NEW RESTAURANT ON 700 BLOCK OF CHESTNUT STREET - Still trying to get the new Restaurant Row Kicked Off

 

 A few years back this was supposed to be Philly's version of the NYC "Green House", a vip eco friendly, celebrity sighting hot spot in the Big Apple. Those plans fell through. So it lingered for a while.

 Last week I went to the John Wind Art Exhibit Opening at the James Oliver Gallery, which was two doors down. That was a good outing as I discovered and tweeted the story about Anne Klein closing, anyway I saw work is being done in the old Philadelphia Blue Print building at

 

 725 Chestnut St

They even have a floor plans of what the restaurant says, but no more info and no one has gotten back to me this eve of Memorial Day Weekend. Any clues on what is going to house this space with it's 10 tables and impressive bar?

It's definitely not the Good Stuff Eatery by Spike Mendelsohn.  That floor plan looks like the former Ted Montana's Grill. There's even an entrance into the office building's lobby. Odd though that it doesn't have a street entrance.  I did have dinner at Stephen Starr Jone's restaurant last Friday night, it's always consistently good, with great service.

Event: Art Sanctuary's 29th Celebration of Black Writing Closing Day Events

Art Sanctuary brings 29th Celebration of Black Writing to a close 

with student matinees, lunchtime chat with Ntozake Shange and

Annette John Hall, and Lifetime Achievement tribute to Valerie Simpson of ‘Ashford & Simpson’

-Friday, May 31, 2013, 10am-8pm-

WHAT:  Art Sanctuary’s closes out the 29th Celebration of Black Writing with student matinees, a Lunchtime Chat with playwright Ntozake Shange and acclaimed journalist Annette John Hall, and the Lifetime Achievement Awards honoring noted songwriter Valerie Simpson of the hit duo ‘Ashford & Simpson’!

10-11am: Celebration of Black Writing Student Matinees at Temple University’s Ritter Hall, 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue

“The Skin I'm In: Girl Talk”: Young Adult authors Sharon Flake and Deborah Gregory join Dr. Yaba A. Blay, Assistant Teaching Professor of Africana Studies at Drexel University and Artistic Director of the multi-platform project  (1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race for a conversation with a group of female students about what it means to be a young woman in today's society. Moderated by spoken word artist and youth advocate Nina "Lyrispect" Ball.

“Power, Manhood & Respect: Brothers Talk About Masculinity in Hip Hop”

What does it mean to be a young man in hip hop culture? We will tackle this issue in a conversation between a group of male students, Philadelphia Youth Poetry Movement Founder/Executive Director and youth advocate Greg Corbin and youth entrepreneur Rashaun Williams, moderated by youth advocate Gabriel Bryant.

11:30am-1:30pm: A Conversation with Ntozake Shange & Annette John Hall at the African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch Street

50 women business leaders from across the region will gather for an intimate conversation with playwright Ntozake Shange and journalist Annette John Hall.

6-8pm: 29th Annual Celebration of Black Writing Festival: Lifetime Achievement Awards Ceremony at Temple University’s Performing Arts Center, 1837 N. Broad Street.

This year’s Lifetime Achievement Awards, Beautiful Without Permission, is the culmination of Art Sanctuary’s yearlong celebration of the literary achievements of Black women. Join us as Art Sanctuary pays tribute to songwriter Valerie Simpson of ‘Ashford & Simpson’, Ntozake Shange and Annette John-Hall. This event will be capped off by a special musical tribute to often-unsung Black women songwriters and a performance from legendary jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon backed by Philly’s own Urban Guerilla Orchestra.

WHEN: Friday, May 31, 2013, 10am-8pm

Backgrounder:  The Celebration of Black Writing is one of the oldest African-American literary events in the nation with this year marking its 29th anniversary. Originally founded by Larry Robins of the iconic Robins Bookstore, Art Sanctuary began producing the festival in 2004. It has since grown from a one-day gathering of authors and literary intellectuals to a weeklong event reaching more than 5,000 participants over the course of one week. This year, Art Sanctuary puts the ‘celebration’ back in Celebration of Black Writing by making it a month-long event, filled with citywide programming, from Germantown to South Philadelphia. To learn more, visit www.artsanctuary.org. 
(Sponsored)

Party Pixs PhillyStyleMag at the Radnor Hunt - perky Jenn Fredericks, Dawn Timmeney, and Rosemary Connors

As one of the first steeplechases in the country, the annual Radnor Hunt Races have attracted thousands of guests to the picturesque, 77-acre race venue in Malvern every year, making it a long-standing tradition for both locals and visitors.
Benefiting the Brandywine Conservancy, the event features six exciting races in which horses gallop over hurdles and timber fences, for purses totaling $180,000.
Families will enjoy tailgating picnics with friends, strolling through the grounds, and viewing antique carriages and foxhound parades.

Once again, The Philadelphia Style Magazine hosted the best party, with the most stylish of the socialites of Philly. 
Joanne Fitzgerald, Lauren Colabelli, Michael Fitzgerald, Avra Gross, Sabrina Tamburino Thorne, John Colabelli and Steven Thorne at the Philadelphia Style Magazine Party Tent

 John DeBella, WMGK, Doug Kammerer, NBC Washington's Chief Meteorologist, and Holly Kammermer

 Maria Quattrone, Andy Henning and Jill Rizen Henning,

Dana Farrell and Celeste Madden

 Michael Toub, Frank Mancuso, Kristen Foote and Pete Lance

Revel HQ in the Field: Manny Romano and Amanda Liptock with Sarah HQ and Adrian Hardy

 Wendy and Paul Rosen, and Howard Eskin, Fox29 Sports Anchor and John Colabelli, Publisher of Philadelphia Style Magazine.

 Kristin Detterline, Vasiliki Tsiouris

 Jenn Frederick, Good Day Philly's Jenn, puts Katie Couric to shame with perkiness, and Steve Frederick

 

 This place is so fancy the dog gets to go in the porta pottie

 Always great to see Tom Ashley's smiling face (FlixFling and Invincible Pictures). Here he is with Parker Ashley, who's growing up so fast.

 Whoa fashion

 Whoa are these guys Plushies?

 Justin Jeffers - http://thefineyounggentleman.com

 Tail gate party tents

 race goers on the hill. it was a rainy day but my spirits weren't dampened. I really enjoy the Radnor Hunt and would attend in the snow.

 Plus Mike likes to go with me too, so you know it's something special. We're hanging out at the Pirate's Picnic, you can read more about it in my Philly Mag column.

 Model Josie Maran was hanging in the Philly Style Mag tent.

 John Bolaris and Erica Smitheman were there too

 Lots of lovely ladies

 Sharilyn Drewen Gilfillan, Juan Vidal (Check out his photography site - he does weddings too.)and Samantha Gilfillan

Kelly Ganczarz, Sean Edwards, Monique Crawford

 Rosemary Connors, NBC10, Alissa Ingram, Fox 29 Camille Cwienkala, NBC Universal Inc  and Dawn Timmeney, Fox 29

 Sabrina Strickland and Mike D - Check out Mike's new place - 30 Main, in Berwyn, you might find Sabrina behind the bar.

 Check out my Philly Mag column for comprehensive coverage of the Radnor Hunt, and thanks to Philly Style Magazine for having me as a guest. I always have a great time there.

 Until next year...

VIP Party Pixs: Paine's Park Skate Board Park for Day and Night, and the most beautiful setting in the world

Last night I attended the VIP Celebration for the long anticipated Paine's Park one of the most expensive and expansive skate parks ever built and is located along the banks of the Schuylkill River.

The site is beautiful, above is one of the earlier designs, and does not take into consideration they were able to save two beautiful trees from the field where they built the multi-use skateboard park.
Update: The fence will be taken down today and you can enter from the South side of Eakin's Oval, or the Schuylkill River Park or from the top of MLK Drive.

By multi- use I mean pedestrian's can walk through it, people can sit and enjoy the day, and there's a large pavilion which over looks both Fairmount Park and Paine's Park, which you can rent for parties, or picnic, or just hang out.

Mitch Bormack, Board President FPSF and Christopher Plant, FPSF Board Member and two of the hard working peeps, who were able to execute the project.
Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund works to strengthen communities and empower youth by advocating for skaters and skateboarding culture, educating youth and adults about the art of skateboarding and its benefits to neighborhoods and people, and building free, public skateparks that demonstrate innovative design, community engagement and multi-faceted 

 Angela McCafferty, Joe Bray and Emily Bittenbender, Bittenbender Construction - Philadelphia

 Steve Olitsky, (The Olitsky Foundation). Avi Golen (Co-Founder of Revolution Recovery LLC) two champions of Paine's Park, and one of the sponsors. You can thank them. Sharon Pinkenson, Hope Cohen, and Frank Bardonaro

 Kevin Taylor and Serggi Trudrowski tell me the new skate park has a great flow and elements that he looks for in a great run.

 Jesse and Dean Rendell. No doubt next year Dean will be on his own board taking a spin.
He had a dream.

 Lorenzo Errico designed the graphic on this skateboard for Mural Arts. The proceeds go to support the landscaping of the grounds around Paine's Park

Anny Deirmenjian Deese, publicist for Davio's ,  Beth Blakely and Dorothy Rapeepun

 Todd Marrone, Heather Hall, Sara Hagan and Yis Goodwin

 Jane Golden, Mural Arts Executive Director and Nicole Cashman, Cashman & Assoc. There are still tickets left for the 2013 WALL BALL with Julius “Dr. J” Erving Thursday, May 23 6:30p to 9:30p

Event website

I'm Coming Out- Another One Bites the Dust -


Spinning by DJ Eddie Tully

 Unicycle

Thanks to so many people including State Representative Babette Josephs (1985 -2012) who introduced a one line item that made it possible to create the park.

 skater Chris Cole and his daughter. Now that's confidence.

 Skater Dan

Mitch Bormack, Board President FPSF
Mitchell Bormack has been a Board Member of Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund since 2007 and became Board President in early 2012.  Mitchell was initially attracted to the FPSF organization through his involvement as a Board Member of the Fund For The Water Works and observing the early efforts of FPSF as the group was planning its flagship project, Paine’s Park

Claire Laver, Executive Director, Franklin’s Paine Skatepark Fund and former Gov Ed Rendell
Jesse Rendell had a dream, as he and his friends were serious skate boarders. With the help of his dad, and countless others, especially Mayor Nutter, Gov Rendell noted, Paine's Park has become a reality.

Steve Rockman and  Maya Victoria

Great cake by "Save Your Fork"

 Josh Nims, Operations Manager at Schuylkill River Development Corporation

The Crew From ESM Productions: Nikkita Thompson, Scott Mirkin, Valerie Smith and Chrstine Rudloff (PS This is the production company behind MIA and the July 4th Concert. HUGE TALENT)

Natalie Scarantino, Executive Assistant and Cosmo DeNicola, Philadelphia Soul co-owner

 Mitch Bormack, Board President FPSF and Allyson Katzman, Paralegal - Fine Kaplan Black. (It's a small world, Allyson and I used to work on many projects during my 20 years as a paralegal, in that last life I lead.)

Christopher Plant, FPSF Board in 2006 and Jessica Meeker. Congrats to them both for their recent wedding.

Shana and Avi Golen, Avi tells me that since Jesse and him were kids they dreamed of a skateboard park like this. Jesse never gave up on his dream, and today, now the dream has come true.

Big Rube and One punch

Paine's Park is gorgeous. It's my hope that everyone will respect and no one will graffiti it, and even if camera's are in place, I would hope if you see something you will stop it. Please use the trashcans too. I already saw people last night drop butts, and trash on the ground. OK now go have some fun.

And if you were wondering how well lit the Paine's Park is at night, it's like daytime. Say goodbye to Love Park, except as the most iconic skate board park in the world.