St. Francis of a Tree - See?

The last few days have been overcast, rainy and cold here in the City of Brotherly Love. The environmentalist in me loves it - we seriously needed the rain. The outdoor enthusiast in me hates it - gray and overcast is great in the Pacific Northwest where the trees, ferns and vegetation appear bright green by comparison, but not so great when everything else in the city also appears to be gray. Riding around had gotten somewhat boring until out of the corner of my eye I saw this on North 19th Street:

Now, I probably pass by this every day on my way home from the laundromat, but for whatever reason, I didn't notice it until today (I also didn't notice the neat old-school post office in the background). It's a nice piece of art ala Isaiah (though not the same). Equally nice to see a dead tree turned into something lively. You can also see the opposite side of an adorned stone wall that's unfortunately cracked:

I know a stone mason who would be very disappointed...but nonetheless, this was a bright spot in what's been an otherwise gray week.

I'm still trying to find the history on this artwork, so if anyone has any tips, let me know.

IndeGo In the Clutch

A few weeks ago, I mildly insulted the new IndeGo BikeShare in Philly. Wouldn't you know it? Today it saved my ass.

That's ANOTHER flat rear tire - why do flats ALWAYS happen on the rear tire? Fronts are much easier to fix, that's why!

At any rate, I had just left Thompson Street and was on my way to the Wash Cycle office to take care of some administrative BS when it happened. Luckily, it happened two blocks from the IndeGo station at Logan Square. Of course I didn't like the idea of having to pay for a bike, but I guess it's better than taking a cab. It rode rather nicely too, even though it's a bit bulkier than my hog.

Thanks to bike sharing, I made it to the office on time and all the other things I had to do this afternoon weren't too adversely impacted. One big plus: I didn't have to return the bike to where I picked it up. I rode the bike to 4th & Christian (which is pretty close to my neighborhood) and took my car to pick up my bike. Maybe I should stop my hatin'.

In hindsight, with the amount of construction zones in this city (and the fact that I had just rode directly past one), I'm surprised I don't end up with more flats. Hah. Now to get my hands greasy...

Rustcycles: 21st & Chestnut

I took the above picture several months ago, forgot to post it, and then happened to walk by this same spot last night with my roommate. The frame is still there.

Rustcycles is a series of abandoned bicycles and locks I've stumbled upon throughout Philadelphia.

Nice Rack: Penn Center

This one was tough to photograph - I pass by here several times a week and I swear, every time I did (until yesterday) there was a homeless guy leaning against these bike racks across 15th street from City Hall.

These birds were formerly featured at the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Nice Racks is a series of bike rack art I've stumbled upon throughout Philadelphia.

Damn the Mann - Well, Sort of...

As activity picks up in the City of Brotherly Love with Summer on the horizon, things are picking up at Wash Cycle as well. After all, more activity means more dirty laundry. :-D

One seasonal appointment I'm more than happy to have added to my roster is the Mann Center in West Philly, if for no other reason than that I get to bike ~4 miles each way a few times a week AND GET PAID FOR IT.

Today was the first time I've ridden out there, and let me tell you, 4 miles in this weather was certainly a sticky affair - literally. When I finally made it to the top of the hill, the concessions company rep wasn't there yet, so I decided to catch my breath and take in the view. It's much better on a clear day, but this isn't too shabby either:

Of course, two seconds later, the security guard came up to me and said "You know you ain't allowed in here." Actually, no, I didn't. And I double-checked: after entering through the back gate, there are no "authorized personnel only" signs or anything resembling them. So no, sir. I didn't know. How would I? I'll spare you the rant about authority figures. You've heard it all before anyway.

At the very least, a moment's peace in the midst of a typically hectic schedule is always nice, the view was equally enjoyable, and the mostly downhill ride back to the laundromat was pretty awesome too.

Nice Rack: 15th & Mifflin

It's an absolutely gorgeous evening in Newbold, a neighborhood to which I almost never venture, mostly because I have no reason to. Hah...

This rack is outside Ultimo/Brew, a coffee and beer cafe. I'm not 100% sure what the shape inside the oval is supposed to be, but my guess is it's a hop (because they serve beer - get it?).

Hoppy Sunday evening.

Nice Racks is a series of bike rack art I've stumbled upon throughout Philadelphia.

Rustcycles: Girard & Ridge

Today was a gray day across Philadelphia, and among other things, I saw yet another sobering reminder that it's a dangerous world out there.

This isn't technically a Rustcycle, as it's a brand-new memorial, but eventually it will age and become part of the neighborhood landscape, similar to this one at 2nd & Girard. The men who are memorialized were killed by cars EXACTLY one year apart, on the same street. Weird...

Of course, it's impossible to catch EVERY piece of news throughout the city - I only stumbled upon this because I work right up the street - but somehow I missed this a couple weeks ago. After looking into it, this really is a sad story. According to this Philly.com article, the rider, Jay Mohan (subject of the memorial), was a filmmaker, musician and all-around good guy.

At any rate, always wear a helmet, and watch your back (front and sides, too). And I guess, stay off Girard Avenue.

Rustcycles is a series of abandoned bicycles and locks I've stumbled upon throughout Philadelphia.