June 22, 2007
Our hosts today are Erica and Travis who, as of a few weeks ago, are officially Ph.D. candidates in the Drexel Physics program. They will be the Yoda to your Luke, showing you where to find cheap beer, cheap food, and moderately priced fencing lessons. Posing with them (upper-center) is Mario the Magnificent, the Drexel mascot, who was sculpted by Eric Berg. People wishing to see more of his work should check out our
tour of Fitler Square/Grad hospital, and look for the bear.
I couldn't have said it better myself. \"Welcome to Drexel University. Home of the Dragons.\" Indeed. Growl. Apparently, this is where the grad students go to play basketball when I chase them out of the conference room for being too loud. In fairness, though, have you heard some of the debates they have in there?
Still on Drexel campus. This is in the gated community known as the school of Information Science and Technology. This fountain is known as, I kid you not, \"The Fountain of Knowledge.\"
Far be it from me to doubt the veracity of our graduate students, but they make the rather astounding claim that this is the busiest 7-11 on the East Coast. Truly! Right here in our midst! Who knew?
But why did I pick this shot? Funny you should ask. Shortly after we arrived, a car from the Philadelphia Parking Authority pulled up, parked staggeringly illegally on the sidewalk, and about 7 parking cops got out (I swear, it was just like one of those clown cars). I thought the irony should be recorded for posterity.
How festive! Apparently these houses were condemned because they had no front steps. See the new wooden steps? Now they're back in business!
Ever find yourself with the late-night munchies (if you know what I mean), with a strong desire to hear some bongos? Well, apparently the Community Education Center is the place to get your hippie on.
Ed's Buffalo Wings and Pizza
3513 Lancaster
Erica says that here's where you go when you would like a slice of pizza. In a followup interview, she confirms that the pizza is good.
In the reflection of the Mad Greek (or Greek's depending on which sign you believe), you can see our valient crew. Despite indications from the outside, this is where you should go to get beer. Why? Because these poor kids are subject both to the Draconian PA liquor laws, and the vagaries of fate, which means that there is no beer distributor near by. This is the best they can do. Unless you want to go to Scooters... And apparently, you don't.
Fencing Academy of Philadelphia
3523 Lancaster
I do not know where on the beginner to Olympian spectrum Donna (another of our Physics grad students who has also recently passed her quals!) falls, but she apparently trains here.
Power Yoga Works
3527 Lancaster
While we're on the subject of graduate student workouts, here's the Yoga place where Erica apparently achieves inner peace. Those who know her would doubtless attest to her tranquility.
Travis loves this newspaper dispenser (for the Philadelphia Independent) which has three pictures, including one which resembles nothing so much as an angry, aging Velma from Scooby Do...
Along with her friends, the gadfly and the ambiguous lady in a bikini.
All this in front of a store where you can apparently get your \"chemicals\".
Get thee to a nunnery. Except that this isn't anymore. It's apartments. But it does look like a castle as two out of two graduate students independently confirm.
And in front, apart from a very nice view, we see that there's a Philly Car Share spot. And you know how we loves the Philly Car Share here at photophilly!
Remember the halcyon, heady days of the Kennedies? Now you can relive them here at Camelot apartments! Apparently 4 of our students (Erica, Mike, Donna and Ben) have all chosen to do so, and they're the veritable royalty of the grad program! Or so I assume.
As long as we're on Spring Garden, let's check out a garden. Umm, moving on. The real reason we're here...
is to pick up Travis's little girl, Hazel, from daycare. Honestly, she is one of the sweetest, well-behaved, cutest, most articulate, happiest kids I have ever seen in my life. In fairness, though, she really wasn't as conversant in as many West Philly landmarks as I might have liked. She only seemed to know playgrounds for some reason.
Congratulations to this garden! It won an award. The little placard reads,\"Outstanding landscape treatment of shaded side yard with select shrubs and variegated foliage plants. 409 N. 36th Street,\" and was presented by University City Green.
Look at the Metropolitan Baptist Church. So majestic! And impregnable!
Katharine (one of our former students, who is now a physics master) used to live here until she was awoken one night to the sounds of it burning down. Apparently, tales of its demise were somewhat overstated, as it's back in business. What's more -- Katharine harbors no ill will. She's planning on moving back in!
This, folks, is not staged. It is a genuine 2 1/2 year-old caught in the act of enjoying the crap out of the slide. Try as we might, by the way, we couldn't find any signs telling us the name of the park. If you find any, please let me know.
Travis, who grew up in Las Vegas, was apparently amused that the local bomb shelter was in an elementary school. The rest of us, who grew up on the East Coast, didn't understand his amusement.
Stan's Deli
3632 Powelton Ave
The kids said it, and I can't deny it. The sandwiches are fantastic! I got an all turkey \"Drexel\" (which apparently is their name for a cole-slaw Reuben sub), and I could only finish half.
Travis only needs one more punch (which he subsequently will get -- and then some!) in order to earn himself a FREE sandwich. No wonder he's smiling.
Here's a really nice mural on the back side of West Philadelphia University City High School.
The Comcast Building bestrides this narrow world like a collossus.
Where do you go when you have a colloquium speaker, and want to take him/her out for decent dinner? Since the dawn of time, man has struggled with this question. An adequate answer is \"Lemon Grass.\" Decent Thai food, very good lunch special.
Even better (in my opinion) is Zocalo, which serves contemporary Mexican cuisine. The prices aren't cheap, but the food is good, and there are many seafood-y options.
Now we find ourselves at the front of the West Philadelphia University High school. Damn. That's a big school. Just look at it on the map!
Those who know me (Dave) well, are probably already aware that I'm deeply intrigued by futuristic underground societies. Well, here's where the future meets the present, and where the above ground trolleys begin (and end) their trip deep into the bowels of Philadelphia!
The Divine Enterprise was apparently opened during the Prohbition, and was run by \"Father\" and \"Mother\" Divine. This building was home of the \"Divine Tracy\" hotel, where you could stay for very cheap, but only if you were willing to take in some proslethyzing. Alas, it closed a couple of years ago.
The view of Center City from 36th and Chestnut.
It makes me deeply sad to report this, but apparently the Wawa is the graduate student destination of choice, when they want to take their snacking up a notch. That's right. This is their \"fancy\" destination. To the left is Pizza Rustica. Better, and somewhat fancier than the normal grad school pizza.
I am once again deeply skeptical, but our guides claim that this was the very first Urban Outfitters.
This is the \"edible forest\", a name that I take issue with. After all, all forests are edible to somebody!
Mad 4 Mex. Decent, relatively cheap, Mexican food. It is very hard to beat their lunch special.
Wow! Sansom Street is jumping this evening. All the folks around and about in the Black Cat (gift shop), White Dog (eco/local friendly semi-fancy restaurant), and the Saturn Club (apparently a Hair Salon and Coffee Shop??). Down the way a bit is the Bubble House, where you can get little tapioca balls in just about any beverage you choose. They also, strange to say, apparently have very delicious burgers.
The New Deck is also a popular favorite. Don't go with too large a group, though, or you'll be deported to the basement gulag.
Okay. So maybe I'm just an old Curmudgeon, but I just don't get the point of this place. Or rather, I sort of get the idea of an all cereal restaurant, but I don't quite get how they can stay in business. I mean, sure, I'd go once. But there must be people who go all of the time. Who are the people who eat cereal in a restaurant every day?
Oh, Pod. You are hipper than thou, or in this case, me. And yes, you have good sushi. But you are also very expensive. And very complicated on the inside. Perhaps I'm scared by all of the glowing lights. Or perhaps I'm just not a huge fan of Stephen Starr.
It was around this point in the tour when I began to suspect that our grad students are hitting the sauce a bit much. Apparently Cavanaugh's is yet another place where they are regulars.
And Blarney Stone is another. They claim that they go there because of the awesome pool table and juke box, but I'm not sure I buy that.
Here are Erica, Travis, Cara (Travis's wife), and Hazel in front of the Philly Diner, another West Philly landmark.
The University of Pennsylvania is a freaking building machine! Here is yet more construction. Apparently, they are pretty cutthroat in their purchase of land in West Philly (though at times I wish that Drexel were a bit better at this game). Apparently, they encourage faculty to purchase houses with the understanding that they (Penn) can buy back the land when they want to build.
This is the Freshgrocer, on 40th and Walnut, where you can shop, or buy illicit snacks to sneak into the movie theater across the street. Note the weird building juxtaposition on the left hand side. At the base of that is a Metropolitan bakery. They have really excellent dog biscuits, which have bacon fat in them. Henry cannot get enough.
The Bridge plays a few arthouse pictures, but mainly sticks to big mainstream movies. They will also give you assigned seating on evening showings, which is fun.
We conclude part 1 of the grad student tour at the Marvelous, which sells records, comic books, and the like, and with the wholly unbelievable claim by Erica that despite her other nerdly traits, she does not, in fact, read comic books.
