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Will Camden’s downtown decline by way of design? | Morning Newsletter

And Philly things for guests to do before and after Thanksgiving

    by Kerith Gabriel
    Published 

    The Morning Newsletter

    Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter

Hello, everyone. Welcome to what I’m sure is a busy Tuesday. We’re only getting to the mid-40s, but you’ll need your sunglasses.

Today’s top story looks at a proposal for part of downtown Camden that many believe will turn Market Street into a “speedway” — dooming the city’s only true commercial corridor.

And with relatives coming for the holidays, you’ll need something to do with them. We’ve got suggestions for family and friends of all ages.

Thanks for joining me today. 🙏🏽

— Kerith Gabriel (@sprtswtr, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

The proposal that could put Camden’s downtown biz out of business

Members of the Cooper-Grant Neighborhood Association are confused.

In an attempt to get more foot traffic into a section of downtown Camden, the association and the businesses tied to it thought they had aligned with the city on a good plan for the flow of traffic at Market and Federal Streets.

So when an entirely new proposal — with little to no community input — called for turning the four-lane strip into a one-way express past Camden’s only commercial corridor to the South Jersey suburbs, there was a bit of shock and awe.

Neighbors say the design would be the final blow to businesses along Market Street, many of which are primarily Black- and brown-owned.

Our columnist Inga Saffron suggests that the new proposal harks back to older, discredited thinking about cities.

What you should know today

  1. Prosecutors rested their case in the fraud trial of former Temple dean Moshe Porat, without calling a potentially key witness.

  2. Philly settled a four-year legal battle with a Catholic foster care agency that wouldn’t place kids with same-sex couples.

  3. Police have a suspect in connection with a murder in Northeast Philly involving a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

  4. Sean Parnell, a Republican U.S. Senate hopeful from Pennsylvania, suspended his campaign after losing a custody battle that highlighted allegations he abused his wife.

  5. We sat down with Kevin Hart to talk Philly, his new Netflix comedy special, and the future of his $200 million entertainment empire.

  6. No, that wasn’t really a cross atop Independence Hall on this year’s Philly Marathon medals.

  7. And flu cases have skyrocketed across Philly and the nation with doctors worried about a particular strain.

  8. Local Coronavirus Numbers: Here’s your daily look at the latest COVID-19 data.

You’re going to need something to do with your guests before and after Thanksgiving

For those of us hosting, the big question is: What should we do with all that time besides watching college football?

Our Things to Do team has you covered:

  1. 👩‍👩‍👦 Where to take kids to get out of the house.

  2. 🤝🏽 Where to go as a group on Thanksgiving Day to give back by volunteering.

  3. 🚘 What streets to avoid and what’s actually open this Thanksgiving.

  4. 🤩 Where to go to witness one heck of a light show.

And because Turkey Day leftovers go only so far, there’s a special edition of our Let’s Eat newsletter coming today. Sign up here.

🧠 Philly Trivia Time 🧠

OK, this one is for the Eagles fans still riding the high of Sunday’s win against the Saints. Today’s question: Now that the team is legitimately back in the playoff race, do you know the combined record of the team’s remaining opponents? The answer offers a good bit of hope for the team’s chances of flying into the NFL playoffs.

Photo of the day

I’ll be back tomorrow, Philly. Enjoy today. 👍