As the school year comes to an end and the weather finally turns warm (this weekend at least), what better time for an encore of a popular ATB about ice cream in Philly. From April 2023—enjoy.

Have a great weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hi ATB reader,

Today I thought it would be fun to simply write about ice cream in Philly. Is there anyone who does not like ice cream? I mean that as an actual question, not rhetorical, as there are so many superb non-dairy options now (not to mention water ice), that even most people with intolerances or allergies can enjoy some frozen confection. I got this idea from a piece in the Inquirer earlier this week, simply titled Best ice cream in Philadelphia: Where to get the best scoops, soft serve, water ice and other frozen treats. Needless to say, I will be sharing my own opinions and comments here.

First, the article playfully states “No city, currently, has claimed the title of Ice Cream Capital of America. Obviously, that title should go to Philadelphia.” For those who regularly read this newsletter, you know that I think that Philly is the best city in America (and the world), and also excels in many specific areas, including, but not limited to, food in general, sports fans, livability, neighborhoods, walkable Center City, history, parks, homes, and greatest fictional character/icon.

Greatest fictional character/icon. Also spawned classic Philly-centric movie line, “Yo, Adrian!“ This 23-second clip definitely gets me pumped up.

I mean simply put, Philly is the jawn.

But I never specifically considered ice cream. Though I certainly contemplated water ice. As a kid, I did not even realize that water ice was a local thing (or at least the name is). You go somewhere else in the country and ask for water ice, and people are like “What?” I never even considered how odd the name was. “Water Ice.” H2O plus the frozen version of H2O. What a bizarre, totally non-descriptive name. (Though its inverse, “ice water,” is well known and aptly named, as it is simply water with ice in it.) As a kid, the quirk of its name never even occurred to me. Like, everyone, everywhere understands what water ice is, right? Perhaps they are familiar with other frozen sugar/water treats such as Italian ice, snow cones, or shave ice for example. But none of these things are as awesome as water ice, which originated in Philadelphia. And when a company is founded in Philly and then franchises like crazy and goes viral, they actually change the name so others can understand… to Italian ice.

Rita’s is actually pretty good and they at least understand what Gelati is… water ice and ice cream in one cup. But they are really serving water ice, not Italian ice, which I think of as a much harder and gelatinous product in a paper cup with a paper lid that you pull off with a tab.

So now back to ice cream. I will discuss water ice again later.

In the list of the best ice cream in Philly, I have been to quite a few: Weckerly’s (from Lil’ Pop Shop), Zsa’s, Laser Wolf, Bassetts, 1-900-Ice-Cream, Franklin Fountain, C&C (never realized this stood for Custards and Cakes), and Jeni’s. All of these are good (as ice cream tends to be), and my favorites on this list are Bassetts and Laser Wolf. Though one of Philly’s best is not even on this list–Tubby Robot Ice Cream Factory on Main Street in Manayunk. My favorite. Highly recommend.

My top choice in supermarket ice cream is a Philadelphia brand founded in 1866—Bryers. And while many of its flavors have gone downhill since it was bought by Kraft and then Unilever and left Philly, its Vanilla and Mint Chip, IMO, remain supreme.

A special shoutout to a couple of Philly’s classic parlors from when I was growing up—Just Ice Cream on Pine Street in Wash West (later renamed More Than Just Ice Cream, as they moved to a much larger shop on Locust). And Hillary’s on South Street, at the terminus of Passyunk. Do you guys remember these Philly standouts from yesteryear?

The Inquirer piece also ranks soft serve, vegan (like the amazing Goldie’s tahina milkshakes), banana splits (Tubby Robot is mentioned here!), and crazy soft serve flavors: where have you gone Big Gay Ice Cream, with your Gritty-inspired Dorito flavored creation? Is it possible this is why you went out of business?

Which brings us back round to water ice and the Inquirer’s water ice list. First on the list and my favorite by far is John’s Water Ice at 7th & Christian. I like to take my kids to my favorite Philly eateries (who doesn’t), which include places like John’s Roast Pork, Reading Terminal Market, and John’s Water Ice. Here we are in July 2018.

About John’s, the Inquirer says:

There’s no artificial syrup or fake flavors in the water ice at this Christian St. water ice institution, which has been serving cold cups of frozen treats since 1945. Staple flavors include cherry, lemon, pineapple, and chocolate, with special announced-on-Instagram flavors (mango, honeydew, peach) rotating week by week.

I love a cherry and lemon combo and my favorite specialty flavor of all time is their cantaloupe. In classic South Philly style, it used to be cash only. But now they accept Venmo!! Sometimes lines, but they move fast. Old school Philly parking, right on the corner in front of the fireplug. In and out.

This Inquirer series includes multiple other places that sound great. Some I may try and most I will probably never get to. In any event, I believe I have come to one undeniable conclusion based on writing this piece. Philly is the Ice Cream (and obviously water ice) capital of the world!

Have a great weekend!

Best regards,

Jeff

The flag of Palau

Hi Readers,

A very busy week, so you know, how about a quick comment on Palau.

The approximately 18,000 residents of Palau must feel so lucky when they make an internet purchase and have to pick their state via drop down menu: they come up first when you type in that P. Pennsylvanians do not have that luxury, that is for sure.

By the way, Palau is actually not a US Territory, though it used to be part of the U.N. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administered by the United States (never knew about that). Since 1994, Palau has been in a Compact of Free Association with the United States, which means it is a sovereign government but has a special relationship with the US—mostly that the U.S. is responsible for its defense and has strategic military access (also never knew about this).

Palau is part of Micronesia in the Western Pacific and seems like a beautiful place to visit. And Palauans use the US Dollar.

Palau also has a pretty cool flag. Very similar colors to my favorite city’s flag!!

And as a resident of Philly, I always have to arrow down one space when ordering online. Palau Maneto!!

Have a great weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hi Readers,

I hope everyone has a relaxing Memorial Day weekend and gets some time to reflect and spend time with friends and family. Most of all, I want to express my appreciation for those who have served and express my gratitude for their service and sacrifice.

Warmest regards,

Jeff

Hey Readers,

Congratulations to the Springside Chestnut Hill Academy robotics team for qualifying for the FIRST Robotics Championship (colloquially known as “Worlds”) in Houston, Texas.

High school robotics teams compete in various FIRST Robotics competitions throughout the robotics season, and only select teams make it to Worlds. FIRST Robotics is an amazing organization, and joining SCH’s superb robotics program was one of the (many) factors that led our son Ari and our family to consider SCH.

Since I knew next to nothing about robotics competitions before Ari became interested while in middle school (at The Philadelphia School, which also has a great program), this summary is from the FIRST Robotics web page: “FIRST is the world’s leading youth robotics community, delivering hands-on STEM learning that inspires innovation, builds confidence, and prepares kids for life. Across the globe, students thrive in our programs — powered by mentorship, teamwork, creativity, and engineering challenges.”

Anyway, robotics teams are identified by their number. SCH is Team 1218, which means they were the 1,218th team to be formed, back in 2003. The numbers now go well into the five figures.

While 1218 did not win any awards at the Championship competition, which includes hundreds of the best teams from around the world, they won quite a few major regional awards throughout their season. So, congratulations to Team 1218 — SCH Robotics — for another great season.

By the way, City Block Team is a proud sponsor of SCH Robotics! Here is their robot, GEODE, with the CBT logo. Though I must say, the most apropos sponsor is definitely Tubby Robot Ice Cream Factory in Manayunk. Well played there.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hi Readers,

A few Philly sports comments for today—

• I am a real positive guy, and absolutely not a Philly sports downer. I don’t ever boo Philly teams, and totally do not buy into that “Negadelphia” jawn. That is BS. But sometimes a team starts to wear down even the most patient Philly lifer, and I have to say I was feeling that way with the Sixers. I mean, I love this team when healthy, and it was actually looking like the Paul George suspension would be a blessing in disguise—with PG fresh for the playoffs and all. But then Embiid gets appendicitis?!?! I mean, really? That is just so… Embiidish. When the Celtics blew us out in Game 1, was anyone thinking we were coming back to make it a series? Anyone? And here we are. GO SIXERS!

• I have never seen the city so Flyered Up. It is awesome. We are now going to face the best team in the Eastern Conference, but we are truly playing with house money now. Let’s play them tough. Whatever happens, this is invaluable experience for a young team. Let’s go, Flyers!

• I am excited about the Birds draft, the new OC, training camp, and the upcoming season. And we should gain some valuable assets from the post-June 1st AJ Brown trade. GO BIRDS!

• Well, the Phils are 3-0 in the Don Mattingly era. That’s something. Now I am a big Topper fan and am sorry to see him go. But at this point, it had to happen. The players forced it. Managers are hired to be fired.

On a side note, I just finished a fascinating book—Charlie Hustle by Keith O’Brien. Pete Rose is one of the greatest baseball players in Major League history and simply an all-time, all-out competitor. A straight-up winner on the field. But as tremendous as he was as an athlete, he was equally as flawed as a person. A sad-sack loser. A liar. A bad guy.

I had just turned 13 when the Phils played the Royals in the 1980 World Series. Game 6, top of the ninth, Phils two outs from winning their first ever World Championship. KC’s Frank White at the plate. I remember that pop fly into foul territory up the 1st base line that Bob Boone ran down and got under just in front of the Phils dugout. The ball plopped into Bone’s catcher’s mitt… and then popped up and out. That ball was going to fall harmlessly to the ground and give White another chance to beat the Phils in a tight game. Except for one thing, Pete Rose hustled over to back up the play (just in case something like that happened). Charlie Hustle was right there, and he snatched that ball out of the air for the second out. Tug McGraw then strikes out Willie Wilson, and the Phils win the game and their first-ever World Series. The most memorable play I ever saw. Check it out here.

So Saturday night is the big night. The Sixers play Game 7 at the Boston Garden at 7:30, and the Flyers open up the second round vs the Canes at 8. Let’s have an awesome weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hi Readers,

Twenty-five years ago, I left the practice of law and became a real estate professional. I had no previous sales experience, but I did not think that mattered much because I never saw my new profession as a sales job.

I saw it as a chance to help people meet their goals, just as I had done as an attorney, but in a field that more fully aligned with my passions and personality: the city and neighborhoods of Philadelphia, my understanding of contracts, being out and about instead of tied to a law office, researching homes and home pricing instead of corporate law and insurance policies, talking to people about life and family rather than only their technical legal needs, and perhaps most of all, helping my clients make a huge business and personal decision less stressful and more successful.

From day one as a REALTOR®, I knew I had made an incredible decision.

And here we are, a quarter century in, and I love it as much as ever. Check that—even more than ever.

I hope you like my personal and team 25th anniversary logos.

Throughout this year, I will periodically include stories about the past 25 years, which I guess I already do.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Dear Readers,

The biggest story in Philly is the return to the playoffs for the Philadelphia Flyers. When I was a kid, the Flyers were the class of the NHL.

They won two straight Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975 when I was six and seven years old. Uh… they haven’t won one since. But they were still super solid. In fact, they made the NHL finals in 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987, 1997, and 2010. But they lost each time. This is among the most Stanley Cup Finals appearances since the expansion era began in 1967. But again, only two championships—both over 50 years ago.

The Stanley Cup teams had two of my favorite Philly athletes of all time. Bobby Clarke and the late Bernie Parent. And so many other awesome characters—Moose DuPont, the late Rick MacLeish, Reggie Leach, Bill Barber, the Watson brothers, Gary Dornhoefer, Bob “The Hound” Kelly, and Dave “The Hammer” Schultz (just to name a few). The late Ross Lonsberry was known for his toupee off the ice. He was one of the players back then who actually wore a helmet (most did not), and when his helmet came off in a fight or something, the fans loved it. His helmet was his on-ice toupee.

Ok, the Flyers have not made the playoffs since 2020, and that was the Covid Bubble playoffs. They have not been a contender since 2010. They have won two playoff rounds since 2012. They have now been (or should have been) rebuilding for years.

This year, finally, from the depths of the standings, they mounted an incredible post-Olympics surge to blow by multiple teams and grab a playoff spot. I love this Tocchet-led team. Vladar, Zegras, Martone, Foerster, Sanheim, Drysdale, Michkov, Tippett, Dvorak, Konecny, Couturier, Ristolainen, York…

And against our arch-rivals no less. The Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight in the Steel City. Who owns PA?

LET’S GO FLYERS!!!

Have a great weekend. And to get pumped up, here is Lauren Hart singing God Bless America before a 2018 playoff game vs the Pens.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Dear Readers,

Think back to September 1987. Were you in Philly? Still in school? Even born yet? I was 19 and starting my sophomore year at Temple University. I had just switched my major from Political Science to Urban Studies.

If you are old enough, you may remember some of these September 1987 happenings… Gary Hart admitted on “Nightline” to cheating on his wife (that was a big story). The Netherlands and Italy sent military ships to the Persian Gulf to aid the US and other allies in trying to keep the Strait of Hormuz open during the Iran-Iraq war (yes, four decades ago, for real). Cal Ripken Jr.’s record streak of 8,243 consecutive innings (spanning 908 games) finally came to an end (truly unbelievable iron man). The Robert Bork Senate Judiciary hearings got underway (he was the OG “Originalist”—even before Scalia). Pope John Paul II continued his US tour. The movie Fatal Attraction was released. The Dow Jones rose a record 75.23 points in one day (Ha! Now that would be a slow volume day). And quite notably, Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted (Make it so, Number One).

Ok, and while I remember some of these events, until I started to write today, I would have had no idea in what year they all occurred, let alone occurring in the 9th month.

But I will tell you what I do remember—the coolest concert moment ever-- and I saw it live. I have seen quite a few concerts—including Live Aid, the Dead playing the last show ever at JFK Stadium, seeing Billy Joel multiple times, and so many more (Bowie, The Who, Jethro Tull, Tom Petty, The Boss, Phish, Pink Floyd, et cetera, et cetera).

The date was Friday, September 25, 1987. I am 19 and super pumped to be at JFK Stadium to see U2 for the Joshua Tree tour. Bono had dislocated his shoulder earlier that week when he fell off a rainy stage at Washington’s RFK stadium. His arm was in a sling. No guitar, but he could still sing. Now I obviously do not remember the set list, but of course every set list for every concert in history is somehow on the internet, so I can now report that the show opened with “Where the Streets Have No Name” and “I will Follow” and continued with “Help“ and the huge hits like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Pride (in the Name of Love.”

Then came the encore, and a couple of songs in, Bono asks, “Anybody else like to play my guitar? Would Bruce Springsteen like to play my guitar?” All of a sudden, The Boss walks onto the stage like it is no big deal, and I, along with over 100,000 other humans, go absolutely bonkers. Bono then jokes, “I guess you guys know him. Is he a local boy or something?” And Bono and Bruce go on to sing a duet of Stand By Me” with Bruce on guitar. Freaking unbelievable. Here is the video. Enjoy.

And there you have it. September 25, 1987. This random date in history.

And enjoy this lovely April weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hi Readers,

This week, I wish a Happy Easter and a Happy Pesach to all who celebrate.

Wishing everyone a peaceful weekend and a little calm and clarity as we move through ever-present change.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Dear Readers,

You know I am a big fan of Philadelphia International Airport.

I tend to be more of a parochial Philadelphia and family road trip guy than a jet-setting world traveler, but in my very humble opinion, we have the best airport. I have written about this pretty recently, in fact. I feel Philly has a smaller, easier to navigate airport feel than most big cities. And we have much better food options than any other airport I have visited. We also have a solid TSAPre set up, which is always a plus. PHL is a win-win. I wrote—

Ok, I really do not understand. I have been to quite a few other airports. Always run-of-the-mill food at best. We have Jim’s Steaks, Tony Luke’s, Federal Donuts and Chicken, Amex Centurion Lounge (food by Michael Solomonov), Sabrina’s Cafe, Smashburger, Oyster House, Bar Symon, La Colombe, and Elixr. Nice retail as well. Our bathrooms are not fabulous, but I have not found most airports much better. I think our parking is pretty convenient. And things are fairly close together. At so many airports, you have to take a train or monorail from place to place to parking, etc. I prefer a 10-minute walk and some moving walkway action any day. Yes, there are some things that are pretty annoying, but I have found that at most airports. Does anyone really love a busy airport? All said and done, I am real comfortable at PHL, and I prefer it.

Well, now PHL has achieved a Guinness World Record for the most on-time flights ever!! Okay, we did not really win anything for that. But for something just as significant! Drumroll please… The Longest Line of Cheesesteaks. Yes, that is correct—The Longest Line of Cheesesteaks. And that record-setting number would be 1,291. As described on phl.org’s own website:

The savory serpentine of sandwiches at PHL ultimately stretched to a record-setting 1,291 cheesesteaks — spanning the length of more than three football fields and occupying nearly the entire concourse between Terminals B and C. It was comprised of 225 pounds of cheese sauce, 990 pounds of shaved ribeye, and over 1,200 foot-long rolls.

Ok, now this is a first-time category, which could mean they only needed, like, let’s say, seven cheesesteaks to create this record. But Guinness has standards, and I think they set the minimum at about 600 or so. But we have grit, and we doubled it. Every cheesesteak-related restaurant at the airport participated. It was a full Philly-forward team effort.

And when done, they gave the sandwiches to hungry airport visitors and then donated the extras to Philabundance. All in all, another big Philly win all the way around.

Also, opening week in baseball. GO PHILS!

Have a great weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Dear Readers,

Where can you find all this?

• Lush landscaping creates intimate gathering spaces (perhaps Paris’s Jardin des Tuileries?)

  ​

• Café seating spills onto widened sidewalks (are we talking about Saint-Germain-des-Prés?)

  ​

• Flowering medians soften the City’s hard edges (maybe Cité Florale in the 13th arrondissement?)

  ​

• Aerial sculptures soar overhead (the Eiffel Tower?)

  ​

• Outdoor performance spaces encourage connection (the banks of the Seine?)

  ​

• Rotating art installations spark imagination (the central Rotunda at the Bourse de Commerce?)

Jet to Paris and you can enjoy all of this. Or… stay a little closer to home. What municipality did the Michelin Guide name the “Frenchest American City?” Not New Orleans. Not Paris, Texas. That’s right!! You guessed it.

La ville natale de le sandwich au steak de fromage et Rocky Balboa. Philadelphie, Pennsylvanie.

So, where in Philly can you find these iconic features of Paris, France? Well, there are a few things here and there. But basically, let’s look ahead. The work has already begun—Presenting AveArts2.0. The 10 blocks of South Broad Street between City Hall and Washington Avenue will be transformed “into a vibrant 10-block destination featuring lush greenery, art installations, performance spaces, and inviting seating areas.” The work has actually just started—between Spruce & Pine. This is a $150 million project that will unfold over the next decade. Read more about the first phase here.

Read more about the entire project in this Inquirer article.

Thank you, Google Translate, for my mistake-laden French. Please judge it with humor.

And while comparisons to the Champs-Élysées may be just a slight tad overblown, AveArts 2.0 will be a major improvement to La Ville de l’Amour Fraternel.

Have a great weekend, and Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hi Readers,

The spring market is officially here. I know there is a real lot going on in the world, but in Philadelphia, PA, the residential real estate market is super active. Prices remain solid, interest rates are stable-ish, and the buyer demand is there for single-family homes.

I have put several listings under contract this week and have some great ones coming up to take their place.

I love the spring market.

Go Philly!!

Have a great weekend.

Best regards,

Jeff

Credit to Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

Dear Readers,

I have written a lot about the Rocky statue, including here and here. As recently as three months ago, I said…

Ok, so the Rocky statue absolutely belongs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I mean, how can that even be a question? And I believe the perfect spot is where it has been since 2006—at the base of the steps, where tourists and locals can line up, and I can drive by with my car windows open. Why would it ever be moved from that spot permanently to the top of the steps? Can somebody please read this very confusing article and explain to me what is going on and why? Please.

What did the Art Commission decide to do? Well, move the Rocky statue to the top of the steps, of course. And to place the lesser-known Joe Frazier statue at the bottom of the steps. This decision is thoughtfully explained in this article, penned by Nick Vadala, the same writer who put forth the “very confusing article” referenced above.

So here is the crazy thing—now I support the move. Why did I change my mind? I think it has to do with the realization that I was actually yearning for nostalgia. And then being okay with the change. Plus, visitors and Philadelphians alike now have the opportunity to learn about the greatest non-fictional boxer in Philly history—Smokin’ Joe Frazier.

Regarding the nostalgia piece, I was reminiscing about driving around Eakins Oval with the kids in the car and embarrassing them (in a very fatherly way) by opening the windows, cueing up Gonna Fly Now at a louder than appropriate volume, and yelling “Go, Rocky, go” to the line of tourists waiting for their selfie with the fictional pugilist.

Things change. Now I will drive by, play the exact same music, and bellow, “Smokin’ Joe!!” or “Heavyweight Champ!” or “Gold Medal!” or something like that. You know, feel like I am teaching some kind of drive-by Philly history to random people who will likely be pretty glad they can’t hear what the heck I am even saying.

You can read more about the extraordinary Joe Frazier here.

Meanwhile, Rocky will be perched at the top. Arms raised. Just like the “real” Rocky.

I changed my perspective. I look forward to this change. Joe Frazier! Rocky! Philly! You can’t beat ‘em!

Have an awesome weekend. Don’t sweat the lost hour. More evening light is coming. All good.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hello Readers,

What a busy week. Starting to get those spring listings ready. As I often do when it is really slamming, I search for a fun and informative past ATB that I can post as an encore piece. I mean, everyone loves a rerun of a super-entertaining Friends episode, right? Well, this is the ATB version.

This week, we revisit a Spring 2024 article I wrote about our neighborhood’s brilliantly curated general store: Weavers Way Co-op. Nothing has changed (that is good!!). The Germantown Weavers Way is awesome, and I spend a lot of time at all three Weavers Ways in my general neighborhood—Mt Airy, Chestnut Hill, and Germantown.

And like in 2024, I still have some great listings coming up in the Northwest (and throughout Philly). See below for some and stay tuned for others.

Enjoy.

Warm regards,

Jeff

From Our Archives...

Around the Block: 5/17/24

The Perfectly Curated Grocery Store

Flashback to May 2018—Regarding our upcoming move to West Mt Airy, I confidently predicted to my wife, “Yeah, I am sure I will go to Weavers Way once in a while, but I will still mostly go to Whole Foods when I go shopping. Whole Foods will always be my main store.”

Spoiler Alert—My proclamation was 100% incorrect. I fell in love with our co-op at the corner of Greene Street & Carpenter Lane in West Mt Airy almost immediately.

Weavers Way, this compact store in its original 1974 location, is the most well-curated grocery store I have ever seen. It is welcoming to members and non-members alike, and members have the option of being working or non-working members. Working members volunteer 6 hours a year (per adult household member) and receive a 5% discount in return. I generally enjoy my working hours and have written about them in previous ATBs. Here, as well.

I would now estimate my grocery shopping as follows—90% Weavers Way, 10% Acme/Fresh Market/Whole Foods/other. I think my wife is about the same. And between the Weavers Way stores, I shop at Mt Airy about 80% and Chestnut Hill around 20%. There is also a store in Ambler, but that is not in my wheelhouse at all. I am a Philly guy through and through.

Which brings us to this week’s exciting news!! Wednesday, May 15th, marked the Grand Opening of Weavers Way’s newest store—Weavers Way Germantown. Gorgeous and spacious, with a parking lot and a super convenient location right by Lincoln Drive and Wissahickon Avenue in red-hot Germantown. This store is a 6-minute drive from my home and is (much) larger than the Mt Airy store and offers a significant made-to-order lunch menu that Mt Airy obviously does not have room for.

The Mt Airy store is literally a super-cozy converted corner townhome. And it feels just perfect. The Germantown store is a voluminous, natural-feeling space—also perfect. I highly recommend checking out the new Germantown location-- here are some photos:

I visited the new store yesterday morning at 8am, right when they opened. They already had their stuff together. No surprise from Weavers Way.

Now time for a new prediction. Six years after my ignominious proclamation noted above. Here goes: Weavers Way will remain 90%+ of my grocery shopping, and my new store breakdown will be 60% Mt Airy, 30% Germantown, and 10% Chestnut Hill. No idea why I am even making such a random prediction. This may be the least useful information I have ever included in the ATB.

So here is some (marginally) more useful information:

I love apples, and my favorites are the sweet and juicy Honeycrisps and Evercrisps. Weavers Way typically carries these varieties from local orchards. I love local produce, plus an added bonus that they are not all shined up with that wax-like substance, which I do not enjoy.

Well yesterday at Germantown, I discovered a new variety. It was delicious, and I am adding it to my staple of apples moving forward. Local, of course. And a really funny name that speaks for itself:

And, if you are looking for the real estate connection to this ATB, I will add that Germantown (and the entire Northwest) has some of the nicest new construction in Philly right now. Check out the Spotlight Property below for an example of this. We also just sold the last home in a separate project with more G-town new construction to come.

Please reach out if you want to discuss any of Philly’s awesome neighborhoods or your specific property.

I hope you have a great weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hey Readers,

This past long weekend, we enjoyed a sunny reprieve in Sarasota, Florida! We visited my aunt and uncle (and their dog Ruby), and while I had some work to do while I was there (of course!), we really made the most of our time.

Let’s check out some of the entertaining trip highlights--

• When you travel to another city, you can count on going to at least one restaurant (or many) that have their version of the “Philly Cheesesteak.” First night out at a BBQ joint…uh, no thank you.

• Definitely the best license plate I saw in a long time. Kudos to this Bucs fan

• At a “very interesting” place called the Sarasota Jungle Gardens, which was founded (and apparently last renovated) 87 years ago, we saw some pretty cool stuff. Like this bearded dragon, who clearly appreciated Ezra representing our city with his Phils hat.

• And the flamingos that eat out of your hand. That was so fun. Also, those ibises are no dummies. They know those messy flamingos are going to drop a pretty high quantity of food on the ground.

• Which takes us the grand finale of our trip… Ruby rolling over for a belly rub…

• Ok, which now takes us to the real Grand Finale… The Sarasota Circus. What a show under the Big Top…

This is a “circus arts” event with acrobats, jugglers, and clowns, not an old school with the elephants and lions.

With respect to the animals, not sure which was best.

The dog jumping rope…

The dog riding a scooter…

Or whatever this is…

This looks quite difficult…

And how about these guys. Half the audience had their eyes covered for this one

Seeing our 15 and 10-year-old boys enjoying this circus just reminded me of how quickly they grow up. A great trip and, as always, great to be back in Philly.

I hope you have an amazing weekend.

Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate! Wishing you a smooth and blessed month ahead.

Warm regards to all.

Jeff

Dear Readers—

I hope everyone enjoys the long Presidents’ Day weekend. Specifically honoring Presidents Washington & Lincoln. Technically, the federal holiday only honors George Washington, but as it falls between the first and sixteenth presidents’ birthdays (2/22 and 2/12, respectively), it is a de facto celebration of both of these men. Neither perfect human beings for sure. But great leaders just the same.

This is also Valentine’s Day weekend. On 2/14/2020, I wrote an interesting ATB-- This is quite the blast from the past, as the world changed forever about one month later…

The 2020 spring real estate market has started early and it’s red-hot. In fact, it has started earlier than I ever remember in my 19 years in the business.

Typically, January is very slow. And the early spring market gets going after the Super Bowl. February starts to pick up towards the end, and March 1st is when things begin to heat up, and continue at a frenetic pace through Memorial Day. Then June is still solid. July starts to slow down. August through mid-October is slower. Fall market is from mid-October through early or mid-December. And then the cycle repeats.

This year, the first full week of January was a blast. The City Block Team had multiple sales and new listings. This is usually among the slowest weeks of the year–you know–beginning the process of getting back into the routine after the holiday season, catching up, planning for the year. Not this year. In January, City Block Team wrote 21 deals for $8.3 million. Unprecedented for January. And my colleagues at Compass said they were well ahead as well.

One fascinating thing about these numbers is that available inventory remains exceedingly low. So generally speaking, properties that are out there are selling.

What does this mean moving forward for 2020? No one knows, of course, but I would not be surprised if the solid spring market continued, especially because the inventory remains low. It is also possible that the market will slow down sooner this year, as that would follow the trend of years where the market has started late and then continued later. Perhaps the frenzy will end at the end of April and not May and then die down for the summer in early July instead of August.

We shall see but it is fun so far. That’s for sure.

Have an amazing weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff

“What does this mean moving forward for 2020? No one knows, of course.” Well, that turned out to be a colossal understatement, as a month later, the real estate market came to a halt. Literally. We were not allowed to show homes. Full stop. Would we ever sell another home? Yes, as it turned out. 2021 was an absolute record-breaking year for real estate.

Now fast forward to early 2026, and snow, ice, and bitter cold have leveled the city. However, while it is no January 2020, I am busier than I have been in several years. Hopefully, as the weather thaws, the market will continue to stay hot as well.

For now, please enjoy the weekend.

Best regards,

Jeff

Good Times (Note City Hall is the tallest building. Read more about the Curse of Billy Penn here and in the Phils section below).

Dear Readers,

I am the quintessential Philly sports fan!

Four for Four plus my Big 5/City Six favorite—GO OWLS!

The Birds! The Fightins. Your 76ers. Let’s Go Flyers! I am all in.

Passionate and knowledgeable. Philly is the best sports city in America, and the trope of fans throwing snowballs at Santa Claus (about 60 years ago!!) is absurdly overblown. Do the naysayers even know the full story? Definitely not. Here it is.

Meanwhile, many other cities have had much worse (and some very serious) incidents. But it always comes back to the 1968 “Santa.” Now the Vet had the 700 level, and I saw a lot of crazy stuff there. But the Linc is much more tame. Much more. I actually miss the Vet and the Eagles Jail (also an overblown media sensation).

One thing I am not, however, is negative. I do not buy into the “Negadelphia” stereotype and am not even sure that is a real thing (but maybe it is). In any event, I am super positive. I want to win, but I am realistic and know that the Birds cannot win the Super Bowl every year. Two Super Bowl wins in eight years are objectively spectacular! Even more so when you are a contender pretty much every other year you did not win it. Yes, I am frustrated the Phils have not won a World Series during this potentially dominant stretch. And the Sixers haven’t won the NBA Championship since Billy Penn stood tall above the entire city. At least the Flyers won two Cups in a row… when I was seven.

But right now—early 2026-- is not a high point in Philly sports. I do not want to dwell on this negativity, so let me very briefly discuss (and then maybe a positive note on each team 😊)—

• Eagles. Offense struggles all year. Lost in Wild Card at home. To obnoxious Niners, who then deservedly got trounced by this season’s class of the NFC—Seattle. Then we were spurned by several top OC candidates. Then Stout left—a Hall of Fame Coach for sure. But wait… maybe new OC Sean Mannion will be awesome! I am pretty optimistic here. Birds have a top-of-class young defense. And as of this writing, we are the reigning Super Bowl champs (for another 48 hours or so). GO BIRDS!!

• Phillies. We have a great team… and have not won the World Series as the window seems to be closing. And we lost Ranger Suarez, so with Wheeler still out and Painter now a question mark, our starting pitching is no longer the class of MLB. This offseason, I was resigned to no big signings until suddenly, we were the favorites to sign Bo Bichette. Holy Cow. I was excited. Until Bichette then signed with our NL East rival NY Mets. Well, at least team president Dave Dombrowski “thought it was going to happen” for the Phils. That makes it all ok. What a gut punch. On the positive side, we are supposedly getting rid of Nick Castellanos. I guess we will settle for addition by subtraction. The bullpen looks real solid going into 2026. And we remain the betting favorites to win the NL East. Read more about the Phils, plus a wallpaper tip for selling your home, here.

• Sixers. I am sad we traded Jared McCain. We are a touch better than mediocre this year. I guess that is good. But a real contender? Not really. Joel Embiid is playing great. Maxey is awesome. This is a positive (unless you view it as wasted efforts). An unmitigated positive is VJ (unless you think we should have taken Kon Knueppel).

• Flyers. I have got to get over how freaking good Cutter Gauthier is going to be for the Orange & Black. Sadly, by Orange and Black, I mean the Anaheim Ducks (when did they start wearing those colors anyway?). Foerster out for the season. Michkov out of shape and struggling. Flyers not good enough for the playoffs or bad enough for a top pick. On a positive note--Dan Vladar. And this ATB reflecting on happier times.

I also wrote a State of Philly Sports about 10 months ago. What was going on then? Check it out here. And sorry, Union fans. Just not my thing.

I hope you enjoy the weekend. Stay warm and…

Warm regards,

Jeff

Hi Readers,

Last week’s ATB on bagels generated quite the response. Excellent comments abound, and very few holes in any of the arguments. Philadelphians love bagels. And they are not messing around. Here is a sampling—

• A couple shout-outs for New York Bagel Bakery on City and Haverford. I had meant to throw them in under the “heard they were awesome but have not tried yet category.” They were on my list, but I forgot. Totally my bad, and I appreciate the readers’ kudos.

• General high marks for Philly Style all around. Good to hear!

• A few mentioned how much they love Bart’s, which I mentioned but did not list among my favorites. General high marks for the pumpernickel everything and white fish. I have had this Bart’s combo and agree it is quite good.

• Several Spruce Hill and Garden Court friends said they loved Barts but had never been to Cleo, even though it is much closer to their homes (and totally walkable). They will now be checking out Cleo.

• I love the white fish and lox at Schmear BTW. I am generally a smoked fish guy.

• And talking about smoked fish and Cleo, I happened to be at Cleo this morning for my favorite Salmon & Chevre Special with lemon drizzled arugula when I ran into a friend who mentioned they are opening up a cafe right next door—Little Bean, “espresso, treats, seats & b.y.o. Cleo.”

• The most detailed response to my newsletter covered several topics—noting that he loves the idea of the horseradish cream cheese on a Four Worlds at Knockbox, really needs to try Cleo, that I missed Ryes in Bryn Mawr, and that he laments the closure of Delancey Street Bagels in Wynnewood. He was also pleased that I ignored Manhattan and Einstein.

• Regarding Manhattan, the only other comment I got was how the staff was rude. So no great shakes for Manhattan Bagels from this crowd.

• I also received an important clarification from someone much more familiar with the north of Philly bagel scene—PopUp is apparently from CT, not NY. Either way, I am still looking to “rip and dip.”

• I do like people who simply agree with me… “Jeff, I agree with your positive evaluation of Philly Style and Schmear and Baker Street and Knead. Cleo is on my (first time) to visit list. Thank you for the chewy report.” Very positive reader!!

• Finally, one of my favorite comments, if not quite as positive as the previous one—”Bagels, really? The best way to gain weight.” Lots of bagel opinions flying around this week—but this comment offers the only hard, cold, indisputable fact. Sigh. Well, what to do? Uh, I bought a half dozen Cleo to bring home.

Have a great weekend, everyone. Stay warm

Warm regards,

Jeff

Photo courtesy of phillystylebagels.com

Hi Readers,

Philly has great bagels. We can stand up against New York any day. Bagels are a very personal thing. I have my favorite spots, and I also conducted a scientific survey (i.e., spoke to about 10 random people and asked for their favorite bagels).

Let’s get right to it.

My favorites are—

• Philly Style in Old City and Fishtown. Long fermentation. Hand-rolled. Beer boiled (Philly Style). Stone-baked. My whole family loves these when I bring them home. A true Block favorite

• Cleo in West Philly. Incredible bagels and superb bialys. Wonderful sandwiches like smoked salmon and chevre with lemon-dressed arugula on an onion poppy bialy. Right?

• Schmear in various locations, including the cutest little micro-take-out shop on Locust by 15th, right by my office. Order ahead because there is often a line. Always solid bagels, and they recently upped their game and further improved their recipe. By the way, this used to be Philly Bagels, which started at 3rd & South way back in the day. I used to go there with my dad when I was a kid. I still go into that shop once in a while.

I love dense and bagel-y (i.e., not a piece of bread with a hole in it).

I also like Four Worlds sourdough bagels (West Philly), though they are just to go—no slicing or schmear. If you want Four Worlds sliced—try Knockbox on 45th & Pine and maybe check out their horseradish cream cheese. This is literally just horseradish mixed with cream cheese, and it is amazing. Ok, I digress.

I also like Baker Street (Chestnut Hill), Spread (various locations), and Knead (Wash West) as well. A few that are super popular but not my personal favorite are Kismet (various locations) and Barts (West Philly & Bella Vista). And I am not a huge fan of the Bagel Place in Queen Village (just too bready for my taste). Don’t get me wrong. I will happily eat bagels from all these places. Just not my jawn if I am choosing a bagel for my personal consumption. The participants in my scientific poll all liked different places.

Now there are also several bagel places I heard were awesome, but that I have not yet tried. This includes Downtime (Mt Airy), where they have been sold out of bagels the few times I was there. Then there is PopUp bagels, which is coming to Philly from New York. Have not had yet, but I love the idea of hot, chewy bagels that are “rip-and-dip.” Opening at Suburban Square in Ardmore. Again, I think I am going to take to rip-and-dip once I try it. Another I have not yet tried is Spread & Schmear (Passyunk), which is located in the old Korshak spot. Korshak’s was a great Philly bagel!

All these places were mentioned in my informal survey, and everyone had different opinions as to their top.

I do have a bagel question/complaint/comment. What is up with bagels that only have toppings on one side? If I ordered a half sesame/half plain, then I would understand. But if you want an everything bagel, for example, under what circumstances would you only want it on one side?

Okay, at the end of the day, I guess my only advice is make sure you have enough of your favorite bagels in house for the upcoming big storm. See you on the other side.

Best regards,

Jeff

In Memory of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr

Hi Readers,

Last week, I wrote an AI related piece on Philly. I asked what people thought of the piece, and I got a great response. Lots of thumbs up and positive comments, but also several comments that noted one common critique. And a good one, I must say. The critique was basically that my AI prompts were not artfully engineered to steer AI towards the best answer or correct information.

I fully agree. And I explained to those astute readers that this was purposeful. There is no question (especially with my knowledge of Philly) that I could ask AI questions to generate the correct answers about our city. That is the thing with AI. What it answers and the accuracy of information depends so much on the knowledge of the questioner—both about the subject matter and how to question AI itself.

But in this case—for the purpose of that ATB—the point was to see what AI would answer to broad, open-ended questions. That was the fun of it. For example, I could have asked much more specifically about the Frank Rizzo nightstick and cummerbund episode and almost certainly gotten the correct answer. Let’s try that now—using a new temporary chat—“In Philadelphia lore, what is the famed nightstick and cummerbund episode?”

Chat’s answer—

“In Philadelphia lore, the “nightstick and cummerbund” episode refers to a widely-circulated 1969 photo/story of Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo showing up to a civil disturbance still in black-tie formalwear—with a police nightstick tucked into (or jammed under) his tuxedo cummerbund.” It is famed because it became an iconic shorthand for Rizzo’s hard-charging “law and order” persona—instantly recognizable and still invoked in Philly political/history conversations decades later.”

A solid answer and IMO very interesting Philly history, but not what I was going for in the ATB. I was not trying to write a research paper. I wanted to hear AI’s responses to more general, open-ended Philly-related questions—whether right or wrong, quirky, or just plain weird. And that is what I got. And it was entertaining.

So how about a few more?

Ok, I think that ChatGPT will get this even if I don’t mention the city or anything else but this exact language—”Who is, without doubt, the absolute, 100%, no questions asked, unequivocal greatest 3rd baseman of all time (and it is not even close so don’t do that AI hedge and hem and haw thing and act like it is an opinion and all that—because it is an indisputable fact.)?” Note: I am using another temporary chat so it does not lean towards a Philly answer.

The answer is correct (though with inevitable AI equivocation, of course)--

“If we’re playing the “there is a correct answer, and we’re not litigating it” game, the name you’re looking for is:

Mike Schmidt.

He’s the most common “GOAT 3B” pick because he basically checks every box at an absurd level:

• Power + patience + defense at 3B, for a long time, in a non-offense-inflated era.

• 3 MVPs (that’s “inner-circle all-time” territory for any position).

• 10 Gold Gloves at third (the “he only hit” argument doesn’t exist here).

• 548 HR, and he did it while being elite at the position defensively.

• The typical summary from baseball historians is: best combination of third-base offense and defense ever.

Could someone argue George Brett or Eddie Mathews or Brooks Robinson depending on what they value most? Sure—people can argue anything. But if you want the closest thing baseball has to a consensus “greatest 3B,” Schmidt is the answer most experts land on.”

Let me just say this: if a reader can argue Brett or Matthews or Robinson (really, O’s fans?), then please try to make that argument.

“Schmidt is the answer most experts land on.” Wow. Could a weaker, lamer understatement be possible?

Now let’s try this next Philly sports-related question: What past NHL Goalie saves as much as anybody but the Lord?

I gotta hear this answer. Here we go!

Dominik Hašek is the best answer — unreal, God-like saves, earning the nickname “The Dominator.”

Other legitimate possibilities:

• Patrick Roy – legendary clutch and playoff saves

• Martin Brodeur – unmatched consistency and longevity

• Terry Sawchuk – heroic saves in a brutal early era

But for pure “saved as much as anybody but the Lord” energy, Hašek stands alone.

I am weeping. Let me follow up. “I was thinking of a goalie who also won two Stanley Cups like Hasek, but who also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Stanley Cup Playoffs MVP. Only the Lord saves more than…”

OMG.

That would be Jonathan Quick. The saying is commonly phrased as: “Only the Lord saves more than Quick.”

Quick: Won 2 Stanley Cups (2012, 2014) with the Kings. Won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2012 as playoff MVP

Wait a while, is that really a thing? “Only the Lord saves more than Quick.” Do you have a reference for that?

Yep — it’s a real hockey saying, but it’s about Bernie Parent, not Jonathan Quick.

The classic line is commonly given as:

“Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent.”

A widely repeated reference point is a quote attributed to Jerry Korab that specifically mentions a Philadelphia bumper sticker with that exact wording.

So: “Only the Lord saves more than Quick” isn’t the well-known original phrasing — Parent is.

Really? Well, how about that? AI basically made that Jonathan Quick stuff up. Totally made it up. “By the Way, Chat, a concise summary about Bernie, please.”

Bernie Parent was a legendary NHL goalie for the Philadelphia Flyers.

• Won 2 Stanley Cups (1974, 1975)

• Won the Conn Smythe Trophy both times (playoff MVP)

• Won 2 Vezina Trophies

• Backbone of the Flyers’ “Broad Street Bullies” era

• Inspired the famous line: “Only the Lord saves more than Bernie Parent.”

In short: a dominant, clutch goalie whose peak defined a franchise.

Rest in peace, Bernie.

Ok, let’s move away from the more obscure sports angle (never thought I would be writing about Dominik Hašek and Jonathan Quick) and see how it can do with some more basic Philly History. ChatGPT typically does okay with straight history.

What city was originally designed as a Green Country Towne?

The city originally designed as a “Green Countrie Towne” was Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. William Penn envisioned and laid out the original plan for Philadelphia in 1682-83 with wide streets, ample open lots, and several public squares in an effort to balance urban life with green space and to avoid the overcrowded conditions of European cities.

Ding! Ding! Nice job. Even without a 17th-century spelling of “countrie,” AI got that one.

And when I walk down Moravian Street today, I think of that Green Countrie Towne, yes, I do.

Okay, one last one before I go. And this one, I do not know the answer to… but I want to… “Please concisely summarize some of MLK’s memorable moments in the City of Brotherly Love.”

Here are a few of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s most memorable moments in Philadelphia (“the City of Brotherly Love”):

• Backing the Girard College desegregation fight (Aug. 1965): King came to North Philly to support protests challenging Girard College’s whites-only admissions, addressing a large crowd outside the school’s walls. (Billy Penn at WHYY)

• Speaking at Temple University’s Baptist Temple (Aug. 1965): During that same visit, he delivered remarks at the Baptist Temple and spoke to reporters about segregation in Philadelphia and the Girard College case. (Temple University Exhibits)

• Working alongside Philly civil-rights leadership: Accounts of his Philly visits highlight his relationship with local leader Cecil B. Moore, including appearances where they spoke in the same churches in the city. (The Philadelphia Citizen)

• The SCLC “Freedom Tour” stop (Oct. 26, 1967): King returned as part of a multi-event Philly day that included speaking appearances (including at a local junior high) and a major Spectrum fundraiser show (“Stars for Freedom”) featuring prominent entertainers. (USHistory.org)

I have, of course, written about the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King before. Among the greatest Americans in history.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warm regards,

Jeff