Elena’s Soul: YOUCIE Karaoke in Baltimore Avenue’s Soul Food Mecca
Posted by Samantha Lazar on February 12, 2010
Elena’s Soul, described as a “showcase lounge and café” is a mix between a dark bar, a chill lounge, a hip café, a glowing den, and a raucous party – all with soul food thrown in. The place (for lack of a better term) is on 49th and Baltimore, and is filled with regulars seemingly every night of the week. One of the times it comes alive most, though, is Wednesday evenings when DJ Kev busts out the karaoke machine.
Karaoke at Elena’s Soul is a unique West Philly event, making it the perfect spot for the next YOUCIE event. YOUCIE is University City’s young friends group, and they regularly hold events throughout the year for young professionals and over-21 students to mix, mingle, and enjoy what the area has to offer. The event will be Wednesday evening, February 17th, and the bar will be running happy hour specials the whole time. But, even better, if you RSVP (address below), you’ll get your first drink free! ...
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Related Destination: Elena's Soul - Showcase, Lounge & Cafe »
Related Categories: Dining + Food, Entertainment, Nightlife + Bars
Pecha Kucha Night at Studio 34!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on January 27, 2010
Ever heard of “Pecha Kucha” (pronounced peh-CHAK-cha)? From the Japanese word meaning “chit-chat,” Pechu Kucha has been dubbed “show-and-tell for the 21st century.” It’s essentially a Power Point presentation unlike all the boring ones that lulled you to sleep in dim lecture halls. Rather, it’s interesting, informative, and often very funny. What makes it special is that it’s rapid-fire: the presenters show 20 slides, each for only 20 seconds. The slides generally have very few words on them – you’re supposed to listen and look, not read info.
Baltimore Avenue’s Studio 34 has played host to several Philly Pecha Kucha presentations in the past, and this Saturday (Jan.30) will be the fourth installment. Studio 34 is a great venue...
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Related Destination: Studio 34 Yoga|Healing|Arts »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
The Penn Ice Rink: Skating Central for University City
Posted by Samantha Lazar on January 14, 2010
There's no doubt that winter has hit hard this year. What with the freezing temperatures, that massive blizzard, and ice choking the Schuylkill, Philly has certainly taken on the feel of an arctic city. You could complain about the cold. Or, instead, why not embrace the season with one of winter's most time-honored activities? Go ice skating!
A lot of people know about the ice rink at Penn's Landing on the Delaware River, but for those of us on the western side of the city there is a rink much closer to home, The Penn Ice Rink at the Class of 1923 Arena, on 31st and Walnut, which is celebrating its 40th season this winter. The rink is home to hockey teams from local universities and high schools, and it also hosts Open Hockey for anyone who wants to practice their skills and have some fun. They offer skating lessons (private and group) as well....
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Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Sports
World Café Live: Live Music and Tasty Food – a Perfect Combination
Posted by Samantha Lazar on November 24, 2009
World Café Live is a gem of a music venue. Just barely on our side of the Walnut Street bridge, it’s close enough to Center City to draw in a varied assortment of people (including those ignorant types who think anything west of the Schuylkill is a hike), and its proximity to 30th Street Station makes it possibly the most accessible venue in the city.
Always bustling, World Café is a two level music venue, the home of WXPN, and a fabulous restaurant all rolled into one. Their programming is varied and prodigious (check out the full upcoming schedule here), with shows playing almost every day of the week. They bring in local acts as well as big name stars, and the shows are usually aimed at adults (you won’t find many screaming teens in attendance, though you’ll probably spot a few people pushing sixty). ...
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Related Destination: World Cafe Live »
Related Categories: Dining + Food, Entertainment, Nightlife + Bars, Culture
Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” at the Annenberg Center
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 28, 2009
The Globe Theatre of London, arguably the world’s best Shakespeare company, is at The Annenberg Center for just five days, performing a rowdy, energetic, and altogether excellent performance of “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” one of the bard’s earlier and lesser-known comedies.
The company normally performs in a London venue that is more like a stadium than a theater – it’s a reconstruction of the open-roofed Renaissance theater that Shakespeare’s works were originally performed in. For this rare U.S. tour – the company’s first in four years – they are re-creating the feel of their famous home stage, and the Annenberg’s Zellerbach Theatre fills the role admirably. The lights stay on in the house the whole time (in London, with no roof and no stage lights, works were and are performed by daylight), and the actors...
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Related Destination: Annenberg Center »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
Ready > Run at the Klein Art Galley: Classic Video Games Gone Crazy!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 22, 2009
Your mother was wrong – all those hours spent staring at a screen and pushing little buttons turned out to be worthwhile after all! At least, they did for the artists whose work is currently on display in the Esther M. Klein Art Gallery’s “Ready > Run” exhibit, which is running until November 7th. The gallery is dedicated to exploring the intersections between science, technology, and art, and is in the lobby of the Science Center at 36th and Market Streets. Just walking into the building induced an instant flashback to twenty years ago, sitting on the floor ...
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Related Destination: Esther Klein Gallery (EKG) Project Space »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
Peoplehood Parade & Pageant: Saturday, 10/24!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 19, 2009
Get excited for one of the most unique sights of the season: Spriral Q Puppet Theatre’s 10th annual Peoplehood Parade and Pageant.
Originally scheduled for Saturday October 17th, the event has wisely been pushed to the following week, the 24th, due to horrendous weather. Hopefully the sun will smile on West Philly and the true colors of the parade will shine forth – because, oh boy, there are a lot of colors!
If you’re not familiar with it already, Spiral Q is something of a blend between a puppet theater (regularly putting on performances), a giant puppet factory (the puppets themselves and the sheer number that they churn out are both giant, and are on display at their museum), and a community organizer and neighborhood touchstone....
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Related Destination: Spiral Q Puppet Theater »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Parks, Culture
Schuylkill Banks River Tour: A Float Through History
Posted by Samantha Lazar on October 13, 2009
In Dutch "Schuylkill" means "hidden river." During Philadelphia's early history it was "hidden" because it was so far away from the center of town, which was alongside the Delaware, that few city dwellers ever ventured over to its banks (though my main man Benny F. was a big fan of its tranquility and liked to relax on its shores). During the industrial era people wished it was hidden, but had a hard time avoiding its filth and stench -- for years a slaughterhouse near 30th Street poured steams of blood and offal directly into its waters. Nowadays, though, the Schuylkill doesn't deserve its dirty reputation; The Schuylkill River Development Corporation has been working hard to revive the river, and it is no longer the wasteland of its industrial days. Over 45 species of fish now thrive in its waters, people run and jog alongside...
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Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture
The Annenberg Center: Like the Kimmel, but Farther
Posted by Samantha Lazar on September 24, 2009
The Annenberg Center, conveniently located on Penn’s Campus, is one of Philadelphia’s premiere performing arts venues. Every season their three theatres host a huge array of programming, ranging from music, to dance, to theatre, to student productions.
The critically acclaimed “Penn Presents” series brings outstanding professional productions to West Philly, and this fall’s line-up is looking exceptionally fabulous. “Thank You Gregory,” which runs from October 6th through 10th, is “a tribute to the legends of tap.” The show will feature live music, dancing (of course!) and multimedia projections, paying homage to big names like Fred Astaire and Gregory Hines. After “Thank You Gregory” comes “MacHomer,” a one-man blend of “MacBeth” and “The Simpsons” that’s sure to fill the nearly 1,000-seat Zellerbach auditorium. Rick Miller performs the hysterical spectacular, imitating 50 voices from “The Simpsons” while performing a version of “MacBeth” ...
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Related Destination: Annenberg Center »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture
The Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival in U. City
Posted by Samantha Lazar on September 13, 2009
It’s early September, which means the Live Arts & Philly Fringe Festival is in full swing! Every year the festival inundates the city with two weeks of experimental and edgy performances spread across the whole metropolitan area. Luckily, many of the shows are happening at venues throughout West Philly.
I was lucky enough to catch the Live Arts experimental dance/performance art piece “STORE” this past weekend. A world premiere, it was the third and final piece of the “American Spaces Trilogy,” following on the heels of past years’ fringe productions “HOUSE” and “CAR.” An interdisciplinary performance company, Kate Watson-Wallace/Anonymous Bodies, took over the former Rite Aid on 42nd and Walnut and turned the empty store into an overwhelmingly surreal space ...
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Related Categories: Entertainment, Culture
Performances, Festivals, and More at The Rotunda
Posted by Samantha Lazar on August 7, 2009
You know about The Rotunda, right? It’s hard to find someone in West Philly who isn’t at least passably familiar with the gorgeous old church-turned-arts-venue at 40th and Walnut. Once a little-used empty space whose awesome architecture had fallen into disrepair, the building was taken over in 1996 and transformed into a community gathering place determined to use art as a catalyst for social change. Situated on the edge of Penn’s campus, many efforts aim at building bridges between the university and the surrounding community. ...
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Related Destination: The Rotunda »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture
Studio 34 Yoga, Healing, Arts
Posted by Samantha Lazar on August 3, 2009
Just over a year old, Studio 34 is a hip and happening yoga studio whose mission is to foster a “community that nurtures individuals and families in their pursuit of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.” With tons of events and classes going on year-round in their airy, comfy Baltimore Avenue studio, they’re well on their way to uniting the community, healing our ills, and saving the world. (Well, at least a little piece of it!)
Classes are offered every day of the week for just $10, with special discounts making some classes just $5 or even Pay What You Can. They run the gamut from your expected yoga, pilates, and Tai Chi to more unusual offerings ...
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Related Categories: Entertainment, Goods + Services, Culture, Sports
Free Shakespeare in Clark Park!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on July 31, 2009
Ah, Shakespeare in the park. It’s one of those unofficial rites of summer that people come to expect. If you’ve never seen a Shakespeare performance in a park before, you might not understand what’s so great about it – which is all the more reason to get yourself to Clark Park to see the “The Comedy of Errors” this weekend!
Clark Park is a gem of West Philly, coming alive with children, dogs, exercisers, the farmers’ market and more every summer. Adding to the fun, Shakespeare in Clark Park had been producing free outdoor plays since 2005. This year’s choice is one of the bard’s most popular comedies, and the play features a whole slew of Philly’s comedic actors, with Luigi Sottile (as Antipholus of Syracuse) and David Sweeney (playing many different characters) turning in especially hysterical performances.
...
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Related Destination: Clark Park »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Clark Park, Parks, Culture
A Treasure Trove of History at The Penn Museum
Posted by Samantha Lazar on July 20, 2009
When was the last time you came face to face with a 12-ton sphinx? I bet I’ve got you beat on this one: I did yesterday. The giant sphinx of Pharaoh Ramsses II, dating from around 1200 BC, is one of the most-visited residents of 3260 South Street, also known as the Penn Museum.
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is one of the greatest history museums in the world. Unfortunately, far too few people seem to know this! ...
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Related Destination: Penn Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture, Universities + Colleges
Drexel Park: Best View in Philly
Posted by Samantha Lazar on July 13, 2009
If you’re a Drexel student or hang out in the area much, you’ve probably noticed a distinct lack of places to chill, escape the traffic, sunbathe, or toss a Frisbee. Well, despair no longer! Drexel Park is a cool new green space that was just created at 32nd Street and Powelton Avenue, just a stone’s throw from the Drexel campus....
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Related Destination: Drexel Park »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Parks, Universities + Colleges
Marvelous + More!
Posted by Samantha Lazar on July 8, 2009
Ever wonder about that music that you hear on 40th Street when walking past Smokey Joe’s? For years I walked right by, never really thinking about it, figuring it was coming from the bar. Once I stopped to think about it, though, that didn’t make any sense – Smoke’s would never play anything this good!
...
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Related Destination: The Marvelous »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Retail
Curio Theatre Summer Camp
Posted by Samantha Lazar on June 18, 2009
The Calvary Center at 48th and Baltimore is a community hub; you probably know about some of the goings-on that take place there in addition to its more churchly activities. Did you know that it’s the home of Curio Theatre Company? With its offices next door, Curio has taken up residency in the old church’s sanctuary, and offers up all kinds of productions throughout the year (stay tuned for Fringe shows in September!). They also host a summer theatre camp for kids ages 6 – 16....
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Related Destination: Curio Theatre Company »
Related Categories: Entertainment, Family Fun, Culture
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