Patronage, politics, and parking tickets: Why the PPA is the way it is
The Philadelphia Parking Authority’s history is even more convoluted than you probably thought.
Secret Philly
Secret Philly takes you behind the scenes to places that are hidden — or just overlooked — around the city.
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100 acres of horses, pumpkins, and aviators: The history of the Philadelphia County Fair, and its modern Fairmount Park cousin
The sweet potato pie contests in the early 2000s were 🔥.
When Philly had a championship-winning Black baseball team: Remembering the Philadelphia Stars
The franchise took top honors in the 1934 Negro National League season.
Stikman-style street art is popping up in Philly crosswalks to support peace in Ukraine
Keep your eyes peeled for the little blue-and-yellow robot characters.
Music recording history: Philadelphia Orchestra’s starring role in Disney’s famed ‘Fantasia’
Philly artists played an instrumental part in bringing stereo sound to the silver screen.
The story of Zitner’s Butter Krak Eggs and Philly’s 100-year-old Easter tradition
The Philadelphia confectioner started in a garage a century ago now sells candy in Texas and Arizona.
The Philly story of creamy, flavorful Cooper Sharp cheese, as ‘American’ as the city it calls home
And some the best ways to eat it around Philadelphia.
The Village of Arden is an idyllic, ‘single tax’ arts community just south of Philly that’s lasted over 120 years
Located in Delaware, the village has had some well-known residents.
Thin Mints or Caramel deLites? Girl Scout cookie season got its start in Philadelphia
You’re welcome, America.
125 years after women founded The Plastic Club to break into a men-only scene, the arts group is thriving
With headquarters in Center City and a popular exhibit on Instagram, the club is recruiting new members.
How Giovanni’s Room reinvented itself to succeed as the oldest gay bookstore in the country
The shop has been an LGBTQ haven for nearly 50 years.
Secret Philly: Inside the Masonic Temple, the intricate landmark next to City Hall
A hidden network of rafters, a plaster “death mask,” and a warning about ice cream.
The best place in Philadelphia to see the summer solstice sunrise
Belmont Plateau’s skyline view makes the morning magic even better.
The North Philly corner bar that brings together Latino regulars and queer clientele
Upstairs Rainbow Eye was started as a separate spot, but now it’s just part of Sammy’s Place.
‘Nothing left uncarved’: A guide to the 250 sculptures on Philadelphia City Hall
Hundreds of figures, creatures, and symbols adorn the sides of the largest municipal building in the country.
Secret Philly: The 1914 trash cleanup program that gained nationwide fame
The weeklong effort was so robust it was called “a model” for other cities to follow.
Secret Philly: The history of Swann Memorial Fountain, from execution site to temperance monument
Logan Circle’s picturesque oasis has a fascinating backstory.
When yellow fever ravaged Philadelphia, Black residents were asked for help. Then they died.
During the early stages of the 18th century epidemic, doctors believed African Americans were immune.
Secret Philly: How the City Hall clocks adjust for Daylight Saving Time
The 235-pound minute hands have to be manually adjusted.
Secret Philly: The story of Rosa Photo, that FBI fingerprinting truck at 16th and Callowhill
Started by a lawyer from the Dominican Republic, the business became a staple in the Philly immigrant community.