You might roll your eyes if a real estate agent tells you about a fixer-upper with a lot of potential. But that truthful line of persuasion has been working for supporters of the Germantown Life Enrichment Center.
The center, known as GLEC, is an unusual two-in-one facility at 5722 Greene St. It offers an array of community programming, including pool, fitness, and youth activities, and transitional housing for formerly homeless men.
The former YMCA building opened in 1922, and has not received major renovations since the 1990s. It has gradually decayed while waiting for essential repairs, including to its HVAC system and roof.
The building was in dire financial condition in late 2024 into 2025, after the pandemic hurt memberships and childcare participation. Utility bills and shutoff notices piled up, and it appeared the center could close at any time. Germantown would lose a vital community resource, and one of the city’s few housing options for homeless men would disappear.
But over the last several months, GLEC has begun receiving support it has long needed, by way of a combined $9.2 million from various sources. In the spring, the center learned it had been awarded $5 million from the city’s funding for homeless housing, courtesy of the American Rescue Plan, to use on its residential section. Then the center received an additional $2.5 million for the creation and repair of residential housing units in July from state funding. The money will go toward new central air-conditioning, new showers, updated bathrooms, and more.
Last week, GLEC learned it will receive about $950,000 from state Local Share Account funding, raised from gaming revenues, which will go toward repairs to the building’s community center offerings, like replacing the basketball floor and renovating locker rooms and bathrooms.
Macy Brown, 4, center with swimcap, uses her life vest to stay above the water as she kicks up a storm to navigate the pool at the Germantown Life Enrichment Center in 2018.MICHAEL BRYANT
And on Sept. 17, Democratic State Sen. Art Haywood presented GLEC with a $750,000 grant from a state program that goes toward housing affordability and rehabilitation measures, also meant for improvements to the community center sections of the building.
The inflow of funding represents a remarkable and hopeful turn of events for those who have fought to keep the building open.
“It feels like a miracle. … I’m so profoundly grateful to the entire community that rallied around to to work together to make this happen,” said Doron Taussig, chair of the GLEC board.
Yet even with those funds, Taussig said, the building’s daily financial challenges remain.
The center still operates with a monthly deficit of about $25,000, executive director and CEO Lyn Kuebler said. She said even while the major investments from the city and state suggest they are committed to the center’s being used for this kind of housing work for the next 30 to 40 years, there is still a long way to go before all of its needs are met.
“Even though we’ve gotten awards … it’s not money in the bank that can pay your electric bills,” Kuebler said.
Not finished
When the center hit its low point at the end of 2024, Kuebler said, she began warning people that without an intervention soon, “we’re not gonna be here.” She invited Haywood, who represents parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County, to tour the building that December to see both its potential and how much was needed to reach it.
“There’s not many places for men who have been hard on their luck,” Haywood said, noting that it is one of the few single-occupancy housing options for homeless men in the city. He said he admired the resiliency of the center’s leadership, and agreed to help secure funding.
“The organization just needed a lot of love,” he said.
A Dadball basketball game (in background) at the Germantown Life Enrichment Center in Philadelphia, where there are some badly needed repairs, in 2025.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
While Haywood and other officials went to work to preserve the building’s long-term future, Taussig sought out smaller donors to help with the daily expenses. For over a decade, the center has been the home of Taussig’s pickup basketball group, which nicknamed itself “Dadball.” The group of once-new dads in their 30s and 40s kept playing as their kids grew up, and formed a community.
In April 2025, one of the group’s most beloved members, Greg Anderson, died after suffering cardiac arrest during a game. In their grief, Taussig and the other Dadballers rallied and raised about $100,000 to keep the center open. They have since renamed the basketball gym in Anderson’s honor.
Personalized notes are stuck to a portrait of Greg Anderson during a gym dedication ceremony for the late Mount Airy Dadball basketball player on Saturday, May 2, 2026 in Philadelphia.Joe Lamberti / For The Inquirer
Kuebler said the organization determined it needs about $4 million more to address all of the community centerrenovations, so several items are on hold, like installing an elevator. She is asking community members to help in any way they can.
“We are further than we’ve ever been. It helps you not be weary,” said Kuebler, who has been with the center for 16 years.
People are riding the fundraising momentum, Taussig said. Another Dadballer will soon begin a culinary education program focused on teaching people to make affordable, high-nutrition meals. Anderson’s widow, Melanie Anderson, is organizing a women-only dance party in the basketball gym, he said.
And a Jefferson University master’s in architecture class is conducting a community design project on GLEC. The students will study the building and surrounding community for what the best uses of the space may be, and offer suggestions on how to accommodate them, Taussig said.
“It’s bringing all of this energy into the building. … It’s what this building needed and really ought to be used for,” Taussig said.
Correction: Lyn Kuebler’s name was spelled incorrectly.
The University of Pennsylvania is planning one of the largest construction projects in Philadelphia, a $520 million laboratory and classroom building called Penn Discovery Commons.
Barring a deep run through October, several long-standing Phillies players — including first baseman Alec Bohm — face an uncertain future with the team.
Philadelphia’s original street food may have been an oft-changing soup called pepper pot. Modern Black chefs want to put it back on local menus.
From a collapsing Ferris wheel to a golden years cheesesteak crawl, catch up on the good, bad, and weird out of Philly with our weekly news report card.
This week, a reader asked: My fifth grader wants to take Regional Rail back from his downtown magnet school by himself. He’s done a few weeks with an adult so he knows the route, and I can track him on my phone. But he doesn’t have any buddies to walk back with. Is this crazy, or will it help foster independence?
I’m sure many parents in and near the city can relate to this dilemma. To hash out the pros and cons for our dear reader, Inquirer Life & Culture reporter Amy Rosenberg huddled with features columnist Elizabeth Wellington.
Both described having a good measure of independence when they were around the same age, walking to and from school alone. But, they noted, expectations and norms have changed since their latchkey kid days.
Plus, not every fifth grader is the same. Some may show lots of maturity, while others need a few more years to be ready for solo travel.
Crime and fare evasion are down, thanks to dozens of additional transit police officers and a new initiative to install taller fare gates. Ridership is up, especially on bus routes that are part of the New Bus Network. Stations are cleaner. All of this has helped push customer satisfaction to record highs.
Cheers to Diane Zaborowski, who correctly guessed Friday’s answer: Five Below. Crocs is suing this Philadelphia-based retailer, alleging it knowingly knocked off the footwear company’s ubiquitous foam clogs.
Inquirer reporter Michelle Baruchman and photographer Aidan T. Gallo were there when Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, potential rivals for the 2028 Democratic presidential primary, met at a Bella Vista diner to rally Democratic volunteers for the midterm.
Somewhere on the internet in Philly
🏀 LeBron James opened up about his decision to join the 76ers on his podcast Mind the Game. Tyrese Maxey made a call.
🗞️ Shoutout to the “weirdly jazzed” reader who just subscribed to get The Inquirer in print on Sundays. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Fall is the best time of year to explore Philadelphia’s theater scene, with local stages upping the ante on their programming. This season is full of family drama; from rival brothers in Suzan-Lori Parks’ Topdog/Underdog to father-daughter clashes in the world premiere of Horsegirl & Cowdaddy.
We’ll also see big-name Broadway tours (Mamma Mia!, Operation Mincemeat) and a dance-fueled new musical (A Beat of Our Own), along with spooky stories right in time for Halloween (The Addams Family, Misery).
Local theaters are also examining social issues this autumn: Feminism takes center stage with the Philadelphia premiere of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize-winner Liberation and a contemporary twist on a 17th-century play called Witch. Additionally, in #CHARLOTTESVILLE, an immigrant playwright explores the rise of white supremacy through a verbatim play based on interviews with community members in Virginia.
These are 10 shows we want to see this fall, paired with suggestions on drink and dining options near each respective theater.
Suzan-Lori Parks (second from left) and members of the company of “Topdog/Underdog” accept the award for best revival of a play at the 76th annual Tony Awards on June 11, 2023, at the United Palace theater in New York. Charles Sykes
‘Topdog/Underdog’
Sept. 16-Oct. 18, People’s Light
Oct. 29-Dec. 13, Arden Theatre Company
An American classic will be staged at two theaters in separate runs this season in a rare coproduction between Malvern’s People’s Light and Old City’s Arden. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play from the prolific and incisive dramatist Suzan-Lori Parks follows two Black brothers, Lincoln and Booth, with a complicated relationship that is both competitive and interdependent. Booth (played by West Philly-raised actor George McGriff) scams and steals to get money while Lincoln (notable Philly star Akeem Davis) works at an arcade where he dons white face and reenacts the assassination of the president for whom he’s named.
People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, 610-644-3500 or peopleslight.org, Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St., Philadelphia, 215-922-1122 or ardentheatre.org
Actor Samora de la Brisa, actor Ni-Ni, director Adil Mansoor, playwright DJ Hills, and actor Lindsay Smiling pose in front of the Wilma Theater following the first rehearsal for the world premiere of ‘Horsegirl & Cowdaddy,’ running Sept. 22 through Oct. 4.Courtesy of Wilma Theater
‘Horsegirl & Cowdaddy’
Sept. 22-Oct. 4, Wilma Theater
Philly poet/playwright DJ Hills — a queer and trans artist from Franklin County, Pa. — penned a new play that will have its world premiere at the Wilma before transferring to New York’s Soho Rep next year. Set in a small and rural Pennsylvania town, the story centers on a 30-something trans woman named Horsegirl who still lives at home with her father, Cowdaddy. A newfound love leads to an unexpected change that threatens to upend her life. Puerto Rican actor and singer/songwriter Samora de la Brisa stars as Horsegirl while veteran actor Lindsay Smiling, who was recently named the Wilma’s sole artistic director, plays Cowdaddy.
Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-546-7824 or wilmatheater.org
Restaurant recs: Order a Southern-tinged feast at Kitchen & Kocktails, whose menu includes fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits with lobster tail, chicken and a wide array of waffles, and peach cobbler.
‘The Addams Family: The Musical’
Sept. 22-Nov. 1, Walnut Street Theatre
The morbidly moody teen Wednesday Addams is about to do the scariest thing imaginable: introduce her eccentric family to her “normal” boyfriend and his parents. The young couple soon realize they aren’t the only ones with relationship problems as their parents — yes, even the eternally head-over-heels Gomez and Morticia — stumble into their own conflicts following a discomfiting dinner. With music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, the popular musical features everyone’s favorite spooky relatives, including Uncle Fester, Lurch, and Thing. (Plus there’s a special showing on Halloween.)
Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St., Philadelphia, 215-574-3550 or walnutstreettheatre.org
Restaurant recs: Hi-Lo Taco Co. is one of the family- (and budget-) friendliest options in Washington Square West, and the tacos and margs couldn’t be tastier. If you’re looking for something funkier, try Dara, featured in the 2025 edition of The 76, for its deft touch with a range of Thai dishes.
Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Carly Sakolove (Rosie), and Jessica Crouch (Donna Sheridan) in “Mamma Mia!” The show runs Sept. 29 -Oct. 4 at the Academy of Music.Joan Marcus
‘Mamma Mia!’
Sept. 29-Oct. 4, Academy of Music
One of the longest-running shows in Broadway history makes its return to Philadelphia with a fresh cast belting beloved ABBA classics. On a luscious Greek island, a young bride has devised a clever plan to determine the identity of her father: inviting three potential dads to her wedding. What could go wrong? Sing along to favorite tunes like “Dancing Queen,” “Money, Money, Money,” and, of course, “Mamma Mia” while watching the heartwarming family bonding. Pretty Woman: The Musical actor Jessica Crouch takes on the role of Donna while The Voice contestant Juliette M. Ojeda stars as her daughter, Sophie.
Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org
Restaurant recs: Double down on the spectacle of a night at the theater with drinks and starters at the bar at Mr. Edison, Jeffrey Chodorow’s aesthetically dazzling $10 million restaurant in the Bellevue Hotel. There are a number of Craig LaBan-approved items if you choose carefully.
Suli Holum (center) and Frank Jimenez play Elizabeth Sawyer and the devil in “Witch,” running Sept. 30-Oct. 25 at Quintessence Theatre.Courtesy of Quintessence Theatre
‘Witch’
Sept. 30-Oct. 25, Quintessence Theatre
This fresh, funny, feminist twist on a 17th-century English play from Jen Silverman focuses on Elizabeth Sawyer, an outcast labeled a “witch” for reasons she can’t fathom. When the devil arrives in the small town of Edmonton, he considers Elizabeth easy prey, but she’s not convinced selling her soul for revenge on cruel neighbors will satisfy her. Instead, the devil finds men who readily fall, like two brothers eager to seize their rich noble father’s inheritance (and you can guess how that feud ends). Suli Holum, a Philly theater mainstay who once cameoed in the Emmy-winning show Mare of Easttown, stars as the titular witch while University of the Arts graduate Frank Jimenez plays the devil, aka Scratch.
Quintessence Theatre at the Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, 215-987-4450 or quintessencetheatre.org
Restaurant recs: It’s a bit of a walk down Germantown Avenue, but for a fresh pick in Mount Airy, head to Doho, the fusion-minded bistro from the culinary talents behind Catering by Design. The cocktails are always on point and you can easily fill up on the creative small plates and pasta dishes.
Tara Venkataraman and Salena Quershi lead the cast of ‘A Beat of Our Own,’ running Oct. 7-25 at the McCarter Theatre Center.Thomas Robert Clarke Photography
‘A Beat of Our Own’
Oct. 7-25, McCarter Theatre Center
This big, bold musical feels like Bring It On meets competitive bhangra dancing. Married playwrights Rehana Lew Mirza, who grew up in Bridgewater, N.J., and Mike Lew (Teenage Dick) wrote this comedy about two bhangra teams going head to head in a national competition: one that prides itself on maintaining traditional choreography from Punjab, and another that embraces fusion and incorporates other dance styles like Bollywood and hip-hop. Challenge is, the latter team consists of total amateurs. With music and lyrics by Sam Willmott, the coming-of-age tale features movement by Bollywood choreographer Rujuta Vaidya, and Mirza promises some inside jokes meant specifically for Jersey audiences (her family included).
McCarter Theater Center, 91 University Place, Princeton, N.J., 609-258-2787 or mccarter.org
Restaurant recs: For small and local, Princeton restaurants like Mistral, Agricola, and elements are classic choices. For something new and from New York, try Ayat.
Susannah Flood (left) and Irene Sofia Lucio appear in the Broadway production of “Liberation” in New York. The production comes to Philadelphia this fall. Adam Brisbine
‘Liberation’
Oct. 9-25, Philadelphia Theatre Company
The Philadelphia premiere of this much-buzzed-about play from Bess Wohl comes with dazzling credits as the winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for drama and the 2026 Tony Award for best play. Partially based on the life of Wohl’s mother, who worked at the legendary feminist outlet Ms. Magazine, the play swings between present day and the 1970s as the protagonist, Lizzie, reflects on her mom’s activism in the women’s rights movement. Six women meet in an Ohio rec center and bond over workplace discrimination and the challenges of being wives and mothers while debating what it means to be a revolutionary. Philadelphia Theatre Company coartistic director Taibi Magar directs.
Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 215-985-0420 or philadelphiatheatrecompany.org
Restaurant recs: If you’re heading to PTC, you couldn’t be closer to Oroshi, the recently opened omakase restaurant located directly across Broad Street. Check that out before the show, then head to Sonnys Cocktail Joint afterward for drinks, tavern pies, and hot dogs.
‘Misery’
Oct. 14-Nov. 7, Hedgerow Theatre
Before the internet age of stans, there was Annie Wilkes, a scarily impulsive fan who terrorized her favorite author in Stephen King’s 1987 novel Misery. After a major car crash, novelist Paul Sheldon wakes up in a remote cabin with Annie playing nurse, but soon he realizes her enthusiasm belies a dangerous obsession. This stage adaptation from Oscar-winning writer William Goldman — the pen behind All the President’s Men, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Princess Bride — premiered at Bucks County Playhouse in 2012 before a star-studded run on Broadway with Bruce Willis and Laurie Metcalf. This production sees Bruce Graham and Emma Gibson facing off in this psychological thriller.
Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Rd., Media, 610-565-4211 or hedgerowtheatre.org
Restaurant recs: Media has lots of options, but why not go to Fond, Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki Styer’s brilliantly revived French bistro, located a mere four-minute drive away from Hedgerow.
‘#CHARLOTTESVILLE’
Oct. 14-Nov. 1, Azuka Theatre @ The Drake
Philadelphia-based actor/playwright Priyanka Shetty was a student at the University of Virginia in 2017 when hundreds of white supremacists marched in Charlottesville, resulting in the three people killed and 35 injured. As an immigrant from Bangalore, India, Shetty felt compelled to respond, so she began interviewing dozens of residents, researching court transcripts, and reading extremist right-wing material to create this verbatim play in which she stars as the sole performer. Popular local theatermaker Yury Urnov directs this production, which he also directed during its award-winning run at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Azuka Theatre at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St., Philadelphia, 215-563-1100 or azukatheatre.org
Restaurant recs: The options are good and plenty in this part of town. I’m partial to Monk’s Cafe for sentimental reasons, but you also have La Jefa & Tequilas, Kissho House, and Superfolie to choose from, all within a few minutes’ walk.
Jak Malone accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical for “Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical” during the 78th Tony Awards on June 8, 2025, at Radio City Music Hall in New York. The musical will have its Philadelphia premiere this fall.Charles Sykes
‘Operation Mincemeat’
Dec. 15-20, Forrest Theatre
Based on a real-life secret mission during World War II, this zany musical brings five versatile actors to play 87 characters with Monty Python-like humor. The British plot involved disguising a corpse as a Royal Marine officer and dumping the body into the sea along with a briefcase full of fake documents intended to deceive German spies (allowing the Allied forces to invade Sicily). The score includes sea shanties, ballads, electro-pop, and rap for an uproarious, unbelievably informative good time.
Restaurant recs: The Walnut Street Theatre suggestions apply here, too, but for a few more, how about Kichi (a “zoomakase”), Oloroso (delicious tapas by chef Tod Wentz), and Darling Jack’s (a something-for-everyone contemporary tavern menu)?
As real estate development in Philadelphia slows, the most expensive project on the horizon is a state-of-the-art laboratory and classroom building set to replace a mid-century structure that lacks central air-conditioning.
The $520 million redevelopment of the David Rittenhouse Laboratory at 209 S. 33rd St. will raze two-thirds of the existing structure.
A seven-story, 325,000-square-foot replacement, dubbed the Penn Discovery Commons, will be built in its place.
The David Rittenhouse Laboratory has housed the math and the physics and astronomy departments since 1954. While the building has been the setting for multiple Nobel and Breakthrough Prize discoveries, university leaders now consider it outmoded.
“Those young, amazing experimenters are doing their work in this terrible, dilapidated old building that’s just not fit for purpose,” said Mark Trodden, dean of the School of Arts & Sciences, who has had an office in the building for over 17 years.
Penn has been considering replacing the existing Rittenhouse Lab building for 10 years, with the Daily Pennsylvanian first reporting on redevelopment plans in 2024. The new structure is designed by Los Angeles-based CO Architects, which is known for West Coast eds and meds designs, along with local partner Ewing Cole.
The project comes amid a challenging time in higher education, as Penn and other universities have faced funding cuts from the Trump administration. Last year, the West Philadelphia Ivy League school instituted a hiring freeze and other economies as a result.
Penn is still moving forward with a variety of major real estate projects from a new wrestling facility to a new theater addition to the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts.
But the new Penn Discovery Commons — and its more than half-billion dollar price tag — is the largest single project in the university’s pipeline and for the city in the coming years.
It eclipses the $450 million TerraPower Isotopes factory at the Bellwether District in South Philadelphia. The only larger project in Philadelphia is the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s $2.5 billion new patient tower, which will be completed in 2028.
Why a new building is needed
David Rittenhouse Laboratory was built in phases, with the core constructed in 1954. It was Penn’s first new development on its main campus since the Great Depression and was seen as a sign of the university’s dedication to the city.
The original redbrick 1954 building predates central air-conditioning and is cooled by window units.
The redbrick portion of the existing building will be demolished.Jake Blumgart
“It’s temperature control doesn’t work,” Trodden said. “The laboratories do not have the right structure or capabilities to do modern science. It’s just a very inhospitable place to work.”
Penn looked into renovating this portion of the existing building, but it rivaled the cost of new construction. So the redbrick portion with the David Rittenhouse Labs’ current main entrance on 33rd Street will be demolished.
“Many buildings built post World War II, particularly with government funding, were built relatively quickly, and they aren’t as durable,” said Mark Kocent, Penn’s university architect. “A lot of universities like us have these buildings from the 1950s and 1960s that were not well built.”
An expansion followed in 1967, which features the space-age addition that fronts much of the block of Walnut Street between 33rd and 32nd Streets. It was designed by Carroll, Grisdale & Van Alen, a renowned modernist firm that also designed the Pennsylvania State Office Building at 1400 Spring Garden St.
That over 80,000-square-foot portion of the David Rittenhouse Labs, built with cast-in-place concrete and brown brick, will remain and become part of the new Penn Discovery Commons.
The 1967 expansion, seen here, will be incorporated into the new building.Jake Blumgart
The decision to keep this architecturally distinct piece of the building will save money and reduce the project’s environmental impact.
“The most sustainable building is an existing building, and so we evaluated this pretty carefully and [decided to preserve part of the existing building] both due to cost and sustainability and less time to tear everything down and rebuild,” Kocent said.
Discovery Commons’ redesign also adds natural light and replaces confusing-to-navigate hallways. It will include features like a green roof, stormwater management, and increased energy efficiency.
The new building will have 15% more research laboratory space than the current structure, and 57% more space devoted to classrooms and teaching labs.
This interior rendering of the new building planned by Penn shows all the natural light that the new design will allow, in contrast with the existing David Rittenhouse Lab.CO Architects
The university plans to add space for socializing outside the classroom, with the hope of fostering the kind of spontaneous interactions that spur creativity and collaboration.
“There is this idea of scientists as the lone genius that sits in their lab or office and dreams up these wonderful ideas,” Trodden said. “Most of modern science looks nothing like that at all.”
What’s now one floor of public space will become three stories, dubbed The Nexus, which will serve as the main entrance and a connection between the research and academic sections of the new building.
Kocent, who trained under renowned Penn architecture professors Denise Scott Brown and Robert Venturi, says that encouraging socialization and unstructured interaction is in keeping with their ideas.
“Denise would often say the next Nobel Prize wasn’t necessarily going to be figured out at the lab bench; it was going to be figured out at the coffee shop at the end of the hallway,” Kocent said.
Faculty concerns about research disruption
The seven-story Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology just to the east, which features similar environmentally conscious design, opened in 2024. It is 112,500 square feet and cost $173.5 million to build (or $1,540 a square foot).
Replacement of the Rittenhouse lab will cost $1,600 a square foot. Penn’s development team says that prices haven’t spiked dramatically — despite the current inflationary environment — because the preservation of the 1967-portion of the building is helping to manage costs.
The cost is also held down because the Penn Discovery Commons contains a lot of classroom space, which is cheaper to build.
The university plans to begin relocating the building’s tenants at the end of next year, with demolition beginning in spring 2028. Construction would take about three years, with the goal of Penn Discovery Commons being open by Sept. 1, 2031.
A rendering of the new lab, looking to the northeast. None of the preserved Walnut Street-facing facade can be seen here.Co Architects
The Daily Pennsylvanian reported earlier this year that some faculty based out of the David Rittenhouse Laboratory worry that relocating their lab space twice in four years could “decimate research.”
Trodden says that he understands the faculty’s concerns and that the university is committed to taking care of their needs.
“Everyone is rightly anxious about how this will work in practice,” he said, “but there’s a lot of thought going into it, and a lot of care being taken about individual people’s research needs, and the needs of departments.”
Classical music has long sought a friendlier mien, and this fall the genre seems to have redoubled its efforts. New books and author chats are in abundance, aiming to demystify the art form and make personal connections. Films with live orchestra have become not a special event, but a regular feature. Concert formats continue to get rejiggered in an effort to make the tent bigger.
There’s a danger, of course, that in its quest for relevance, classical will no longer be the main event. Some of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s appearances with pop artists, for instance, are hard to justify artistically. The balance bears watching.
But in a season that offers rare Bach and Mozart, the continuation of a chamber music series second to none, and a generous pipeline of new works, it’s hard to feel anything but fortunate as the curtain raises on a new season in one of the nation’s classical music hot spots.
In the Kimmel Center plaza, Andres Amarilla (right) and Amy He of the Philadelphia Argentine Tango School perform at an Orchestra After 5 event in 2024.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Orchestra After 5
Oct. 8, Marian Anderson Hall
The Philadelphia Orchestra sometimes launches an initiative only to let it quietly fade, but the Orchestra After 5 series has had remarkable staying power. Now in its fourth season, it’s designed to be a friendly on-ramp for newbies, though one suspects that it’s also luring experienced listeners with its earlier start time, conviviality, and brevity.
The first of three such concerts this season features the orchestra and popular guest conductor Dalia Stasevska in Respighi’s Pines of Rome and, with Gil Shaham, Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3. It starts with a 5 p.m. happy hour in the Kimmel plaza, and the hourlong concert is followed by an artist chat. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.
The Philadelphia Orchestra performing a Halloween concert in 2016.ELIZABETH ROBERTSON / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Orchestra Children’s Halloween Spectacular
Oct. 10, Marian Anderson Hall
With excerpts from Elmer Bernstein’s Ghostbusters Suite, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, and Grieg’s “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Peer Gynt, the Saturday morning family concert promises to be a fright. But within bounds. This first of five full-orchestra offerings in the coming season aimed at young listeners is sensory-friendly, with house lights kept at mid-level, a cool-down space for stimulated guests, and other accommodations. The aim for all is an introduction with impact to the world of the symphony orchestra, which this ensemble never fails to deliver. Austin Chanu conducts. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.
Leah Hawkins (left), soprano, and Anthony Roth Costanzo, countertenor, performing at the Wanamaker Building’s Grand Court in 2025.Allie Ippolito / For The Inquirer
Anthony Roth Costanzo’s ‘Countertenor’
Oct. 27, Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central Library
“When you are nervous about going onstage, they say you’re supposed to picture the audience naked. But what happens when you’re nervous about actually being naked onstage in front of three thousand fully — and mostly very nicely — dressed people?”
Costanzo, who has maintained a busy performing schedule as a countertenor while running Opera Philadelphia, recounts the unusual experience of performing naked at the Metropolitan Opera in his forthcoming book. What is a countertenor? Costanzo explains his unusual voice type in this mix of autobiography and opera history, which he’ll discuss at the Free Library’s author series.
There is, of course, a companion recording, which comes out a few days before his talk. Tracks include not just works of Osvaldo Golijov, Philip Glass, and Mozart, but also, intriguingly, the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tune “Walk Like a Man.” freelibraryfoundation.org/events.
Lara Downes with the Philadelphia Orchestra in Marian Anderson Hall in 2025.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Lara Downes with Rhiannon Giddens
Oct. 30, Rowan University Pfleeger Concert Hall
In a “musical conversation” called Sounds Like America, pianist Downes and singer-cultural historian Giddens explore the “roots and routes” of American music, with stops at “Amazing Grace” and Paul Simon’s “American Tune” along the way. go.rowan.edu/america.
A photo by John W. Mosley of Eleanor Roosevelt (left) and Marian Anderson at the Pyramid Club in Philadelphia in 1943.John W. Mosley Photograph Collection, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection, Temple University Libraries
Anthony Tommasini, author of ‘Voice of a Century: The Life and Artistry of Marian Anderson,’ in conversation with Anthony McGill
Nov. 12, Free Library of Philadelphia Parkway Central Library
The former chief classical music critic of the New York Times chats with Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic, about Tommasini’s new biography of the Philadelphia contralto and civil rights leader. freelibraryfoundation.org/events.
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in “La La Land.”DALE ROBINETTE / Lionsgate
Philly Pops ‘La La Land’ in Concert
Nov. 28, The Met Philadelphia
Can it really be a decade since La La Land was released? I never quite got the film, at least not in the way many others did. But this presentation puts a live orchestra and jazz band behind it, which promises to up the daffy appeal and vibe in the room a few notches. Conducted by Esin Aydingoz. phillypops.org.
Bass Daniel Schwartz singing in a Philadelphia Bach Collective performance at St. Mark’s Church in 2025.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Bach Collective in ‘Nun komm, der heiden Heiland, BWV 62′
Dec. 1, St. Mark’s Church
So seemingly endless is Bach’s genius that even the experienced listener will keep finding gems previously unknown. This is the promise of the Philadelphia Bach Collective, a series of short, pay-as-you-wish afternoon concerts featuring Bach cantatas and other works. To mark the start of Advent, the skilled instrumental and vocal forces take up Nun komm, der heiden Heiland, BWV 62. It’s a concise cantata whose opening chorus based on a Lutheran hymn announcing the coming of the Savior is a beautiful paradox: in a minor key, yet so joyous it can barely contain itself.
“The idea is that Advent is a time of joyful but active anticipation. It’s essentially a call to arms,” says Heather Miller Lardin, one of the collective’s co-artistic directors.
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma at a Kimmel Center appearance in 2024.Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax
Dec. 6, Marian Anderson Hall
Beethoven? Brahms? Rachmaninoff? The program remained unannounced at press time, but it’s a pretty sure bet that the only thing most ticket buyers really need to know are the names of the cellist and pianist who have both entered the increasingly rarified realm of the legendary. ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.
Philadelphia Orchestra conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin in Marian Anderson Hall in April.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Bach’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’ with the Philadelphia Orchestra
Dec. 12 and 13, Marian Anderson Hall
Bach’s packaging of six cantatas into one vast canvas encompassing the Christmas story offers an astonishing variety of orchestral combinations and colors, not to mention emotional realms. The Philadelphia Orchestra, which has never before performed the work in its entirety, is led here by its music and artistic director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The program, by the way, is in addition to (and not instead of) the orchestra’s traditional Messiah, which will be performed Dec. 4 and 5 with conductor Bernard Labadie. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.
The Brentano Quartet at the Perelman Theater in 2024.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Brentano Quartet
Dec. 13, Perelman Theater
The fugue in classical music is like the golden mean in nature or classical columns in architecture. Once you know it’s there, you start seeing it everywhere. Put simply, it is where a melodic theme is introduced and then repeated in another key while the first one continues. It’s more complicated than this, but basically it’s an almost mathematical tool for creating a dense overlap of competing (though complementary) voices.
Is there a greater meaning to the fugue — say, a philosophical one? The Brentano Quartet, in residence at Yale University, explores that question in works of Beethoven, Shostakovich, and, of course, the fugue’s unsurpassed innovator, Bach. pcmsconcerts.org, 215-569-8080.
David Hayes, music director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, Bach Brandenburg Concerti
Dec. 19 and 20, Bryn Mawr College’s Goodhart Hall and Philadelphia Film Society Center
Philadelphia’s long-running chamber orchestra has adopted a format of concerts running more or less an hourlong in venues around town. That includes this holiday-time one with Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto Nos. 1, 3, and 4. They are joined by Christopher Theofanidis’s Muse, which was inspired by the third Brandenburg concerto. David Hayes conducts. chamberorchestra.org, 215-545-1739.
Simon Rattle conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra at the Kimmel Center in 2024.Heather Khalifa / Staff Photographer
Simon Rattle and the Philadelphia Orchestra
Jan. 28, 29, and 30, Marian Anderson Hall; Feb. 2 at Carnegie Hall
Even if he didn’t end up being music director, Rattle still visits the Philadelphia Orchestra’s podium from time to time. His current absence from the orchestra has been a painfully long one — a decade — and he returns with a program of works that seems bound by nothing other than their potential for virtuosity from the ensemble and interpretive depth from the podium: John Adams’ Harmonielehre, Debussy’s La Mer, and the second suite from Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. That works just fine for us. philorch.ensembleartsphilly.org, 215-893-1999.
The Gershwins’ ‘Let ‘Em Eat Cake’
Jan. 29, 30, and 31, the Academy of Music
Who knew this is where we’d end up as a country? George and Ira Gershwin did, in an opera with a book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind. The piece depicts an election denier who renovates the White House and establishes a dictatorship. “You couldn’t write a better farce about what’s going on in the world than this,” said Costanzo, who is bringing the work from 1933 to Opera Philadelphia for the first time. Conducted by Corrado Rovaris and directed by Zack Winokur. operaphila.org, 215-732-8400.
The Eagles will look to start the season 3-0 when they head to Soldier Field to take on the Chicago Bears on Monday (8:15 p.m., 6abc, ESPN).
The Eagles enter Week 3 at 2-0 after two narrow wins over the Commanders and Titans. The Bears are 1-1 and could be without starting quarterback Caleb Williams after he injured his hamstring in Chicago’s loss to Minnesota. QB2 Tyson Bagent entered concussion protocol on Tuesday, which means Case Keenum could potentially get his first start and NFL action since 2023.
Although the Eagles have areas to improve, many experts believe Chicago’s quarterback situation could give the Eagles enough of an advantage to leave the Windy City with a victory. Let’s take a closer look at who the local and national media are picking:
The Inquirer’s beat reporters were worried about this game against the Bears a week ago. But with the 9-3 loss to the Vikings during Week 2 and Williams’ injury, our writers don’t believe the Bears can beat the Eagles with Bagent or Keenum at quarterback.
Jeff Neiburg predicts the Eagles will win, 24-11, but says the Birds have plenty to clean up.
When Olivia Reiner first saw the schedule, she marked this game as a loss. However, with Williams’ status uncertain for Monday night, she picked the Eagles to win, 24-17.
NFL.com: Analyst Jeremy Bergman is the only expert at NFL.com to choose the Bears to win the Monday night matchup. Dan Parr noted that the Eagles have the lowest point differential (plus-6) of any 2-0 team and struggled to close the game against the Titans. “So, while they might not be firing on all cylinders, it will take an even larger letdown than the team’s performance on Black Friday last year — when the Bears ran wild over Philly — to open the door for Keenum to pull off the upset,” Parr said.
ESPN.com: 10 of the 11 ESPN experts are backing the Birds.
The Athletic: NFL reporter Vic Tafur predicts that the Bears will pull off a win against the Eagles. He pointed out that Keenum is 3-0 against Vic Fangio defenses.
CBS Sports: The seven person panel at CBS picked the Eagles.
USA Today: USA Today heavily favored the Eagles to win, but Nate Davis expects more defensive struggles and a 24-20 Bears victory. “I know the Bears appear to be in quarterback purgatory, but let’s not discount the longtime pro Case Keenum is — nor the fact that Ben Johnson will have a full week to devise a plan tailored to his talents. Meanwhile, the Eagles are still adjusting to a new offensive playbook which must also accommodate a new-look receiving corps — which now includes tight end following Dallas Goedert’s injury — and reshuffled offensive line,” he wrote.
Sports Illustrated: All eight analysts at SI picked the Eagles to defeat the Bears.
Bleacher Report: The seven experts at B/R are split four picks for the Eagles and three for the Bears. Analyst Ian Hanford said, “With Williams playing, I’d have given the Chicago Bears a shot here. But I can’t see Keenum or Bagent scoring enough points to make up for a porous Bears defense. I think the Eagles offense has a big game on the road, and the Eagles win by at least a touchdown.”
Pro Football Talk: Mike Florio picked the Eagles for Monday’s matchup. “The Eagles catch a break, if they end up facing Case Keenum. Who last threw a regular-season pass in 2023,” he wrote.
Sporting News: Bill Bender chose the Birds to win by three against the Bears.
Video: Gameday Central: What will Zach Ertz bring to the Eagles offense?
Local media predictions
Philly Voice: Staff writers at Philly Voice are unanimously backing the Eagles.
Bleeding Green Nation: The Bleeding Green Nation writers also are picking the Eagles to win on Monday.
Delaware Online: 10 of the 11 pickers at Delaware Online believe the Eagles will be 3-0 after Monday night’s game. Tom Haines said “ … but Jalen Hurts has been putting on a clinic of his own through the air. That should be enough to pull off the road win.”
Windy City Gridiron: Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. thinks the Bears will unite around Keenum and depend on the running game to defeat the Eagles on Monday night.
Wonderland Pier closed almost two years ago. Now, Ocean City has declared part of the former amusement pier unsafe after a wall beneath the decking began caving in. Developer Eustace Mita says the iconic Ferris wheel — which his original hotel proposal called for preserving — is in such bad shape that it will have to be “literally torched” and cut into pieces to come down.
Oof.
For generations of families, that Ferris wheel was part of the Ocean City skyline. You could see it from the beach, the boardwalk, blocks away. Even after Wonderland closed, it was still there.
There’s plenty of debate over what happens to this property next, including Mita’s proposed hotel. But whatever eventually replaces Wonderland, this part is just sad.
A bad-luck sports September: F
Did the Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers collectively break a mirror? Walk under a ladder? Open an umbrella indoors?
First, Phillies All-Star starter Jesús Luzardo landed on the injured list with a sore shoulder, just as the postseason approached. Then the Eagles lost three-time Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson to injured reserve with a bone bruise in his already twice-repaired right knee. And Tuesday, Flyers MVP Dan Vladař left a preseason game injured after a collision.
The Phillies were counting on Luzardo as a major part of an October rotation. The Eagles already look like they desperately miss Dickerson in the run game. And Vladař was the heart of the Flyers team that finally made hockey fun around here again last season.
Bad luck comes in threes, right? Well, apparently not.
So much for completing our allotment of sports misery.
Whatever dark cloud is following Philadelphia sports around, please find another city. Four is plenty. We’ve officially met our injury quota for the month.
Fall understood the assignment: A+
Finally, fall in Philly actually feels like fall. The autumnal equinox arrived Tuesday, and somehow the weather timed it perfectly: cool mornings, highs in the 60s, and just enough color starting to show up in the trees.
This is the good stuff. Open windows, sweatshirts, and walks that don’t end in sweating. It’s the beginning of leaves changing along Kelly Drive and the few glorious weeks when sitting outside is actually pleasant.
Of course, Philly weather couldn’t just let us enjoy this. A powerful early-season nor’easter is expected to bring heavy rain and winds that could gust to 45 mph in the city this weekend, with even worse conditions and significant flooding possible at the Shore.
Fall arrived right on time. Apparently, it also brought weather.
The agency unveiled an ambitious 10-year vision this week that includes new trolleys, new El cars, more accessible stations, and a pretty wild idea for Regional Rail: trains every 15 minutes or better on several lines. SEPTA says the change would essentially give the region another 75 miles of subway-level frequent rail service.
And people are riding again. SEPTA says it’s now carrying more than 800,000 daily riders, after reporting a summer spike tied in part to Philly’s huge slate of events.
There is, naturally, a very SEPTA-sized catch: Someone has to pay for all of this. The agency still faces a $192 million operating deficit next fiscal year, and much of this vision depends on additional funding.
But after years of “save SEPTA,” it’s nice to spend a week imagining a SEPTA that gets better instead of merely surviving. Regional Rail that comes every 15 minutes? Keep talking.
Broad Street Line signs, like the one pictured above, quickly sold out in SEPTA’s RETROmania sale.Courtesy of SEPTA
$350 for an old SEPTA sign?: B
Speaking of SEPTA, it may have accidentally discovered its next funding source.
Philadelphians have spent years complaining about SEPTA. Turns out, we like to own pieces of it.
SEPTA dug through its vault and put old transit signs, maps, and TransPass sheets up for sale this month, and people went nuts. More than 100 decommissioned signs sold, some for $350 apiece, and the old Broad Street Line signs were among the first to go. (Duh.)
The sale came about because riders kept asking what SEPTA was doing with the old signs as it switched the Broad Street Line to the “B” — a name change many Philadelphians are still politely declining to participate in.
And apparently nothing says the Broad Street Line will always be the Broad Street Line quite like paying $350 to hang the evidence in your basement.
Lynnewood Hall is getting a second chance under new ownership.Monica Herndon
Lynnewood Hall opens its doors: A
For 84 years, one of the most spectacular buildings in the Philadelphia region has been sitting in Elkins Park with its doors closed to the public, but not anymore.
Lynnewood Hall, the 100,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion built for industrialist Peter A.B. Widener, is now open to the public for the first time since 1942. And naturally, a house this over-the-top is reopening (through Oct. 4) with thousands of flowers and a show inspired by HBO’s The Gilded Age.
But the really exciting part is what happens after the flowers leave.
The mansion sat abandoned for decades before the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation bought it for $9.5 million in 2023 and began the enormous job of bringing it back to life. Now, the group is planning more public programming for 2027.
There are plenty of old buildings around Philly that people wish somebody had saved before it was too late, so it’s pretty nice to watch one actually get a second chance.
At Marlton’s Johnny Longhots on Sept. 18, 2026, are (from left): Ralph DiSibio, 85, Bob McDermott, 83, Gary Mazzucco, 78, Paul Ferretti, 79, John DeSilvio, 74, and Mike Mouber, 79.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
Retirement, but make it cheesesteaks: A+
Six friends from a 55+ community in Moorestown have embarked on a mission to find the best cheesesteak in South Jersey, trying a new spot every month and debating the important things: bread firmness, hot peppers, meat-to-money ratio and whether Cooper Sharp was actually the right call.
There’s a spreadsheet, but no real scoring system. They mostly decide whether a sandwich is “good” or not while talking about sports, movies, and whatever else comes up.
So far, Chick’s Deli is winning. Donkey’s lost points for the kaiser roll. And they refuse to cross the bridge because there are too many cheesesteaks in Philly and, as they put it, they’re not sure they have enough time to eat them all.
Forget pickleball, these guys have retirement figured out.
Yeah, John Bunting saw Ben Johnson rip his shirt off. He saw Johnson go full-Hulk Hogan after the Chicago Bears beat the Eagles last season, and he laughed about it, even though Bunting remains proud that the Eagles were the only team he played for during his terrific 11-year career as an NFL linebacker. Even though Dick Vermeil — Bunting’s head coach for seven of those years, a man Bunting considers a second father — could have drowned all the rats in Veterans Stadium with his postgame weep-fests but wouldn’t have been caught dead screaming and flexing in the locker room like a bro dad who had dipped into his kid’s Ritalin. Even though, as a walk-on scout-team quarterback for Bunting at the University of North Carolina, Johnson tended to remain fully clothed.
“I never saw that,” Bunting, the Tar Heels’ head coach from 2001 to 2006, said by phone recently. “But I’ll bet you his players love him. He’s that kind of guy — a great leader.”
Just ask Johnson himself about his leadership, his qualities as the Bears’ head coach, and he might say the same thing. If his 21 games in charge have done nothing else, they’ve shown that he might just be capable of building a team that can back up his boasts. And if he isn’t, at least his rise and fall will be a hell of a ride. An 11-6 record and a playoff victory last season, a 59-point mushroom cloud on the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, a three-point washout against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2: Johnson and the Bears do nothing but go to extremes whenever they’re on the field, or he has a mic and camera in front of him.
The Eagles will head to Soldier Field on Monday night still smarting from the Bears’ 24-15 Mack-trucking of them on Black Friday. Caleb Williams’ tender hamstring could prevent him from playing, but Johnson could still cook up something to keep Vic Fangio and his defense off balance, and for the Eagles, the risk isn’t just in losing to the Bears again — and maybe to third-string QB Case Keenum. It’s in listening to Johnson remind the world of his own awesomeness … at their expense.
Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson doesn’t lack for confidence. He’s also not shy about telling you how he feels.Nam Huh
Don’t believe he’d do such a thing? Please. This is a coach who, as a precocious offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, called several trick plays in a 47-9 rout of the Dallas Cowboys in 2024, including some after the Lions had taken a comfortable lead. This is a coach who told The Athletic in August that he was shooting for “more than” a Super Bowl, that he wanted the Bears to go unbeaten and be the highest-scoring team in league history, as if they played half their games in a dome or in Southern California and not amid Lake Michigan’s freezing winds and frequent snow.
To beat the Eagles with a backup quarterback would be the sweetest treat that Johnson could hope to taste, and just because Keenum might have to suit up doesn’t mean Johnson will call nothing but basic, boring handoffs to D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, though that strategy worked well enough last November.
“He’s not fearful,” Bunting said. “There are a lot of coaches who are. He’s not that way at all. He is willing to take a chance, and he’s motivated to do that. That’s part of his thought process. ‘Hey, we’re going to take chances.’”
A coach who, as a high school quarterback in Asheville, N.C., orchestrated a run-heavy I-formation offense and, as an undergraduate at Chapel Hill, earned degrees in computer science and mathematics doesn’t at first seem the sort to be so bold. That background suggests a certain set of principles — weigh the angles, crunch the numbers, stay conservative — that don’t apply to Johnson now and never have. He wasn’t always this brash, but he has never been shy about saying what he thought to be true, even during his first full-time coaching gig as a Boston College grad assistant under offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill.
“I mean, he didn’t mince his words,” Tranquill, who had been Johnson’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at UNC before hiring him at BC in 2009, said in a phone interview. “He comes right to the point. When he said something, he was assured that that was the right thing to say and he would say it. He didn’t hem-haw around. When he was coaching with us, he did all the scouting. When he would tell you something about the other team, what they were doing, what coverages they were doing, he was very explicit and knew exactly what he was talking about.”
Looks like little has changed over the subsequent 17 years. Johnson is still treading that fine line that his counterpart Monday, Nick Sirianni, has walked with the Eagles for the last six years — still raising and answering the same questions. Is it possible to be too emotional, too demonstrative, too arrogant if, above all, you are authentic?
“The last thing that you can worry about as a head coach is trying to please anybody outside your building,” Sirianni said. “You’ve always got to be yourself. … Regardless of what you do, if you take your shirt off, if you don’t take your shirt off, if you’re emotional, if you’re not emotional, some of the people are going to say, ‘Man, I like that.’ Some are going to be like, ‘Man, I don’t like that.’
“That’s leadership. That’s what it is. Your job is to be yourself and do everything you can do as a head coach to get your team ready to play and to get your team better on a daily basis. You can’t look outside to see how you can please [people] because it’s an impossible task. Just win games.”
Sirianni-Johnson might be the most compelling comparison and matchup Monday night. There are no two more polarizing coaches in the NFL for their demeanors and personalities, and neither appears in any hurry to apologize for who he is. “That’s the other side of Ben Johnson,” Bunting said. “He’s still in many ways the kid from Asheville. He has great enthusiasm for the game itself and for his players and staff. He is emotional, and when there’s a time to celebrate, he’s going to do it.” It’s on the Eagles to deny the Bears and their bare-chested leader that opportunity.
When Martha Glasco was growing up in North Philadelphia, she said, her opportunities were limited.
So when a teacher told Glasco — now an adult with a bright child of her own — about a new program that aimed to give promising Philadelphia kids six years of medical-school education with an eye toward careers in healthcare, Glasco was thrilled.
This month, Glasco’s daughter Madison Miller slipped a white coat over her shoulders, one of 32 Philadelphia seventh graders chosen for the initial class of Temple University’s Lang Medical Scholars Program. The 12-year-old, a student at E.W. Rhodes Elementary at 22nd and Clearfield Streets, will spend weekends and summers learning about systems of the body, completing internships, and engaging in rigorous college prep.
Seventh graders in Temple University Medical School’s Lang Scholars program prepare to get their white coats. The new program identifies promising students and gives them six years of pre-medical school education.Courtesy of Temple University
“This is a big deal,” said Glasco, who dreams of buying Madison scrubs and a stethoscope, tangible evidence of her place in Lang Scholars and the doors it could open.
“The passion around this, the mission is just — talent abounds and opportunity does not, right?” said Barbara Klock, the program director and its architect. Lang, she said, aims to change that for its students.
A long-held vision
Klock carried the idea of the Lang Scholars around for years, through a career as a Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia pediatrician and the Philadelphia School District’s chief medical officer.
Melvin Poulson IV, a student at Hope Partnership School, and his mother, Allison Agee, pose with Barbara Klock, director of the Lang Scholars program.Courtesy of Temple University
Lang and Klock kept in touch after her Swarthmore graduation, and on one chance encounter at 30th Street Station in the 1990s, Lang mentioned to Klock that he was launching something he was really excited about.
“He said, ‘I have this idea for a program, but the kids start really young.’ He was always, ‘If you’re going to do something, it’s got to be the best,’ and for him, the best would be going to medical school,” Klock said.
That program, the Lang Youth Medical Program, has been thriving in New York for decades. Klock admired it from afar, and, sometimes, up close.
“I would go on Saturdays and see the program with the dream of bringing it to Philadelphia,” she said.
Klock decided it was time to go for her own version of that program in 2024. She reached out to Mitchell Morgan, chair of Temple’s board of trustees, via e-mail.
“I said, ‘I have this program. I would love to bring it to Temple,’” Klock said. “I wanted to do this with Temple because of where Temple is located, Temple’s mission and vision, and they really do what they say they do.”
Temple University Lang Scholars white coat ceremony.Courtesy of Temple University
She expected she might hear from Morgan within three weeks. Instead, she had a response, and a connection to Lewis Katz School of Medicine dean Amy Goldberg, by the end of that day.
In short order, the program was off and running, with Temple’s backing and philanthropic support, including some funding from Lang’s private foundation.
Klock pounded the pavement in the 2025-26 school year, reaching out to every Philadelphia school she could connect with — district, charter, private — to ask: Can I come talk to your sixth graders about an idea? Thirty-five schools opened the door for Klock to make presentations.
She didn’t ask counselors to recommend kids; she feared she would get only straight-A students and student council presidents. Those were fine, but she also wanted the bright-but-bored kids, the ones who were curious about science and life but maybe had hit a few bumps along the way.
Klock hoped to bring in 20 Lang scholars for the inaugural class. Nearly 14 times that number applied, and those who made it to the interview round flat-out wowed her, Klock said. She ended up getting permission to build a class of 32 — 22 girls and 10 boys — and will grow a grade every year.
The program’s aim is not to produce a class full of doctors. It is to produce a class full of curious and confident learners grounded in an academic medical setting. If some enter the medical field, Klock would be delighted, but that is not the main objective.
“These are kids who are so eager to learn,” Klock said. “They want to be with other students who are eager to learn. They are incredibly curious. They ask, ‘why?’ and ‘what if?’ What I want to do is give them the chance to continue to ask, ‘why?’ and ‘what if?,’ no matter what.”
‘This is serious’
Glasco was tipped off about the program by a teacher friend.
Madison first expressed her desire to become a doctor at age 3. Her preschool teacher has a photo of Madison holding a sign stating her career goal.
“She wants to be in the medical field, and I used to be in the medical field, so it’s actually perfect,” said Glasco, who used to work as an EMT and a medical assistant and is now a paraprofessional in a suburban school district.
It’s not far from her North Philadelphia house to Temple’s medical school, Madison said, but walking into the Medical Education and Research Building on North Broad Street felt like a different world in some ways.
Going to the interview was “very exciting,” Madison said, “but I was also very nervous. There were a lot of windows, and I could see everyone.”
When she got the word that she was a Lang Scholar, Madison was thrilled.
“My teacher was really excited, too, because he knew I was going to be in the medical field soon — kind of in medical school, like college,” Madison said. “My friends were really excited because they knew they were going to have a medical friend.”
Madison and the other Lang Scholars received their professional white coats to kick off the program on Sept. 19. They will begin their studies Oct. 3. Klock will teach the biweekly courses on the human body, health equity, public health, and more.
Over the years, the students will take trips, work at paid internships, sit in SAT prep courses, and receive help with college applications — all for free. They will dive into the health issues facing their communities, and have access to the same labs and facilities as Temple medical students.
Glasco cannot wait to drop Madison off for her first day of class as a Lang Scholar.
“I’m going to be on her really hard about this, because this is serious,” Glasco said. “I want her to get all the knowledge she can, and maintain it, so she can go further in whatever medical field she decides to do in the future.”
Zoe Tanner’s handiwork is immediately recognizable: Cloudlike cold foam puffs flecked with sprinkles that adorn the lattes at Loretta’s, the Society Hill cafe at the epicenter of Philly’s little treat boom.
Loretta’s sells about 200 specialty lattes on a busy day, Tanner estimates.
This September, Tanner spent hours in Loretta’s basement making bite-size uncrustables to top the coffee shop’s PB&J latte, which comes with Concord grape syrup and a peanut butter cold foam. In May, the drink du jour was a black-raspberry-maple concoction topped with a nutty tahini whip and sprinkles shaped like spring flowers. Next month, Tanner is whipping up a banana latte decorated with pretzel rod ghosts. Proceeds from each creation have gone to local charities such as ACCT Philly and the Eagles Autism Foundation.
“Say what you want about the girls that come in from Instagram, but they’re making a difference by buying a drink,” Tanner said. “That matters to me.”
Tanner, 31, serves as the operations director of all three of Bush and Morris’ businesses, splitting her days between training staff, managing inventory, and developing latte recipes. Barista-ing at Loretta’s, however, is the best part of her job.
“I love connecting with people,” said Tanner. “And coffee is so cool because it goes through so many processes to get into your cup, but everyone who touches it is really important, from the grower to the roaster to the barista.”
Zoe Tanner pipes marshmallow whip onto a speciality latte at Loretta’s, a coffee shop in Society Hill.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Tanner, who moved to Philly in 2015 from a small town in Maryland, fell into coffee by working at Starbucks while attending the University of Valley Forge. After, she worked her way up from being a barista at La Colombe’s Dilworth Park location to account manager for the local coffee chain, where she was responsible for convincing mom-and-pop shops to use the brand’s products. She started at Loretta’s when they opened.
The job fuels Tanner’s second career as a self-made musician who writes, records, and mixes all her music. This fall, Tanner will release her fifth album as Mommy Rockstar Bitch, the grunge persona that has helped Tanner find power in her role as the self-proclaimed “mom friend.”
Tanner said working at Loretta’s keeps her grounded like the novelist Charles Bukowski, who kept his job as a mailman during his early days as a writer. It’s also brought her unexpected fame.
Zoe Tanner plays guitar in the living room of her apartment in Olde Kensington.Rowan Ohara
“I was running in Fishtown the other day when a group stopped me and were like, ‘Can we take a picture with you? You’re the Loretta’s girl,’” Tanner said. “Never did I think coffee would be how I build my brand.”
So, how does Philly’s most famous barista spend a perfect day in the city? It involves sharing human food with her dog, running a half marathon, and mixing music from her home in Olde Kensington.
5 a.m.
I generally wake up at 5 a.m. with my dog Barrett — a 6-year-old German shorthaired pointer — barking at me to give him pets. I automatically smile; one of my biggest accomplishments in life is that he’s so well-behaved because GSPs are such a tough breed.
After a quick morning walk with Barrett, I’ll head to a 6 a.m. Heated Power Strength yoga class at Monarch Yoga in Kensington. I go without having any coffee, which is so unnatural for me, and then when I get out, I feel so awake and alive. The music is also so upbeat and fun for a strength class, but since it’s a yoga studio, [the instructor] still gives us a spiritual concept to focus on.
Tanner likes to share food with Barrett, her 6-year -old German shorthaired pointer. His favorites include banh mi from Ba Le and pizza from Pizzeria Beddia.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
7:30 a.m.
Next, I’ll grab Barrett for a long walk that’s mostly about him being the center of attention. People might say that I’m a bad dog mom for this, but I share my food with him.
I’m not even embarrassed by this because Barrett has good taste: When we go on long runs, we always stop at Ba Le Bakery in South Philly for a lemongrass and beef banh mi, and when we walk down Frankford Avenue, he will literally yank me across the street for Huda Burger. I even gave him a Pizzeria Beddia birthday party. I promise he’s a healthy dog.
Anyway, on our long walks we will either stop at Rival Brothers Coffeefor a short Americano and so Barrett can look out the window, or Càphê Roasters to split a fried chicken sandwich. It’s funny because I used to joke about never wanting to be a regular somewhere, but now I walk into these places and it feels like I’m talking to my siblings. It’s a beautiful way to start my morning.
The inside of Càphê Roasters in Kensington, where Tanner and her dog Barrett are regulars.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
10 a.m.
After also feeding Barrett real dog food, I head down to Loretta’s to clock in for a shift. On a perfect day, work involves barista-ing a little bit, doing latte research, and filming content for social media.
All of our specialty lattes involve a specialty syrup and cold foam, and they take about three iterations each to get right. I love it because I feel like I’m in a lab, trying to find the right balance of fun and sweetness without just serving people sugar just because it looks pretty … [Kelsey Bush] and I are both very anti-unicorn frappuccinos.
As director of operations at Loretta’s, Zoe Tanner says the best parts of her job include working on latte recipes and barisa-ing.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
At some point, I will stop for lunch. I’m in a protein era right now, so I like to order the Emma, which I equate to Loretta’s version of a chicken Caesar salad wrap. I also love our Rice Krispies Treats. They’re just perfectly done. Packaged Rice Krispies Treats are always so dry.
2 p.m.
It is officially time for me to go on a long run — 13.1 miles at minimum because I’m a distance diva.
My go-to route is river to river: I’ll run from my apartment to Penn Treaty Park, down to the Headhouse Shambles, across South Street to Schuylkill Park, up to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and back.
While I’m running, I like to listen to a lot of my raw mixes to get a sense of what needs work, but if I’m trying to have a really blissful run, I’ll listen to Dean Blunt or Sade. If you run by the river and put on Sade, you’ll feel like the hottest person in the universe. Trust.
Tanner likes to run along the Schuylkill River, the Delaware River, and through Penn Treaty Park.TYGER WILLIAMS / Staff Photographer
I also like to think of my runs as quests. I will deliberately only bring my phone and headphones so I’m forced to stop for the things I need to keep going, like a snack or electrolytes. It’s fun because it helps me get to know the city better, even after more than a decade. … I think people get tired of Philly because they don’t chew down on it enough.
Running this way has also made me a public bathroom expert because peeing, of course, is always part of the quests. My hot tip: Never count out a Whole Foods.
6 p.m.
After my run, I like to get dinner and drinks with my friends.
Our go-to is Monk’s Cafe, which I recently learned might be haunted? I typically order the Thai curry mussels, a saison, and fries.
I know there’s a lot of discourse about Monk’s having the best fries, but I want to make clear that I do NOT play that game. Fries come in all shapes and sizes, and they’re all good. I would never body shame a fry. It’s like trying to say a basketball player is more athletic than a football player. How could you?
A pot of mussels in Thai curry broth at Monk’s Cafe.Craig LaBan
If we want to have a less chill night, my friends and I will go to Johnny Brenda’s— I had my first ever legal drink there, and they make a great steak. For a more chill night, we like to eat at Phở 75. I want my pho with dark meat chicken and all the fixings — jalapeños, bean sprouts, cilantro, sriracha, hoisin. Barrett, of course, will probably have a piece of the chicken.
9 p.m.
I like to end my day with music, either by practicing with my band or mixing my album, which reminds me a lot of coming up with drinks for Loretta’s since both start with me asking the same question: What can I do to make this thing pop?
Sound mixing is so similar to food and beverage because it’s very easy to sense when you’ve done too much and need to pull back. Things often taste and sound the best when they’re at their most natural.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
