Nightlife : In The News

Toronto's love song for Philadelphia's art scene

Toronto Globe & Mail Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The Toronto Globe & Mail absolutely gushes about Philadelphia and it's proximity, affordability, easy-to-navigate grid and art attractions.

A friend had told us not to miss the massive mural in the Curtis Center building. Luckily, the doors were still open so we stepped into the deserted foyer to soak in Dream Garden – 100,000 pieces of hand-blown glass that were installed in 1916 by by Louis Comfort Tiffany, who based the design on a painting by Philadelphia-born Maxfield Parrish.

We were almost back to our hotel on Rittenhouse Square when we found Parc, a French bistro with sidewalk tables, and couldn’t resist stopping for a kir royale and some people-watching before turning in.

Original source: Toronto Globe & Mail

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Frugal travel: Philadelphia as a midweek deal

Washington Post Monday, August 20, 2012

The Washington Post writes about a city that "more or less belonged to" its travel section as it went in search of some midweek travel deals.

We found ourselves alone in a museum, befriended bartenders and shopkeepers who had nothing better to do than share their life stories with us, stumbled upon some sweet weekday-only deals and happenings, and never waited for a drink or a table. Our only regret: that we hadn’t also been there for Monday and Tuesday.

Original source: The Washington Post

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Esquire declares Philly 'late-night capital'

Esquire Friday, August 10, 2012

Good brew and food for hungry fellas in the wee hours puts Philadelphia on Esquire's radar as the late-night capital of the U.S.

Once referred to as the "workshop of the world," the great factory city of Philadelphia still has a third-shift appetite: It gets hungry after midnight. And it doesn't hurt that the local love for microbrewing, dating to the late 1600s, shows up on beer lists so intricately compiled they'd be described as curated in more pretentious cities. (Yes, Brooklyn, I mean you.) Epic jukeboxes and random dartboards, roasted meat and melted cheese, super-hard-to-find beers and whiskey neat — all served up without judgment in an American stronghold for going big into the wee hours: Welcome to the dark side.

Original source: Esquire

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Percy Street Barbecue No. 1 place in America to get a can of craft beer

craftcans.com Monday, July 30, 2012

Memphis Taproom, BAR Philadelphia and Percy Street Barbecue, which earned the top spot, gave craftcans.com a distinctly Philadelphia flavor on its list of America's 15 top places to enjoy beer in a can.

Over the past couple years Aric Ferrell, Manager at Philadelphia's Percy Street Barbecue, has been on a mission. He has been on a campaign to have Percy Street feature the largest selection of canned craft beers in the country and we are proud to say that he has definitely accomplished his goal. But, its not just the vast array of craft cans available (at last count there are over 100) at this South Street eatery that put it at the top of the list. Nope, Percy Street is also home to some of the most amazing barbecue in the northeast. Two words: Turkey Tails. Everything we've had there was delicious and you can even get cans to go now! If it comes in a can and is available in Pennsylvania than Aric has done everything he can to put it on his can menu. Serving up Texas-style BBQ in a clean, modern environment with a ridicu-list of canned craft beers available as well as a serious whiskey list, Percy Street is our top choice for best place to grab a can of beer in America. They've earned it.

Original source: craftcans.com

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Philadelphia leaders take to Toronto to share and 'steal'

Yonge Street Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Greater Philadelphia Economy League Executive Director Steve Wray talkes to Flying Kite sister publication Yonge Street about his organization's Greater Philadelphia Leadership Exchange, which visits Toronto this week.

One the focuses of the Economy League is what it means to be a world-class region and what it would take for Greater Philadelphia to attain status as a world-class region. As we select places to go, we look for regions that are world class or striving to be world class. Clearly Toronto has attained the status in the global community as a city and region on the rise, as a global financial capital and as an international city. We thought there were a lot of lessons we could bring back to Philadelphia from Toronto that would serve us well.

Original source: Yonge Street

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With "Made in America" in Philly, Jay-Z helps Budweiser get back on music stage

Ad Age Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Ad Age goes behind the scenes of Jay-Z's big announcement on Monday, which aims to breathe new life into the old Budweiser Superfest music series.

Rebranding the event "Made in America" is a play on words: It underscores the Anheuser-Busch brand's American heritage, as well as a song featured on Jay-Z's 2011 album with Kanye West, Watch the Throne.

Company execs say this is part of an effort to target a younger, more multicultural demographic.

Original source: Ad Age

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Women draft their way to the front of craft brewing

Washington Post Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The Washington Post profiles prominent ladies of the craft brew scene, including Rosemarie Certo of Dock Street Brewing Co. iN West Philadelphia.

Certo’s interest in beer started when she began making beer at home because she wasn’t happy with what was available domestically at the time. She started Dock Street in 1985 and remembers in the early days going to make a sales pitch to a distributor and being the only woman in a room of more than 50. “I remember not being bothered by it,” she recalls.

Original source: Washington Post

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Kensington's New Paradise Laboratories recreates theater for a connected generation

Mashable Monday, March 26, 2012

Mashable writes about Kensington's New Paradise Laboratories and its incorporation of social networks into the production and presentation of its shows.

This innovative experience takes audiences through a rabbit hole on a visually stimulating online adventure. Stories evolve on social networks with multimedia components from YouTube and Sound Cloud. It can be hard to decipher what’s real and what’s fiction.

Original source: Mashable

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The buck strolls on Baltimore Ave. in University City

MonkeyDish Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Baltimore Ave.'s Dollar Stroll in University City makes MonkeyDish's list of 50 great ideas among national restaurant innovations.

Each Stroll has attracted over a thousand patrons who don’t mind waiting in line to sample the familiar at shops such as Milk & Honey Market, which specializes in local cheese, produce and their own urban honey, and far-away cuisines at Desi Chaat House and Vientiane Cafe.

Original source: MonkeyDish
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Philly attracts more singles than most

Kiplingers Tuesday, February 14, 2012

The rise of college-educated residents and predominance of unmarried households put Philadelphia sixth on Kiplinger's 10 Best Cities for Singles list. Do you agree?

Now, one in two Philadelphians is unmarried, one in five is between 20 and 34, and one in three holds at least a bachelor's degree. Young people congregate in Northern Liberties, Fishtown and Fairmount, where rent for a two-bedroom apartment averages about $1,000.

Original source: Kiplingers
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BBC touts Philly's "surprisingly eclectic mix" of musical offerings

BBC Tuesday, February 07, 2012

The BBC dives into Philadelphia's pioneering musical artists and a host of new sounds, including the city's most well-known venues.

There is a small, hidden gem inside Philly’s musical soul where you can take in emerging local artists like The Lawsuits, The Spinning Leaves and spoken word artist MsWise in the most intimate of spaces -- someone’s living room. Brought to you by Sofar Sounds (which started in London), this international small space, concert movement unites music lovers in secret living room locations. Always on the cutting edge of something new, Philadelphia is one of just 15 cities participating, and you can sign up through the Sofar Sounds website.

Original source: BBC
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Five from Philly on Draft mag's 100 best beer bars

Draft Magazine Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Eulogy, Memphis Taproom, Monk's, Grey Lodge and Standard Tap made Draft Magazine's list of America's 100 best beer bars. They really love Monk's:

Monk's Café’s place in the upper echelon of watering holes is well-deserved. Its Beer Bible, which covers style guidelines, brewing 101 and an intoxicating list of more than 300 beers, acts as a visitor’s guide for patrons packed into the venue’s two intimate bars. The selection makes ordering tough; have a pint of the house brew Monk’s Café Flemish Sour Red and a pot of award-winning mussels while you sift through the list.

Original source: Draft Magazine
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Jose Garces looks to Revel in Atlantic City

Eater Monday, December 12, 2011

Jose Garces is expanding into Atlantic City, opening versions of his Amada, Village Whiskey and Distrito at Revel, a casino and hotel slated to open in the spring, reports Eater.

These restaurants come in addition to the 38,000 square foot nightclub, handled by some Vegas operators, two other clubs, two theaters, and plenty of retail shops already planned for the space.

Garces will join restaurateur Steve Hanson (Bill's Bar & Burger, Dos Caminos), Geoffrey Zakarian, and Bobby Flay in taking the South Jersey plunge. After all, it's just a quick hop for his Philadelphia fan base.

Original source: Eater
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From scrub time to prime time: Excitement abounds for The Roots mural

Associated Press Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter got busted for graffiti as a Philadelphia teen. Now he'll be the subject of public art with The Roots mural planned for South Street, reports the Associated Press.

"They remind us why we love art, why art is so important, why art is a lifeline, why art can be transformative and why we need it," said Jane Golden, director of the city's Mural Arts Program.

The energetic Golden literally jumped up and down with excitement in announcing the eight-month project, which will include soliciting mural design ideas, creating a storefront art studio for community workshops and developing a "Roots 101" arts education curriculum for students.

Original source: Associated Press
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Why Restaurant Weeks are good for restaurants, cities

Forbes Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Center City Philadelphia's Restaurant Week is among those examined as successful models in this Forbes blog entry that measures their impact.

Lee Maen, a partner at LA’s Innovative Dining Group, concurs. "We see a lot of new faces and hear from them that they’ve been meaning to come in for a long time, and Restaurant Week gives them a great excuse to venture out of their normal restaurant routine."

Cities love it too. Kristen Linker of the Center City District in downtown Philadelphia says "Since its inception in 2003, Center City District Restaurant Week has generated over $23.9 million in additional revenues for the restaurants and pumped over $90.7 million into Center City Philadelphia’s economy."

Original source: Forbes
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