Philadelphia is My Home

10
Dec

Fess Up

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Family Friendly, Free Events, Kids, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

Hello, my name is Momish and I am a Christmas junkie.

Fess up, people.  I know I am not alone here.  You too love this stuff, admit it.  If you’re a junkie like me, you’ve got your car radio tuned to B101, singing along to the six versions of ”Jingle Bell Rock” they play every day. 

You’ve changed your Windows wall paper to a winter wonderland scene, complete with falling snow. Forget that it slows everything down to a crawl on your PC… you gotta have the falling snow.

You’re spending every weekend searching for that perfect gift, ornament or decoration.  You’ve marched along with the Winter Warlock, putting “one foot in front of the other” on more than one occasion.  And before you even take your coat off, you’re eagerly sifting through the mail to see what new cards you got.

But most of all, you’ve already been to Macy’s to see the holiday light show.  You sat your adult bum down next to that eagle statue, then you watched, smiled and sang along with all the third graders, just like you did when you were in third grade. 

As cheesy as it is, you know you still love it.  C’mon, how can anyone resist a smile when Frosty’s arms blink up, down, up, down, up, down.  It’s classic. Personally, I think it is the organ music that lends itself to that magical feeling.  Well, that mixed with a big, fat dose of nostalgia.

So, have you been yet?  Fess up!

Check out Centercityphila.org for all Holiday Events going on around the city.

Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC

26
Nov

There’s Still Time

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Entertainment, Free Events, History, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

You have until December 31st, so there is still plenty of time really.  

I am not talking about any holiday stuff here.  No, nothing to do with shopping or decorating or cocktail parties or anything hectic like that. I am talking about culture.  Treating yourself by taking a nice needed break from the hectic. 

In between the endless commercialism and the agony of battling consumerism, wouldn’t you just love to squeeze in some culture?  Take a relaxing and educating stroll around a museum?  How about one that is actually doable, as in you can see all the exhibits in less than two hours.  

And for free!  Now that sure makes it a bit more doable, doesn’t it? No dipping into your Christmas Club savings.

The Perelman Building at the Philadelphia Museum of Art has free admission until the end of the year.  Right now, the exhibits include a great collection of evening gowns from three Philadelphian designers and a collection of modern decorative art among others. 

But the best part (aside from being free, of course) is that it is just enough without being overwhelming.  Because the last thing you need right now is more overwhelming. You want to escape overwhelming at all costs, right?

Just think, after a two hour stroll that awakens your visual and mental senses, you just might be ready to tackle those long lines and crowded stores again.  It might even inspire you to get a little more creative with your wrapping this year.

At the very least, you’ll have something interesting to talk about at all those holiday cocktail parties you’ve got lined up on your calendar.  I’m telling you, you need this.

 The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

08
Nov

Scarred For Life

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Entertainment, Family Friendly, Local News, Nightlife, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

When I was around ten years old, my girlfriend and I sneaked into her parent’s bathroom and started snooping around.

We found a bottle of her mom’s perfume and went to town.  We dabbed it all over our wrists and behind our ears, just like grown up ladies do before a fancy night out on the town.

Then my friend dropped the bottle.  It fell into the toilet, where it promptly shattered into a million pieces when it hit the porcelain.  A more apt description would be that it exploded.  Glass went flying in every direction and one sharp piece sliced an inch gash in my leg.

I still have the scar.  As far as scars go, it isn’t that big.  Yet, it is there.  For life.  It doesn’t smell like Oscar de la Renta anymore, but I notice it every time I am wearing a skirt and cross my legs.

Every scar has a story.  Some funny, some heart breaking, some just bizarre.  But a story, none-the-less.  This is why I think the exhibit Thin Skinned Thick will be mesmerizing.

Photographer Amie Potsic’s collection examines scarring in an artistic, beautiful way.  And each photograph is accompanied by the subject’s story behind the scar.

The exhibit’s grand opening is this Friday at 6:00 PM at the Sol Mednick Gallery (The University of the Arts, 211 S. Broad St., 15th flr. 215-717-6300).  Continues until December 14th. 

OK, so there’s lots of time, but why wait? Everyone loves a good story.  But more importantly, eveyone needs a chance to see beauty where we never thought to look before.

25
Oct

Clue In Real Life

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Entertainment, Family Friendly, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

Here’s a fun event that fits in well with Halloween: 

The Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion Mystery Tour.   The tour is 20 minutes long, and takes you throughout the mansion.  As you visit each room, you meet a new character who will tell his or her story as they drop you hints and clues as to which of them is the murderer.

It’s like the Clue game, only live in person.  Just being in a mansion seems to drum up the old Clue memories.  What did Mrs. Peacock really do with that candlestick?

Anyway, the murdering is only going on for this weekend, so get you handy dandy notebook ready and get sleuthing. 

Tours are on October 26, 27 & 28, from 6PM - 9PM and cost 10-12 bucks.  Check out the site for more detail and directions.

But hey, if you pre-order from Fun Savers, they only cost you 7 boo bucks. (call 215-438-1861 and mention “fun savers”)

EVENTS

21
Sep

Thrill Me

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Current Events, Entertainment, Nightlife, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

Thrill me, chill me!

I love Halloween and am beginning to see the signs of this great season everywhere. (Just go into any CVS, orange and black assault you the second you walk in)

I’m always looking for the fun things to do around this time.  There are lost of hayrides and pumpkin picking farms.  The one thing that is right in our back yards which I have never done is Terror Behind The Walls at the old and creepy Eastern State Penitentiary.

I would think just being in that place at night would give me enough chills.

Has anyone done this?  Is it worth the price? (tickets start at 20 bucks!)

13
Sep

Bloody Good Ballet

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Entertainment, Family Friendly, Nightlife, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

The Pennsylvania Ballet is performing Dracula again this year.  And indeed, it is a bloody good ballet!

The costumes and set design of this ballet are magnificent.  I have seen it twice and each time was mesmerized by the contrast between the graceful and beautiful dances against the gloomy and sinister settings.

 Kids too would like this ballet due to it’s special effects and easy-to-follow well known story line.  Lots of beautiful fairy tale like costumes paired with dancers flying around stage (literally). 

 Performances begin October 26th, just in time to jump start that Halloween feeling.  They even have a performance on Halloween, if you aren’t bogged down with taking your little ones trick or treating that is.

I will probably skip it this year, seeing as I have already seen it.  But, you never know.   This kind of stuff never gets old.

If the full priced tickets are too steep for you, remember you can always show up an hour before performance time and try your luck at scoring half priced tickets.  Considering this is the third year they are doing this ballet, chances are good that most regulars and die-hards have already seen it.

Here’s a tip: Go in pairs for the half priced tickets.  Last time we went to the ballet an hour before show time, there were three of us.  The best seats they could give us were in the nose bleed section.  Meanwhile, we saw plenty of empty seats much closer, but only with two seats together at the most.  Therefore, I suggest going in even numbers so you can break up into pairs and get the best seats available!

Visit the PA Ballet website for more details about Dracula and other upcoming performances.  Dracula runs from 10/26-11/03.

06
Sep

Victorian, Victorian

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Current Events, History, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

Now here is a tour I could totally get into.  The Victorian Philadelphia West of Broad, happening this weekend at 10:00.  Tour starts at the gorgeous Bellevue Hotel, which makes perfect sense.

 A leisurely walk throughout the west side of center city while learning all about the Victorian architecture.  All those hidden nooks and crannies, marvulous buildings you walk past so often and barely notice.   But when you go in them, they take your breath away and transform you to another time.

I love the Victorian era, there is something so romantic and idealistic about it.  Sometimes I think that is was the last golden age, if not the last innocent age.

Hosted by Landmarks, so check out their website for more information.

29
Aug

Fringe Benefits

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Current Events, Entertainment, Philly Tourist, Resources, Something to Do

Are you gonna be stuck in the city this weekend like me?

Still looking for something to do? 

Well, check out the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival schedule and see if anything tickles your fancy.

Be prepared to have your mind blown away.  There is so much going on!  Reading through that schedule is like scroll, scroll, scroll, still scrolling, holy high water still scrolling, mega more and still scrolling, my wrist hurts, still scrolling…

If you can’t find something to do with all that, then I am so sorry, but I can’t help ya! I don’t think anybody can.

05
Aug

Our Wild Backyard

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, General, Kids, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

We often go the Philadelphia Zoo as we have maintained our yearly membership since my daughter was born.  I love taking her to the zoo and watching her face as she observes all those magnificent animals, most of which she has no clue how lucky she is to see in person.

If you read my personal blog Momish, then you probably know that I am somewhat of an animal lover and activist.  So, whenever I talk about going to the zoo or my zoo membership, I am often asked how I feel about animals in captivity. 

I think the Philadelphia Zoo is a shining example of how all zoos should be.  I think our zoo represents the minimal acceptance level of how animals should be treated and housed in a caged environment.  In other words, the Philly Zoo does it right.

I think there is a great advantage to zoos in that they educate the general public about exotic and domestic animals.  They infect visitors with an admiration and respect for all animal life.  They also are a wealth of information about the many plights and dangers facing animals all over the world, triggering a desire to help and care about them in a way that probably would have been overlooked or ignored.  In addition, if it weren’t for the efforts of major zoos across the world, I am convinced that many near extinct species would be long gone and reduced to a blurb in our history books.

That being said, I definitely hold a standard as to what I will support when it comes to caging and transporting wild animals away from their natural habitat.  I do think that the label “zoo” is too often abused.  There are so many rinky-dink “zoos” out there that are a disgrace to the human race and downright animal abuse.  They should be shut down. 

I know it takes loads of money and resources to properly house and maintain a respectful and humane zoo.  Such that only major cities with the proper financial backing would be able to have zoos.  Cities like Philadelphia, San Diego and New York.  And while it might be unfair to the rest of the country, my main response to that is tough sh*t.

It is inhumane and morally wrong to shove a bunch of chimpanzees into a two by four cage with a tree branch so that kids that live outside of a major city can have a substandard education and experience of a wild animal.

You should go to the Philadelphia Zoo if you haven’t been there in a while (the new Amur Tiger cubs should be open to the public by now).  You should take advantage of the good fortune you have to live in a city with wild animals right in your backyard.  Animals that are cared by the world’s top notch veterinarians, who’s housings were designed with the utmost of care and thought by top architects in the region and who thrive as a result of the many supports like myself.

The Philadelphia Zoo is not just the nation’s first zoo, but perhaps the nation’s finest as well.

<rant over>

So tell me, how do you feel about animals kept in zoos?  What do you think about the Philly Zoo?  When was the last time you were there?

22
Jun

America Starts Here

Author: Momish, Category: Attractions, Free Events, Philly Tourist, Something to Do

I love when people ask me, “What are your plans for the 4th of July holiday? Going away? Doing anything special?”

HELLO! People, this is Philadelphia! You know, the city where the piece of paper was signed on that day.  As in, the place that celebrates the holiday to the absolute fullest. 

Why leave and go to the shore, or anywhere else, on one of the biggest weekends in this city?  Especially when everyone else is coming here. You won’t see fireworks this good, I promise (well, Disney might put on as good a show).  And the concerts and the events that go on…  For free, I might add.  This year’s concert headliners are Philly’s own Hall and Oats.  Although, truth be told, I haven’t had the energy to deal with the crowds on the Parkway since my youth. 

Our new favorite spot to watch the fireworks is along the newly revamped river path.  But in my years I have watched them from some of the coolest places.  I use to love camping out on the bridges because the reflection off the river was really spectacular.   Anyone know of other great spots to view them? Maybe a nice place where the rest of the world has yet to catch on to?

Just in case anyone is unaware of this, let me tell you that Sunoco Welcomes America has a website that outlines all the activities and events going on, listing times for the fireworks, etc.