When's This Gonna be On?

PHL17 stopped by Wash Cycle's Thompson Street facility last week to do a profile on Mildred, my wonderful laundry team leader, and myself. It aired this morning:

After spending the better part of the last 9 years working behind the camera (in varying capacities), it was very different to be in front of it for a change. Someone at HQ said I have a future as a spokesman. I think I'd shave first... At any rate, it's great that people are recognizing what we do, and more importantly why we do it.

Some sadness to report, sort of: Mildred is going on vacation for three weeks. I don't blog much about her, but she truly is the legend behind the scenes while I soak up all the sun (and occasional glory). I say this without hyperbole that my job would be IMPOSSIBLE without her, and I'm really going to miss her while she's gone.

Enough sappiness. Happy Thursday!

Water for the Win Win

Myself and Lindsay of W/N W/N Coffee Bar this morning

Humid, hazy, hot, soupy, sultry, summery...whatever adjective you choose, it's farking hawt in the City of Brotherly Love today. Thankfully I service some pretty cool clients like W/N W/N who were more than willing to help us cyclists stay hydrated. I felt I owed them an Instagram post at the very least. Friends helping friends, right?

It's been a bit of a running joke whenever I walk in to service them every Monday and Wednesday morning - they offer me a glass of water and I usually say "No" because I'm almost always well-hydrated (side note: eating your vegetables and avoiding hard baked food helps). But today, there's no such thing as well-hydrated, especially when you're moving hundreds of pounds of laundry on a bike. Sort of makes me miss those five-layer February days. Sort of...

The second-best advice on a day like today is to get your outdoor shit done early if at all possible. I knew I had to pick up pillows from Temple today, and that it would be a large load, but I was determined to get it all done in one trip to avoid more heat exposure (it didn't matter - it was still 90+ degrees by 11AM). I don't recommend trying this at home:

13 bags of pillows, each weighing over 20 pounds. You can call me Steve the Sweaty Cyclist.

Speaking of pillows, I think it's time for a nap. Stay hydrated, stay safe.

Bikes, Brews & Battered Food

Last Thursday, my friends over at Spoke Magazine hosted a happy hour (of sorts) at Win Win Coffee Bar. In addition to the great environment with like-minded folks and (of course) wonderfully local craft brews, the evening featured Philly bike attorney Joe Piscitello discussing what to do when involved in a cycling accident:

It was a small, but enthusiastic, group for sure, and I greatly enjoyed the "round table" feeling. Instead of being just a lecture and Q&A, it turned into much more of a discussion about cycling etiquette, bike laws and sharing of joys and concerns.

What I got most out of it was a great sense that there is a lot that can be done should the worst happen. I was also reminded once again that (unfortunately) a lot of the onus is on us as cyclists to take care of ourselves, because most of the motoring public doesn't. Sad but true, I suppose.

The evening ended a very positive note, as I hung out with the editors after the event and was coerced into trying dosa for the first time. If you've never tried it, imagine a crepe with spicy beans and veggies. Sounds strange, but it tastes delicious. Food always wins, especially of the fried batter variety.

All in all, a great evening, and it made me look forward to the Spoke issue 3 launch party sometime next month. See y'all there...

Nice Rack: 5th & Thompson

See what they did there? Cacti in front of a Mexican restaurant. How cute.

Gas Effect

I was on my way back from delivering to Win Win Coffee Bar on Wednesday when this sign on Spring Garden St. gave me a chuckle:

On a related note, they seem to have no issue with cars regularly blocking the bike lane just in front of this sign...

-- EVENT NOTICE --

At 6PM tonight at Win Win, Spoke Magazine is hosting a presentation on what cyclists should do if they're ever hit by a car while riding, a subject that has recently become much more important to me. If you're a cyclist and you're in the city this evening, I highly recommend you join us. There will be punch and pie...

I'll likely post a recap tomorrow or over the weekend. Enjoy another beautiful day!

Beer (Factory) Battered

Germantown Avenue is fast becoming my favorite detour when I have time between jobs. It's absolutely atrocious at certain spots, covered with potholes, vacant buildings and garbage - both literal and figurative. So why do I like it so damn much?

One reason, THERE'S NO TRAFFIC on most spots just north of Girard. As a cyclist, I live with traffic, but any time I can enjoy a ride without it, ya know...

Secondly, I always seem to find something interesting. For example, this old brewery:

Gretz Brewery. Doesn't look like much these days, but it's a truly unique building. It's still structurally sound after over 130 years (believe it or not) and, after a brief "Google," I found out it has quite a history. Read up if you like. On a side note: my friends over at The Spirit started a new column on old buildings, so check that out too if you're into that sort of thing.

Northward no more than a block away is this mural:

You can't really tell, but the brewery is actually across the street beyond the stop sign. I like the touch the mural adds to this area - there's still hope for a neighborhood that's been decimated by the loss of industry, something all too common in a lot of American cities. Did I go a little too metaphorical there? Mayhaps...

I'll definitely have more to share from Olde Kensington another time. In case you haven't had a chance, get outside to enjoy this gorgeous day.

Dirty Streets...

Philadelphia, like every city, has many faces, sides, neighborhoods, and the list goes on. Living in the south and working in the north, I'm fortunate that I get to see a variety of them on a daily basis.

Today, due to PGW digging yet another hole to ruin yet another street and block off three whole blocks a construction project, I detoured up 27th Street for a few blocks. Before today, I don't think I'd ever been on 27th Street at any part of the city. I mean, why would I?

Anywho, I was nearing Master Street when I saw this strange little street off to the left that kinda reminded me of the backroads back home:

That certainly looks like a dirt road...because it is. It's also apparently known as Kershaw Street. I have no idea (or indication) that this street was actually paved at any point. Well I mean, it's paved at other parts of the city, but not here.

Brewerytown is a changing neighborhood, but I won't dare to use the obligatory "up-and-coming" term that's thrown around by far too many real estate agents these days. What I will say is that I've been more pleasantly surprised than not-so-pleasantly surprised by the area in the 4 months I've been working there. Why? Because of things like this community garden:

That's the Brewerytown Garden (they actually have a website - this is serious), and apparently they're open for fruit and veggie sales every Saturday. If I lived in the area, that would be an excuse to come back to 27th Street.

These places are popping up everywhere in the city, and it's kinda nice. Who says Philly isn't progressive?

A Fall in the Park

In light of Tuesday's incident, I was reminded today that there is - after all - a balance of good and evil in today's society.

I had just finished my morning route and was going to meet my roommate in Rittenhouse Square. Long story short, she didn't make it, but I still opted to enjoy lunch in the park anyway. It's an absolutely GORGEOUS day in the City of Brotherly Love, and folks were out in droves, none of which you can see in this pic (haha). I'm artsy like that:

Whilst mowing down a Chipotle burrito, an older woman wearing high heels got caught up in one of the spaces between the bricks (there has to be a word for that) and fell, landing glancing blows to her left elbow and hip as she hit the ground. Or so it seemed, anyway.

As soon as I saw it happen, I started to put my burrito down to go help her when I noticed that 4 or 5 other people had already rushed over to her. Several others near me also asked if she was OK. She assured everyone she was fine, and climbed to her feet under her own power. After checking to see if she had any bruises, she thanked everyone. The crowd dispersed and everyone went about their days. As she walked past me she said to herself "I guess shit happens...what're ya gonna do?"

We always like to believe people will do the decent thing when something goes wrong. Thanks for this, universe. I need reminders like this every now and then...

Y'aiiiight?!?!?

An innocent enough morning took a turn for the worse when a car took a turn into my trike:

I had just crossed the Girard Avenue bridge and was approaching the intersection with Brewery Hill Dr. I paused briefly, then began to ride into the crosswalk when the car to my left suddenly darted forward and into the rear section of my trike, striking the laundry bin and bending the rear axle:

I guess I owe him a debt of gratitude, because he stopped as soon as it happened. Pfft... He backed up a couple feet and I wrestled the mangled trike free from his car bumper, which was also noticeably dented. After I pulled the trike on to the sidewalk, I started to attempt to get my bearings.

He exclaimed "Y'aiiiiight?!?!? Y'okay?!?!?" I answered "Yea I just need a second. Watch where you're going next time!" as I paced around, not really feeling any ill effects other than some jitters, but definitely in mild shock.

The only injury I sustained was a cut on my knee, which I think was caused by the zip ties around the frame, not by the car. I guess it could be worse:

While I was still mentally getting my shit together, he hopped back in his car as he exclaimed again "Y'aiiiight?!?!?"

I said "Hey wait a minute!" as he drove off. He obviously ignored me, but not before I got his license plate number. ;-)

Seriously, thanks so much for your patience, asshole. /sarcasm.

I was in the crosswalk. What if I had been a mother pushing a stroller?

The irony (or self-fulfilling prophecy, or whatever) of this is, the security guard at the Mann Center (where I had just come from) always says "Be safe out there now." My reply is always "Hey man, I can only control what I do, not the other crazy people out there..." Hah.

Safe cycling, everyone, and if you hit someone, don't drive off like a douche. 

The Power of Equality

As most of you know, several weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of same-sex marriage. Right around the same time, the intersection at 13th and Locust Streets was brightened up by rainbow-colored crosswalk designs. I used to deliver in this area regularly, but since March, I haven't spent much time there. I finally passed through the other day. With the mural contrasting (or complementing?) in the background, it creates a unique scene:

Add this to the list of beautiful and/or unique sights (or sites) in Philadelphia. Even though there's plenty of food and bar happenings in the Gayborhood, for the most part, this intersection was just your run-of-the-mill city storefronts and condos until a few weeks ago. Change is good.

This also makes you forget that 13th & Locust is the location of one of the most controversial murders in this city's history...in case you didn't know that...I'd rather think of it in the context of the picture above.

Changing Places

About 2 months ago, I posted an Instagram photo of this graffiti at the corner of Germantown Ave. and Cecil B. Moore:

Before you ask me what the hell I was doing in that neighborhood, I'll answer: I was working and decided to take a 2 minute photo break. At any rate, pay attention to the right side of the photo. There's a dollar-bill-esque mural on the far wall topped with barbed wire. You can check out some better photos of it here.

I've been Googling to find out exactly who, or what, the Elevated Barbarians are, with limited success. If anyone knows, please let me know. Nearest I could find is that it's some independent graphic design group, but I can't find a website, Facebook, Twitter account, nothin.'

The above photo is now curious to me, because I was biking up Germantown Ave. again yesterday, and something seemed different. Sure enough, look at the right of this photo:

I know, I know, I should have taken a closer photo for reference's sake, but again, I was working and this time I was actually in a bit of a hurry. If you look closely though, above the large "Dash" and "Rolen" block letters, it reads "Class of 2015 Happy Graduation Day."

So now I have a few NEW questions, such as:

"Are these school graduates, or did they 'graduate' by passing gang initiation?"

"Was this done by a graphic designer or professional?" Sure looks like it.

"Is this wall going to change again in a few months?"

I guess I'll have to keep you posted on that last one...

Goodbye, New Friend (For Now...)

People often call on wash & fold services when their washers or dryers break down, and Wash Cycle is no exception. I picked up ATI Physical Therapy in Northern Liberties as a client for the last couple months due to this very occurrence.

Much to my dismay, I found out yesterday that they finally fixed their washing machine, and today would be my last drop for them. That is, until their washer breaks again... ;)

Of course I'm sad to lose the biz, but more so that I won't get to see the wonderful women that work there, who have become my friends - like so many of my clients. It's become ingrained in my (and their) routine to see them every day. Tomorrow is going to be weird.

They said today that they're going to miss me, and one of them actually asked me if I would stop in to visit from time to time. D'awwwww... I hope that's not just "something you say." I think I can pat myself on the back because they were happy with the service while it lasted, and that's really what this is all about: making people happy.

Anyway, onward and upward...

Pole Dance

I was casually riding up the bike trail on Columbus Blvd. the other night. I'm glad I was paying attention:

The subject for debate: would hitting this pole hurt more or less than hitting a parked car? I'd vote more... Who planned this bike lane, anyway?

Rustcycles: 28th & Girard

Yesterday, I saw this colorful (and adorable) backdrop on this one courtesy of the Girard Veterinary Clinic. This is in Brewerytown, which is definitely not the nicest area, but if the revitalization continues, it has potential to be a neat little neighborhood again. There's something so old-school charming about trolley tracks:

And a distant view of Center City:

I'll be here awhile, so we'll see what happens...