The cherry blossoms have started opening, just in time for the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival. Lots of events are scheduled throughout April. See http://www.jasgp.org/cherryblossomfestival/

These frog musicians are getting into the theme of this year’s Flower Show: “Jazz It Up”, a tribute to New Orleans

Every Philadephian and visitor to our city should know about Philly funguide.com and funsavers. The site gives you great information about what is going on in Philadelphia and if you sign up for funsavers you can get half-price tickets for many of the events.

Tomorrow, Tuesday August 27, they are offering half priced tickets for entire theater seasons for the Arden, Walnut Street Theater, Peoples Light and Theater Company, Flashpoint Theater Company, Theater Exile, Theater Horizon, Luna Theater Company, Curio Theater Company, Lantern Theater Company and others.

Theater is so expensive but not if you purchase these specials. They start at $7.50 a play with many topping out at $12.

The Walnut Street season which is the most expensive offers 5 plays at $25 each. That is about what you would pay for the tax on a NYC ticket. But you will see productions of Les Miserables, Peter Pan, The Price, The Odd Couple, and Man of la Mancha, for the price of one $125 seat in NYC.

With the money you saved you can treat yourself to a pre-theater dinner. Check it out

If you have been away on vacation, or just avoiding going out in the heat or rain, I want to remind you Center City Restaurant Week starts September 23 and goes to September 28.

106 restaurants are participating and you better stop what you are doing and make a reservation now. Some of the best reataurants in Philly are offering three courses for $30. A great chance to taste food from a restaurant that normally would be out of your price range or a restaurant you just wanted to try.

Alma de Cuba, Amada, Bistro St.Tropez, Davio’s, Xochiti, Le Bar Lyonnais, Tangerine, to name a few are going to make you say wow! Tourists, if you are smart, you will take advantage of this opportunity. But folks, you have to reserve now or you will miss out.

Hope to see you out and about during Center City Restaurant Week.

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.

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.

If you have never been to the Philadelphia Folk Festival you are missing a very special yearly event. It is not just about a variety of good folk music but the friendly family atmosphere. This will be the 46th festival.

During the three day period over thirty-six musicians will perform for nearly seventy-five hours. But it is not just music. There is Texas Swing dancing, Cajun-Creole dancing, Square dancing, Polka dancing and more. You do not even have to know how, fun free lessons are available. You don’t have a partner? Bet you will meet one in this family party atmosphere.

Attend great workshops in, guitar, banjo, sea shantys, fiddle tunes, writers, story telling, celtic, more than I can list.
There are also Crafts that you can learn and buy. And again it is all free with admission

You can go for an evening, an afternoon, a full day, or camp for the weekend and immerse yourself in it all.

Personally, going for the entire weekend and camping out is an experience you will talk about for years and would be my first choice. It is great when you are single and great when you are married with children. At the very least get out there for a day or evening concert. You are going to love this festival.

Buy your tickets early and save money. Be sure to explore the website. It gives ton’s of important information.

Last night, some friends and I - among tens of thousands of other Philadelphians - braved the pouring rain and walked down to the Parkway to see the yearly Art Museum 4th of July fireworks display. After thirty minutes of waiting at Logan Circle, we were told by various passers-by that the fireworks had been cancelled. Disappointed, massive amounts of people began their sad, tired and soaked walk home. I received a text message from a friend on my bus ride home that the fireworks were on. Thirty minutes after the city decided to cancel the show, the city decided they should not disppoint the countless number of television viewers - and 10% of people who decided to brave the rain - and started the fireworks. I was so upset - and can’t imagine how all the people who travelled from out of town felt. This is going to be a PR nightmare for some time to come. So, Philadelphia, how are you going to make it up to me? Lower the wage tax? Deal.

Often a street has an alternate name or designation—there are several street signs around the city that have smaller, more descriptive street signs below them; e.g. 4th Street below South Street is also known as “Fabric Row”.

This morning I noticed a new sign attached to 13th Street, at Walnut: the smaller sign didn’t have another street name, but a rainbow! (It kinda looks like the image to the right.)

I was on the bus when I saw this, so I’m not sure if there are other signs like this one around the “gayborhood”. Has anyone else seen these?

The competition has been going on for a few years now, and bus travelers can benefit from the latest change in fares by Greyhound/Peter Pan- 20 dollars round trip between New York and Philadelphia.
What is this Chinatown bus, you ask? It’s not really one bus, but instead a whole slew of different bus companies that started making trips between Philadelphia and New York City, and also DC. When they first started- the buses picked up passengers from designated curbsides where the driver would collect your fare, but more recently- they have rented out shops and turned them into faux-bus stations with window tellers and everything.
Here in Philadelphia, the three big companies I can think of are Apex, New Century, and Today’s Bus, with stops at 30th Street Station, and a few scattered around Chinatown.
While looking around for a way to get to New York this weekend for the Auto Show- I was comparing the rates between bus companies. Normally when I made a trip back home to NYC, I take one of the Chinatown buses because it is cheaper, but with recent fare changes, Greyhound doesn’t look too bad. Personally, I’ll probably stick with the Chinatown bus because I have never had a problem with safety- and they have a few more buses each day (During some hours the buses are leaving every 15-30 minutes!).
The Greyhound website is not very well designed, and uncooperative most of the time, but I found this link- http://www.greyhound.com/ticketcenter/etickets.shtml
where you can buy your ticket online for trips for Baltimore-NY, Boston-NY, Philadelphia-NY and DC-NY.