Schuylkill Crossing bridge opening; Thanksgiving parade firstival; Sixers arena plans

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Shadow and light
(Photo by @erin.witman)

The Schuylkill Crossing Swing Bridge is ready to open

Philly pedestrians and cyclists will finally have easy access to the Schuylkill Crossing Swing Bridge that will connect Bartram’s Garden and Grays Ferry Crossing.

The addition of the bridge connects the two ends of the Schuylkill Banks and adds a 1,000-foot trail segment that extends the Schuylkill River Trail to 4.7 miles of continuous path.

Pedestrians and cyclists previously had to use the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge to get across the river, in a barrier separated lane alongside four lanes of highway traffic. Continue reading…

The Schuylkill Crossing Swing Bridge. (Courtesy of Schuykill Banks)

Philly’s Thanksgiving parade created the blueprint for the U.S.

The Gimbel’s Thanksgiving Day Parade originally aimed to get customers into the department store for holiday sales. It ended up becoming an iconic celebration reaching thousands. And the Philly event is now the longest-running Thanksgiving parade in the United States.

This Saturday’s Firstival will feature craft-making, children’s activities and an exhibit celebrating the Gimbels at the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History. Continue reading…

Todd Marcocci, the current co-producer of the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade, shows off different photos and artifacts from older Thanksgiving Day parades (Violet Comber-Wilen/Billy Penn)

BP Quizzo Question of the Day

Philadelphia is home to the nation’s oldest diamond district. What is it called?

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Here’s where you can get free flu and COVID-19 vaccines in Philadelphia. [WHYY]

• Democrats take full control of Pennsylvania government. What does it mean for schools? [Chalkbeat]

• Philadelphia Housing Authority’s first Center City apartments are finally moving forward near Rittenhouse Square, with a scheduled completion date in 2028. [WHYY’s PlanPhilly]

• Developers of the new $2 billion Sixers and Flyers arena hope to lure fans away from parking lot tailgates and into restaurants, bars and other attractions. [WHYY]

• Review: ‘I Play Rocky’ is no knockout, but Anthony Ippolito packs a punch. [Billy Penn]

• Eight Philly spots were named on OpenTable’s list of top 100 restaurants in America. [PhillyVoice]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker speaks at the street renaming ceremony celebrating the 80th anniversary of The Links, founded in Philadelphia in 1946 with a focus on sisterhood, leadership and community service. At 4700 Kingsessing Ave. (12:30 p.m.)

Parker later joins officials at the Sturgis Recreation Center to unveil a plan to address quality-of-life concerns. (2:30 p.m.)

Highlights from Billy Penn’s City Guide

Ryerss Museum and Library holds history of Philly’s Fox Chase and beyond
The history of Fox Chase traces back to European settlers who arrived here decades before William Penn arrived.
Who let the cats out? A catwalk through Philly’s Cedar Park neighborhood
The Philadelphia region has a higher than average cat population compared to other metro areas. Many of those felines reside in West Philly’s Cedar Park.

ON THE CALENDAR

Philadelphia Contemporary Craft Show turns 50 this weekend,
Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival kicks off,
FiberFest Art Opening (Sunday),
West Philly Cat Walk (Sunday),
AND MORE!

See the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!