#philly art scene

[bread--quest]

[ID: A semi-realistic oil painting of a city street, from the perspective of someone standing on the sidewalk and looking down the road. There are street signs and cars parked along the curb. Trees planted at regular intervals along the road are flowering, suggesting that it's spring or summer. A few people sit in chairs in front of the closest building. End ID.]

Charles Cushing, Pear Tree at 13th and Pine Streets, Philadelphia, 2023, Oil on canvas

[undiehoagies]

[thescenetv]

submission is on our page

join the movement🕊we are looking for:

art

writing

poetry

news

video

events

mutual aid

short stories

promotion for shows going on in the area

opportunities for work

ads looking for jobs

literally anything that you think is important!!! please submit any and everything you would want featured

[dog-park-dissidents]

OUT WITH A BANG - New Music Video!

Premiering today on Dying Scene, out everywhere May 17th

@mueritos did the album art

[livelovecaliforniadreams]

Jenna I love my reaction to the present. I love it when I'm like, oh, you kept it. Thanks. 

Angela  Well, it's funny that you mention that because there was a note in the shooting draft about your reaction. 

Jenna What did it say? 

Angela The whole scene was actually longer and some of it's in deleted scenes. This is another another thing I'm glad they cut out. Do you want to hear it? 

Jenna Yes. 

Angela Okay. Pam has just gotten the gift. The shooting draft says Pam opens it. It's one of her drawings framed. It doesn't mean what it once would have, but she's still appreciative. 

Jenna That was my note. That was my acting note. 

Angela  Pam says, I didn't know you kept this. Thank you. Jim says, No problem. Pam looks at Jim. He avoids her gaze. Then it cuts to a Pam talking head. Pam says, My husband Jim is very special. And he's stubborn. And he's making me insane. And he's impossible. And I will not let him give up on me. 

Jenna Oh. 

Angela And then it cuts back to the scene where she says, I think you should stay and fight. What- Pam won't let him give up on her?! Excuse me?! What the hell!?

Jenna You know, a lot of people wrote in to comment on this drawing, by the way. I'm going to read this one from Sara S in Montgomery, Alabama. Some people were confused about what is this drawing? Well, Sara said, I've been waiting forever for this. The gift that Jim gives Pam is a sketch from her sketchbook from when she returned from art school. And Jim had looked through the sketch book and loved it. But it is a deleted scene. So Sara says this is the proof that deleted scenes are canon, that they do live in the show. 

Angela  Sara. Wow, that kind of blows my mind. 

Jenna ....Well, listen, Pam is going to fight for her marriage here. She's going to say, I don't think you should go to Philly tonight. I think you should stay. And I think we should fight. And he agrees. 

Angela It just melts Jim's heart. 

Jenna It does. 

Angela He smiles and says, all right, Beasley, put your dukes up. 

Jenna A lot of fans noted that Jim calls Pam Beasley at the end of this episode. 

Angela  And she loves it when he calls her Beasley. 

Jenna That's right. And this is, I think, how we know this is going to be okay. 

[daresplaining]

Mattea Murdock, the Daredevil Drummer of Philly

In celebration of the forthcoming new Spider-Punk: Arms Race series (not to mention Hobie stealing scenes in "Across the Spider-Verse" last year), I wanted to finally write up my long-overdue overview post on Mattea Murdock! If you haven't read her introductory run yet, check it out here.

Mattea truly stands on her own in the wide canon of alternate universe DDs. She is a female Daredevil, she is Latina, and she somehow managed to escape Marvel's NYC gravity and base herself in Philadelphia, where she defends its citizens from violence and exploitation. Hobie and his self-styled Spider-Band encounter her in Spider-Punk (2022) #3, when they make a detour to fix the busted Spider-Van. They are all immediately-- and correctly-- impressed.

Mattea: "Yo, Kam!" Hobie: "Wait, you know each other?!" Kamala: "Duh! You think I wouldn't know the Daredevil Drummer of Philly?" Hobie: "You're a drummer too?" Mattea: "Best in town." Hobie: "Oh man, my friend Gwen is a pretty dope drummer too. I think y'all would definitely get along." Mattea: "Hope they're ready to get outplayed by a pretty, blind girl." Spider-Punk vol. 1 #3 by Cody Ziglar, Justin Mason, Jim Charalampidis, and Travis Lanham

I talked a little about her killer character/costume design when she was first introduced (I was a fool; of course she's blind), and my love for her look has only grown. It's badass, distinctive, and it slots her beautifully into Hobie's punk rock world while still evoking that trademark Daredevil image (red, sticks, pointy bits...). Her irises are red, which is a visual choice I enjoy in more heightened, fantastical DD stories/art styles, and I think it works for Mattea. Heck, I could even imagine them being colored contact lenses she's chosen to wear for the aesthetic. Also, one detail that wasn't in the previews is the fun little laughing devil face on the back of her jacket (I'm not punk rock enough to get the reference if it is one, but it reminds me of Darkdevil):

Of course, always a big priority for me is Daredevil's power-set, and Mattea provides a quick primer on her unique perspective, mostly focused on hearing and the radar sense:

Mattea: "What? You think just 'cause I'm a blind girl, I can't see? Echolocation, my abuelas used to call it. But it's more intimate. Instinctual. Can hear a kick drum from ten blocks away. Can see it too. If I think hard enough, I can even see what the garage it's being played in looks like." Hobie: "Yo, are you doing it right now?" Riri: "She's definitely doing it right now."

This is not my favorite description of Daredevil's powers, nor-- to be honest-- a particularly informative one. She can gather spatial information through walls...from ten blocks away? I also never love an overuse of visual language in any explanation of these powers, especially as it's implied that Mattea, like Matt, is completely blind. Surprisingly, no direct mention is made here of the hypersenses as a whole, beyond the reference to hearing a kick drum from ten blocks away. Even her hearing doesn't receive that much attention in the story overall, which feels like a missed opportunity for such a musical character. Her blindness, too, is pretty much irrelevant to the story, and never comes up again. But I do LOVE that she uses the term "echolocation", though is still very clearly the radar sense, in all its vague, undefined, semi-magic glory.

And visually? This is great. I'm always a fan of the cross-hatching visual, especially against a black background, and artist Justin Mason doesn't go too overboard on the detail, which is another preference of mine. And thematically, I love the ways in which Mattea's drummer identity is tied into her superheroics-- not just for laying a beatdown on bad guys, but also for channelling and enhancing her echolocation/radar sense. One of my favorite scenes in the comic is when she plays a drum solo on a roof edge to scope out the Kingpin's lair. I'm willing, in that moment, to ignore any gripes about radar sense irregularities out of respect for the coolness and thematic heft of the concept. I mean, this rocks:

Mattea: "Come on, show me the good stuff."

At the end of the day, though, this is not a Daredevil comic and Mattea is not the main character. Plus, it's only five issues long, and introduces a bunch of other new characters as well. There was only ever going to be room for the creative team to offer a cursory introduction, hopefully generating enough interest to prompt these characters to appear again in other comics. In that, I think they fully succeeded with Mattea; we get a cursory sense of her powers (or at least, enough to show that they're the normal DD set), her personality (delightfully cocky, playful, tough, fearless), a few hints of her backstory, and some truly kickass fight scenes. There's a bit of suspension of disbelief required to believe she can use drumsticks as a stand-in for billy clubs (unless her drumsticks are made of something really hefty-- and hey, maybe they are), but this is Spider-Punk. Hobie killed Norman Osborn with a guitar--twice. It's not about realism, it's about style.

Mattea: "Been waiting for this for a long time, Fisk. Real long time." Fisk: "I'm going to break you, li'l girl--AWGGH!" Mattea: "Big, strong man who sends out his band of wackos to push over people too weak to fight back." Fisk: "Wouldn't get too cocky, girlie...you're not the only one who's fast! I'm gonna hurt ya. A lot. Then I'm gonna kill ya. And I'm gonna love every second of it. You know, this is the same look you had when I had your old band clapped a few years back. I like it. Brings out your eyes--GAAAH!" Mattea: "There's something you need to understand about me, papi. I'm not the kinda girl who goes down without a fight."

I can't wait to see more of Mattea and learn more about her, her world, her friends, and her enemies. In particular, she seems to have a history (possibly romantic?) with this world's Kamala Khan, and I would love to see more of that relationship. While Mattea Murdock clearly has a lot in common with Matt Murdock, she also seems happy to be a team player, unlike Matt, and I really enjoy that. Though I guess it's not that surprising a distinction. After all, every drummer needs a band.

[oldschoolhiphoplust]

Know Your Hip-Hop Pioneers: Lady B

Owning a skill for the art of toasting, Philly’s own Lady B became responsible for the first rap record recorded by a female, 1979’s “To The Beat Y’all.” Recognized as one of the first DJs outside of New York to blast hip-hop, Lady B is monumental to the history of hip-hop radio. Her hit Power99FM radio show, Street Beat introduced many hip-hop class acts the likes of KRS-One, EPMD & Public Enemy to the Philly hip-hop scene. The craft and activism of Lady B uphold the longevity of her legacy.

By Ime Ekpo

*Originally published in 2016

[youredreamingofroo]

hello to all the soupers out there, I'm Roo, not to be mistaken with my own OC/Persona, Roo.

I'm 18, go by He/They, but you can use any pronouns. I play a lot of games, but the one that I'll be posting about (the most anyways) is the Sims 4! I love a lot of other games tho, like Rain world, Project zomboid, Beyond two Souls, Detroit become human, Far cry 5, Minecraft... the list could go on. i've been playing the sims for as long as I can remember, starting with Sims 1, and working up to, now, the Sims 4, Sims 3 will always be my favorite sims game however, no matter how much I play TS4

In TS4, I primarily make sims, occasionally build, play through legacies and share the story of my sims. I love making stories, I'm not that good at writing, but I only make stories to make characters, and to convey character, not to be a masterclass writer.

I'm also a blender user, while not skilled whatsoever in it, I enjoy making simple scenes with as much emotion and atmosphere that I can convey :)

I will frequently update this as my simblr grows and I do more stuff

This section is all dedicated to my beloved OC Roo, and his family, and in general, story. If you follow me, you will get well acquainted with him, and will probably get attached to him.

[ Roo-seum - If you want to get to know Roo, this goes over pretty much every single year of his life, from age 9, to age 28.

[ Roo - Any and every post about Roo.

[ Roo's Family - If you want to get to know Roo's entire family, from his mother, to his sisters, this is where you wanna be.

[ Roo (Other) - Extra characters in Roo's story who don't apply to the above tags, this includes friends, enemies and pretty much anyone who isn't immediate family.

[ For individual characters related to his story: - Virginia, Reese, Jordynn, Devan, Deliahna, Juniper, Leo^, Hayden^, Rylan^, Sean^^, Evan^^, Josey^^, Noah^^^, Mateo^^^

No Carrot: Immediate Family ^: Directly related, affected his story one way or another, or just a character who means a lot to him ^^: Not directly related, but close to him, like a family member ^^^: Not related to his story at all, and moreso related to/affected a family member

[ Amnesia (Sharkie) 🦈 - Status : Hiatus ]

[ Not So Berry - Status : Hiatus ]

[ Not So Berry RECAP - Catching simblr up in a very scuffed three post long recap of my NSB save (which is, as of writing this, on Gen 2-3) ]

[ Heir Tags: - Coral (Gen 1^), Cataleya (Gen 2^^), Calico (Gen 3^^^)

^: finished gen ^^: gen in progress ^^^: born, haven't started/finished last gen

[ Individual characters: - Don (Lothario), Peregrine, Constance, Emmett, Callum, Malcolm (Landgraab), Alexander (Goth), Philly, Lunea, Thalia

[ roossimsoup - Just my Sims ]

[ roosmakeovers - All my townie makeovers! ]

[ Simsbingo - Not finished! 2/5 ]

this section is dedicated to my two OCs, Ithuriel and Nanel and their separate universe.

[ Ithanel - This is for posts of just Ithuriel and Nanel ]

[ IthanelUNI - This is for posts in the Ithuriel and Nanel Universe ]

[ Blender Renders - All of my renders that I've made in blender ]

This is for any other tags I may use (like reblogging)

[ rb - All the posts I've rb'd but clumped up (sometimes I forget to add the tag, but usually I rmbr and edit it in) ]

[ yapping - Posts where I just talk or where I answer something (if I remember to add the tag) ]

[ Unrooleased - This is content that I've made before, but haven't posted, from my stupid art, to sims, to blender renders and whatever else I can find ]

[faithinlouisfuture]

Louies' 2023 Wrapped Tag Game

(Rules: Answer the questions below and tag at least 3 people!)

Thank you bestie @berlinini for tagging me 🤍 sorry i’m so late on this, work’s been kicking my ass, here we go though!

favorite walls song: this year; don’t let it break your heart

favorite fitf song: impossible to pick just one but right now; holding on to heartache (which is funny considering my fav off of Walls this year)

most played song on Spotify by Louis: Written All Over Your Face (ok whore)

favorite louis lyrics: that’s actually an impossible task because there’s WAY too many! but “there’s endless versions of the thing that keeps me drifting back to darkness” hits home in a way that i can’t explain in words

louis life lesson: it always remains the same; picking yourself back up after facing hardships, seeing the possibilities and positives in a difficult situation; basically strength & resilience

favorite louis outfit: oh that’s unfair, my little fashionista kills it 99% of the time so i have a list of favorite 50 outfits from 2023 but for the purpose of this game we’ll narrow it down to three (and it’s not even top three just three that i loved)

favorite tour show: there were so many good ones this year (Phoenix, Austin, Houston, LA, Philly, New York, Bologna, Paris, Antwerp, Vienna, Łódź, Sheffield, Cardiff, London) but the way that I felt physically ill after fitfwt: Columbus might need to be studied for science; the whiplash from the stark difference of him during the show and him post show was entirely TOO MUCH

favorite public appearance: has to be the RS Awards; the slutty custom-made fit, the main character energy throughout, the confidence, the glow, the ever present eloquence with which he spoke about his work and his successful af year, just him him him <3

favorite AOTV scene: once again there’s so many; that scene where louis’ recording Saturdays and we get some insight into his thinking and his process, the montage of louis with band and crew having an absolute blast while All This Time plays in the background, that one scene where JD is helping him put his hoodie on after he broke his elbow 👀 the last few minutes of the movie where we hear him say the words “i do feel like i deserve this” 🫶🏽🥹 and so so many more actually

favorite band or crew member: favorite three :p are Krystle, Steve & Joshua! special shout out to Joshua for going above and beyond this year honestly! that man carried lthq on his back!

favorite picture: another unfair question but i won’t cheat and post one of my absolute most favorites from this year because it’s like the energy of his shows captured in one moment (i found out on twitter that the hand in his hair belongs to a desi louie which was like the cherry on top)

something that you are looking forward to in 2024: the fitfwt latam shows!!! there is nothing else like the energy the latam crowds bring, which in turn brings out the absolute best (and most unhinged) in louis and his band too, so definitely looking forward to that! and the festivals!!! can’t wait to see him shine in front of the world <3 hope against hope to be a part of it if things work out 🤞🏽🕯️

one wish for Louis (or Louies) for 2024: 🍑🐧🎧 sighting! kidding (not really)! honestly though, growth

growth in this fandom’s level of maturity (with the addition of lots more people who are here for louis’ art and not his personal life), growth in the markets he’s able to capture, growth in the places he’s able and willing to tour *cough*ASIA*cough*, growth in the ability of his teams especially his social media and PR teams, growth from Louis himself in regards to him being open to trying new things

i don’t know who all has done this! but i’ll tag some people just in case (no pressure) @noraincsl @timidlouie @poekitty2020 @stormyhale @louveyous

[nicosraf]

hi rafa silly question do you have letterboxd?? i feel curious about the movies you watch 🫶

I made one and then never added anything !! I don't really like.... performing my reaction to media, if that makes sense, or quantifying it with a rating. That's also why I just can't get myself to use Goodreads consistently... But I do love to talk about movies!

I love a lot of 1960s-70s queer art films – Fellini Satyricon, Sebastiane, Funeral Parade of Roses. I love general queer movies - a huge fav right now is The Watermelon Woman (lesbians in Philly!! i lived in Philly for a while and I love that city so this movie feels close to my heart). Huge fan of this silly little gay movie called The Wolves of Kromer. I recently watched If... (1968), which I thought was brilliant.

Actually, I also recently watched Begotten (1991) because I'd heard it was the most disturbing movie of all time, and it was interesting for sure! I wasn't disturbed by it (I thought it was too removed from humanness) and I found that it relied a little too much on depictions of seizures (disability, really) as shock. I also found the SA scene upsetting, not because of its content but because it really took me out of the movie to wonder if the actress was okay. (And I'm not sure!)

I just remembered I watched the Five Nights at Freddys movie with some family the other day too. It was fun! I love those robot things. And I have a crush on Josh Hutcherson so that was a plus.

[allsadnshit]

My husband did a collab with local philly risograph print shop Pet Riso to make his 3D graphic art into a limited edition print! We are really excited to be finally putting these up for sale so everyone can support this really cool practice we are so proud to be doing in our community's art scene!!!

Fill out this form asap if you want one, we are selling till this batch is gone and then that's it!!!

[catlovertrihead]

Animation idea that will never be made because my hands are as stable as my mental health, and my patience is as short as my will to exist (part one).

Since I can't do art, I've decided to write down the ideas I have for art/animations.

This idea is for the song: "Please Don't Tell My Father That I Used His 1996 Honda Accord To Destroy the Town Of Willow Grove, Pennsylvania in 2002" (yes, that's the actual title, look it up (i say knowing no one's going to see this))

(opening):

(lyrics 1): "the last time I stole my father's keys"

(scene 1): the song opens with a girl, wearing a face mask, jeans, skirt, plain white shirt, and jacket draped on her shoulders with some hair covering her eyebrow, sitting on the edge of a cliff as she plays the guitar and sings the lyrics.

(lyrics 2): "I couldn't have been older than nineteen"

(scene 2): the previous scene is covered in smoke which fades to show a young man with stubble wearing a jacket and jeans siting on the edge of his bed before he quickly gets up.

(lyrics 3): "I hightailed his car from New Jersey to Willow Grove"

(scene 3): the man approaches his father's car before getting in and putting his hands on the steering wheel.

(lyrics 4): "And you could not see their street signs through the smoke"

(scene 4): the man takes a deep breath in and turns the keys as he breaths out before it transitions to the instrumental scene.

(middle):

(instrumental 1): this scene is a scene of the man driving while the background changes before he finally reaches willow grove and gets out of the car.

(lyrics 5): "Between the dumpster diving, vandalizing"

(scene 5): the man is shown digging through a dumpster and then spray panting the building next to the dumpster with a long-haired young woman(wearing a dress covered by a leather jacket).

(lyrics 6): "Suburban streets and disturbing the peace"

(scene 6): the scene shows the man and woman walking through the town before the man(who is walking in the front) starts walking back words while wooing/yelling while the woman laughs.

(lyrics 7): "Everything we passed, we smashed"

(scene 7): shows the man and woman walking through the town before the man hits a trashcan with a baseball bat.

(lyrics 8): "It was broken pavement and shattered glass"

(scene 8): shows a s few different shots of spray-painted buildings and signs, dented/knocked over trash cans, and broken windows.

(lyrics 9): "And you could not read the street signs through the smoke"

(scene 9): a close up of the two young adults laughing, smiling, and dancing (in that carefree, just for fun, mostly just random moving of the arms and head type dancing, and don't forget the pointless spins) while they head towards the car. there are also some shots of the stuff they messed up (like street signs).

(lyrics 10): "Just afterthoughts passing all of the laws we broke"

(scene 10): shows the two in the car driving deeper into the town passing all of the stuff they did.

(lyrics 11): "Considered violent and reckless by North Philly detectives"

(scene 11): shows the man throwing a rock at a window which bounces off and hits him in the eyebrow causing him to put one hand on his eye and one on his leg before the two start laughing before they start walking again, they man's eyebrow bleeding some

(lyrics 12): "We occupied the space where we'd never have a thing to lose"

(scene 12): shows the man walking through the town backwards with his arms behind his head looking at the sky while the woman walks with her hands in her pockets both smiling and looking like they are at peace (hope that makes sense), and then a close up of the man's face with the moon reflected in his eyes.

(lyrics 13): Between the bong rips and knife hits

(scene 13): shows the man smoking and the woman flipping a pocketknife while walking.

(lyrics 14): "Protestant booze, stick-and-poke tattoos"

(scene 14): shows the woman taking a swig of whisky from the bottle while the man cheers her on and then the two running past a tattoo parlor.

(lyrics 15): "We were just over-privileged youth seeking something to do"

(scene 15): shows the two slowing down as they reach the car.

(lyrics 16): "And I could not see my street sign through the smoke"

(scene 16): shows the two entering the car before the man revs the engine and takes off speeding past all the stuff they did.

(lyrics 17): "Just an afterthought rushing past all the laws we broke"

(scene 17): continues to show the two in the car speeding past all of the stuff they did before showing the woman looking at the man with a small smile (*cough cough* crush *cough cough*).

(ending):

(lyrics 18): "When the morning came, I woke up in bed back at home"

(scene 18): shows the man waking up in bed with disheveled hair, a clean-shaven face, bags under his eyes, and a band aid on his eyebrow.

(end scene): as the music fades out the scene fades back to the woman on the cliff no longer wearing her mask looking up at the moon with her hair no longer covering her scared eyebrow.

That took longer than I thought it would. I still have some ideas for these characters so I'm gonna need to come up with some names.

If somehow someone sees this and wants to make it, feel free, just let me see it when it's done and credit me I guess.

If you read all the way to this, thank you.

I listened to that song SO MANY TIMES while writing this.

[filmnoirsbian]

i got into temple law and am debating moving to philly!! what would you say are the pros and cons of living there

Pros: public transportation system, personally I really like philadelphians, great music, art and food scenes

Cons: gets real cold, no parking, the drivers are actively out to kill themselves and take you down with them

[independentartistbuzz]

Faint Halos' Reflective Journey Through Sound and Perspective in New Single "Skyline Hill"

Faint Halos’ latest single, "Skyline Hill," is the second glimpse into the forthcoming album "I can see a million lights," with its title inspired by the opening line of the song's chorus.

The central theme of perspective came to frontman Paul Hashemi as he admired the Philadelphia skyline, realizing that stepping back and viewing the broader picture often offers a more rewarding approach to navigating life’s challenges.

Lyrically, Hashemi advocates for this reflective, big-picture outlook, while musically creating an ideal backdrop for such introspection.

"Skyline Hill" is characterized by a spacious arrangement of spiraling six-strings that deliver enchanting riffs with the song subtly building in intensity, featuring violin-like guitar lines that flutter throughout. The chorus boasts perfectly layered vocals, and a simple beat provides a steady anchor.

“The bridge starts with the line, ‘life is short but life is wide’ … I got that quote in a letter from a friend about 30 years ago … And I’ve been trying to use it in a song ever since,” Hashemi shares. 

“The lead guitar lines are played with an eBow, and it was fun to experiment until I nailed down a “fluttering” technique for the solo, playing a trill with the left hand and using the bow to swell the volume in and out. It took a lot of work (and many takes) to get it right!

"Skyline Hill" perfectly captures the serene magic of a summer evening at Philadelphia’s iconic Mann Center for the Performing Arts, drawing on the city’s enchanting blend of cozy nooks and expansive vistas:

“Philly is a city of small, intimate places - every place you go feels local and familiar, which is amazing. But that night, from a distance, I could see the whole city as this single, vast whole.”

During his visit to the Mann Center, Hashemi soaked in the cityscape from a distance, finding inspiration in the contrast between Philadelphia’s intimate locales and its sweeping, unified view.

Recorded, produced, and mixed in Hashemi’s home studio in Berwyn, PA, with additional vocal recordings in North Carolina, "Skyline Hill" stands out with its airy, minimalist vibe and haunting guitar melodies. It’s one of the first pieces written for the upcoming album.

Hashemi’s musical journey spans classical training, ’90s rock band tours, and a hiatus to focus on career and family. Philadelphia based, Paul has formal training in classical piano, viola and violin and he later immersed himself in the vibrant music scene of the 1990’s touring the East Coast college and club circuit with various rock bands.

Stay connected with Faint Halos:

Website // Facebook // Instagram // Spotify // SoundCloud // YouTube Music

[st-louis]

hi ari! iirc youre from philly or around the area right? any tips of what are must sees for someone whos visiting for the first time? you know, anything that isnt in all the travel guides? thank you so much and happy new year! :)

yes i live in philly! whether i have useful tips is another story all together though 💀 i don’t really have a lot of time to go out in the city anymore because of my kid, who is also a picky eater (so i’m not really as tuned into the restaurant scene as i used to be). also a lot of the stuff i would recommend is either probably in the guides… or isn’t in season right now (like for example the southeast asian market that’s in fdr park is amazing but it won’t be back until the summer). also a lot of the stuff that i felt was quintessentially a fun philly experience (like fiume) got modernized in a way that means i can’t imagine it’s as fun anymore.

i will say that if you are a first timer monk’s is always worth a visit (it’s a very nice classic belgian beer bar), my favorite pho is pho 75 on washington avenue (bring cash), the philly art museum’s really nice but the barnes is a more unique experience, cuzzy’s on 5th street has excellent ice cream and is run by an incredibly nice dude. if you like thai food and can get a reservation kalaya in fishtown is one of my favorite restaurants in the city (like it’s in guides and has won awards but the hype is deserved). if you want a good philly pizza slice experience, highly recommend pizza shackamaxon which is also in the vicinity of several decent bars and restaurants (lloyd’s is a very chill neighborhood place with a good beer selection, great food, and incredibly nice staff). the sports stadiums are really easy to get to on public transit (the broad street line runs right to the stadium) and you can usually grab cheap flyers tickets the day of a game, so if you can do that i would also recommend it for the experience! if you’re driving the best cheesesteak is john’s roast pork but make sure you check the hours bc they close early.

there are a ton of music venues too if you’re into that kind of stuff. you can see shows at the first unitarian church, union transfer, kung fu necktie, underground arts, etc. would recommend checking ahead to see if there are any bands you’re interested in coming through.

public transit here is pretty easy to use (broad street line runs north/south, the el runs east/west, and there are also trolley lines that will take you to different parts of west philly) but you will probably also see some of the city’s issues in microcosm there. by which i mean unhoused people and drug use. if you aren’t used to big city public transit in your own home, i would just say to be aware of your surroundings and you’ll be fine. if you are used to it, philly probably isn’t any different from what you see there.

sorry this probably wasn’t much of a help. i used to be young and fun but now i’m just old and tired and most of the things i do are kid-oriented 💀

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Rules For Rule Breaking - Talia Tucker

"Winter Park and Bobby Bae are Korean American high school juniors whose families have been friends since the kids were making crayon art. They, however, are repulsed by each other.

Winter is MIT-bound, comfortable keeping people at arm’s length, and known by others as responsible, though she has a desire to let loose. This probably comes from her rebel grandmother, who is constantly pushing boundaries and encouraging Winter to do so as well. Winter’s best friend is moving abroad and won’t be attending college at all, and Winter’s wrestling with what it means to be left behind. Bobby is as Type-A, anxious, and risk-averse as you can get. He’s also been recently dumped, which has him feeling disoriented and untethered.

That’s why, when Winter’s and Bobby’s parents insist that they go on a northeast college campus tour together, both teens find reasons to accept even though the thought of being stuck in a car together for 700 miles sounds unbearable. What awaits them is a journey of self-discovery where the only rule on their road trip is to break all the rules. At first, this happens in hilariously calculated ways (using lists and reason and logic!), but they soon abandon that, challenging each other to dares in Virginia, getting high and wandering around Philly for food—and battling the subsequent digestive distress—and crashing a party in Cambridge. And, of course, realizing that they’re perfect together."

Listen Date - July 2024

Length - 304 pages

Genre - Romance, Contemporary, Teenager

Rating - 7/10

Stars - ★★★☆☆

Notes - I think the dynamic between Winter and Bobby is really cute, and the way they're rivals is a good set up for the rest of the book. I love the Korean culture, and everything i’m learning about it through this book. Bobby getting broken up with made sense, and sets the theme for the road trip. Emmy deciding not to go to college is also nice, because it shows that college just isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. Bobby getting high for the first time was a funny scene, and him tripping out was such a mood. Me too, Bobby, me too. The itinerary mocking is very amusing to me, and i love how frenemies Bobby and Winter’s relationship is. I also like how every chapter starts off with a rule, and the chapters go on the show how they break them. It’s perfect. The smoking scenes were also really cute, and i love how Bobby and Winter interact with each other. Them as friends makes a lot of sense, and i love this sort of dynamic where they’re able to get alone when they let their walls down. I like the conversation Bobby has with Winter about not atoning for his families wrong doings. Him blaming himself for his parents actions is really poignant and Winter being there for him as a best friend was sweet. The flirting in New York scene was so sugary sweet and I loved it so much. They’re SO made for each other. Bobby’s confession was so sweet and the reveal that he’s been pining the entire time is so adorable. The party and kiss was so perfect and i was waiting the entire time for them to just GO FOR IT!!! Rivals To Dating!!!!!! The cops coming to break up the party that Winter and Bobby go to was really smart and i like how the lie was played out with Jaqueline pretending to be their parents. The argument between the two because of Jaqueline in also smart and i like how Winter freaks out about the change. Bobby freaking out about his culture is realistic, and his parents hiding it from him is wrong. He should be allowed a chance to connect with his culture, even if his parents dont want to themselves. Winter trying to avoid Bobby is sad. They deserve to be together and happy. The crying at the derms office was so relatable and reminded me of Never Have I Ever (Iykyk). Winter trying to distance herself from Bobby but failing massively was cute, and i like the way they finally get together with her grandma and her friends telling Winter to seize the moment and she does. The entire bingo scene was great and i loved the competitiveness that fueled their rivalry to begin with. i LOVE the ending where they finally get in trouble for all the rules they’re breaking, and their relationship in general is so cute and wholesome.