No debate: there’s no better, or more appropriate, place to celebrate the birth of our nation than right here in Philly. Here are a few things to help you enjoy your freedom this weekend. The best part? Most of it’s free. Today: Forget lunch, there’s cake! A reading of the Declaration of Independence is followed by an eight foot cake that’s needs some eating. Head over to the Independence Visitor Center at noon to snag......

Battlestar Galactica is easily the best drama on TV! You're cut, The Wire! Get lost, Lost! Err, ER! If you can put the original campy Star-Wars knock-off (that we all loved back in the 70s) out of your head and give this Sci-Fi Channel reimagination a chance, you will be treated to some of the best writing, action, and drama this side of the Eye of Jupiter. (Plus some pretty hot "Human on Toaster" action.......

Even if you don't feel like watching this entire video, you'll want to see what our Governor does at about 8:15 in.......

Photo from the Ben Franklin Bridge walkway. Photo by author, SkyscraperSunset.com, November 25, 2007.......

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Ma Phillyist is visiting later this week. We're totally psyched to see her—it's been since the holidays—but unfortunately, her visit coincides with the BlogPhiladelphia "unconference," which we do plan to be at. Mom assures us that it's okay, she can keep herself busy on Friday. But the problem is, she's done most of the busy-keeping activities in the city that we can think of: she's been to the Art Museum, Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell,......

The 2007 Sunoco Welcome America! Festival launched yesterday (complete with live map to tell you where the festivities are, or, if you're like us, what parts of the city to avoid over the next few days). Between now and Wednesday, there's a ton of celebratin' to do, as part of Welcome America! or otherwise. We know that at some point, we'll be barbecuing some burgers and dogs, and watching fireworks are an absolute must,......

Apparently they're even shooting newspaper deliverymen these days. A driver for the Inquirer and Daily News was shot and robbed early this morning. Thankfully, the attack only wounded the man in the neck, and he has already been treated and released from the hospital. His attackers took his wallet, which contained only $15. Leonore Annenberg will receive the 86th Philadelphia Award tonight, the city's highest civic honor. The award is given to "a citizen......

Casinos may be coming our way, but they won't have table games anytime soon, according to Governor Rendell. So if you want to play Blackjack, you'll still have to head out to AC. T. Milton Street has pleaded...not guilty to charges of corruption and tax-evasion, as did one of the two other men indicted along with him. Thousands of local parents received letters about their children's truancy...and possible fines the parents could face if......

Yeah. We don't think the floor is what they're especially concerned about in Independence Hall.......

- Accidents on Roosevelt Boulevard have been a long-time problem - and it seems that previously installed red light cameras may have exacerbated, rather than aided, the problem. Currently, there is discussion to add radar enforcement to the speed deterrents. City Councilman Brian O'Neil has said, "The mayor should just shut down the middle six lanes until there is a solid plan in place -- or forget the middle lanes are there and green......

Or, at least, not putting up any new ones for now. In a victory for Philadelphians and all Americans, on Friday the National Park Service announced that a proposal to enclose Independence Hall within a security fence has been scrapped [Philly.com]. If realized, the plan would have cut Independence Square in half with a six-foot tall black iron barricade, hypocritically restricting access to one of the world's most important symbols of freedom. After releasing the......

- It probably goes without saying by now - but if you're planning to fly out of Philadelphia International Airport, you're going to want to get there very early and watch what you pack in your carry on luggage. -The proposed fence around Independence Hall is meeting some resistance from residents. Ah, irony. It won't protect us - but it does irritate us from time to time. If you have comments about the project, here's......

So maybe a week of rain isn't the best time to ask you about your favorite place to stand outside and wait for food. But Phillyist wants to know: what's your favorite food truck in the city? We've got a couple reasons for bringing up this topic. First off, as a recent college grad, this Phillyist spent the better part of four years buying food from sometimes-questionable mobile kitchens in the neighborhood. Secondly, and perhaps......

Fourth of July is nearly upon us, the time of year when Philly pulls out all the stops to celebrate the birth of our nation, and Sunoco Welcomes America to join in, whether we want them to or not. (We kid, we kid. Come on in America, and bring your tourist monies. We can't eat all these cheesesteaks ourselves.) It would be redundant of us to list all of the official events here (particularly as......

- Philadelphia has had its homeland security grant cut by almost $10 million. Phillyist isn't clear if we're meant to be happy, since this ostensibly means we're $10 million worth of funding safer than we were before - or if we should feel put out that our (as Mayor Street dubs them) "iconic images" aren't worth a few extra dollars to protect. In the meantime, we will hope beyond hope that budget cuts will mean......

by Sarah M. GranlundWhen Ed Bacon planned Independence Mall, it was lauded as visionary. It was to be a green, open space in the middle of the city's historic district, providing an area for public gathering and a place to view the historic buildings of the area. But, as with many of Bacon's visions, Independence Mall did not stand the test of time as well as it could have. Soon after it was built,......

We see dead people. You might too, considering you can't swing a dead cat in Philadelphia without hitting someone with a ghost story. Professional ghost hunters like the Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance probably never have a shortage of haunted sites to investigate. But you don't have to be a professional or go on a tour to find the spirits -- you simply need to know where to look. Phillyist recommends just hanging out in......

It's official: the best time to hit the local historical tourist hotspots -- (Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the National Constitution Center) -- is when the other million or so people milling about the Philly streets are doing so on the other side of City Hall. Lines were short and show tickets easily accessible. Even the sidewalks were easy to traverse (if one could avoid the gauntlet of tour providers who were all to eager......