Philadelphia?

is some eatery in Penn land called the White Dog worth a visit?

I am a big fan of the White Dog. They have a red pepper grits dish that brings me joy.

Note: I have not been there for like two years.

ever have brunch there?

Yes, that is where one has the best opportunity to partake of the grits. Note that I am generally opposed to brunch in principle but have in fact enjoyed it at the White Dog.

I'm taking my friend on a vinyl pilgrimage. What stores should I hit besides Repo, AKA, Sound op Market, PhREX, and PAT?

recently named the ugliest city in the country

I'm taking my friend on a vinyl pilgrimage. What stores should I hit besides Repo, AKA, Sound op Market, PhREX, and PAT?

Sweet Jane, at 1742 E. Passyunk is co-owned by an extremely cool (in all of the best senses of that word) guy...definitely go there. Beautiful World Syndicate is nearby-- 1619 E. Passyunk.

Tequila Sunrise at 525 W. Girard is also definitely worth a visit. If you're taking public random-claw-hammer attacks transportation, then get off at the Girard stop and walk west a few blocks. After you soak up the vinyl, go get drinks at The Fire at 412 W. Girard. I haven't been there in forever, but I used to make a habit of eschewing Johnny Brenda's in favor of that place. Everyone that works there is ridiculously friendly...

clawhammer attacks? is that the new trend? shd I just take cabs everywhere?

I was thinking of going to a Fire show.

this happened a couple of days ago:

nah, but septa is chill, by and large.

are you going to be in philly this wknd? i will be out of town, otherwise i would be like "HEY MAAAAAAAAAN, let's hang out and talk about jerry lewis and drink belgian beers"

I will be at a Phils' game Sat, and hopefully not in my hotel for 2 nights cuz I can't eat.

Awesome! I haven't been to a game yet this season.

What do you mean you "can't eat"??

I had food poisoning Monday, and am still trying to shake it in time for the weekend.

Aw man, I'm sorry...

What show at the Fire were you thinking of going to? Dr. Dog? They are huge here, and the venue is small, so plan accordingly, if that's on your agenda.

morbs, you seem to get food poisoning a lot. maybe it's something else to look at?

no, the Friday one:

Mose Giganticus
The Emotron
Ugh, God
Hey Hey

bands I know nuthin about.

Probably won't tho, I hate live music these days. Might go to a Fringe show (Woyzeck) in Northern Libs.

i don't know any of those bands. philly offers an embarrassing riches of music, but i rarely go to shows that don't involve friends playing because:

a. i am poor
b. i am old and burnt out on going to shows (and when i do make the effort i am disappointed pretty frequently...i would rather spend money dancing and drinking at this late date in my life)

one cool thing about the fire, though, is that they have monitors in the bar portion of the space which broadcast the performances, so one can observe from a distance and then decide whether or not to pony up the bucks to see what's going on in the next room.

Might go to a Fringe show (Woyzeck) in Northern Libs.

I've never been to the German Society, but the Latvian Society (which is a block away) is the place to go...unfortunately I think they are only open to the public at large once a month or so, and I don't think there is anything going on there this weekend. Laris, who used to be a partner in Arthur magazine, revitalized the place, and it is pretty amazing. It's situated adjacent to a house where Edgar Allen Poe lived at one point, and which is one of the things that Philly clutches to for cred, at least in the realm of tourist guides and whatnot...which is bizarre, b/c there are so many other things that the city could be bragging about. Poe belongs to Baltimore, not Philly!

Anyhow, if you go to N. 2nd St. in Northern Liberties, you will encounter all manner of great restaurants and bars. The beer culture here is insane; it's nigh impossible to stumble into a bar that doesn't have at least a handful of exotic Belgian offerings.

The Spring Garden-ish portion of that part of town can be sketchy-- a friend of mine was held up at gunpoint a couple of years ago while strolling through those lands...but, if you have others walking with you, and it's the weekend, then you will be fine. The worst danger you will encounter is obnoxious drunken yahoo weekend revelers.

I am alone, but have mastered the Steve Martin tactic of vomiting on attackers.

ha, someone told me once to "act crazy" in those kinds of situations, but i usually make the mistake of leaving the house sans the novelty arrow that appears to pierce my head.

this is such a weird weekend; even if i were not going through with plans made months ago, then i would be out of town attending a "reunion" show of a dear friend from high school's band.

which is to say, i wish that i would be around to force my company (as well as that of my friends) upon you. but, meh, you'll be fine.

philly actually is really "ugly"; that was driven into me after spending a wknd in dc recently. but if you like belgian beers, then this here is valhalla (or the flemish equivalent thereof)

I really don't fancy any kinds of beer to extremes.

ok, well, i'm the last person to ever champion philadelphia, but, anywhere you go there are beer offerings to satisfy anyone...cask-conditioned, belgianiana, etc.

and it's a pretty respectable restaurant town as well.

if the "aw geez, we're not nyc" cloud which hangs over the town is ever overcome, and people at large ever manage to appreciate here for what it is, then this town would explode into space.

mind you, i'm saying that as someone who wants nothing more then to get the heck out of here and go back west.

If the food goes down, I may get a cheesesteak on South St this time.

i'm not a meat guy, so i don't have any advice to give you, other than go to Pat's, not Geno's (Geno's are the racist motherfuckers who occupy that neon eyesore)

also, going on the word of friends who are cheesesteak fiends, those places are lame tourist traps, and the best cheesesteak is apparently in old city. i can't remember the name of the place, but i think it's close to 2nd and market?

also, on saturday, there are two outdoor things:

a.
Fire Museum Presents:

Highwire Festival

Make A Rising

Zaimph

Helena Espvall

Noa Babayof

Eric Carbonara

Katt Hernandez

George Korein

Christine Shields

Blood Like Mine

Dead Folk

Radio Eris

Highwire Gallery (Outdoors)
2040 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia
Saturday, September 13th, 12 noon to 8PM
$5

b.
Northern Liberties Music Fest was cancelled last weekend due to tropical storm hanna. This is the raindate make up, but with a new killer line-up

Totally FREE!

$10 for all you can drink beer
4pm - 10pm

4:30 Blivit
5:15 Mike Simon
6:00 We Thieves
6:45 Human People
7:30 Kurt Vile and the Violators
8:15 Birds of Maya
9:00 Bardo Pond

Liberty Lands Park
913-961 N 3rd St

I would choose plan b, if only based upon the musical offerings.

thx, i've been to Pat's, and yes it aint great.

Phils' game is at 3:55pm on Sat, so no music nec.

i do miss my home city.

but fuck if i ever want to move back.

Doctah, awesome, have fun at the game! Me love the Phils, but I understand if you can't get down with that particular program.

table, yeah, I grew up not far from the city, and this was the last place I ever would have wanted to live, but circumstances have brought me here... that being said, it's been good in many ways for me-- however, to extemporize upon that in some manner that would cover all of the bases would lead to a tl; dr post, but, in short, yeah. I hear you.

The Laris who I mentioned upthread is a huge Philly booster, but I only manage to grok that sensibility every now and then. Bottom line is, I think it's a great place to do visual arts, music, etc. I am not currently actively pursuing any of those things; my inclinations these days lean more towards hippie-ish things that would better be served by me living on the west coast or in some hippie college town. So, fuck me, etc.

wtf @ clawhammer attack

a cheesesteak place called Gooey Louies?

SO I'm going to Making Time to see Soulwax on Sunday at 6th and Spring Garden (Transit). What do I do after 2 or 3 am until 7 am when the bus comes?

lol

Not laughing at you, just ain't shit to do in Philadelphia between 2 and 7am

i know :-( which is why I needed to ask someone. So far I just plan to open up a loooong tab at mid-town diner.

You're best bet is probably to latch on to some Philly kids and hang out with them. I get the impression Philly folk are on the whole more open to this sort of thing than NYC folk, but that might be my skewed impression from the people I know in Philly.

It's a shame that really awesome diner on Spring Garden closed. I can't remember the name now.

So how is Johnny Brenda's? I'm a recent transplant to the area, and checking out upcoming concerts noticed that well over half of them are there.

OK, no luck with that last question, but I WILL TRY AGAIN: where are the best places to buy vinyl in Philly?

Oh oh oh!! Philly Aids Thrift, on Bainbridge near 5th. It is pure magic; everything's a dollar. Repo on South is great, too, and it's a few doors down from the best bar in the city (Tattooed Mom)

Never been to Johnny Brenda's but hear it's good. I'm told the Khyber is the super hipster spot to go if you're into that kind of thing. Mom's is just fucking rad--punk rock dive bar with $1 PBR tallboys and an amazing jukebox

also: Philadelphia?

Johnny Brenda's is all right. I also like the Atlantis, which is a couple blocks up Frankford.

My favorite bar in the city, though, is Ray's Happy Birthday Bar, at 1200 Passyunk right near Geno's and Pat's.

When I lived in the city, I used to check this site out a lot: http://www.philebrity.com/ .

That said, I hardly ever return--

So glad to be out of this hell-hole:

http://news.google.com/news/more?pz=1&cf=all&ned=us&cf=all&ncl=dAfy5ZrayGtIUeMF4XPlOgOy3X76M

Asian students describe violence at South Philadelphia High

By Kristen A. Graham

Inquirer Staff Writer

In emotional testimony yesterday, Asian students described being victimized at South Philadelphia High for years, often as school staffers stood by, encouraged the attackers, or hurled racial slurs.

Duyngoc Truong, a South Philadelphia student who was beaten last week, told the School Reform Commission that being let down by those in charge "hurt our bodies, it also hurt our hearts. We have the right to go to school and we need to be treated fairly."

The meeting was a dramatic crescendo in a situation that began Dec. 2, school officials said, when a disabled African American student was beaten up by two Asian students outside school.

The next day, large groups of African American and Asian students attacked at least 30 Asian students, seven of whom required treatment at a hospital. Some of the attackers went from room to room, looking for students to target. District officials said the Thursday attacks were retaliatory, but Helen Gym, a board member of Asian American United, challenged that.

"By linking the two incidents, which involved two absolutely different sets of youth, the district seems to imply that there's an undercurrent of justification for what happened on Thursday," Gym said.

Officials announced last night that an outside investigator would probe what happened, beginning next week.

Six African American students and four Asian students have been suspended, and police and School District investigations are ongoing.

In her first remarks on the subject, Superintendent Arlene Ackerman said the South Philadelphia violence "is only a symptom of a more serious problem which has its roots in racism - not only in our schools, but in the larger community. It is the proverbial elephant in the room."

She warned the audience not to blame one racial group for the violence.

Ackerman said that the district had beefed up security in and around the school and formed a Task Force for Racial and Cultural Harmony to recommend changes, both at South Philadelphia and districtwide. A U.S. Department of Justice program will work with students on racial and ethnic issues, she said.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission will also address the situation at a previously scheduled Dec. 21 meeting in Philadelphia.

About 200 Asian students and community supporters packed the meeting, waving signs that read "Stop School Violence" and "Grown-ups Let Us Down." More than a dozen testified, some through translators.

Fifty Asian students are boycotting South Philadelphia this week, investigating the incident and possible changes on their own.

Ellen Somekawa, executive director of Asian Americans United, said the attacks against Asian students were disturbing, but more so was the district's reaction, which she characterized as slow and defensive. Almost a week later, some students involved have still not been interviewed, Somekawa said.

"We have seen a total lack of moral leadership," Somekawa said.

District spokeswoman Evelyn Sample-Oates said the situation was complex and the investigation would be thorough.

"We're trying to get names," Sample-Oates said. "Many kids don't want to give names, which we understand."

Somekawa described students at the school being mocked by staff: " 'Where are you from? Hey, Chinese. Yo, Dragon Ball. Are you Bruce Lee? Speak English,' " quoting what students had told her.

Troung, the South Philadelphia student, recited a litany of problems with school staff. She singled out the security officers, who she claimed forced Asian students to follow them into a lunchroom where they were attacked and who directed the frightened students to leave school after they were beaten.

Yan Zheng, another student, said that when students were fighting in the lunch room last Thursday, "the lunch lady did not do anything to stop them, and went around cheering happily. . . . The staff shouldn't just stand there and watch and say, 'Stopping fights is not my job.' "

Duong Thang Ly said the school's security officers "are the big problem," saying they looked the other way when a group of African American students interrupted a lunch line and heckled a group of Asian students. They ignored groups of students as they roamed during class time, Ly said.

It's not just Asian students who are suffering, Truong said.

"Most of the students at South Philadelphia High School - Asian, African American, Latino and white - are just like us. They are trying to get an education in a school where they do not feel safe or respected," said Truong.

Xu Lin, a community organizer for the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp. who works closely with South Philadelphia students, said immigrant students are often not provided with appropriate language assistance when they report incidents.

"When Asian students report incidents, the school officials in the building often do not respond professionally," Lin said. "Many incidents went neglected."

Lin said South Philadelphia's new principal, LaGreta Brown, had been unresponsive to the Asian community.

Brown did not attend yesterday's meeting and has not been available to comment on the allegations.

Sample-Oates, the district spokeswoman, said all staff will be held accountable and disciplined if found culpable.

A New York civil rights attorney drew parallels to a 2004 situation at a Brooklyn school where Chinese immigrant students were attacked.

"The severe, rampant and unchecked nature of the racially motivated attacks against Asian students at South Philadelphia far exceeds what I have seen" in Brooklyn, testified Cecilia Chen, an attorney with the Asian American Legal Defense Fund.

The four commissioners listened to more than three hours of sometimes painful testimony. After several speakers said they felt the district had not appropriately apologized, Chairman Robert Archie Jr. said that the SRC and district "want to say we're sorry for the injuries that you sustained as a result of the incidents which took place in South Philadelphia. . . . We're going to move with all deliberate speed to try to address this issue."

Commissioner David F. Girard-diCarlo said he welcomed the outside investigation. "Clearly, from the comments that we received, we do need to evaluate the conduct of our adults to make sure that we have balanced appropriately where the problems really lie," he said.

In an interview, another commissioner, Johnny Irizarry, said the district needs to enforce a diversity policy adopted 15 years ago.

"Either we continue to live in sustaining or almost approving violence by not intervening," Irizarry said, "or we say, 'OK, this is the time that we make radical change.' "

I grew up asian in south philly and can provide you with absolutely no perspective on that story at all

but if you want some great cheap pho go to 6th and washington

Excellent:

Federal complaint to be filed over S. Phila. High violence

By Jeff Gammage and Kristen A. Graham

INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS

The Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund said today that it would file a complaint for civil rights violations with the federal justice department against the Philadelphia School District for failing to address violence against Asian immigrant students at South Philadelphia High School.

The complaint will charge that the school district violated the students' right to equal protection under the 14th Amendment.

The action was announced at an afternoon news conference by Cecilia Chen, a staff attorney with the defense fund.

Last week, as many as 30 Asian students were beaten by large groups of mainly African American students at the school. The students say they have long been targeted, often while school staff looked on.

Staff sometimes added taunts of their own, the students said.

Fifty Asian students have been boycotting South Philadelphia High since Monday.

Posted on Fri, Dec. 18, 2009
Police track roving gangs in Center City

By Sam Wood and Kia Gregory

Inquirer Staff Writers

Police made a show of force in Center City today after they were alerted that large groups of teens planned to gather in response to two earlier fights at the Gallery.

Throughout the afternoon, police monitored gangs of youths - sometimes numbering more than 100 - as they roved around Center City.

Some bystanders were assaulted by one of the gangs.

Police Lt. Michael Brady said there were fights yesterday and Wednesday at the Gallery's Food Court that resulted in four arrests.

Calls for a massive gathering then surfaced on Facebook, he said.

He said students from at least three high schools, including Overbrook and Kensington, were involved.

"They're from other sides of the city. We don't know why they're doing it, but they're gathering here," he said. "They're trying to create some sort of disruption."

"One of the groups is smacking people," he said. "When anybody confronts them they become combative."

Fernando Gallard, a spokesman for the Philadelphia School District, said officials there heard from city police "regarding possible altercations involving students in Center City, specifically at the Gallery."

Gallard said police informed them the students came from Audenreid and South Philadelphia High Schools and from Preparatory Charter School of Math, Science Technology and Careers, which is located in Point Breeze.

Security guards were posted at every entrance to the Gallery and did not permit juveniles without adults to enter the mall, said police spokesman Lt. Frank Vanore.

Large groups collected outside the doors and blocked the entryways, Vanore said. Police arrested two teens when they refused to disburse.

Officers followed groups of teens on Market, Chestnut and Samson Streets from 9th to 16th Streets.

Jane Lessner, a Center City lawyer, said she just left Macy's after doing some holiday shopping when she saw a group of 70 to 100 youths approaching.

She was trying to make her way through the group when "they started pushing me."

"One pushed me into another, who pushed me into another, who pushed me into another until one girl hauled off with her fist and hit me in the face," Lessner said.

The punch knocked out a lens of her glasses and left here with a bloodshot eye.

Brendan Meehan, 44, of Media, who also was Christmas shopping, saw the attack and called 911.

"I saw a teenage girl hit her right in the face," he said. "The girl came back and taunted her as I called 911."

Lessner, he said, "was shaking and held onto me as I called."

Police took her to Hahnemann Hospital for treatment.

Another witness said he saw the same gang knock down a bicylist.

At one point, six police vehicles responded to a Wendy's on 15th and Chestnut when a call came that there were 100 teens inside. The officers dispersed the group.

In the midst of the confusion, a man robbed a bank at 18th and Market Streets about 2 p.m.

Gallard, the school district spokesman, said that the district was working closely with Philadelphia police and had dispatched extra school police to the involved schools.

"We had a very smooth closing in our schools," Gallard said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20091218_Police_track_roving_gangs_in_Center_City.html

lol the Gallery has always been a hive of scum and villainy

there are also like 0 shops worth going to in that place

Speechless:

http://kdka.com/wireapnewsfnpa/Philly.audit.finds.2.1554750.html

well, free Stevie Wonder concert yesterday

we had one of those here too

i have no idea tbh

Thinking we might come in and see the Mummers parade. Please give me a full breakdown of how/where is best, keeping in mind we have small kids.

part of my soon to be extended fam is moving back to philly next year, gonna be some extra pressure from the mrs to make the jump from central pa, i think

no help 4 u with the mummers, man alive

I'll probably be there as well unless I chicken out and stay home

Philly is the beeeest!!!! I've never actually done the Mummers parade tho. I'm sure anywhere along Broad Street is fine.

Coming in on the bus on NYE at 3. Plan is to walk from the station to shuylkill River park, chill, then visit a bunch of coffee places concluding at chapter house then kill time in hotel room until 10 then over to fish town to some brewery and then Johnny Brenda's for a sunny day in Glasgow NYE show then mummers parade in the morning and leaving by bus at 3

that sounds p cool for like a day in philly. ASDIG is fun live!

if you want coffee shop rex, Elixr and Ultimo are both tippy-top, and La Colombe is great too (if you're looking for like nose-in-the-air single origin hand pourover wanky bullshit where the staff is really friendly and the coffee is $5 and tastes incredible)

Also there are few things I love more than answering ppl's Philly recommendation questions so if you have any post them here and indulge me!

Went to Ultimo and Colombe last time I was there, hitting Elixir this time

I think as far as 3rd Wave Coffee goes, Elixr is our crown jewel.

Having a very focused weekend visit, hoping the ballgame on Saturday isn't rainy and the Renoir/Renoir show at Barnes is worth it.

Most powerful man in Philly politics (allegedly) did some extremely Philly crimes:
- Embezzled money to buy SWEATPANTS & CARGO SHORTS
- Embezzled money buy $6 million worth of Eagles/76ers/Phillies/Flyers/etc tickets
- Misappropriated union resources so he could run his own bar pic.twitter.com/9L4UnZPCiP

— Ryan W Briggs (@rw_briggs) January 30, 2019

https://www.eater.com/2019/3/7/18254669/philadelphia-first-united-states-city-to-ban-cashless-restaurants

Yeah, my mom was literally just telling me about that yesterday. Prompted by a visit (here) to a dumpling house that was to our surprise 100% disposable-products free and 100% paperless, incl. no cash.

Hi, I live here now. I see StevieD every once in a while at concerts or in the neighborhood. who else is here?

I live just outside the city and try to get to shows as often as I can.

I grew up in West Chester and barely recognize the city when I go back to Philly.

Anybody interested in two free tickets to Aniara tonight at the Ritz? I won them in a drawing but didn’t realize it conflicted with one of the last Movie Mondays at the Troc :/

If you’re interested just let me know and I’ll twll you how to redeem it.

I live here (I'm also a recluse (not really))

hi tabes! i visit when i have money.

It happened. I witnessed the most Philly thing ever.
A fight broke out DURING a showing of the Mister Rogers movie.

— Molly Seavy-Nesper (@Nindoonjibaa) December 14, 2019

I have a few hours to kill in downtown / Chinatown tonight
Can anyone recommend a place to eat and / or a bar?

Ended up going to independence beer garden in old city. Very cool place

Visiting next weekend with my fam

you'll love it, lots of history and stuff. (I'll be back there next week for a bit, too.)

It’s my kinda dump

(Seriously, I do love it here, tho hate it in about equal measure tbh)

We’re going to the nihonjin gardens Friday I think