Book Nook

This week I decided to run an errand which resulted in one of the most amazing accidental discoveries. On my way back from a closed UPS store I stumbled upon a home with only a single sign outside which read, “New and Used Books”. My first instinct suggested that the new and used books for sale must be those in boxes along the stairs…

MArch Mentors

Ever wish you could have known more before diving into something? MArch Mentors aims to help answer this question. The goal is to pair current MArch students at Penn with incoming students to help answer all those questions that, sometimes, come up well after having accepted and moved in. Zoe Cennami is leading the effort to pair mentors with mentees by the begining of…

Free Workouts

The longer you live in a place the more you discover. Discover the best places to eat, fun places to hang out, and the budget friendly free locations. There are the obvious free amenities: squares downtown, the pop up farmer’s markets, or a walk around the dog park. The best free things replenish your happiness and your health. For me, free workouts are high…

Eastern State Pennitentiary

https://www.easternstate.org/ Originally designed as a terrifying prison aimed to inspire pentinance in it’s prisoners, this pennitentiary is now a museum aiming to bring attention to the reality of prison, the various prison types, and the implications of the prison system. This museum is eye opening in several ways. The first is obvious, waking up the public to the reality of crime statistics, the impacts…

Walking the City

Recently I have had an internal debate on having a car in the city. Previously I have written the pros, with few cons, to having a car in the city. Well my sister and I decided to go a day without the car. Having no bus, trolley, or subway pass and deciding to skip out on Uber/Lyft, we spent the day walking the city….

Sidewalk Renewal

School may be out but there is no shortage of learning experiences all around in the city. Just this morning I watched a small crew of construction workers repair a portion of the sidewalk across the street from my apartment. It was an interesting process to observe. The crew had already removed the broken sidewalk a few days prior so all that existed was…

Chinese Lantern Festival

Overview This event can be a day or night event depending on your interests. My sister and I went just before sunset and stayed after sunset to get the full effect of the lanterns. During the daytime you can see all the structure holding the paper of the lantern. It is much easier to inspect the arrangement, supports, and overall craft of each lantern….

Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

Home This place lies somewhere between rubble and art. At first glance it is an overwhelming series of walls of concrete and mostly glass. But the more you walk through this installation the more captivating it becomes. Each walk through reveals a new statue previously unnoticed, a unique perspective into a space below, or a fun phrase hidden in all the tiling. The website…

Italian Market

https://italianmarketphilly.org/ https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/the-italian-market/ The Italian Market is one of the older sections of Philadelphia. Well known as an open air market with mostly Italian hertiage, it is now a magnet for a variety of people brought together through food. There are plenty of open air stores selling produce and beautiful plants, edible and non, at really affordable prices. Several indoor shops cater specifically to cheese…

A Car in the City

Not everyone has a car in the city. Often when people think of the stereotype of the city it is smaller apartments, minimal possessions, no car, lots of walking or public transportation, and a close proximity to a variety of amenities. This stereotype can be true to a certain extent. Despite living in a city, I chose to keep my car. I find it…