One hardly need pay much attention to news and such to know Philadelphia has become somewhat of a joke. Most often, that joke involves Baghdad in the punch-line. My family, tucked away in quiet suburbs, joke as well, about us wearing protective armor. This brings in a lot of laughs, but if you actually live here they’re uncomfortable ones followed by silence. I’ve lived here for under four years, but even I can remember when we all felt up-and-coming. Now, when my friends relocate to the main line or plan to move to an entirely different city I never wonder: “What’s wrong with staying here?”

The East River Kelly drive walkway was never intended to accomodate walkers, bikers, skaters, joggers, etc. It is too narrow, for starters.

The rules about using the path are an attempt to be all things to all users, but they do not work. If you are biking or skating you don’t want to have to worry about running into something, especially a fellow citizen.

Philadelphia has recognized the problem which is why, at least part of the time, West River Drive (MLK) is exclusively for ‘recreation’. Which, in theory, should leave East River Drive to walkers.

Let us also admit not everyone is on the path for exercise. Strolling, after lunch or dinner at the Art Museum Restaurant or the Waterworks Restaurant along boathouse row, could be a romantic walk. Walking single file with your lover is not anyone’s idea of romantic.

Tourists, I would guess, also have a problem as they venture out of the Azalea garden and onto ‘the path’. Or imagine the experience of three or more friends who have deceided to take a walk along the drive.

Also as you are walking, as Marissa points out in her post, ‘Taking Care on Kelly Drive’, if you are taken by flora or fauna, you had better not be so amazed that you abruptly stop and look.

I propose, at the very least, the section from the Art Museum to the Stone Bridge should be Pedestrian Only all of the time. That is about one third of a mile on a course that stretchs for eight miles.

This weekend’s weather was just beautiful - not at all too hot, but also not too cool. Today is probably bordering on too cool for some. Personally, this is my favorite weather - cool, overcast, sometimes a little bit rainy. It’s perfect! I was so thrilled about it that I actually put on corduroys this morning, as if the start of autumn had arrived. At the same time that I am enjoying it though, I can’t help but feel like something isn’t quite right. I mean, after all, it IS July, isn’t it?

It kind of makes me feel like I did when I took this picture this past May. It was spring then, but these maple leaves seemed to think it was autumn.

Please add your Philadelphia photos to the Metroblogging Philadelphia Flickr group. Readers’ photos will be featured here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine parked her car in Old City at a meter, carefully noted how much time she could be away and went off to run a few errands. She headed back to her car with several minutes to spare, but as she approached, noticed that a Parking Authority person was already there, writing her a ticket. The meter still had three paid minutes on it, but the meter minder just shrugged, said “there’s nothing I can do, I already started the ticket,” and handed it to her. She ended up paying it, because the time and energy it took to refute it wasn’t worth it to her.

The Inquirer printed an article this morning about who to contact in order to refute a ticket. The PPA website gives no information about how to go about it, but the Inky took it upon themselves to offer up that useful bit of information (thanks guys!). So, if you get a parking ticket and you believe it was wrongly issued, just call Frank DeAngelis at 215-683-9614. He is the Parking Authority’s public advocate and he should be happy to help you out.

I ride my bike along the Kelly Drive walking/running/biking/blading path at least once a week. I’ve seen a lot of near-misses along the path, and today I saw a young girl totally wipe out at a point when the path got crowded and people weren’t paying attention. As I rode by, her mom was holding her as she screamed, “my knee hurts, it really hurts.”

In the hopes that more injuries like that could be avoided, here are my recommendations on how to be safe and have fun on the Kelly Drive path.

1. Stay to the right. (This is the United States and that’s just how we roll here).

2. If you are walking with friends or family, please make sure that you are not walking three and four abreast, because doing so obscures the bulk of the path, leaving very little room for those on bikes and blades/skates to move around you.

3. Don’t let your young children play ball in the middle of the path, especially in front of blind spots. I nearly ran over a toddler who was walking to his dad right at the point where the path narrows and curves around the very large rock. I wasn’t going fast and had my hands on the brakes, but this is not safe behavior for a path that is used by bikers, runners and skaters in addition to walkers.

4. Do not abruptly stop in the middle of the path. Chances are, doing so will take someone else by surprise and you don’t want to send them tumbling over you.

5. Please be present. Keep your eyes and ears open, so that people can enjoy the waterfront and stay injury-free.

It is a perfectly beautiful day in Philly. The sky is blue, with artistically place white, puffy clouds. I spent some time at the pool on the roof of my apartment building this afternoon. This is the view from the roof, looking southwest.

One of the things I like about Philadelphia is there is a lot of music. A lot of different music. Tonight at the Art Museum you can have a drink, catch a set, stroll through the galleries. Performing tonight is The Fractals and Meg and The Cliftones. Rock and Roll and 60’s inspired jazz.

Performances usually happen around 5:45pm to 6:45, 7:15 to 8:15 pm.
All music comes with the price of admission.

Alex Hillman, a local web developer and driving force behind the coworking space Independents Hall, gets called cheeky by Wired magazine.

We’ve all heard that eating locally is the way to go, as it supports the local farming economy and reduces the amount of fossil fuel used to transport your edibles from field to table. Mac of Pesky Apostrophe has gathered a crew of folks to write about their efforts to eat food grown and produced in the area on a new blog called Farm to Philly (I’ll be writing over there occasionally as well).

Local blogger/photographer Eric Smith made his music video debut yesterday in a Silverstein video that is currently showing on AOL Video, but will be expanding to other music video sites in the days to come.

Do you think Philadelphia is a Fast City? If so, head over to FastCompany.com to nominate our town in as many categories as you see fit.

This Saturday evening at 7 pm the Philadelphia Orchestra will be performing a free neighborhood concert at Clark Park (43rd and Chester Ave.). This is the third and final concert in the series for this summer (they’ve already done them in Camden and one Chestnut Hill).

The full concert program is after the jump.
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If you take pictures in and around Philly, post them to Flickr, and are interested in going on a group photoshoot, you might be interested in one that is coming up this Saturday. Here are the details.

What: Parkway photoshoot/meetup:
When: Sat, July 21, 6:30 pm
Where: meet at the BACK entrance of the Art Museum (NOT the Rocky steps!)

This meetup is being organized by Moocat, and she writes:

We’ll briefly head to the Waterworks, then back past the Museum, passing various public art, the Rodin Museum, and Swann Fountain at Logan Circle. Please respond to the discussion thread in Philly Charm or Flickr mail Moocat if you think you can come or need a cell phone contact number.