Day 30: Two.Four.13

24 Things.

It has just occurred to me that I only have 24 days left in Philadelphia. While I have been thinking about it for a very long time, the actual decision to move happened so quickly. It still all seems pretty surreal. In honor of my time here, I am going to list 24 things I enjoy/will miss about Philly, in no particular order:

1. Mural Arts Program. Hands down some of the best murals are here in this city. My faves include the Love Letters series.
2. Longwood Gardens. Even my Jewish side is a sucker for their Christmas display.
3. The Roots. Duh. I mean, I can listen to them anywhere. But their picnic only happens here.
4. The Magic Gardens. It’s the first place I send anyone visiting me. And seeing Isaiah Zagar working in his studio (and getting a kiss on the cheek afterwards) was definitely a highlight of my time here.
5. Sabrina’s Cafe. Brunch is heavenly. If you can get a seat.
6. Painted Bride Arts Center. Awesome spot, innovative programming.
7. Young Scholars Charter School. My three years working there have changed me.
8. One Shot Coffee. Not only great espresso drinks and brunch foods, but my fave hangout/office/meeting spot.
9. Sculpere Studio. I will miss my dear friend (the owner) as well as the classes and space. It’s just a lovely place to be.
10. Zahav. I’ve actually only been once but. Oh. My. Goodness.
11. My dentist. I know, crazytown. But like, I actually enjoy going. And I really enjoy talking books with the dental hygienist.
12. Walking along boathouse row. I don’t do it often enough, but it is lovely.
13. The Philly Pigeon. I’ve been attending this poetry slam every first Friday for some time now. I will most definitely go through withdrawals without the delightful co-hosts, awesome features, and mostly good poetry in my life on a monthly basis.
14. Rennie Harris Puremovement. I haven’t gotten to experience classes or performances as much as I would like, but Philadelphia certainly is lucky to be able to claim this great artist.
15. Cantina Dos Segundos. Particularly their happy hour margarita specials.
16. Duke & Winston. I would wear the shirt I own everyday if it was socially acceptable.
17. Koresh Dance Company. Graceful, athletic, beautiful work.
18. Crane Arts. (And Crane Arts Old School.) As the site of my first event for ReSourceArts, it will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s also just a really freaking cool place to be.
19. Talula’s Table & Talula’s Garden. A.Maz.Ing. food. Let me repeat. A.Maz.Ing.
20. My apartment. It kind of rocks.
21. Frankford Hall. Outdoor seating even in winter, Jenga, and ping pong. Need I say more?
22. Philadelphia Museum of Art. This really is a great museum.
23. The wonderful artists I have had the opportunity to work with. Thank goodness we don’t use horse & buggy travel anymore, so we will be able to work together again soon. In this city, or perhaps a different one.
24. The incredible friends I have made. Thank goodness for facebook. And texting.
25. The gritty beauty. Many times it’s hard to appreciate, but there really is something picture-worthy about a lot of this city, even the rougher edges.

I already added one for good luck above – seems I got a bit carried away (I didn’t even realize it until after I published the post!) But, I need to make an amendment and add one more:

The Divine Lorraine Hotel. Since seeing this incredible gem of a building, it has been a dream of mine to turn it into the hub of ReSourceArts – a community arts center with full performance, rehearsal, classes, and ‘anything else creative we can think up’ capabilities. There are a lot of other people that share my sentiments for revitalization of this landmark. This building has quite a past, and I can only hope it has an incredible future ahead.

I am certain I have left some important ones off the list. This is not meant to be exhaustive. Just a way to remember some of the good times before I depart.

Here’s to another day of creativity…

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