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Coldest Christmas Eve-Christmas Day in over 30 years
Expecting a new scarf or mittens under the tree? You might need them in Philly this Christmas, which is forecast to be one of the chilliest in recent memory.
- When a cold front at the end of the week blasts the region with arctic air — and snarls plane and highway travel — temps won’t get out of the 20s, according to the National Weather Service.
That would make for this city’s coldest combination of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day since 1989, per meteorologist Sarah Johnson.
What does your neighborhood smell like?
Ginger, peppercorn, tobacco leaf, aged teak, sandalwood, amber, dark musk: that’s how Wynnefield “smells” to Jocelyn Johnson and Nadira Tarboro-Howard.
- At Philadelphia Candle Co., the pair of entrepreneurs are trying to capture the vibes of different parts of the city — via scent — in a coconut wax, hand-poured candle.
So far the women have fashioned aromas for nine neighborhoods, Asha Prihar reports, and they make a great last-minute gift.
RECAP: What else happened?
$ = paywalled
- Christopher Williams, a wrongfully convicted man exonerated last year after three decades in prison, was fatally shot at a funeral, one more victim of Philadelphia’s ongoing shooting crisis. [WHYY/NBC10]
- The “57 Blocks Project” is a Black Clergy-led group of community orgs mobilizing to curb shootings in high-violence areas. They recently presented their work to City Council. [WHYY/@Presby_Phl]
- Starting the winter pattern, city water mains broke in two locations yesterday, flooding parts of Manayunk and Roosevelt Boulevard. Philadelphia has one of the oldest systems in the nation, and major pipes burst an average of 776 times each year. [CBS3/6ABC/Billy Penn]
- A rare Ibach piano that survived the holocaust and was restored in South Philadelphia is now the subject of a short video documentary. [BP 2021/LA Times]
- What must-visit or underrated restaurants await in Northeast Philly? Three locals dish on their faves, including lots of hidden gems. [Eater]
- An Eagles staffer sent Doug Pederson 35 cheesesteaks to thank the Philly Special-famous coach after his current team beat Dallas with a thrilling comeback. National media kept referring to the sandwiches as “Phillys” (no) or even “Phillies,” which is just silly. [PhillyVoice/YouTube/BP 2016/@NFLonFOX]
The story you didn’t read
⭐ Highlighting good BP articles you might’ve missed ⭐
- Headlines of Yore: Remembering Joey Giardello, the South Philly boxing champ who beat ‘Hurricane’ Carter and sued over a Hollywood biopic.
MAYOR WATCH
Nothing on Mayor Kenney’s public schedule today. Earlier this week he appointed Basil Merenda, a Wolf admin veteran, as new head of the city’s Department of Labor. His former deputy mayor of labor, Rich Lazer, resigned last month.
ON THE CALENDAR
? Unique Christmas Day activity — a bit pricey, but it’s the holidays: For $95, you can learn how to make your own pot stickers at the Philadelphia Dumpling Academy. (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 25)
?️ Have guests coming or just want to play tourist? Take the special holiday edition of the Official Historic Philadelphia Walking Tour, a 45-min jaunt through Old City that ends with hot chocolate. $15 adults, $7 kids. (Monday-Friday, Dec. 26-30)
? Calling all Harry Potter fanatics: the “Hogwarts Express” lineup is bringing a marathon of all eight of the movies to the Philadelphia Film Center at Broad and Chestnut. Tickets are $14. (Monday-Saturday, Dec. 26-31)