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In Kensington, Old Textile Mill To Be Revived With Apartments

The front entrance of Gotham Hosiery on 2nd Street in Norris Square. The Charles Schober Company sign remains above the door. | Photo: Rob Masciantonio

The first time I visited the Norris Square neighborhood I was there photographing the shuttered, and now demolished, St. Boniface Catholic Church. Since then I have spent considerable time in Norris Square and in Kensington as a whole. That was a decade ago and the amount of redevelopment and change that I have witnessed in that short time has been staggering. Revitalization has steadily made its way up Front Street and seems have finally has crossed over into West Kensington. Now, only a few blocks away from where St. Boniface was, the next stage of growth and investment in Norris Square is taking place at Gotham Hosiery, a towering former textile mill that is currently being renovated for apartments.

The Making of a Mill

Kensington has been a heavily industrialized area since the early 1800s. In many ways the neighborhood still retains much of its working class character with an assortment of industries still scattered throughout the area. But it is hard for anyone of my generation to fully comprehend the dense, intermingled industrial and residential landscape as it once was. At the turn of the century the long disused railroad tracks, now being removed from the center of American Street, was a bustling rail corridor, at points four tracks wide, with spurs and sidings shooting off down streets and into adjoining properties like branches off of a vine. A block to the southwest where Gotham Hosiery would eventually call home was a massive freight yard, complete with a locomotive repair facility and roundhouse. Another rail line ran straight down Trenton Avenue, this one also sporting a freight yard and maintenance facilities. Factories lined almost the entirety of these two roads, with plenty of others filling in the blocks between, interspersed with the houses in which their workers lived and the churches that they attended. But we all know the ending to this story. The economy changed and so did the neighborhoods. The mills closed or moved and many of the residents followed suit. Since Philadelphia’s industrial decline many of the mills and factories have been long since demolished or ravaged by fire. But some have remained, not only standing, but defiantly occupied and industrious throughout the years.

A 1917 Sanborn Map shows the layout of the mill shortly after Gotham Hosiery acquired the parcel and before it occupied the building.

The land at 2nd and Norris Streets can trace its industrial development to the 1870s. An 1875 map of the property indicates it as being used by an O. H. Krause, an early German-American chemist from New Jersey and member of the American Chemical Society, who in 1878 would patent a process for liquifying sugars. A later advertisement by Krause selling bottles may suggest he was involved in early soft drinks. Exactly what the property was used for while Krause owned it is not entirely clear. However, it is evident that when the property passed out of his hands the land was developed into part of the most prolific industry in Kensington: textiles. By the 1890s, a textile mill occupied the site consisting of two factory buildings: a three story brick mill along Norris Street and another four-story mill opposing it across a central yard. The two mill buildings were connected by a boiler house and smaller auxiliary buildings along North Philip Street, roughly forming a “U” shaped complex that opened up onto 2nd Street. This complex was occupied by what appears to be an assortment of firms before ending up in the hands of Universal Hosiery Company sometime around 1900, although the exact date is unclear. More muddling still, while numerous industrial registers confirm Universal Hosiery was located here from 1900 until ultimately selling it in 1916, the property seems to have hosted various tenants who leased space in the mill complex. A 1910 atlas identifies the property as being occupied by a silk mill operated by Geo. Lindley et. Al, perhaps the owners of Universal Hosiery. A 1917 Sanborn map names the Atlas Paper Box Company as the occupant of the 3rd and 4th floor of the taller building, the last tenant remaining after the property was sold. Universal Hosiery’s ownership of the mill carried on until 1916, at which time the complex was sold to Gotham Hosiery Company, a rapidly-expanding textile company based in New York City.

The Rise and Fall of Gotham Hosiery

A illustration of Gotham Hosiery’s new plant in Kensington from a promotional book produced by the company circa 1917.

Gotham Hosiery was founded on January 2, 1911. The company began with just four machines producing what it termed “garter-proof” stockings made of fine silk. Only a few short month’s later the company had patented a new locked-stitch pattern, making its material much more durable to prevent runs in its stockings. From that particular stitching, Gotham Hosiery’s soon to be famous Gold Stripe brand stockings were born. The company rapidly became popular and changing fashions fueled demand. Long skirts were giving way to shorter hems, and the less form-fitting, thicker stockings of the past fell out of favor. The company’s Gold Stripe line was not only form-fitting, but the manufacturing process also helped the product retain its form rather than stretch out as competitors stocking often did, all while being sheer and resistant to tearing. Gotham Hosiery soon opened its own retail shop. By 1912, it was already signing contracts for distribution with new merchants, causing the company to double its production capacity in New York City. The reputation for quality and durability of its stockings was spreading across the country. By 1915, the two retail shops the company operated were selling over 15,000 pairs of stockings a month on their own. Gotham Hosiery needed to expand once again. In October 1916, the company finalized the purchase of Universal Hosiery Mills at 2nd and Norris Streets in Philadelphia. When Gotham Hosiery first took possession of the property it only occupied the first two floors of the four-story mill building while it waited for the aforementioned tenant’s leases to expire. In the meantime new machinery was brought in. By the end of 1917, Gotham Hosiery occupied the entire mill complex, producing 11,200 pairs of stockings each month at this location alone. However, this was still not enough.

Gotham Hosiery could not keep up with the ever-growing demand for its product, even with its total production capacity now tripled and with the Philadelphia mill eventually producing 33,000 pairs of stocking a month. By 1920, it had become the most popular brand of hosiery in the country. The company decided to fully expand both its plants in New York City and Philadelphia. Although Kensington was not nearly as dense as Manhattan, industrial land was still at a premium. In 1921, several houses just north and adjoining the Gotham Hosiery plant were purchased and demolished. What was built might have been at home in Manhattan, but was something of a monolith in Kensington. The new plant would rise to 10 stories tall, dwarfing everything around it in a neighborhood where buildings averaged two stories, with most topping out at four. Today, it remains the tallest building in the neighborhood by a good margin.

Gotham Hosiery delivery trucks lined up at one of its New York City factories. Date unknown. | Image courtesy of E-Built

To design the new buildings in both Philadelphia and New York Gotham Hosiery employed William Steele & Sons, a Philadelphia-based company that made quite the name for itself as a premier industrial architecture and engineering firm. The result was a fairly austere building, typical of its era, that was primarily constructed of sparsely-adorned concrete and brick with large windows stretching across the lengths of the floors. While spartan, it was not completely barren of ornamentation. By the main entrance stairs off of 2nd Street some small, but appropriately Gothic, embellishments adorned the plant’s facade. Inside of its newest mill the company stenciled motivational slogans on the walls, reminding their employees that “Perfect stockings made by Gotham mean satisfied customers. Satisfied Gotham customers means steady work,” and other similar corporate lines. These stencils remain on the walls almost 100 years later and will be preserved and incorporated into the current residential renovation project by owner and developer E-Built LLC.

Gotham Hosiery’s newly-completed 10-story mill and its adjoining structures became the primary manufacturing facility for its Gold Stripe line, with the New York City mill being utilized for the finishing and dying of the products before going to stores. Even so, the company still struggled to keep up with demand so much that it ceased taking advance orders entirely. Instead, it only took orders as they came each day, opting to fill them on a first come first served basis on the day they were received. Gotham Hosiery’s retail shops allowed staff to keep their pulse on the market, staying on top of buying trends and adapting styles and production to remain current and popular. It was an intelligent way to do business, and the company was thriving because of it. Gotham Hosiery’s popularity and success in the 1920s mirrored its initial meteoric rise in the previous decade. Profits soared 400%. In 1925, it began acquiring even more production facilities, beginning with the Oscar Nebel Company and the Largman-Gray Hosiery Company plants, both in Philadelphia. Prior to this expansion, Gotham Hosiery was already the largest textile employer in Philadelphia, with 758 employees in 1925. That number more than doubled with the new acquisitions. Two years later the company was employing 1,512 workers across its three Philadelphia locations. At this time, production had quintupled from 1920, but even this was not enough for Gotham Hosiery and the enormous demand for Gold Strip products. Soon it was contracting with firms all over the city to produce license-made Gold Strip stocking to fill its orders. Business truly was booming.

Gotham Hosiery’s Philadelphia plant as it looked in 1922. | Image courtesy of E-Built

While Gotham Hosiery had risen to become the largest hosiery producer in the United States in just under 20 years, its decline would be even more rapid. In 1929, only a few short years after its ambitious expansions, the market was oversaturated and began to slow and then decline. This happened all while textile labor disputes, in some cases headed by Gotham Hosiery employees, began to take its toll on the industry. However, it was the stock market crash in October 1929 that would push Gotham Hosiery over the edge. With the economy in a freefall and the hosiery bubble bursting, the company reported its first ever annual loss in 1930 totaling $558,979, which today is equivalent to millions of dollars. The same year, production was temporarily halted at the Norris Street plant until 1931 when it reopened and was slowly built up to full capacity again by 1932. However, Gotham Hosiery’s business never managed to reach it’s pre-crash success. By 1935, the plant was shuttered for good. Gotham Hosiery managed to limp on as a company for another 40 or so years in a slow decline. It shuffled from city to city, office to office, and mill to mill, until finally going under with a whimper sometime around 1976. As it shifted assets, the company eventually sold the mill at 2nd and Norris Streets, which had been used since its closing in 1935 for machinery storage, in 1942 to the Progress Manufacturing Company, a light fixture manufacturer. But this firm’s occupancy was short lived and the mill was sold in 1943 to the Miller North Broad Storage Company, a warehousing operation.

A Kensington Stalwart Returns to Service

A snapshot of the mill when Kiddie City occupied it. Date unknown. | Image courtesy of E-Built

Universal Hosiery and Gotham Hosiery left indelible marks on the site and now it was Miller’s turn. In 1945, the 4-story mill building immediately south of the Gotham Hosiery building was demolished. A small addition to the 10-story warehouse was built, essentially comprising of a four-bay covered loading dock between the buildings and two protruding stair towers. The old mill continued to be used primarily as a furniture warehouse until being sold in the 1950s to Kiddie City, a toy wholesaler, which used it as a warehouse and distribution center for its wholesaling operation. A 1-story addition on the north side of the Gotham Hosiery plant was built. In 1968, as Kiddie City grew and it shifted from a wholesaler to a retailer, the company moved elsewhere and sold the old mill to Charles Schober Company. The family-owned wicker and rattan furniture company moved up the road from their previous office at 307 N. 2nd Street. The first floor was used by Schober Company as a showroom and offices with the upper floors being used for storing its wares. It continued to use the building for the following 50 years, making the company the longest occupant and steward of the building. In 1983, Schober Company demolished the last remaining portion of the original Universal Hosiery Mill, a three-story brick building along Norris Street and built a long one-story garage in its place. By 2015, the wicker and rattan business was not what it used to be, but the real estate market in Kensington was at the highest point since the company had purchased the property. It was an ideal time for the Shober Company to unload the massive, underutilized mill.

Rendering of the completed Gotham Towers. | Image courtesy of E-Built

In early 2018, E-Built LLC, a Philadelphia-based construction and development company, announced that it was planning to purchase the property and adapt the building into apartments. After lengthy discussions and input from the Norris Square Civic Association, the project received unanimous zoning board approval. In November 2018, the property was sold to E-Built for $5.6M to undergo what is budgeted to be a $28M redevelopment project. In addition to private capital, $1.5M in funding is also being provided by the State of Pennsylvania via the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program due to the positive economic impact a project of this scale is projected to have on the area and E-Built’s commitment to include affordable housing in the plan. The first phase of the project is the renovation of the 10-story Gotham Hosiery building, which will be renamed “Gotham Tower,” into 102 apartment units on the upper floors. The first floor and part of the second floor will be set aside for four commercial units. E-Built plans to move its corporate offices into the building once work is completed.

Bird’s eye rendering of the completed Gotham Towers. | Image courtesy of E-Built

The garage that was built in 1983 on the adjoining southern lot has already been demolished and 12 new townhomes are planned for the parcel. The site will also include parking for 63 cars and 52 bicycles. One of the more interesting and ambitious aspect of the plan is the pool, which will be installed on the roof of Gotham Tower. Tenants will be able to swim while taking in the outstanding views of the neighborhood and the city from above.

The project is impressive enough in its scope, made all the more important due to its location. Gotham Tower is the first large-scale redevelopment in Norris Square and it will likely serve as an anchor, driving further activity along this stretch of North American Street. Apartments are scheduled to be available for leasing by January 1, 2020. If all goes according to plan, by the spring of next year Gotham Hosiery may, for the first time in generations, be once again bustling with people and activity.

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A look around Gotham Hosiery Mill during construction. Photographs by Robert Masciantonio.

The northern facade of Gotham Hosiery Mill. On the first floor the brick addition built by Kiddie City in the 1950s is visible.

The southern facade as metal studs are loaded on the 5th floor. The 1945 loading dock addition can be seen on the first floor between the two stair towers.

Detail of exterior decoration.

Eastern stair tower and the freight elevator.

One of the factory floors cleaned up and awaiting stud installation.

The western fire tower.

One of the wall stencils from the Gotham Hosirey era.

Interior of the eastern stair tower.

Stencils like this will be preserved where possible.

About the author

Robert Masciantonio attended Shippensburg University where he received his BA in Political Science and History. A proud native of Delaware County, Masciantonio carries a lifelong fascination with Philadelphia's deep, layered past. He has an strong interest in photography and architecture, with an emphasis on industry and institutions.

Source: https://hiddencityphila.org/2019/05/in-kensington-old-textile-mill-to-be-revived-with-apartments/

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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Eagles have the blueprint to beat the Panthers on the ground

Despite all of the trade talk surrounding the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles, it’s not a running back they’ll need against the Carolina Panthers, but a concept. It’s a concept I’ve gushed over before and one that the Washington Redskins used effectively against the Panthers defense last week.

It’s a trap. No, literally, it’s a trap concept.

Last year the Eagles led the league in efficiency using these. According to Pro Football Focus, their 40 trap concepts led the league in frequency. On those plays they averaged 7.3 yards per carry. The best part? The Eagles already know how well they work against the Panthers.

I charted plays that included a trap component in last years Week 6 28-23 win. 4 carries, 37 yards, and a 75% success rate. Last week the Redskins gashed the Panthers on the ground with a similar game-plan, pulling of 5 runs for 37 yards.

What makes it work? From my preseason Return of the Wham article:

Imagine you’re a defensive lineman getting smacked from all sides by the Eagles offensive line. Then you randomly get a clean look to the backfield. Your lizard brain takes over all motor function and sucks you into to the quarterback-running back mesh-point like a moth to a flame. You saw it on tape, you knew the chances of a trap were very real, still, that quarterback is RIGHT THERE. That’s the dilemma facing these linemen. They get tunnel vision and rarely see the tight end coming to attack from their side.

Looking at how the Redskins incorporated this into their ground game, they throw in a nice wrinkle.

Pre-snap linebacker Luke Kuechly is pointing out left guard Chase Roullier. He senses something is up, perhaps Roullier’s stance is giving something away, which would not surprise me given Kuechly’s football intelligence and the fact that he identified the same indicators at other points in the game. It’s all for not though, as the jet motion sucks him away from the action and frees up the backside for Adrian Peterson.

Roullier is indeed up to something as he finishes the trap on 3-tech Vernon Butler. Center Tony Bergstrom pins the 1-tech Kyle Love and Peterson is off into space. Normally Bergstrom would climb to seal off Kuechly as part of the design, but as was pointed out, he’s already taken himself out of the play.

The Eagles likes these concepts because it turns the size advantage on it’s head. If this were the Eagles offensive line, 295-pound Jason Kelce would give the 330-pound Butler a free run and then climb up to the 238-pound Kuechly.

Taking it a step further, the Eagles can seal off Butler (or the other Panthers linemen) with tight ends Dallas Goedert or Zach Ertz using a “wham” concept. The angle in which they take to Butler negate the size advantage and they’re only asked to momentarily get in the way. Here are the Eagles using the wham against the Panthers last year.

Getting the Eagles offensive line upfield and attacking the Panthers while letting their defensive linemen take themselves out of the play has been a win for the Eagles in the past, and it can be a win on Sunday. Better yet, the Eagles are using a combination of 12 and 13 personnel a league high 44% of the time, often from a double wing formation that allows them to wham from either side.

Or they could run split zone from this same look, which they did in this instance for 8 yards. Or they could pin-pull, which was another design the Redskins’ used successfully against the Panthers and the Eagles are quite effective utilizing. Or they could run a wide zone RPO with a backside replace slant. Yes, that worked for the Redskins and it’s a staple for the Eagles.

Bottom line, the Eagles have the blueprint for beating the Panthers’ defense in the ground game. It’s one they’ve used before, it’s the same on the Redskins used last week, and it should work again on Sunday.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2018/10/16/17984782/eagles-blueprint-beat-panthers-on-the-ground-preview-nfl-week-7-game-running-ball-doug-pederson-2018

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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Googly-Eyed 'Marty' the Grocery Robot to Roam Your Market

What to Know

A tall, gray robot named “Marty” is coming to a GIANT Food Stores location near you.

GIANT Food Stores says 'Marty' the grocery robot will be checking for spills at all 172 of its stores.

The grocer hopes Marty gives its employees more time to serve customers.

A googly-eyed robot is showing up at your local GIANT Food Stores grocery aisle.

The tall, gray robot named “Marty” moves around the store unassisted, identifying liquid, powder and bulk food spills and quickly correcting the issue to “mitigate risk caused by such spills,” GIANT Food Stores says.

Marty has already been unleashed for trial runs over the past year in stores in Harrisburg and Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

“Bringing robotics and A.I. from a research lab to the sales floor has been a very exciting journey, and we were thrilled by the customer response in our pilot stores,” GIANT Food Stores president Nicholas Bertram said. “Our associates have worked hard to bring this innovation to life with amazing partners.”

The supermarket company, founded in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, has 172 locations spread out across Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Versions of Marty will be deployed at each store with the goal of giving workers most time to serve customers, GIANT said.

Marty should be at your assistance by the middle of the year, GIANT said.

Source: https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/GIANT-Food-Store-Robot-Marty--504374821.html

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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Power Restored To Philadelphia City Hall After Outage Causes Evacuation

Follow CBSPHILLY Facebook | Twitter

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Power has been restored to Philadelphia City Hall after a power outage forced an evacuation of the building Monday afternoon, according to PECO.

Around 1:15 p.m., the building lost power and was evacuated. Power was restored shortly after 2 p.m.

Philadelphia Courts said that court operations are closed for the rest of the day.

The Philadelphia City Council also tweeted that offices are closing or will be closed shortly due to a power outage.

It is not yet known what caused the power outage.

Source: https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2018/11/26/power-restored-to-philadelphia-city-hall-after-outage-causes-evacuation/

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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REC Philly is opening a 10,000-square-foot flagship office at 9th and Market

REC Philly is stepping onto the Center City stage this fall.

At a town hall meeting at the University City Science Center Tuesday evening, the cofounders of the resource center and space for creative entrepreneurs announced that the membership organization will be opening a 10,000-square-foot space at 9th and Market streets.

Will Toms and Dave Silver called their existing five-year-old space in North Philly a “gym for creatives,” with equipment, event space and a network of pros to get creative endeavors off the ground. The pair thought up the organization while hanging out at Temple University (Silver is an Owl; Toms went to IUP), and in 2014, opened up a 600-square-foot space in a warehouse near 9th and Dauphin streets.

As the organization grew — it’s now up to about 800 members — Toms and Silver started dreaming of a much larger space, the founders said.

“We love the window factory, and we love our community, but we need room to grow,” said Toms, who is the company’s chief creative officer. He added that they’re keeping the existing fourth floor space in North Philly.

The blueprint for the new space was unveiled Tuesday night at a town hall, where the cofounders urged attendees to express their ideas and wants for the space, slated to open this fall as part of Philly’s new, so-called Fashion District.

Most of its features cater to members’ creative side, such as a cafe that transforms to an event space that will be sponsored by Live Nation. The space will also hold recording, podcasting, photo/video and dance studios, and a meditation room.

But the flagship office will also offer features catering to the business side, with a coworking area and conference rooms.

Councilman At-Large Allan Domb, who spoke at the event, called the proposed space a “game-changer” for folks who think that they need to move to New York City or Los Angeles to be successful in the creative world.

“I’ve always said, ‘You make a living working, but you create wealth owning,'” Domb said. “Please do it and stay here. Stay in Philadelphia.”

The space will be accessible through the mall, or by its own entrance on 9th street, founders said. This will allow for after-hours events as well as more time for members to work.

“Other cities do not have rooms like this,” Silver, who serves as the company’s CEO and lead organizer of Amplify Philly, told attendees. “To bring together art community and business community really opens doors for the people in the organization and the community at whole.”

The project is coming together with $3.2 million sourced to date, including $1.1 million raised via a Seed Round. Funding came from private investors and community leaders, including the likes of Domb (who also works as a real estate developer), philanthropist Chase Lenfest, TechGirlz founder Tracey Welson-Rossman, investor Jon Gosier and Crossbeam founder and CEO Bob Moore.

The project is also supported through many local partnerships, like WXPN, Temple University Alumni Group, Live Nation Entertainment Philadelphia, Roland, Shure and Solid State Logic.

Memberships for folks who want to use the space start at $50 a month and go up to $150 for more access to perks and industry office hours. The membership fee includes the ability to sell creative goods at the REC Philly retail storefront in the Fashion District mall.

“What began as a 600-square-foot location in North Philly is now expanding to a fully operating ecosystem, supporting creatives of all kinds in our community,” Silver said.

The team also announced that they’re hiring, but didn’t go into detail about what types of positions will be filled. More detailed information about the space will be available at the company’s Citywide Creative Summit this fall.

“This is giving us the ability for us to plant our flag and say figuratively arts is at the center of our city, but it’s also literally in Center City,” Toms said.

-30- Source: https://technical.ly/philly/2019/07/31/rec-philly-is-opening-flagship-office-fashion-district-creative-entrepreneurs-coworking/

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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Where to Eat Dim Sum in Philadelphia: The Ultimate Guide

Guides

No matter where you are or what style you're looking for, we've got you covered with this list of all the best places for shu mai, soup dumplings, and scallion pancakes in Philly.

Devoted foodies and restaurant newbies love Foobooz. Sign-up now for our twice weekly newsletter.

Dim Sum Garden | Facebook

I know I don’t have to convince you how good dim sum is. Little plates full of awesome. A taste of home and comfort for those who grew up with it. A universe of dumplings, buns, and chicken feet.

And I don’t have to convince you that Philly has a deep bench of dim sum places, either. If you’re a Foobooz reader of any regularity, you know the places that we love, that we return to again and again. You know that we’ve spent years poking around the neighborhoods looking for new dim sum spots, overlooked gems, forgotten places. In a city that loves brunch the way Philly loves brunch, dim sum is vital. A man can only eat so many plates of eggs Benedict and shakshuka, after all. Sometimes, congee is what’s called for. Or shu mai and soup dumplings and taro cakes and sticky rice.

When that time comes, we’ve got you covered. Here’s where to find all the best dim sum in Philly, no matter where you are.

The Dim Sum You Must Try First

Tom’s Dim Sum | Facebook

Joy Tsin Lau, Chinatown Traditionally, dim sum is served for breakfast or brunch — and Joy Tsin Lau sticks to that, with a fully separate menu that’s served from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. seven days a week. The menu includes an extensive selection of dumplings, wontons, rolls, shu mai, and sweets like egg custard and coconut pudding, plus items like chicken feet, taro cake, duck tripe, and squid topped with curry sauce. 1026 Race Street Ordering style: À la carte

Tom’s Dim Sum, Chinatown This spot in the 11th Street tunnel, sandwiched between Reading Terminal Market and the Greyhound bus station, isn’t much to look at from the outside. But the dim sum menu there is one of the best around and a perennial Foobooz favorite. The scallion pancakes are featherlight and less than $4, and the soup dumplings thin-skinned and piping hot — made by the titular Tom, an OG from the days when Dim Sum Garden occupied this spot, who has now returned to make the place his own, and better than ever. 59 North 11th Street Ordering style: À la carte

Dim Sum Garden, Chinatown Back in the old days, before the Chinatown buses were shut down, Dim Sum Garden occupied the 11th Street tunnel spot where Tom’s is now — and it was the perfect meal to welcome you back to Philly after a dirt-cheap trip to New York or D.C. Now, you can find their excellent dim sum (a batch of pork soup dumplings with turnip cake, shrimp dumplings, moon cakes, and some steamed bok choy is our go-to order) a few blocks away on Race Street west of 10th. 1020 Race Street Ordering style: À la carte

Nom Wah, Market East With its menu of traditional small plates, approachable buns, dumplings, egg rolls, and an extensive list of teas, this offshoot of the historic NYC tea parlor is a perfect spot for spending a rainy (or snowy) weekend morning. Or, you know, you could also go at lunch (the chef’s special ho fun will do you right). Or at night. Because Nom Wah serves straight through until 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. on every day but Tuesday. 218 North 13th Street Ordering style: À la carte

Best Dim Sum In Chinatown

Sang Kee Peking Duck House | Facebook

Imperial Inn Be sure to try the shrimp rolls, a fan favorite, at this old-school spot. You can also get your dim sum served with a side of “volcanic flame”: order the pu pu platter for an assortment of appetizers that you can “roast to your heart’s content.” 146 North 10th Street Ordering style: From a cart

Sang Kee Peking Duck House This spot, tucked just south of the Vine Street Expressway on 9th Street, is known for its crispy-skinned duck, roasted to a deep golden brown. But its extensive menu includes Chinese dishes from multiple regions (including Americanized dishes), Thai cuisine, ramen, and a solid list of dim sum. It’s all there, from spring rolls to bao buns, but don’t miss the barbecued spare rib “bits,” crispy shrimp rolls, and pan-fried dumplings. 238 North 9th Street Ordering style: À la carte

New Harmony Vegetarian Restaurant This place has long been a haven for vegans and vegetarians looking for meatless versions of kung pao shrimp and moo shu pork. But they’ve also got a sizeable dim sum menu, featuring everything from vegetarian versions of pork buns to taro cakes, sticky rice, and some of the best scallion pancakes out there. 135 North 9th Street Ordering style: À la carte

Ocean Harbor At Ocean Harbor, the carts are stocked with piping hot snacks like soup dumplings, fried taro balls, and sticky rice. And true to its name, the restaurant offers a wide variety of seafood options, from lobster and shrimp to braised abalone, cold jellyfish, and eel. 1023 Race Street Ordering style: From a cart

Shanghai 1 I like a place that considers French fries to be a dim sum dish. And Shanghai 1 does. I like that they have six different kinds of pancakes on the menu, four different soup dumplings, and Shanghai-style shu mai. And while you can get almost anything here (from cold pig kidneys to frog meat casserole), the kitchen takes the dim sum seriously and will serve it to you at all hours. 123 North 10th Street Ordering style: À la carte

Mong Kok Station Are the baked goods your favorite part of going out for dim sum? The egg tarts, taro buns, and everything else? If so, then Mong Kok is perfect for you, because it’s a fairly new Chinatown bakery that just happens to have a dim sum menu served in the back. Plus (as if you needed more reasons to go), they also sell all kinds of buns, all day long. They’re cheap, delicious, and wildly varied. The only drag about the place is that it’s cash-only. 153 North 10th Street Ordering style: Counter service plus à la carte

Ocean City Ocean City’s menu boasts nearly 250 items, from wonton soup to sizzling intestine with black pepper sauce. But it’s the roving dim sum carts, stocked with dumplings, salt-roasted chicken feet, congee, pork buns, barbecued scallops served in the shell, and dozens of kinds of dumplings that keeps us coming back. 234 North 9th Street Ordering style: From a cart

Best Dim Sum in University City and Logan Square

Dim Sum House | Facebook

Dim Sum House Jane Guo brought dim sum west along with her son and business partner Jackson Fu to open this spot, which offers not one but two styles of dim sum. The Cantonese-style menu includes bites like chicken feet, turnip cakes, and sticky rice, while the Shanghai menu offers soup dumplings, scallion pancake, and wontons with spicy chile oil, among other treats. Even better? For those who prefer late-night dim sum, it’s open till 2 a.m. — complete with a full bar and a pool table. 3939 Chestnut Street Ordering style: À la carte

Dim Sum & Noodle Sandwiched between the Rodin Museum and the Community College of Philadelphia, this spot offers a menu of Chinese classics along with ramen bowls and, of course, dim sum. Try the edamame spiced with peppercorns, the steamed dumplings stuffed with watercress, and the fluffy char siu bao. 2000 Hamilton Street Ordering style: À la carte

Best Dim Sum in South Philly

Bing Bing Dim Sum

Bing Bing Dim Sum Ben Puchowitz and Shawn Darragh’s dumpling-centric spot offers a hipsteriffic take on dim sum classics, with dishes like cheesesteak bao (with Cooper sharp, onions and long hots), turnip cakes with matzoh, and beef dumplings spiked with caraway seed, mustard, and dill. The full menu includes inventive takes on noodle and rice dishes, too — try dishes like a spicy, mushroom-based mapo tofu and a butternut squash-based congee topped with chicken meatballs and a soft-cooked egg. 1648 East Passyunk Avenue Ordering style: À la carte

Wokano South Philly’s only authentic dim sum spot features carts brimming with dishes like bean curd, both steamed and pan-fried dumplings, and barbecued spare ribs. There are also Americanized standards like fried rice, lo mein, and kung pao chicken — but we recommend starting with something you may not have tried before, like steamed lotus leaf rice or baked conch served in its own shell. 1100 Washington Avenue Ordering style: From a cart

Best Dim Sum in Rittenhouse, Center City and Market East

Suga | Facebook

Buddakan I know, not what you’re normally thinking of when you’ve got a taste for dim sum. But Buddakan has a whole section of the menu dedicated to Chinese small plates, and it has modern, fancy (and expensive) takes on many of the classics. So if you’re looking for crab and lobster dumplings spiked with Myoga ginger, lobster egg rolls, edamame dumplings swimming in a truffled shallot and sauternes broth or, you know, just some wasabi mashed potatoes, this is the place to go. 325 Chestnut Street Ordering style: A la carte

Jane G’s While Jane G’s specializes in Szechuan cuisine, the dinner menu includes a full section of dumplings, with many dim sum favorites on the hot and cold appetizer menus. Don’t miss the shu mai, open-topped wontons stuffed with meat, or the Beef Lover’s Quarrel, a combination of cuts served with peanuts, chili oil, and cilantro. 1930 Chestnut Street Ordering style: À la carte

SuGa Susanna Foo’s city outpost offers a full slate of dim sum delicacies every Saturday and Sunday for brunch: staples like potstickers, wontons, spring rolls, and cucumber salad, plus a few items with nontraditional touches, like yellowfin tuna tacos and mushroom ravioli with truffle sauce. But if you’re dining during the week, know that many dim sum items pop up on the dinner menu as well. 1720 Sansom Street Ordering style: À la carte

Best Dim Sum in Northeast Philly and Beyond

Kung Fu Dim Sum | Facebook

China Gourmet This huge space seats upwards of 400 people. And one some days (weekends, especially) you STILL might have to wait for a table. Why? Because this Northeast Philly location (a new expansion from the original China Gourmet on Bustleton Avenue, which now has new owners and a new name) is smack in the middle of one of the city’s largest populations of Chinese residents and serves exactly what the overflow crowds of friends and families want: a variety of beautiful, comforting, delicious Cantonese-style dim sum in vast amounts. 2842 St. Vincent Street Ordering style: From a cart

Jade Harbor The menu at this Oxford Circle spot is enormous, but it offers a solid list of appetizers and small plates that functions as a de facto dim sum list. Shu mai, congee, cold jellyfish, geoduck, shrimp dumplings, and snails with black bean sauce — all there. And if you’re looking for literally anything else, the regular dinner menu is like six pages long, so you’ll probably find it here. 6836 Bustleton Avenue Ordering style: À la carte

Kung Fu Dim Sum Their cartoon mascot has a dumpling for a head and a pair of nunchucks. I love that. And they’ve got a menu that leans heavily in the dumplings-and-buns direction. I love that, too. If you find yourself out in the ‘burbs and looking for some snacks, check it out and see for yourself. 2305 Darby Road, Havertown Ordering style: À la carte

Source: https://www.phillymag.com/foobooz/2018/10/25/best-dim-sum-philadelphia/

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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This 12-year-old coder has a simple message for young girls with STEAM interests

Ask Bianca Lewis if she likes coding and she’ll tell you right away: Yes, especially Python and Arduino, but she hopes to one day dominate Ruby and C.

There’s no rush, though: At just 12 years old, she has plenty of time.

We caught up with Bianca, an energetic girl from New Jersey who’s passionate about STEAM and goes by BiaSciLab online, at a recent event featuring Girls Who Code CEO Reshma Saujani in an Old City hotel. Just outside the venue doors, as the event wrapped up and attendees lined up for autographs, Bianca was striking a similar note as Saujani: The inequities in tech make no sense, and they need to be squashed at an early age.

“I still don’t quite understand why men are the people who started everything,” she said. “Why did it end up being men striving for power?”

Bianca’s father, Eric Lewis, who works for Chester-based Power Home Remodeling, started connecting Bianca with tech in kindergarten, where she says she began to pick up the basic notions of programming using the Super Scratch Programming Adventure book.

The 12-year-old relies on social media and her blog to share her tech and science adventures. On Twitter, she’s showing off her soldering skills or daring conference goers to hack a network she set up. On her website, she’s giving a tutorial on how to establish an open-sourced cloud-based server. Search YouTube for her name and you’ll find her teaching other girls to write coded messages to their friends by way of cyphers.

“I just want to learn everything because technology is the future,” Bianca said. “I like doing anything with technology and science because it interests me. If there’s something out there that I can do, I’ll do it. Why can’t girls do it too? Why do only men have to do this?”

Ask her for a recent project she worked on and she’ll tell you all about WaterBot, an automated irrigation system she made for a science experiment requiring a precise amount of water to be added to plants at certain times of days. Next up on the robotics front? A WaterBot iteration that warms drinking water for horses during the wintertime, and monitors their hydration.

We asked Bianca, a staunch promoter of the need for diversity in tech, for a message aimed at young girls who feel that a career in tech is not for them.

“Just try,” she said. “If you don’t like it, do something else. And look for something you love. If you love fashion, program something to do with fashion like a light-up dress. If you’re into soccer, make a soccer game. If you’re into animals, do like I did with the Horse WaterBot. I’ve always known I was free to do whatever, and I wanna help other girls to do whatever they want to.”

-30- Source: https://technical.ly/philly/2019/03/06/biascilab-bianca-lewis-women-in-tech-new-jersey-12-year-old-coder/

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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What the triumphant return of Philly's former Metropolitan Opera House means for North Broad Street | Inga Saffron

Best of all, the neoclassical exterior has been impressively restored, with the original arched arcades, pilasters, and dentil moldings to enliven the long Broad Street facade. It won't be as glamorous as Hammerstein's original, which featured a lacy iron canopy over the entrance, but Blumenfeld plans a restaurant facing the street. It will be called "Oscars," of course. A neon blade sign, reminiscent of one that existed in the 1930s, will go up at the Poplar Street corner.

Source: http://www2.philly.com/philly/columnists/inga_saffron/metropolitan-opera-house-north-philadelphia-blumenfeld-hammerstein-20181115.html

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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Philadelphia police investigate several acts of anti-Columbus Day vandalism

SOUTH PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) --

Police are investigating multiple acts of Columbus Day-related vandalism in Philadelphia.

There are reports of several incidents around Columbus and Italian heritage landmarks around the city.

It was just a little after 4 a.m. at the Filitalia Foundation on Passyunk Avenue when surveillance video shows the suspect spray painting these messages outside: "Columbus=Mussolini=Rizzo=Trump=Facist," and "Italian Americans against racism, slavery, genocide, rape, stolen land."

The suspect is wearing a hood and mostly keeps his head down. But for a brief moment as he's about to leave he looks up. He appears to have a beard and glasses.

Police are calling what's written "anti-fascist" and "End Columbus Day" messages. But those from the foundation say it's without a doubt anti-Italian.

"Just hate. People are not in the proper mind and we should honor the past. You can't look at the future without knowing the past," said Pasquale Nestico of the Filitalia Foundation.

Nestico runs the center, and he acknowledges that some people think there should be an end to Columbus Day. But by vandalizing his property, he sees what this person did as blatant racism.

"They can have their opinion, but don't vandalize my property. Don't vandalize our mission," he said.

But the Columbus Day vandalize didn't stop there.

Officials say red paint was splattered on the Columbus Monument at Penn's Landing.

And back in South Philadelphia, the Christopher Columbus statue in Marconi Plaza was also defamed.

According to Jody Della Barba with the 1492 Association, what happened Monday is an attack on Italian-Americans throughout the Delaware Valley.

"It's gotta stop because if it doesn't stop it's gonna keep happening," Della Barba said. "It's an act of terrorism, that's what it is."

Right now, no arrests have been made. But police are hopeful that the surveillance video will lead them to who has behind all of this.

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Source: https://6abc.com/police-investigate-acts-of-anti-columbus-day-vandalism/4441550/

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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This Philly startup is out to get CloudMine’s old clients

Business

Nov. 9, 2018 11:52 am

After the Center City company filed for bankruptcy, the founders of another cloud compliance startup called Dash put up a splash page: It's waiving installation fees for former CloudMine customers.

This Philly startup is out to get CloudMine’s old clients

Source: https://technical.ly/philly/2018/11/09/dash-cloud-cloudmine-clients/

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19th Street Baptist pulls demolition permit for landmark church

A Philadelphia church designed by celebrated architects Frank Furness and George Hewitt is headed to the afterlife. The 19th Street Baptist Church secured a zoning permit Thursday to demolish its iconic Serpentine-clad house of worship.

The 145-year-old 1249 19th St. building is in dire condition. Protective fencing surrounds it, to protect passersby from stones that have been known to fall from its facade and roof. The congregation began seeking interested parties to purchase and rehabilitate the building last year, citing financial problems.

“Recognizing that [19th Street Baptist’s] emphasis on restoring the building has at times distracted from its core mission and that the fate of the building it has occupied since 1944 is central to its legacy,” church leaders said in a statement through Partners for Sacred Places.

The effort, evidently, did not succeed. Calls to Rev. Wilbur Winborne and the church’s main number were not immediately returned.

The applicant for the zoning permit, Landmark Architectural Design, is acting on behalf of the church, according to the city’s Department of Licenses & Inspections. A representative for the architectural firm did not offer a comment when reached at their offices on Friday afternoon.

The zoning permit secured on Thursday calls for the complete demolition of the church. The permit clears it for use as a vacant lot.

But the firm will also need to apply for a building permit and seek final approval from the city’s Historical Commission before any work can begin.

The building is on the Local Register of Historic Places, which means it cannot be easily demolished.

Instead, the applicant will have to convince the city’s Historical Commission that the building is “imminently dangerous” or presents an insurmountable financial hardship.

Preservationists describe the pending demolition as a tragedy.

Aaron Wunsch, an associate professor for historic preservation at the University of Pennsylvania and an expert on Furness’ legacy, has been working with the church for years to find a way to secure the historic building.

“That is tragic,” he said. “It’s a lowest common denominator solution and one that was probably presented to them as necessary by any would-be purchaser of the site.”

The building was designed by Furness and Hewitt and constructed in 1874 as an Episcopal church. The 19th Street Baptist Church congregation moved into the building in 1944, a time when black families were moving into the Point Breeze area.

The neighborhood is one of the city’s fastest gentrifying, according to researchers. Across South Philadelphia, historic churches are being demolished or redeveloped to make way for new housing.

“They do the dirty work of getting this done before a sale occurred. Because of course, it’s much easier to plead hardship as a church and then sell this than it is to plead hardship as a developer and then who bought it like this,” Wunsch said.

Source: http://planphilly.com/articles/2019/02/22/19th-street-baptist-pulls-demolition-permit-for-landmark-church

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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Police shoot and kill 2 pitbulls after 2 people attacked in Camden

Camden authorities are investigating an attack by 2 pitbulls Friday night.

It happened before 7 p.m. on Morgan Boulevard near 8th Street.

Officials say two pitbulls attacked an adult and child.

Police were called to the scene and officers shot and killed the dogs.

The victims were treated at the scene.

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Source: https://6abc.com/pets-animals/police-shoot-and-kill-2-pitbulls-after-2-people-attacked-in-camden/4471362/

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A new research center at Wharton wants to make a fintech hub out of Philly

A new research center at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School will focus on shaping what the next stage of fintech looks like.

The Stevens Center for Innovation in Finance bears the name of Wharton alum and donor Ross Stevens, the founder and CEO of New York-based financial services firm Stone Ridge Holdings Group. Through the new hub, students will have access to fintech research courses and mentorship, and companies in the financial sector will be able to connect with the center for student-led research projects.

“Penn’s unique mission has always been to take on the biggest real-world challenges and opportunities through knowledge-based and data-driven innovation,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann in a statement. “The mission of the Stevens Center is precisely this: to ensure that innovations in finance make the greatest positive contributions to businesses and communities across the globe.”

Faculty Director David Musto, the Ronald O. Perelman Professor in Finance, will lead the Stevens Center as it aims to use data analytics to better understand how tech is influencing the financial services industry.

“I am thrilled that the Stevens Center will make it possible for Wharton to greatly expand the ways we study and shape the FinTech revolution,” Musto said. “I have known Ross [Stevens] since we were classmates in graduate school together and I am very much looking forward to working with him again to make the Stevens Center a game changer both for Wharton and for financial services.”

Though we’ll cede that New York and San Francisco amass much of the country’s top names in fintech, Philly does have a fintech cluster of its own. Nearby Wilmington, with its growing fintech ecosystem and names like CapitalOne and JP Morgan Chase in town, might also stand to benefit from the new center in Philly.

On April 3, the center will host its inaugural event, featuring Jackie Reses, head of Square Capital, and David Klein, CEO of CommonBond.

-30- Source: https://technical.ly/philly/2019/03/15/university-of-pennsylvania-wharton-school-stevens-center-for-innovation-in-finance-ross-stevens/

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ashport92-blog · 5 years

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The AAF highlights the need for a true NFL minor league

The AAF, the fledgling independent football league with former and hopeful NFL players, coaches, and executives, enters its third week of play this weekend. It almost didn’t. Enjoy it while it lasts, because the AAF is already on life support.

According to the sources, there was one enormous problem, one that became obvious even before the AAF’s second weekend (Feb. 16-17) of games: The league was running short on cash, and quickly. Without new investors, there was a good chance it was going to miss payroll last Friday.

“Without a new, nine-figure investor, nobody is sure what would have happened,” one source said. “You can always tell people their checks are going to be a little late, but how many are going to show up on the weekend for games when they don’t see anything hit their bank accounts on Friday?”

On Tuesday, multiple sources told The Athletic, the AAF will announce that Carolina Hurricanes majority owner Tom Dundon, a self-made billionaire from Dallas, has become that nine-figure investor. Dundon will be introduced as the league’s new chairman after last week’s commitment of $250 million enabled the AAF to meet its obligations.

This league is not going to survive, and the out of the gate financial woes further show that the NFL needs to have its own developmental league.

A development league has plenty of benefits, and the AAF is displaying many of them. The removal of kickoffs and the addition of another official, the “sky judge”, are the kind of rule and format changes that minor leagues serve as testing grounds for. They’ve also shortened the play clock, two point conversions are the only point after attempts, and overtime is a blend of college’s each team getting the ball and the NFL’s single period of OT. Some may be adopted by the NFL down the road after being seen in action. The only way to know how a change will work is to actually try it, so kudos to the AAF for trying.

The league has players who just needed an opportunity to get noticed by the NFL. Greg Ward Jr. was a quarterback in college and spent two training camps and a season on the practice squad with the Eagles converting to receiver, he is the leading pass catcher for the San Antonio Commanders. Fellow former Eagle Winston Craig is third in the league in sacks. Birmingham Iron QB Luis Perez spent two weeks on the Rams practice squad in 2018, he’ll likely be on someone’s training camp roster in July. Jamar Summers was in camp with the Steelers, he’ll be in camp somewhere this year. Sack leader Karter Schult will be too. Some people just need chances.

And not just on the field. With each team comes coaching opportunities. Lito Sheppard, OJ Atogwe, and Az-Zahir Hakim are young coaches in their first years coaching NFL caliber players. Mike Vick was to be Brad Childress’s offensive coordinator before Childress resigned. Nowhere else has Vick gotten a chance. The league also has three female coaches.

The AAF is giving chances. But those chances are limited, because it’s not going to last, just like the USFL, XFL, UFL and everything in between. NFL Europe failed because the league half assed it, but it also lasted for 15 seasons. The NFL needs a true minor league, one that doesn’t care about television ratings or is dependent on attendance revenue or a last minute $250 million dollar investment to survive. The only path is one run by the NFL.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/2019/2/19/18231815/aaf-financial-struggles-nfl-developmental-league-bailout-teams-football-news-2019-highlights-minor

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