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On Saturday November 3rd, gain access to a normally restricted part of Philadelphia, the East Park Reservoir. Pennsylvania Audubon Society’s Keith Russell will be leading a bird walk around the grounds of the East Park Reservoir (EPR).

The East Park Reservoir is actually made up of three basins, only one of which is currently in use to hold drinking water for the city, of the other three basins, one is an urban lake and the other two are left idle with vegetation growing in them. This area has become a haven for wildlife, especially birds. In fact, a family of pied-billed grebes found in the lake this summer may be the first breeding record of this bird ever for Philadelphia. The Fairmount Park system’s 9,200 acres, which contains the EPR, has been designated an Important Bird Area.

PA Audubon Society plans to open an environmental center on the site. Currently Keith Russell, a Philadelphia native, is working to build involvement in the Strawberry Mansion community with the environmental center project. His walk will be an enjoyable and informative trip around the grounds of the reservoir open to all ages.

To join the walk group, meet at the south Entrance to the Reservoir, located on Reservoir Drive, just west of 33rd and Oxford Streets (across from the Disc Golf course and Sedgely Woods).

East Park Reservoir
33rd & Oxford, Philadelphia, PA 19121

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I loooooaathe singles events. The awkward conversation, the unwelcome flirtations, the admission that you can’t get a date. I avoid singles events like boils. Unless, of course, they involve chocolate.

I went to a chocolate-making workshop sponsored by Meet Market Adventures and did I have fun! Meet Market Adventures is a company that hosts almost daily singles events in Philly and other cities. The cool thing about this company is they plan activities that I’d actually want to do, despite being for singles. Chocolate making, martini mixing, hiking, flying lessons, and brewery tours are some I’d be psyched to check out.

So I went to chocolate making the other night at a culinary institute on South Broad and joined 20 other people in making ganache, raspberry truffles, fondue and chocolate cups.

I went with no expectations of “meeting” anyone, which was smart because there were three guys to 16 girls, but I did enjoy my conversations with several women. The ambiance was relaxed and casual and it’s hard not to laugh and talk to strangers when you’re dropping eggs on the floor and covering your face in sugar.

But I could take or leave all that because once the chef said we could eat, I went for all-out gluttony, shoving as much chocolate-covered fruit into my mouth as possible.

Meet Market Adventures
www.meetmarketadventures.com

The tennis section of a big box department store might be one of the most depressing places you might shop. Typically, it will consist of a few cans of balls (some lying on their sides), a collection of beginner’s racquets, and some grip tape dating back to 1975 when Jimmy Connors was in his heyday. Even the swanky sporting goods stores in town seem to forget that selling a tennis racquet is an art form that can save hours and hours of frustration for the Federer/Sharapova wannabe.

With a resurgence in popularity, tennis is the new golf. It is cheaper, better for you, and you’ll never smoke a cigar on the court. Locations from FDR Park to Seger playground to Fairmount Park fill up on a regular basis while USTA league teams seem to crop up all over town. So where do you turn if you don’t want to play with a wooden racquet, John McEnroe’s short shorts, and your old Chuck Taylors?

Well, maybe old is new after all. Everyone’s Racquet is back. 33 years in the business of outfitting Philadelphia’s tennis addicts has made him a most trusted voice for the game. And heck, you can spend an hour or two getting caught up in the enthusiasm of his pitch because he really knows what he is talking about. Sure, the ball is round, but did you know it spins too?

Joe is a South Philly guy through and through. A real throwback to a time when service, a smile, and customer satisfaction really mattered. He’ll set Uze guys up.. so fuggetabout it. Everyone’s Racquet carries all things tennis from shoes, racquets, bags, socks, tape, strings, and court supplies. And while you are there inquire about a lesson from Joe. Be prepared to run. There isn’t a more highly regarded racquet stringing service in the entire city as well. He’ll finish it when you need it. The store has racquetball, squash, and badminton supplies too. But most of all, go in there to talk tennis. The guy loves to talk. So will you.

So fear not tennis zombies, you can relax now. There is a place where you can go and get your fix. Everyone’s Racquet is like your favorite neighborhood bar for a tennis player. Only in this place, the only drink they serve is a Slice.

Everyone’s Racquet
130 South 12th Street, Philadelphia, PA
(267) 250-8900
www.everyonesracquet.com

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I took a trip up to Benjamin Rush State Park (Northeast Philadelphia, at the intersection of Roosevelt Boulevard and Southampton Road) to see if I could see some migrating bobolinks. Bobolinks are a sparrow-like blackbird (as in the family not a description) that breeds in weedy meadows and fields in North America and winters in South America. There is not much open space in Philly that is left wild, so there is not much to attract this bird here.

Benjamin Rush state park is an undeveloped park with no facilities with a wonderful expanse of mostly weedy fields. I was successful in seeing some of my target birds, but what took me by surprise were the community gardens.

I had no idea that Benjamin Rush State Park had community gardens (seen above!), let alone what may be the largest in the world! Indeed while researching the park Wikipedia says the park has “some of the largest”, while VisitPA claims, “This undeveloped park is in northeast Philadelphia and hosts the world’s largest community gardens.”

According to the Friends of the Poquessing Watershed the, “funds for development of the park have never been allocated by the state, and in 1993, 19.5 acres were given to the Veterans Administration for construction of a Nursing Home. The present status of the park is unclear; more may be lost for commercial development”. So maybe you should get out seeing this gem and appreciating how nature and the local community have reclaimed this resource.

Benjamin Rush State Park
Roosevelt Blvd & Southampton Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19154
Benjamin Rush State Park

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The climate is finally just right for some relaxing autumnal explorations around the city. Thousands of Philadelphians will jog the MLK/Kelly Drive loop with their eyes fixed straight ahead and their iPods bumping in their earbuds, and as the sun sets each day, many will not even notice the mysterious alternate path that diverges from the Drive. But this fall, I will be standing there, just past the Strawberry Mansion Bridge, waving my arms and pointing my finger across the street, encouraging everyone to bravely cross the traffic and ascend these secret stairs!

This magnificent stone flight abruptly emerges directly onto the pavement from the weeds and trees on Kelly’s east edge. They are steep and moist and twisting and with each step you take beneath the foliage, you’ll feel yourself going back a little closer to the late 1700′s when this was one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in town. When you finally reach the end (hopefully not panting, like I was) you’ll be just outside the front doors of Summerville, the actual Strawberry Mansion. For a few dollars you can wander around inside or take the tour, the highlight of which is a mildly creepy collection of 48 12-inch dolls that live in the building’s enormous attic. Or, you can keep jogging around up there and hopefully find another set of unmarked steps that I haven’t spotted yet!

Strawberry Mansion Secret Stairs
Just off Strawberry Mansion Bridge, Philadelphia, PA

The Italian Market on south 9th Street definitely makes the cut on the Philly ‘must-see’ list. Audrey and Mark head down for an afternoon of shopping, cafe-sittin’ and fun. Claudio’s for cheeses, Sabrina’s for brunch, Gleaner’s for coffee and more…

Claudio Specialty Foods
924-26 South Ninth Street, Philadelphia, PA
(215) 627-1873
www.claudiofood.com

Sabrina’s
910 Christian St, Philadelphia, PA 19147

Gleaner’s Cafe Gallery
917 S 9th St, Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 923-3205

Attention art lovers!!! October Gallery will be hosting the 22nd Annual International Art Fair in Philadelphia; the nation’s largest African-American art expo. There will be over 200 exhibitors and 40,000 attendees. Here you will get the chance to meet artists such as Annie Lee, Charles Bibbs, Cal Massey, Sidney Carter, Kimmy Cantrell and many more!

Also for the first time ever, October Gallery presents the Latin American & Caribbean Art Expo! This is only a small portion of how huge the event will be. Visit the Latin American & Caribbean section and enjoy a variety of art from Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, and Guatemala along with others and art by Carlos Pascual, Daniel de Jesus, Anabelle Rodriguez and Betsy Casañas.

This event is free & held for 3 days!!! Check them out at the Liacouras Center at Temple University on Broad and Cecil B. Moore in North Philadelphia. The expo will run from November 9th through the 11th from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

If you have a group of 50 or more people that would like to enjoy this exhibition, please contact Taller Puertorriqueño at (215) 426-3311 or dviacava@tallerpr.org.

October Gallery
7175A Ogontz Avenue Philadelphia, PA, 19138
(215) 629-3939
www.octobergallery.com

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Video by David Kessler

In today’s POST video, the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours takes you inside the Crane Arts Building. Nicholas Kripal narrates, taking you on a tour of the building.

Be sure to check out the Crane Arts Building and the various artists who will have their spaces open for visitors, including Pamela Birmingham, InLiquid, Linda Sutker Cope, Marilyn Simon, and Amy Stevens.

If you missed the other videos, well, take a look! Filmed by David Kessler, these vids will take you on tours of the Sherman Mills studio in East Falls and Amber Street Studios in Port Richmond.

Philadelphia Open Studio Tours: Sherman Mills

Philadelphia Open Studio Tours: Port Richmond

This second weekend runs October 27th to the 28th, and explores studios west of Broad St. Visit the official POST website for more information, directions, and artist profiles.

POST: Philadelphia Open Studio Tours
http://www.philaopenstudios.com/

I was riding my bicycle into downtown yesterday from my home in Eastwick when I spotted an osprey over the Grays Ferry Bridge. I stopped by bike and walked to the edge of the bridge the osprey was flying south down the river. Ospreys are a near-eagle sized brown and white bird of prey that have rebounded dramatically after being decimated by pesticide pollution through the 70′s. Although I have seen them on the Delaware River and at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, this was the first I’ve seen over the Schuylkill in Philadelphia. The osprey flew further downstream and dove feet first into the river and caught a fish. It immediately flew into some trees where I lost sight of it.

Not only was it a thrill to see one of my favorite birds, but it was in the same field of view as one of my favorite Philly landmarks”"the Grays Ferry Swing Bridge. The bridge, now locked in its open position, was built in 1902 by the American Bridge Company for the Pennsylvanian Railroad”"it is one of two swing bridges in Philly. This whole section of the river I find quite visually appealing, with the idle bridge. Osprey or no osprey, it is worth a trip to see this remnant of by-gone Philadelphia and the view of the skyline is spectacular.

Gray’s Ferry Bridge
Grey’s Ferry Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19146

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Post by Anthony Croasdale

This past Sunday, I participated in the “Big Sit!” at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum (86th and Lindbergh Blvd.). The “Big Sit!” is a bird-a-thon hosted by Birdwatcher’s Digest and is an international informal competition where teams compete to record by sight and sound as many species of bird as possible in a twenty-four hour time period”"the catch is, you are restricted to a fixed 17 foot diameter circle! I chose the observation platform at John Heinz NWR; I work at the refuge as an Americorps VISTA. Our team was named the Philadelphia (de-listed) Eagles, besides the obvious, our name refers the de-listing of the bald eagle from the Endangered Species Act this year, as we are a team representing a national wildlife refuge, we thought it appropriate to highlight this conservation victory.

I started the day out by driving the gator, a six-wheeled off-road golf cart that was filled up with a cooler, a bushel of apples, chairs, scopes and binoculars at 5:30am. I listed for rails and owls but all I could hear in the darkness was geese and herons. The observation deck overlooks the refuge’s impoundment (man-made lake) as well as a stretch of I-95 and the airport, which was quite light up and made for a strange juxtaposition. As dawn approached birds started singing and I identified the songs”"cardinal, song sparrow, eastern towhee”"as the sun cleared the trees the ducks and herons morphed into recognizable images. I was soon joined by my father and friend Steve Kacir…

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Post submitted by Tina Isen Fox

Ah. There’s nothing like hitting the gym for a quick work out. A jazz dance or hip-hop class perhaps. Maybe shoot some hoops then a yoga stretch class and quick dip in the pool. No. Not for me, for my kid”"at the new Kids on 12th presented by the Philadelphia Kids Club“”the new fitness and activity center in the heart of Center City. Here kids get to be”"well”"kids, with activities that stretch both the body and mind.

Kids on 12th has joined forces with the well-known 12th Street Gym to provide the teachers, resources and facilities that create this safe, fun and stimulating environment for kids to let it loose. Kids on 12th was started by sisters Sharon and Judy Hershman, who have more than 25 years combined experience in helping children achieve in the classroom and through fitness.

I wish my fitness club offered classes like this: gymnastics, basketball, ballet, hip “”hop dancing, yoga, drama, singing, arts and crafts, African dance, swimming and even sword fighting. (Think of Star Wars only using plastic swords).

The place has its own kids’ gym room with lots of cushy padding and space for any activity that includes jumping, rolling, climbing, sliding or balancing. While I was there with my son, a group of breathless sweaty young ‘uns were running back and forth in what looked to be some kind of aerobics-oriented class. It didn’t really matter what it was though because the kids were having a blast. To a grown-up, hitting the gym seems more often like a chore than a pleasure. But when you’re a kid, going to this gym isn’t about “working” out it’s about “playing all out.”

So once the colder weather forces kids from outside in the park to inside the house take a detour and head on over to 12th street where the kids are having fun.

Kids on 12th @ Philadelphia Kids Club
201 South Camac Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 545-2930
www.philakidsclub.com

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I recently took a trip to the lovely Bartram’s Garden and decided to document it with some photos.

Here is a photo from inside the Bartram house. It is a model of the Bartram’s Cider Press.

Here is a stone carving on the side of the Bartram house. Bartram was a member of the Society of Friends, but this plaque’s somewhat deist sentiment somehow upset the Quakers, who ultimately de-/Friend/ed him.

This is a view of a desk in the Bartram house displaying a variety of items for study…

More pictures of the house, garden, and some beautiful flowers after the jump! And check out the Illadates episode featuring the garden.

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