The good life, it feels like Philly?

I have conflicting feelings about Philadelphia: constantly gray, filthy, home of possibly the WORST traffic engineering in the world, and with a nightlife leaving quite a bit to be desired, I sometimes write off Philly as a black sheep amongst other amazing urban cities. Easier said than done, I believe we should refrain from judging anything before giving it a decent chance. Being said, I owe an apology to Philly. If you look hard enough, you can find gems unique to Philadelphia, and I can honestly say I look forward to stumbling upon more. So here's to Filthadelphia, may you continue to be endearing grimy.

A few of my favorite Philly finds and claims to fame:

1. The Fabric Workshop and Museum.

Believe me, textiles don't exactly get me jumping for joy. When I heard about this, I figured I'd be showered with yellowing relics you wish you could forget once and for all. I found instead an admission price so cheap it's almost unheard of ($3) and some really impressive artwork. Currently a Robert Wilson exhibit is on display, and definately worth looking at pretty closely. Amongst other things, I saw an actual flea circus, and LIFE-SIZE INFLATIBLE WHALE, and some really inspiring prints. The Fabric Workshop and Museum offers apprenticeships for high schools students, an impressive group of resident artists, and a girft shop with the most adorable and unique pieces I've seen in awhile. Definately a worthy Philly find.

VOOM- Robert Wilson

The Fabric Workshop and Museum

1214 Arch Street

215.561.8888

2. The Roots

Hip-hop artists...with a band? I still don't understand why more artists haven't experimented with this brilliant combination! Looking at my poster bearing Questlove as I type this, I can fairly say The Roots, hailing from Philly of course, are one of those groups which allow me to respect and love hip-hop regardless of the particularly heinous concoctions we hear overplayed on mainstream radio. Check out "Here I Come", "Break You Off", "You Got Me", and "The Seed".

3. First Friday

On the First Friday of each month, the 40+ art galleries in Old City are all open for free to the public from 5-9. F.U.E.L, my personal favorite, has great talent both musically and artistically. They promote young artists (the U standing for "Undergraduate") and if you're a pop culture junkie, the site is where MTV's Real World Philadelphia was filmed.

the f.u.e.l. collection

249 arch street

.215.592.8400

4. Ms. Tootsie's

Words cannot describe the experience I felt after eating at this soul food cafe- and as a vegetarian I didn't even taste their very best dishes.. Beyond their gorgeous interior design and friendly and helpful staff, the food is completely scrumpious and ecstasy inducing. The setting is upscale, but the mood is so pleasantly casual and you can't help but be drawn to the laughter and dancing in this South Street restaurant. The tropical iced tea is basically the nectar of the gods, and their coconut cake is flawlessy...and don't even get me started on the entrees.

Ms. Tootsie's Soul Food Cafe

1314 South Street

215.731.9045

5. Street Art

I love street art. I feel happy whenever I accidently stumble upon some, it's so ambiguous and raw: I love the energy. On my most recent assignment for my photography class, I was instructed to to find and photograph street art in its various forms. I ventured to Cecil B. Moore Avenue...one dead rat and a handful of loud-mouthed car mechanics later, I found some interesting images. Though the endless R.I.P's are a constant reminder of the neighborhood's history, the colors are so vibrant and the locations so unconventional (sidewalks, fire hydrants, windows, etc.) they still felt thoughtful, hopeful, and potent. Personally, I like wondering who made this art, why, and how they get to some really awkward places to work. No matter how simple the design, the stories behind them are so complex they become something more. And not all of it is simple- I have a lot of admiration for artists who can manipulate such difficult media and still produce ornate, wild creations.