The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It’s finally Friday.
Our recent hot spell was a bit of a shock, but resident weather expert Tony Wood reminds us that April is a month for all seasons.
Skaters will soon take to repurposed granite, as the city unveils a new $18 million plaza that pulls pieces of beloved skate spots of Philly’s past.
Philly-area bars are meeting the moment and mixing their way into the new frontier of frozen cocktails.
Plus, CAPA flagged dozens of female students for dress code violations, and more news of the day.
— Paola Pérez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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🎤 Allow me to pass the mic to my colleague Dana Munro.
Pat Heid knew it was all over in May 2023 when he saw the fencing go up around Thomas Paine Plaza in front of the Municipal Services Building across the street from City Hall.
The final bastion of skateboarding culture in downtown Philadelphia would become another mostly flat, lifeless, pedestrian plaza, stripped of the kickflip jumps and 180 spins that defined the space in 1990s and 2000s. It would face the same fate that befell Dilworth Plaza in 2014 and LOVE Park in 2018, when they got renovated. Skateboarding in Center City would become nearly extinct.
“It was the end of this incredible run of these spaces that you could never replace,” said Heid, a board member of SkatePhilly, a local skateboarding advocacy group. “It was extremely heartbreaking for our community.”
Heid knew they plazas couldn’t be replaced, but maybe their remnants could be repackaged into something new. As demolition began on Paine Plaza that spring, he pitched an idea to the city: What if the new Paine Plaza featured a skating area built from the pieces of the old sites, LOVE Park and Dilworth Plaza?
On Friday, the city will unveil a plaza featuring a skating area with that exact design. — Dana Munro
Read on to learn how the project became a reality.
It feels like summer out there, and soft-serve margs are here to match the atmosphere’s energy.
Not quite a dessert and not quite a beverage, the hybrid concoction has rapidly become the “it” drink of the season, and bartenders in and around Philly are racing to make their own creamy version.
Ridley House in Delaware County is the earliest known adopter in the region. Since then, others have followed suit in trying to perfect the recipe — and avoid curdling.
Beatrice Forman has details on where you can enjoy the slushy treat.
What you should know today
Philadelphia City Council President Kenyatta Johnson sponsored legislation to convene a special committee that would investigate last week’s deadly parking garage collapse in Grays Ferry. The concrete subcontractor on the project also issued its first public statement Thursday.
Dozens of female students at a Philadelphia high school were flagged for breaking dress code Thursday, sparking outrage among the students, who say they are being unfairly blamed for the behavior of men.
The Camden County commissioners voted to bar ICE agents from conducting civil immigration enforcement on county property.
Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order to protect the data of people with intellectual disabilities from the federal government.
Also on Thursday, Shapiro blamed high gas prices on President Donald Trump on stage in Philadelphia with Republican governors — and they didn’t disagree.
In what’s become an annual dance for funding, Mural Arts Philadelphia once again faces a gap in the city’s proposed budget.
QVC said that it will file for bankruptcy. The West Chester-based TV shopping group plans to continue operating as it reorganizes billions in debt.
The Women’s Tennis Association will return to Philadelphia this summer for the first time since 2005.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced 20 city commercial corridors and parks, which will receive funding and support for 250th-themed street festivals, art installations, beautifications, and programming this year.
Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.
This week, we’re resurfacing an explainer from 2020 on Philadelphia’s colorful skyline. I recently noticed they were lit up in orange following the Flyers’ playoff clinch.
I always figured the city was responsible for coordinating the colors, but it turns out they have nothing to do with it. Here’s the full story.
Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.
🧠Trivia time
Questlove’s new documentary is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. What group is he spotlighting?
A) Kool & The Gang
B) Parliament and Funkadelic
C) Earth, Wind & Fire
D) The Commodores
Think you know? Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz.
What we’re ...
📰 Remembering: Political activist Abbie Hoffman’s death this week in Philly history.
🚪 Learning: The pros of pocket doors.
💿 Shopping: Pierre Robert’s music collection on “Record Shoppe Day.”
🍕 Excited to try: Award-winning Roman-style pies.
🚢 Welcoming: The return of cruises in Philly for the first time in 15 years.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Basketball coach from North Philly
TANDY WALES
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.
Cheers to Melinda Leo, who solved Thursday’s anagram: John Bartram. The Philadelphia Historic District will celebrate Bartram’s Garden, America’s oldest surviving botanical garden, this Saturday.
Photo of the day
Meet Antonio Merlo, Drexel University’s new president. Under his leadership, the school will complete its academic overhaul this spring.
👋🏽 Thanks for spending some time with us this morning. Have a wonderful weekend.
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