Your traffic restriction updates for today: the northbound I-95 ramp to Broad Street is closed from 8AM to 4PM for structural steel repairs. There will also be lane closures this week on I-95, the Vine Street Expressway, and the Schuylkill Expressway. Due to the recent loss of $1.4 million in federal funding, and accreditation problems, the Berean Institute, a North Philadelphia landmark that has provided vocational and business education to African-Americans for 109 years, could......

We just love it when art students put these things up on YouTube.......

Mantua Hall at 35th and Fairmount, one of the original 40 high-rise public housing towers built as part of the city's urban-renewal era, was imploded this weekend. It was the 21st such tower that the Philadelphia Housing Authority has imploded since 1995. The end of the building is considered a new beginning for Mantua. But the scandal involving the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Philadelphia Housing Authority could lead to the flow......

Dear Philadelphia: I have lived here now for nearly six years. I made it through four and a half without buying pepper spray, and only acquired one from a friend when a string of sexual assaults last fall were a little too close to home. It remains attached to my keychain, except for when it isn't: before shows at the Electric Factory or TLA, I make sure to detach it and leave it somewhere......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Friday: N It: Enjoy some improv with The N Crowd at The Actors Center (257 N. 3rd), 8PM. $10 Ashley Deekus: Ashley Deekus, Jesse Sparhawk, and Eichen Oaks at Brickbat Books (709 S. 4th), 8PM. Free. Why Do You Build Me Up: Drink Up Buttercup, Moneynotes, Jukebox the Ghost, Modern Skirts, and Madi Diaz at the Khyber (56 S. 2nd), 9PM. $8 Saturday: It’s International Women’s Day: Celebrate......

Monday challenges the average human to perform incredible feats of bravery and strength every week. It is the Goliath to our David, the Microsoft to our Yahoo!, the [insert viable presidential candidate here] to our Ron Paul. We do not choose it – it chooses us. Then it abuses us. Degrades us. Makes us to feel as if our feelings, if they exist at all, don't actually matter. Yes, we will say it, because......

Today is not a snow day for us here at Phillyist. We are still working hard to bring you the best the city has to offer. Well, maybe not that hard. But we're still busier than ever today, so here comes your first lean helping of Can't Miss This, Lite! Lite as in brief, but also Lite as in, all about drinking! As for the children, well, word on the street is that you......

Thursday has often been called a day of thirst, probably because we need an excuse to drink on a week night, and the wordplay writes itself. We wish we could refrain from suggesting at least one bar, just to rebel against the 'thirsty' designation. Well, we can't refrain. We just plain can't. But at least we have some music to serve before the booze. THE FOO FIGHTERS AND SERJ TANKIAN AT THE WACHOVIA SPECTRUM......

"A Philadelphia parents' group sharply criticized the city school district and the USDA yesterday for not acting earlier to recall possibly tainted beef served to children in school cafeterias." The latest poll in Pennsylvania shows Hillary Clinton's lead against Obama shrinking, and also suggests that regardless of which candidate wins the Democratic primary, he or she will have a close, tough fight against John McCain. Meanwhile, the Montgomery County Democratic Committee is meeting tonight to......

The sweet scent of Friday is in the air, and as those without significant others recover from their hangovers and push their anti-couples bitterness back into the depths of their souls, let us all unite in giving thanks for another weekend. To whom shall we offer this thanks? Well, how about Mayor Michael "Here's My Budget" Nutter? A WALK INTO THE SEA: DANNY WILLIAMS & THE WARHOL FACTORY (2007) If you're an Andy Warhol......

Sons of Ben and other Philly area soccer fans rejoice: the Inquirer says sources are telling them that "Major League Soccer is moving swiftly toward an agreement that will grant a long-sought expansion team to the Philadelphia region." Saint Joe's will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5PM today to officially open its new Hawks' Landing parking and retail facility at 54th and City Avenue. Hawks' Landing is a $19 million project that features a five-story,......

Tuesday brings us several events chosen only on the merits of their names. While this is not always a wise principle by which to live, it will certainly serve to spice up an otherwise Snoozeday Tuesday. Yup. We made that up, right on the spot. What? We don't care if you've heard it before! We haven't, so it's ours! PHILADELPHIA PHANTOMS VS SYRACUSE CRUNCH Okay, okay, we'll admit it: We're not the biggest Phantoms......

Finally! The Day of Days, only hours away from the Hour of Hours, when the bright and beautiful dawn of the Weekend shall arise above our spellbound eyes, pushing the darkness and decrepitude of the week deep into the recesses of distant memory! Huzzah! Huzzah! BLUE MAN GROUP HOW TO BE A MEGASTAR 2.1 TOUR If you thought that intro up there would be a hard act to follow, well, we'll put our humility aside......

Today we have basketball, masturbation, and ancient, unrequited love. What more can we say? YOUNG FRIENDS PROGRAM: GREATEST HEARTBREAKS OF ANCIENT TIMES The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology knows how to kick it old school, especially around Valentine's Day. The most sacred of Hallmark holidays, Valentine's Day is a day which lonely people spend masturbating and couples spend, well, um, doing romantic stuff? Anyway, the Young Friends of Penn Museum are bringing......

It's nasty out, but don't let the weather keep you from exploring all that this city's artisans and art curators have to offer! Take, for instance, the special First Friday event the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts is throwing in honor of their new (aforementioned) Cecilia Beaux American Figure Painter exhibition, starting at 5PM. It's the first chance that Philadelphians will have to see the exhibit, plus, there will be live music and free food.......

Yesterday Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey unveiled his plan for getting Philly out of its "crime emergency." The plan includes deploying 200 more officers to dangerous parts of the city, and it will hopefully help Ramsey fulfill his pledge to reduce homicide in Philadelphia by 25 percent. Of the plan, Ramsey said: "There is nothing fancy about it. It's fundamental, it's basic. This is not Batman and Robin coming out of a cave somewhere." That's......

One-time rap music impresario Alton "Ace Capone" Coles is on trial for using his record company as a front for a $25 million, Southwest Philadelphia-based cocaine trafficking network, and yesterday a former girlfriend, and the mother of his two children, testified against him. A man was walking north on Broad Street near Somerset in North Philadelphia, just before 5PM, when someone ran up to him from behind and, he thought, punched him in the......

Heath Ledger died yesterday afternoon in a NYC apartment, and early indications are it was from an overdose, but an autopsy will be performed today to determine the facts. Gothamist has a detailed, much-updated post on the topic. Both the Inquirer and the Daily News are taking a look this morning at the three finalists for the job of chief executive officer of the School District of Philadelphia, and the Inquirer also has a look......

Walking down Broad Street to the Allegheny stop one evening, Phillyist was deep in conversation about the psychology of cities. Discussing the El, when it is actually an El, one person remarked “No wonder people get depressed in Kensington, they can’t see the sun!” Philadelphia based artist Edward Epstein might agree. His new site-specific installation, City Without Expressways, presented by InLiquid.com at the Crane Arts Building, looks at the ways in which the building......

Phillyist just came across an interesting tidbit while scouring philly.com blogs: The Temple Owls and coach Fran Dunphy will be taking the subway to their game versus the Duke Blue Devils at the Wachovia Center tonight. Coach says, "This is a tremendous opportunity for our team to travel as Philadelphians do on a daily basis to and from work," and so it is. Good for them. But just a heads up to all those......

The Inquirer has the highlights from Nutter's first crazy day as Mayor, and they also take a look at his "almost impossibly ambitious goals for Philadelphia." Nutter's first act as Mayor was to declare that Philadelphia has a "crime emergency," for which our new police commissioner has only 22 days to develop a strategy. A high-profile area World War II veteran who has served as a frequent speaker, museum advisory board member, and reunion......

Hakim Glover, the cousin of the man who allegedly killed Officer Chuck Cassidy, pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of hindering apprehension and obstruction of justice. Glover is accused of helping his cousin flee to Florida. The Convention Center expansion project was halted on Christmas Eve when the Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia obtained an injunction ordering wrecking crews to stop work. The preservationists want to save the two small but historic Broad Street buildings......

As the weather gets yucky (this week's high temps will be at or near fifty, but we're looking at rain, rain, and more rain), I find myself reluctantly taking SEPTA more and more often, often during rush hour. Because I try to be a courteous SEPTA rider, I make a point of not putting my belongings on the seat beside me if the subway car, trolley, or bus seems to be getting crowded. I......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: Allen M. Hornblum: Allen M. Hornblum reads from his latest book, "Sentenced to Science: One Black Man's Story of Imprisonment in America," sponsored by Robin's Bookstore at The Broad Street Ministry (320 S. Broad), 7PM. Free Movie Monday at The Troc: Superbad DVD release screening. The Troc is located at 1003 Arch Street. Doors open at 6PM, feature begins at 7:30PM. $3 admission is applicable towards concessions. (21+)......

It's time again for First Friday. What's that you say? You don't like the looks of tonight's weather forecast? Silly readers! A little cold and wet never killed anyone (well, pneumonia and tuberculosis aside, at least). And besides, all those warm bodies packed into a little art gallery, accompanied by free wine? You'll be warm for sure, in no time flat! Here are a few places where we suggest keeping dry. Before jumping on the......

Wednesday's event on South Broad Street was as much a six-block-long performance as it was a lighting display. Even before the brief speeches by three of the event's organizers, the Avenue of the Arts was a circus of performers on stilts or in costume. Afterwards, the street became even more active as five bands started playing and the crowds lined up to purchase food from the outdoor stands set up by nearby restaurants. Terra......

The big news today is police shootings. The Inquirer and the Daily News both examine the alarming local and national trend. The Daily News also reveals some backstory on the gunman who shot four people, including a policeman, before jumping into the Schuylkill River Tuesday night (his body was found early yesterday morning). And finally there are two articles about yet another shooting that took place early yesterday morning when a man tried to......

If you ever look at our weekly theatre listings (and we hope you do!), you may have noticed that one local company has been conspicuously absent from the mix: the Philadelphia Theatre Company. They're starting their season off a little late this year so that the finishing touches can be made to their new home: the Suzanne Roberts Theatre on Broad and Lombard Streets. This Phillyist and Phillyist GW made it out to a special......

More details on the murder of the millionaire with two wives! The Inquirer has a report on the accused wife turning herself in yesterday, as well as some backstory on the whole relationship. "Sherwood Forest" - which is actually "the concourse below 15th Street linking Suburban Station with tunnels to City Hall, the Municipal Services Building, and the Broad Street Subway" - is not always the most pleasant place to be. As the Inquirer puts......

...