepage WHEN: Noon to 2 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Digital Scholarship Center, Ground Floor, 1210 Polett Walk

Mural Arts Month Opening Party Kickstart the Mural Arts Program’s annual celebration with an opening party at Snyder Plaza—featuring art-making activities and live performances by Circadium. Food and drinks will be available for sale from a variety of food trucks and vendors. muralarts.org WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Snyder Plaza, Front Street and Snyder Avenue

Kensington Gardens is a series of five popup beer garden events in Philly’s vibrant River Wards community, featuring local beer pours and tasty food trucks. All ages may enter, but you must be 21 or older to drink. kgphilly.com WHEN: 5 to 10 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: 2670 Coral St.

O ctober 8 Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes—Lehigh Valley One of the American Diabetes Association’s signature fundraising events. Meet at the IronPigs stadium at Coca-Cola Park to participate. diabetes.org/lehighvalley WHEN: 8 a.m. to noon COST: No minimum WHERE: 1050 Iron Pigs Way, Allentown, Pa.

Papermaking with Plants Nicole Donnelly, founder of paperTHINKtank will teach the process of making paper by hand, start to finish, beginning with raw materials in the form of plant waste collected from Greensgrow Farms. Participants will learn how to process the plant material so it can be transformed into paper pulp, and then learn how to form sheets of handmade paper. greensgrow.org WHEN: Noon to 2 p.m. COST: $35 WHERE: Greensgrow Farms, 2501 E. Cumberland St.

O ctober 3

O ctober 8

Visualizing Sustainability Series: Bird and Bird Habitat Tour

Philadelphia Open Studio Tours

Keith Russell of the Pennsylvania Audubon Society leads a tour of Temple University’s campus bird habitat and pollinator plants.

He will explain what attracts birds to campus and how to make it safer for them during their travel. tyler.temple.edu WHEN: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Meet at Temple Contemporary, 2001 N. 13th St.

O ctober 6

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Philadelphia Open Studio Tours is the largest tour of artist studios in the region.

Activities span 20 neighborhoods over the course of two weekends (Oct. 8 and 9 west of Broad Street, and Oct. 22 and 23 east of Broad Street). The creative workspaces of nearly 300 artists and community partners will be highlighted. philaopenstudios.org WHEN: Noon to 6 p.m. COST: Free WHERE: Various locations

O ctober 15

Night Market: The Navy Yard

S ep tember 30 — O ctober 9

This popular street festival produced by the Food Trust always draws big crowds of food and music lovers. Don’t miss their next event at South Philadelphia’s Navy Yard. thefoodtrust.org

Turkish Film Festival The Turkish American Friendship Society of the U.S. and the Penn Museum present a curated festival of Turkish films in honor

WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. COST: Pay as you go WHERE: The Navy Yard, 4747 S. Broad St.

Green Roof Workshop This course will be a hands-on introduction to small, low-tech, affordable green roofs.

Through the process, participants will learn options for designing and detailing, sourcing materials and plants, cost information and best practices for construction. greensgrow.org WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. COST: $15 to $45 WHERE: Greensgrow West, 5123 Baltimore Ave.

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DIS PATCH

Something About Mary Mary Seton Corboy, 1957–2016 by nancy barton

W

hen my husband, Bill, and I first met Mary and her partner, Tom, they had already started Greensgrow Farms in Kensington, and we had recently bought a building a few blocks away to move our brewery operations.

I don’t recall if she came to us looking for beer or if we sought her out looking for lettuce.

Either way it was a fast, instant friendship— a friendship that flourished over the years.

Mary was the kind of person you just wanted to be around. She was smart, was always full of great ideas and had great insight on so many things. One of my favorite of her great ideas was deciding to raise bees—despite the fact that she was allergic!

She ordered up some hives, smokers, safety equipment and, of course, the bees. I was happy to help with the initial setup, first because I was really interested in learning about the whole beekeeping process, and

second because, well, she was allergic and shouldn’t get too close. But, true to her ways, she couldn’t sit on the sidelines and watch. So, there we were in the lot across from the farm, building hives, calming bees with smoke and trying to not get stung— happily it was a success.

Mary’s life took her many places, so she always had a good story to tell. Through all her stories, you got the sense that she learned something from every adventure. She fought for good causes and said what was on her mind when other people wouldn’t, even if it wasn’t the most popular thing to do—Mary was definitely someone to learn from.

She had her good days and bad days over the last few years. But, through everything, she never complained or even let on when she wasn’t feeling well. But, that was Mary: always upbeat, no matter what life threw her way.

She had a sharp, dry sense of humor that I appreciated and loved. Even through her battle with cancer she kept an amazing wit about herself. I still smile when I think about the time she came up behind me in the drugstore and asked me if I could recommend a good conditioner. I turned around to see her standing there, just some peach fuzz on her head left over from her chemotherapy treatments. She was clearly not in the market for conditioner—but she still looked beautiful.

I’m thankful for all the years I knew her and for all the people I’ve met through her—people I now call friends. I’m so glad that we got to see her and tell her how much we loved her a few days before she passed.

I’ll definitely miss our many dinners together, the Easter parties at her house, the Thanksgiving feast we had with her and the countless Manhattans that we drank together. But, most of all—I’ll just miss her.

Nancy Barton is an owner at Philadelphia Brewing Company. Her friend Mary Seton Corboy was the beloved founder of Greensgrow Farms.

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IL LUSTRATIO N BY JAM E E L A WA HLGREN

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Home is where the start is A Philadelphia born and raised ecologist gets a whole new education at Penn

Mike McGraw Master of Environmental Studies ’15, University of Pennsylvania Learn more about Mike’s conservation efforts around the country at www.upenn.edu/grid

“I’m a big kid getting paid to play in the mud,” laughs Mike McGraw (Master of Environmental Studies ’15), the Senior Wildlife Biologist and Ecologist and the PA Branch Manager for Applied Ecological Services. As a proud Philadelphian, going to the Ivy League in his own backyard was a natural choice.

“One of the most attractive elements of Penn’s MES program was the ability to customize the curriculum.” The program’s flexibility helped him balance work and family life, and it opened him up to new possibilities. Between learning geographic information system (GIS) mapping in the classroom to hiking through the remote Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness for his capstone, Mike pushed frontiers professionally and geographically.

Today, Mike has his heart set on a PhD and keeps busy with projects like Penn’s admissions staff is here to answer your questions face-to-face

the Washington Avenue Pier in Philadelphia and the Seneca Meadows Wetlands Preserve in New York. “I’m doing what I love,” he smiles, “This program helped ensure that as a permanent career track.”

every Wednesday.

Walk right in.

www.upenn.edu/grid

www.upenn.edu/grId

www.facebook.com/UPennEES

@Penn_MES_MSAG