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  • Philly music this week with J. Cole, Death Cab for Cutie, Japanese Breakfast, and more

    Philly music this week with J. Cole, Death Cab for Cutie, Japanese Breakfast, and more

    This week in Philly music features Death Cab for Cutie and Japanese Breakfast in Fairmount Park, a pair of John Coltrane tributes, two nights of J. Cole concerts in South Philly, Trombone Shorty in Fishtown, and “Weird Al” Yankovic in Atlantic City.

    Thursday, July 15

    Earth, Wind & Fire + Lionel Richie

    These seasoned entertainers on the “Sing a Song All Night Long” tour are stars of Roots drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s highly entertaining new HBO documentary, Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World). EW&F and its founder and guiding light, Maurice White, are the subjects, and Richie, the American Idol judge and former Commodores leader, is an insightful talking head.

    White died in 2016, but three key original members of the band — singer Phillip Bailey, bassist Verdine White, and percussionist Ralph Johnson, are still in the band, so there’s no reason to think hits like “Shining Star” and “September” won’t sound as joyous as ever. And Richie showed just how much of a polished entertainer he is last year, when he played a rare intimate date at Union Transfer. 7:30 p.m., Xfinity Mobile Arena, 3601 S. Broad St., xfinitymobilearena.com

    Friday, July 17

    Joe Jackson

    Joe Jackson was grouped in with Elvis Costello and Graham Parker as an Angry Young Man when he first emerged with his albums Look Sharp! and I’m the Man in 1979, before the British songwriter diversified his musical palette to include Louis Jordan-style jump blues and polished Tin Pan Alley pop. Now, Jackson is feeling cranky again on his latest, Hope & Fury, which finds him again working with bassist Graham Maby. 8 p.m., Lansdowne Theater, 31 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne, lansdownetheater.com

    Death Cab for Cutie plays the Highmark Mann on Friday, with Japanese Breakfast opening.Ryan Russell

    Death Cab for Cutie & Japanese Breakfast

    I Built You a Tower, the 11th album by emblematic indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie, finds the Bellingham, Wash., band fronted by Ben Gibbard in fine fettle. They sounded sharp debuting the album at the Non-Commvention this spring. Michelle Zauner’s Philadelphia-born band Japanese Breakfast opens. 8 p.m., TD Pavilion at the Highmark Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave., highmarkmann.com

    Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue play the Fillmore Philly on Friday.Courtesy of the Artist

    Trombone Shorty

    Troy Andrews got his stage name playing in his family band when he was 4. Thirty-six years later, Andrews is carrying on the rich tradition of New Orleans funk, R&B, and second line rhythms. Bluesy Americana sister band Larkin Poe opens. 8 p.m., Fillmore Philly, 29 E. Allen St., thefillmorephilly.com

    Mikaela Davis plays Free at Noon at World Stage on Friday and Johnny Brenda’s on Friday night.Matthew Reamer

    Mikaela Davis

    Indie rock and alt-country harpist Mikaela Davis is playing two shows Friday. The Graceland Way and Grateful Shred songwriter is doing Free at Noon during the day, followed by a Fishtown gig that night. Noon, World Stage, 3025 Walnut St., xpn.org and 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

    Taj Mahal

    Last year, the octogenarian bluesman born Henry St. Claire Fredericks Jr. released his 32nd album, Room on the Porch, a collaboration with Keb’ Mo’. That is a mostly acoustic affair, but he’s playing this show with the Phantom Blues Band. 8 p.m., The Grand, 818 N. Market St., thegrandwilmington.org

    Bebe Rexha

    The FIFA Fan Festival runs through Sunday’s Spain vs. Argentina World Cup Final, but the final show in its concert series, which has included shows by Leon Thomas, All-American Rejects, and Deadmau5, is Friday. The last star to grace the Lemon Hill stage will be Bebe Rexha, the dance-pop singer who has had hits with G-Eazy, David Guetta, and Florida Georgia Line. It’s free. FIFA Fan Festival, 1 Lemon Hill Drive, phillyfwc26.com

    “Weird Al” Yankovic in New York in 2025. He plays the Borgata in Atlantic City on Friday. John Nacion

    “Weird Al” Yankovic

    The ”Bigger & Weirder Tour” from the accordion-playing master of song parody is headed down the Shore. The “Amish Paradise” and “Eat It” singer will be supported by Puddles Pity Party. 8 p.m., Borgata Event Center, One Borgata Way, Atlantic City, borgata.mgmresorts.com

    Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18

    Patty Griffin and Kathleen Edwards

    A pairing of top-notch songwriters with two performances. Besides the 12 albums Patty Griffin has recorded under her own name, Griffin has had songs covered by the Chicks, Emmylou Harris, Bette Midler, and Philly’s Dave Hause as well as made her presence felt on Robert Plant’s 2010 Band of Joy. Kathleen Edwards returned after an eight-year break with Total Freedom in 2020 and released Billionaire, coproduced by Jason Isbell and Gena Johnson last year. 8 p.m., Friday, Scottish Rite Auditorium, 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood, scottishriteauditorium.com and 8 p.m., Saturday, American Music Theatre, 2425 Lincoln Highway, Lancaster, amtshows.com

    Bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma will play with Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen at Grounds for Sculpture on Saturday.Sound Evidence

    Saturday, July 18

    Bobby Zankel’s Wonderful Sound 6

    Philly saxophonist Zankel is leading a notable tribute to John Coltrane. Along with Zankel, the band includes sax players Jaleel Shaw and Bryan Rogers, plus pianist Sumi Tonooka, bass player Sam Harris, and Nazir Ebo on drums. 8 p.m., Black Squirrel Club, 1049 Sarah St., blacksquirrelclub.com

    Judy Collins & Richard Thompson

    Folk singing legend Judy Collins is on a “Sweet Judy Blue Eyes: Farewell Tour,” named after the 1969 Crosby, Stills & Nash song she inspired. The opening act is British folk rock great Richard Thompson. 7 p.m., Lansdowne Theater, 31 N. Lansdowne Ave., Lansdowne, landsdownetheater.com

    The tour is also playing the Ocean City Music Pier on Monday.

    Creative Freedom: A Salon Experience

    Philly avant-garde bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma pairs off with Sun Ra Arkestra leader Marshall Allen. They will debut new music from Allen’s upcoming album, 101: An Audio Odyssey, and be in conversation with artist Salvador Jiménez-Flores, whose exhibition Raíces & Resistencias is on view. 7 p.m., Grounds for Sculpture, 80 Sculptors Way, Hamilton, N.J., GroundsForSculpture.org

    Philly anti-folk hero Adam Brodsky’s new album is “American Epitaph.” S. Elfie

    Sunday, July 19

    Songs of Welcome: Concert for Immigrant Aid

    This afternoon event features an impressive array of Philly songwriting talent. Featured artists include John Faye, Cliff Hillis, Laura Mann, Adam Brodsky, Irene Lambrou, and Scott McClatchy. It benefits the Welcome Project, a Hatboro-based social service agency that provides assistance to immigrants in Philadelphia as well as Montgomery and Bucks Counties. 2 p.m., Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Ave., thefallserclub.org

    Monday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 21

    J. Cole

    North Carolina rap star J. Cole says his new album, The Fall Off, is his final album. We’ll believe it when we don’t see a follow-up, but in the meantime, the 24-track double album is an impressive if uneven effort, with guest appearances by Tems, Future, Petey Pablo, and Erykah Badu. It’s also spawned a print publication, The Fall-Off Magazine. 8 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, Xfinity Mobile Arena, 3601 S. Broad St, xfinitymobilearena.com

    Downtown Boys play Johnny Brenda’s on Tuesday.Naomi Yang

    Tuesday, July 21

    Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs

    Tom Petty lead guitarist Mike Campbell has carried on after his former boss’ 2017 death, with four albums now with the Dirty Knobs, whose latest is Mission of Mercy. Sara Lee Guthrie, recently seen singing with Billy Bragg and Wilco at the Solid Sound festival in Massachusetts celebrating her grandfather Woody, is the opener. 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside, keswicktheatre.com

    Downtown Boys

    It’s been nine years since fiery Providence, Rhode Island, punk band Downtown Boys’ last album, but the Victoria Ruiz-fronted fivesome have returned at full strength. The new bilingual Public Luxury comes out swinging with “No Me Jodas” — which translates as “Don’t [Mess] with Me” — and never lets up from there. They’re a fantastic live band. Pop Music Fever Dream opens. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

    Wednesday, July 22

    Coltrane 100: Legacy

    This Coltrane tribute features the saxophone great’s son Ravi Coltrane performing reimagined versions of his father’s classics with the Philadelphia Orchestra in advance of what would have been John Coltrane’s 100th birthday on Sept. 23. 8 p.m., TD Pavilion at the Highmark Mann, 5201 Parkside Ave., highmarkmann.com.

  • 🍸 The coolest drink of the Summer of 2026 | Let’s Eat

    🍸 The coolest drink of the Summer of 2026 | Let’s Eat

    The temperature is approaching triple digits. (Or is that tipple digits?) Here’s one boozy relief drink you should know about.

    Also in this edition:

    • Down the shore: Craig LaBan hits the mainland for tasty meals.
    • Flying saucer returns: The city finally has signed a restaurant tenant at LOVE Park.
    • “Cambodian speakeasy”: Read on for restaurant dish.

    — Mike Klein

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    Water ice martinis and other cooling treats

    The water ice martini is the cocktail of the summer, and Beatrice Forman chatted up the owner of John’s Water Ice, who developed it with Saloon.

    🍧 Extraordinary “ordinary” water ice: Here are our favorites.

    Ice cream options

    🍦 Stella’s Ice Cream out of Idaho (yes, Idaho) just opened on Front Street in Fishtown/Kensington, and Bea has the early scoop.

    🍦 Winners, rocking a feel-good message, is new on South Street in Graduate Hospital. As Kiki Aranita says, Winners’ appeal is more than just the flavors, like Sweet Success S’mores.

    🍦 Our guide to our favorite ice cream is right here.

    Down the shore with Craig LaBan

    Critic Craig LaBan is back from his annual Jersey Shore exploration, and he’s shaking the sand out of his notebook. In Part One of his roundup, he heads to the mainland to find some gems. Read that here.

    Looking ahead: Part Two, Craig’s reviews from Long Beach Island and thereabouts, will be online this weekend. On July 11, he’ll share his discoveries from points farther south in Part Three.

    Ember & Ash shuttered by fire

    Ember & Ash on East Passyunk Avenue will be closed for an undetermined period after smoke and flames shot up through the ventilation last week just after closing time. No injuries were reported.

    ‘Flying saucer’ building has liftoff

    This weekend will see the debut of Broad Street Beer Garden at LOVE Park, the first phase of a planning reuse of the so-called flying saucer building at 16th and JFK. Here’s the long history of the city landmark.

    The best things we ate last week

    We munched on fried silverfish that reminded us of French fries in Little Saigon, Argentine empanadas in West Philly, and a vegan po’ boy in Old City that tasted like the original.

    Scoops

    Intrigue! Albert Zheng, whose holdings include Javelin in Fairmount, is backing a yet-to be-named dual concept on the way to 808 Chestnut St., formerly a Dunkin’ Donuts. In front, the feature will be wagyu omakase, while the rear will be what he calls a Cambodian speakeasy. He says it’s six or seven months out.

    Mylar Bar, a cocktail bar inspired by the spirit of South Philly’s Dino’s Party Center, is expected to open later this summer from hospitality veterans Liv Arterbridge and Gina Piccari. They bought the former building at Ninth and Morris Streets where Dino’s sold balloons, decorations, and party supplies for decades before it moved across the street. “We want the whole thing to feel like a party,” Arterbridge said. “Nostalgic, fun, a little silly, intentionally unserious — but not a theme bar,” Piccari said. Cocktails will include martinis, punches, and classic drinks, alongside draft beer and familiar favorites. A full kitchen, led by chef Colin White, formerly of Sally and Emmett, will serve shareable “party snacks” and larger plates. They plan to offer late-night desserts, so food will be available until 1 a.m. with the bar wrapping at 2. Arterbridge, whose resume includes Cry Baby, Poison Heart, and a.bar, met Piccari while working at Boot & Saddle, where Piccari was manager. Piccari is now behind the bar at Le Virtù.

    Restaurant report

    Sixteen restaurants, bakeries, cafes, and bars — including Lillian’s, shown above — are opening in July. Read on for the rundown.

    Penny’s Bagels, on its way (for the last two years) to 212 Kings Highway East in Haddonfield, will hand out 250 red, white, and blue bagels on July 3 at the borough’s parade. The shop is eyeing an August opening, says owner Chris Fetfatzes.

    Maru, a fast-casual Korean-inspired restaurant from David Backhus and the team behind the now-closed Oori, is expected to open in August in what is now Collective Coffee & Bakery, which Backhus also owns, at 2922 Conestoga Rd. in Glenmoore. Maru’s menu will feature Korean fried chicken sandwiches, wings, tenders, house-made mochi doughnuts, and specialty coffee, while continuing to serve Collective Coffee and honor existing coffee subscriptions.

    Briefly noted

    Ota-Ya in Newtown has announced that Friday will be its last day after 30 years with the retirement of owners Jeff Wong and Cindy Tam.

    PETA is launching its “Nice Cream Trail,” highlighting 10 shops across the state serving vegan ice cream, and there are five local spots on the list: Dreams Ice Cream Factory in Glenside, Lu & Aug’s in Ardmore, the Main Freeze in Lansdale, Milk Jawn in South Philadelphia and Northern Liberties, and Scoop DeVille in Center City and Queen Village. The first Pennsylvania resident to complete the trail by visiting all 10 participating shops through August will win a vegan ice cream party with PETA’s “iScream” truck for themselves and up to 50 guests. Details are here.

    Two local BBQ chefs, Matt Groark (Medford Lakes, N.J.) and Maxwell McGibbon (Newark, Del.), are competing on Food Networks’ Pitmasters, premiering July 13 at 9 p.m.

    Diner en Blanc registration is still open. This year’s version of the pop-up picnic is Aug. 20.

    Miller’s Ale House, in the shopping center next to the Home Depot in Springfield, Delaware County, closed this week after 13 years, while Fishtown is abuzz with speculation that Bottle Bar East, which opened at 1308 Frankford Ave. around the same time in late 2012, has closed. The phone is down, and owners could not be reached for comment

    We all tried a new cheesesteak-flavored olive oil. I won’t say you have to.

    ❓Pop quiz

    Fountain Porter, the South Philly bar, just raised the price of its celebrated burger. How much is it now?

    A) $5

    B) $7

    C) $8

    D) $9

    Find out if you know the answer.

    Ask Mike anything

    When is Adda ever going to open in Fishtown? — Rich C.

    True, Adda has been a long time coming, since I initially wrote about it in June 2025 with an end-of-2025 target. Adda — from New York City’s Unapologetic Foods, whose establishments are acclaimed for their bold, no-holds-barred approach to Indian cooking — is now looking at a late-fall opening at 1700 Frankford Ave., the new building across from the Fishtown post office.

    Corrigendum: Reader Stephanie points out that Kalaya is the third Philadelphia restaurant, not the second, to win the James Beard Award for outstanding restaurant, as I wrote two weeks ago. Zahav was the first in 2019, while Friday Saturday Sunday won in 2023.

    📮 Have a question about food in Philly? Email your questions to me at mklein@inquirer.com for a chance to be featured in my newsletter.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

  • Speed cameras on Frankford Avenue will begin issuing fines

    Speed cameras on Frankford Avenue will begin issuing fines

    Starting Friday, drivers traveling 36 mph or faster on Frankford Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia will face a minimum $100 fine.

    Ten new speed-enforcement cameras were activated on April 13, initiating a 60-day warning period which brought mailed warnings to violators of the road’s 25 mph speed limit.

    “Speed cameras are a tremendous tool that helps save lives,” said Gabe Roberts, acting executive director of the Philadelphia Parking Authority, in an emailed statement.

    There are three tiers of penalties for speeding on the 4.5-mile stretch of U.S. Route 13 that are now going into effect.

    Fines are $100 for traveling 11-19 mph over the speed limit; $125 for going 20-29 mph over; and $150 for speeding by 30 or more mph.

    Tickets are mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle speeding. No points — PennDOT’s method of recording driving violations — are added to the motorist’s driver’s license.

    The cameras are placed at 9900 Frankford Ave.; 8300 Frankford Ave.; 7000 Frankford Ave.; 6400 Frankford Ave.; 3100 Levick St.; and 2100 Robbins St.

    Automated speed enforcement cameras went live Monday April 13 on the portion of U.S. Route 13 shown in green. Philadelphia Parking Authority will install cameras on the rest of the corridor in July 2026.City of Philadelphia

    Speed-enforcement cameras were first piloted in Philadelphia on Roosevelt Boulevard in June 2020, with 32 automated cameras placed along the highway previously considered the most dangerous road in the city.

    According to the Philadelphia Parking Authority, speed violations have since decreased on the boulevard by more than 90%, and there has been a 50% reduction in pedestrian-involved crashes.

    There are now a total of 80 speed cameras operating throughout the city, with additional cameras installed on Broad Street and nearby five school zone locations.

  • A man was shot on the Market-Frankford Line in Center City

    A man was shot on the Market-Frankford Line in Center City

    A man was shot in the stomach while riding the L train in Center City on Thursday afternoon.

    SEPTA Transit Police were investigating the shooting, which occurred around 1:30 p.m. on a westbound L train, also known as the Market-Frankford Line, at 15th Street Station located under City Hall and Dilworth Plaza.

    Police transported the injured man, who was not identified, to a nearby hospital, where he was in stable condition, according to SEPTA. A search was underway for a suspect, whom police did not identify.

    L train and trolley service resumed after having been stopped for around 30 minutes, a SEPTA spokesperson said.

  • A DJ Jazzy Jeff Juneteenth block party, Meek Mill down the Shore, and an all-Philly Kinks tribute headline Philly music this week

    A DJ Jazzy Jeff Juneteenth block party, Meek Mill down the Shore, and an all-Philly Kinks tribute headline Philly music this week

    This week in Philly music features a DJ Jazzy Jeff Juneteenth block party, country star Charley Crockett at the Met, Meek Mill’s Lit in AC show down the Shore, rock and roll legend Dion in Glenside, a classic reggae band on the Main Line, and a terrific Spoon and the Beths double bill in Fishtown.

    Wednesday, June 17

    Black Uhuru

    The band was founded in Kingston, Jamaica by Derrick “Duckie” Simpson and built a global audience with albums like Sinsemilla in 1980 and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner in 1983. Its body of work from that decade places the band in the pantheon of the great reggae groups of all time. With Ear Me Now. 8 p.m., 118 North, 118 N. Wayne Ave., Wayne, 118NorthWayne.com

    Brother Wallace plays a free show in Malvern on Wednesday. Hana Snow

    Brother Wallace

    West Point, Ga., native Brother Wallace’s music exudes a joyous, Southern soul energy. He impressed this spring at a WXPN-FM (88.5) Free at Noon and the Non-Commvention and now he is playing the free Chill on the Hill concert series in Malvern. Philly-based Mexican Japanese art rockers Kikashima open. 6:30 p.m., Valley Creek Park, 361 N. Morehall Road, Malvern, EastWhiteland.org

    Basic

    Basic is the self-titled sophomore release on No Quarter records from the experimental rock trio featuring Philly guitarist Chris Forsyth, who also fronts the Solar Motel Band, and the Neil Young jam band Coca Leaves & Pearls. The group, named in honor of a 1984 project by Robert Quine and Fred Maher, rides a mighty groove of improvised music and includes drummer and percussionist Mikel Patrick Avery and bassist Douglas McCombs. Victor Viera Branco’s Bark Culture and Emily Robb’s the ER Band also play. 8 p.m., Johnny Brenda’s, 10201 N. Frankford Ave., johnnybrendas.com

    From left: Chris Forsyth, Mikel Patrick Avery, and Doug McCombs of Basic. The band plays Johnny Brenda’s on Wednesday.Linette Messina

    Wednesday, June 17 and Thursday, June 18

    Paul Thorn

    Like Elvis Presley and Diplo, Paul Thorn hails form Tupelo, Miss. The Southern rock, country, and blues songwriter — and former middleweight boxer, who once fought Roberto Duran in Atlantic City — is out with his latest album. Life Is a Vapor is partly inspired by eating ice cream with John Prine. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sellersville Theater, 18 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville, st94.com and 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Levoy Theatre, 126 N. High St., Millville, N.J., levoy.net.

    Algernon Cadwallader

    Philly emo band Algernon Cadwallader released Trying Not to Have a Thought, its first album in 14 years, last September. Now the band is playing two hometown shows before touring England later this month. 7:30 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, Ruba Club, 415 Green St., algernoncadwallader.com

    Thursday, June 18

    Dion

    At Bruce Springsteen’s “Music America: The Songs That Shaped Us concerts” this month in New Jersey, Dion DiMucci displayed both his 1950s rock and roll beginnings and his 1960s folk rock transformation with “The Wanderer” and “Abraham, Martin and John.” For this show, he’s billed as “The Rock N’ Roll Philosopher.” 8 p.m., Keswick Theatre, 291 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside, keswicktheatre.com.

    Philly emo band Algernon Cadwallader plays two shows at the Ruba Club this week. Scott Toyan

    Inara George

    One half of the Bird & the Bee, Los Angeles songwriter and song interpreter Inara George is always up to something intriguing. Her new album, Songs of Douglas and Littell, is a gorgeously executed collection spotlighting Los Angeles theater veterans Eliot Douglass and Philip Littell. 7:30 p.m., The Loft at City Winery, 990 Filbert St., CityWinery.com/philadelphia

    Fiery Furnaces

    Last year, experimental art-rock sibling band the Fiery Furnaces reissued its 2004 breakthrough Blueberry Boat. Now, singer Eleanor and keyboard player Matthew Friedberger are on a limited tour, with Philly being the last of only six headlining dates. 8 p.m., Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 Rittenhouse Square, r5productions.com

    DJ Jazzy Jeff performing at the Plateau Stage at The Roots Picnic in Philadelphia, on Saturday, May 30, 2026. He spins at the African American Museum’s Juneteenth block party on Friday.Tyger Williams

    Friday, June 19

    Hurray for the Riff Raff

    Alynda Lee Segarra, the Puerto Rican songwriter and activist who leads Hurray for the Riff Raff, was born in the Bronx and spent 20 years in New Orleans before recently relocating to Chicago. The band’s 2024 studio album, The Past Is Still Alive, nods to Bob Dylan and William Faulkner, and the new Live Forever was recorded at Chicago’s Old Town School of Folk Music. 8 p.m., Concerts Under the Stars, 175 W. Valley Forge Road, King of Prussia, concertsunderthestarskop.com

    Sound of History

    Philly musicians Zeek Burse and Laurin Talese’s Sound of History project grew out of residencies at the Museum of the American Revolution. Their Juneteenth performance piece is in partnership with ArtPhilly and Black Music City. Free at Noon, World Stage, 3025 Walnut St., xpn.org and 6 p.m., Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. Third St., artphilly.com/projects/sound-of-history

    Juneteenth Block Party with DJ Jazzy Jeff

    DJ Jazzy Jeff — who will be reuniting with Will Smith on the Ben Franklin Parkway in July — headlines this free outdoor event. Also on the daytime show: rappers Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh and singer Leah Jenea. Patty Jackson is the emcee. Noon, African American Museum in Philadelphia, 701 Arch St., July4Philly.com

    Los Lobos & Los Lonely Boys

    “Let’s get Los. The Brotherhood Tour” pairs Los Lobos, the great Chicano band from East L.A. (that also features Steve Berlin, a Jewish guy from Philly, on saxophone) with Los Lonely Boys, the “Texican” rock and roll, brown-eyed soul band from San Angelo, Texas. 8 p.m., Tropicana Showroom, 2831 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, caesars.com/tropicana-ac

    Saturday, June 20

    Meek Mill’s Lit in AC

    Father’s Day weekend down the Shore with Meek Mill: The Philly “Dreams and Nightmares” rapper is the headliner on a multi-act bill that includes T.I. Eve, Havoc of Mobb Deep, Shyne, and Ms. Jade. 7 p.m., Boardwalk Hall, 2301 Boardwalk, boardwalkhall.com.

    Kinkstravaganza

    Celebrating 60 years of British Invasion greats the Kinks, this benefit includes the 1971 album Muswell Hillbillies played in its entirety. Wesley Stace, Adam Weiner, John Faye, Roberta Faceplant, the No Good Crowd, and Citizen Riot are among the performers. Proceeds go to Juntos, the South Philly Latino immigrant organization. 8 p.m., The Fallser Club, 3721 Midvale Ave., thefallserclub.org.

    Charley Crockett plays the Met Philly on Monday.Courtesy of the Artist

    Monday, June 22

    Del Amitri

    Scottish rock band Del Amitri, which scored 1990s hits like “Roll to Me” and “Nothing Ever Happens,” is touring the U.S., timed to the Scottish soccer team’s East Coast World Cup dates. The Tisburys open. 7:30 p.m., Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St., undergroundarts.org.

    Charley Crockett

    Super-prolific country singer Charley Crockett is a busy guy. He’s released 17 albums since 2015, including Age of the Ram and Clovis this year. Last summer, his tour with fellow Texan Leon Bridges was one of most rewarding of the season. 8 p.m., Met Philly, 858 N. Broad St., themetphilly.com

    Spoon plays the Fillmore on Tuesday, with The Beths.Olivia Wolf

    Tuesday, June 23

    The Animeros

    Austin, Texas instrumental band the Animeros were standouts at the NonCommvention this year. Their self-described sound moves “between the lush jungles of Colombia, the palm-lined streets of 1960s coastal Mexico, and the dusty cantinas of West Texas.” They’re signed to Black Keys leader Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound label. 8 p.m., Ortlieb’s, 847 N. Third St., ortiebsphilly.com

    Spoon & The Beths

    A top-notch double bill. Spoon, the remarkably consistent indie band from Austin, Texas, is led by Britt Daniel and Jim Eno. They are playing with New Zealand indie power pop outfit The Beths, led by Elizabeth Stokes, whose 2025 album Straight Line Was a Lie was one of the year’s best. 8 p.m., Fillmore Philadelphia, 29 E. Allen St., thefilllmorephilly.com

  • Philly takes home two wins at the 2026 James Beard Awards

    Philly takes home two wins at the 2026 James Beard Awards

    Philadelphia can now add two more food awards to its shelf.

    Restaurants and chefs from the City of Brotherly Love took home wins in two categories Monday night in Chicago at the 2026 James Beard Awards, considered to be the most prestigious restaurant industry honor in the United States.

    The showing builds on the momentum of last year, when Mawn’s Phila Lorn took home the title of Emerging Chef, an award he dedicated at the time to “the assumption” that the Cambodian noodle house in Bella Vista wasn’t “popular enough,” “focused enough,” or ”good enough” to win.

    Now the assumption isn’t that Philly is an underdog. It’s that we’re a full-on culinary powerhouse.

    Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon’s Thai restaurant Kalaya won outstanding restaurant, an award that recognizes “consistent excellence” in food, hospitality, and operations.

    Suntaranon originally opened the restaurant — known for its ornate dumplings — in 2019 in what is currently Mawn’s location, where it was nominated in 2020 for Best New Restaurant. In 2022, Kalaya moved to a bigger space just off Frankford Avenue in Kensington, where it has flourished, earning a Michelin Guide recommendation, a spot on The Inquirer’s The 76, and, in 2023, Suntaranon’s first Beard Award for best chef, Mid-Atlantic.

    Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon as seen through the line at her restaurant Kalaya in Fishtown on August 22, 2024.Neal Santos

    “This award means a lot to me because it’s validation for Thai food and validation for the city of Philadelphia that we’re a world-class food city,” Suntaranon, in a shimmering floor-length orange gown, said backstage.

    Chef Jesse Ito of Royal Sushi & Izakaya on Monday night took home his first James Beard Award, for best chef, Mid-Atlantic. “It’s been a long ride,” Ito said from the stage at the Lyric Opera theater.

    Indeed it has.

    The chef behind the notoriously-hard-to-get-into Queen Village omakase counter and its more casual bar and restaurant has been nominated nine times for the award, which honors the top culinary talent across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington. This go-around, Ito beat out two-time finalist Amanda Shulman — whose Her Place Supper Club earned one of Philly’s first Michelin stars last year — and Omar Tate and Cybille St.Aude-Tate of Honeysuckle, who transformed their cafe-market into a Michelin-recommended prix fixe restaurant in 2025.

    During his acceptance speech, Ito invoked the oft-quoted Serenity Prayer and thanked his parents, who ran the Cinnaminson and Haddonfield sushi restaurant Fuji for 40 years, before selling. It’s where Ito worked his first restaurant job as a dishwasher, and a place he has long credited for helping him find his footing in the restaurant industry.

    Chef Jesse Ito prepares a course during the omakase at Royal Sushi and Izakaya on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    “We went through so much,” Ito said, choking up. “Restaurants are glamorous, and it seems great, but we went through so much hardship. I’ll never forget the struggle just to get here.”

    Royal Sushi’s success has also, at times, been its greatest challenge: The $355, 16-seat omakase prepared by Ito is one of the toughest seats to score in Philly, which potentially led to the restaurant losing out on a Michelin star last year. At the same time, the restaurant earned a spot on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2025 and high praise from The Inquirer, landing on The 76 two years in a row.

    The pendulum swing of accolades keeps Ito on his toes. He told The Inquirer over the phone Monday night that he wasn’t certain what made this year different from all the others.

    “I don’t know how it all works,” Ito said. “I came to Chicago 99% certain that I was going to lose.”

    Now that he’s won, Ito plans to celebrate by singing Harry Styles’ “Sign of the Times” and “Creep” by Radiohead at karaoke — somber choices for a victorious night.

    “They’re just my songs,” said Ito. “I have to sing them.”

    Who else represented Philly?

    Philly restaurants and chefs didn’t take home medals in every category.

    Emmett, the Levantine-inspired Kensington restaurant from chef Evan Snyder, was nominated for best new restaurant. The award ultimately went to Lei, a New York City wine bar that serves Chinese food. Named after Snyder’s first-born, Emmett had a quick rise after its January 2025 opening: In the past year, it made its first appearance on The 76 and was named one of the best new restaurants in the U.S. by Esquire magazine.

    From left: The gaeng pae, khao mun klone, and moo yaang prik at Kalaya on Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Philadelphia.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer

    First-time nominee Justine MacNeil did not take home the award for outstanding pastry chef or baker, which went to Susan Bay of Washington’s buzzy Vietnamese restaurant Moon Rabbit. At Fiore — the East Kensington cafe MacNeil co-owns with husband Ed Crochet — the former fine dining pastry chef churns out thousands of classic Italian pastries a week, from oversize maritozzi to pistachio cornetti that have earned praise from 2017 James Beard Award-winner Greg Vernick and Inquirer critic Craig LaBan, among others.

    Friday Saturday Sunday lost out on its second Beard Award on Monday, this time for outstanding bar. Its downstairs, first-come-first-served Lovers Bar was nominated for the honor, which instead went to Portland, Ore., whisky bar Scotch Lounge, a recent addition to the list of North America’s 50 Best Bars from World’s 50 Best. Friday Saturday Sunday won its first Beard award in 2023 for outstanding restaurant, and earned one of Philly’s first Michelin stars in 2025.

    The deluxe nigiri box for take-out at Royal Izakaya, in a photograph from 2020.Courtesy Royal Izakaya / Jesse Ito

    The Inquirer also took home hardware of its own Sunday night during the James Beard Media Awards, also in Chicago. Inquirer staff photographer Monica Herndon won for narrative photography for “The hunt for life-giving ‘country food’ in the Canadian Arctic.” The photo essay chronicled the food traditions of the Inukjuak, a remote Inuit community in northern Québec. It accompanied reporting from Inquirer food critic Craig LaBan about how the community continues to hunt and preserve foods such as caribou and beluga despite the challenges of climate change.

    Philadelphia had 13 semifinalists across eight categories when the Beard Awards were announced in January. They included chef Greg Vernick for outstanding restaurateur; Amá’s Frankie Ramirez for emerging chef; Almanac in Old City for best new bar; and deli magnate Russ Cowan and Michelin Green Star winner Ian Graye of the vegan restaurant Pietramala, both for best chef, Mid-Atlantic.

    All three were later eliminated from the finalists’ list.

    CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – JUNE 13: Monica Herndon, winner of the Narrative Photography Award, speaks onstage during the 2026 James Beard Media Awards at the Art Institute of Chicago on June 13, 2026, in Chicago.Jeff Schear / Getty Images for the James Beard Foundation

    The night’s showing adds one more win from February when Center City stalwart Oyster House was named an American classic, which honors local restaurants across the U.S. with “timeless appeal that serve quality food and are beloved by their communities.” Representatives from the Philly mainstay were in Chicago to receive their medals in person.

    “I am very fortunate that I live in Philly. People are loving and caring [here]. People are strong, and we all come together to support one another,” Suntaranon said. “Go Birds!”

  • In major decision, Pa. Supreme Court rules ‘skill games’ are slot machines

    In major decision, Pa. Supreme Court rules ‘skill games’ are slot machines

    HARRISBURG — So-called skill games, the slot machine look-alikes that have proliferated by the tens of thousands around Pennsylvania bars and corner stores, are slot machine devices and should be regulated as such, the state’s highest court ruled Monday.

    The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling clears the way for widespread taxation and regulation by the state, as well as limits on where the machines are available, as a majority of justices ruled that both gambling law and the criminal code apply to the machines.

    “The device is a ‘slot machine,’” wrote the newly independent Justice David Wecht in the majority opinion.

    The majority recognized that the ruling could cause a “potential disturbance” for “business owners and other good-faith participants in the industry,” so the ruling will take effect after a 120-day “safe harbor” period. And if lawmakers in Harrisburg disagree with the opinion, the General Assembly “remains free at any time to take whatever legislative action it may deem appropriate.”

    Pennsylvania’s gambling industry is highly regulated and taxed. If state law is unchanged after the 120-day waiting period, the estimated 70,000 skill game machines available across the state would need to be regulated and confined to specific locations like casinos that have the proper licenses.

    Chief Justice Debra Todd and Justice Daniel McCaffery, both Democrats, joined the opinion in full, while Republican Justices Sallie Updyke Mundy and Kevin Brobson concurred with most of the majority’s reasoning but wrote a short dissent.

    Justice Christine Donohue, a Democrat, wrote a concurring decision.

    “Because chance predominates both the player’s eligibility for winnings and the magnitude of those winnings, the [skill games] device is a gambling device,” Donohue wrote.

    Justice Kevin Dougherty, a Philadelphia Democrat, sat out the long-awaited decision.

    Skill game operators have evaded taxation and regulation for more than a decade, operating in a legal gray area after lower courts ruled that the machines require a level of skill not necessary to play games of chance like slot machines.

    The most influential player in the skill games industry, Georgia-based operator Pace-O-Matic, has asked the state on multiple occasions to regulate and tax the machines — but at a rate much lower than slot machines, arguing that their technology helps small businesses with small margins stay afloat as prices rise.

    In a statement, Pace-O-Matic said it was disappointed by Monday’s ruling, which it said would have “far-reaching consequences” on Pennsylvania’s small businesses and fraternal organizations.

    “[Small businesses] are now potentially left facing an impossible choice: cease operating these games and lose an important source of revenue, or endure a legislative solution that could bring excessive regulation and crippling taxation, which will force them to cease operating these games and lose an important source of revenue,” a spokesperson for Pace-O-Matic added.

    Gov. Josh Shapiro, a first-term Democrat, has proposed regulating and taxing skill games at 52% — the same rate currently levied on slot machines and most other games of chance. He estimated taxing and regulating the machines could bring in $765.9 million for the state in new revenue in its first year, as part of his $53.2 billion February budget pitch.

    Lawmakers have been waiting for the state Supreme Court to rule whether the machines are legally slot machines or not, as the split legislature considers whether to and how much to tax them as a way to create a much-needed new revenue stream.

    Top legislators and Shapiro have convened over the last few weeks in closed-door meetings to finalize a state budget deal ahead of a June 30 deadline. Now, with the decision in hand, Senate President Pro Tempore Kim Ward (R., Westmoreland) and Majority Leader Joe Pittman (R., Indiana) said in a statement they believe gaming reform is a “critical piece of resolving this year’s budget.”

    In Philadelphia, City Council banned skill games in 2023 over concerns that they attract crime, but a lower court blocked enforcement of the ban while several cases worked their way to the state Supreme Court.

    A Philadelphia jury ordered Pace-O-Matic to pay $15.3 million last year to the estate of Ashokkumar Patel, a Hazleton store clerk killed during a 2020 robbery. And a Philadelphia store clerk shot last year during an armed robbery of Philly Market in Frankford, Ahmedine Maham, sued Banilla Gaming, a North Carolina-based skills game manufacturer, for enticing his assailants.

    At the end of the 120-day waiting period, the machines will be subject to regulations like slot machines and restricted to specific locations licensed to house slot machines — unless lawmakers decide to change the law.

    Pace-O-Matic, in its statement Monday, urged lawmakers to approve bipartisan proposals backed by rural GOP members and Philadelphia Democrats that would charge a $500 fee per skill game machine and would not restrict the machines to licensed slot machine locations, such as casinos.

    In a statement, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday, a Republican, praised the Supreme Court’s decision as a “significant victory for consumers, taxpayers, and the rule of law.”

    “The Supreme Court recognized what our office has argued from the beginning — these machines operate as gambling devices and cannot legally exist without the same oversight, regulation and accountability as other forms of legalized gaming in the commonwealth,“ Sunday added. ”Pennsylvanians deserve protections that ensure games are fair, transparent and operated within the bounds of the law.”

  • Urban League of Greater Philadelphia is opening a free clinic in West Philadelphia

    Urban League of Greater Philadelphia is opening a free clinic in West Philadelphia

    The Urban League of Greater Philadelphia is opening a free clinic in West Philadelphia for people without health insurance. The $8 million Center for Well-Being will also offer workforce development, housing, and other services, Urban League officials announced Friday.

    The project at 5616 Chestnut St. sits in a neighborhood where three-quarters of the residents have low- or moderate-incomes and chronic conditions like diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure are widespread.

    The clinic will be open to all Philadelphia residents and expects to serve residents of eastern Delaware County as well, Urban League president Darrin W. Anderson Sr. said at Friday’s kickoff event.

    “Across Philadelphia, too many residents continue to face barriers to good health, economic mobility, stable housing, quality jobs, and the resources needed to thrive. These challenges are deeply interconnected and require more than isolated solutions. They require a comprehensive community center approach,” Anderson said.

    The Urban League acquired the building in March for $1.6 million — attracted by the proximity to the Market-Frankford El and its parking lot, both of which make the building accessible to people outside the immediate neighborhood. With internal demolition about half finished, the center is expected to open in the first quarter of next year.

    U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans secured $1.2 million in seed money for the Urban League of Philadelphia’s Center for Well-Being in West Philadelphia. He spoke Friday at an event announcing the project.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer

    The center — in a former Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia building — will employ around 30 people when it is fully operational, said Chetan Panda, vice president of community and economic impact for the Urban League.

    The hires for the 4,500-square-foot clinic with eight exam rooms will include a medical director this fall, he said.

    The project’s funding comes from a federal tax credit program designed to encourage private investment in economically distressed neighborhoods.

    Finanta, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution and credit union in Philadelphia, arranged the financing.

    Three years ago, U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans, a Philadelphia Democrat retiring at the end of his current term, secured $1.2 million in seed money for the project.

    The role of free clinics

    The Urban League modeled its free clinic on those in Cherry Hill, Phoenixville, and West Chester. The city’s numerous free primary care clinics are only open periodically, as opposed to being open daily.

    Philadelphia has 110,000 people without insurance, according to Panda. Many of them earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, yet don’t have access to insurance through their jobs. Their jobs pay too poorly for them to afford insurance on the state’s Affordable Care Act exchange, Panda said in an interview Thursday.

    The number of uninsured people is expected to grow next year when new requirements for federal insurance program take effect.

    The clinic will refer people who have Medicaid, Medicare, or private insurance to the federal health clinic closest to them. In West Philadelphia, that could be Spectrum or PHMC at the former Mercy Hospital of Philadelphia.

    Urban League of Greater Philadelphia officials, politicians, and other supporters sign a beam that will be used in the the refurbishing of the the Urban League’s planned Center for Well-Being.Erin Blewett / For The Inquirer

    Federal clinics, known as federally qualified heath centers, have a sliding payment scale for people who don’t have insurance. “We see that a lot of uninsured people forgo care at the FQHCs because they don’t want to pay the sliding scale. That’s a cost burden,” Panda said

    When they need care, they often seek it in high-cost emergency departments, he said.

    Free clinics rely on nearby hospitals for some of their staff and for donated services, such as X-rays and other diagnostic tests. Penn Medicine will support the new clinic in West Philadelphia, just as it does existing federal health centers, said Richard Wender, Penn’s chair of family medicine, who was at Friday’s event.

    Penn also supports Community Volunteers in Medicine in Chester County through its Chester County Hospital.

    Correction: This story has been updated to correct Chetan Panda’s title to vice president, and with the correct name of Community Volunteers in Medicine in Chester County.

  • Philadelphia built a mass transit system. Now let people live next to it.

    Philadelphia built a mass transit system. Now let people live next to it.

    I grew up in the South Bronx, a short walk from the subway. I did not think of that as a privilege at the time, but it was. That train carried me to a good school, to my first job, and to internships across the city. The access I took for granted is exactly what hundreds of thousands of Philadelphians never get, not because the trains are not running, but because we have spent decades making it nearly impossible to build homes next to them.

    Bill 260517, now before City Council, begins to undo that. It would rename and expand the city’s public transit zoning restriction from 500 feet to a quarter mile around the entrances to subway stops, allow a modest number of homes near the train, trim parking requirements, and require new buildings to put shops and offices on the ground floor instead of garage doors.

    It is a sensible, overdue reform, and Council should pass it before the summer recess.

    But we should be honest about how small a step it is.

    The bill covers just 13 stations, all on the Market-Frankford Line. Most Philadelphians do not live near the El. I think about the family in the Northeast that cannot reach a steady job without a second car. I think about the retiree near Broad Street who cannot easily get to one of our region’s best hospitals. If the zoning change stops there, we will have passed a good policy and confined it to a footprint too small to reach them.

    We do not have to guess how that story ends. The Parking Reform Network, which tracks parking rules nationwide, has found that most cities that reform parking limit it to a handful of downtown blocks, blunting nearly all of the benefits, while housing reform lags behind commercial reform. The lesson is not that reform fails. It is that timid reform fails. The cities that get results match the scale of the policy to the scale of the city.

    Other states have figured this out. Last October, California enacted SB 79, State Sen. Scott Wiener’s Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act, which legalizes mid-rise housing within a half mile of major transit stops across the state’s largest urban counties.

    New Jersey’s Transit Village Initiative now includes 37 designated municipalities, with concrete results: Since 2020, Newark alone has approved nearly 6,800 housing units, far more than in the entire stretch from 2007 to 2019.

    In this photo from 2020, a construction crew works on a 290-unit transit-oriented, mixed-use affordable housing community with 7,200 square feet of nonresidential leasing space, seen to the right, in Fremont, Calif.Anda Chu / MCT

    States like Massachusetts, Colorado, and New York have done versions of the same thing. Transit-oriented housing is one of the most consequential planning movements in the country right now, and the Northeast is leading it.

    Philadelphia cannot afford to watch from the sidelines, and the stakes here run deeper than zoning. SEPTA is fighting for its financial life as state funding wavers, and every home built near a station adds riders and fare revenue at no cost to taxpayers. Every family that can live near mass transit and skip the cost of a second car keeps more of its paycheck. Building more homes doesn’t only help newcomers; it relieves pressure on the renters already here.

    This is, finally, a question of fairness. For generations, the neighborhoods cut off from fast, reliable transit have been the same ones cut off from opportunity. I know what that access made possible in my own life. Withholding it from whole sections of this city should anger us.

    Timid reform fails. The cities that get results match the scale of the policy to the scale of the city, writes the author.Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer

    So pass Bill 260517, and pass it now.

    But do not treat 13 stations as the finish line. Council should follow this bill this fall with station-designation legislation extending the zoning change to the Broad Street Line, Regional Rail, the trolleys, and our busiest bus corridors.

    On North Broad, six fast-food drive-throughs sit directly atop subway stops on the Broad Street Line — businesses built for drivers, on land that belongs to riders. That is exactly the land transit-oriented communities are meant to put back to work.

    Philadelphia spent a century building a public transit system. The least we owe the next generation is the right to live next to it.

    Jay Arzu holds a doctorate in city and regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a housing organizer with 5th Square Advocacy and the founder of the Roosevelt Boulevard Subway Movement.

  • After 18 months and traffic snarls, Market Street improvements in Old City are complete

    After 18 months and traffic snarls, Market Street improvements in Old City are complete

    Brothers Allen Joseph and Anser Bhatti own Liberty Scoops ice cream and Coffee Tea & Co., both in Old City.

    They concede that the past 18 months of construction for improvements to Market Street were often tough on business, especially the coffee shop, because of fencing that had to be erected.

    Now, with the $16 million renovation of Market Street complete, and the fencing gone, Joseph said it was worth it.

    “It looks much better now,” Joseph said.

    Philadelphia officials unveiled the new look Tuesday in time for the nation’s 250th anniversary. The transformation permanently narrowed vehicular traffic, added bike lanes, and built a new public plaza.

    “As you can see, walking around the neighborhood is greatly improved,” said Job Itzkowitz, executive director of the Old City District, a business improvement organization.

    Itzkowitz noted more open space for pedestrians, shorter distances to cross the street, and new street trees and planters, among other improvements.

    “Residents, visitors, and business owners alike have already felt the impact as the fences started to come down over the last few months,” he said.

    Officials launched the overhaul in December 2024 to rebuild the corridor from Second to Sixth Streets and transform the historic stretch into a more inviting place to walk, bike, and dine.

    The work was to timed for the Semiquincentennial, which marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Several other nearby landmarks have also been spruced up, such as Elfreth’s Alley, which recently unveiled a new pocket park, and the long-shuttered First Bank of the United States, set to reopen to the public on July 1 after a $27 million renovation.

    Philadelphia city officials celebrated the completion of a $16 million renovation of Market Street, from Sixth to Second Streets. Improvements include wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, Belgian block streetscape, and new plantings.Frank Kummer

    What’s new?

    As part of Market Street’s “road diet,” vehicles have been reduced to one lane in each direction, clearing way for protected bike lanes and adding dedicated left turn lanes at key intersections.

    Among other improvements:

    • A new curbless plaza at Second and Market Streets at the base of the ramp to Penn’s Landing, allowing easier access for pedestrians.
    • Concrete bump outs at bus stops were lengthened to make boarding easier. The raised bike lanes were installed between parking lanes and sidewalks.
    • Wider sidewalks.
    • Belgian block streetscaping.
    • 44 new street trees and 68 shrubs.
    • 55 bike racks.
    • SEPTA also improved the look of the headhouses for the Market-Frankford Line subway at Second Street.

    Officials say the transformation will reduce traffic-related injuries and deaths and better serve tourists, walkers, cyclists, transit users, and motorists.

    ‘New plaza rocks’

    The project was initiated a decade ago by Itzkowitz and the Old City District. It was managed by the city’s Department of Streets and Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems. The work was done by Deptford-based C. Abbonizio Contractors.

    Also taking a lead was the nonprofit Independence Historical Trust, as part of a larger plan to create better ways for tourists to navigate on foot through Independence National Historical Park, Old City, and other historic or local neighborhoods.

    “The new plaza rocks,” said Mayor Cherelle L. Parker.

    Parker said the just-completed project fits in with broader efforts to extend improvements on Market Street from City Hall to the Delaware River.

    Bill Marrazzo, chair of the nonprofit Independence Historical Trust, called completion of the Market Street project key, given its location in Old City and near Independence National Historical Park.

    “No other American city has as many cultural assets per capita as we do here in the city of Philadelphia,” Marrazzo said, “and a very high percentage of those are organized here within this one square mile of history.”

    “These improvements are truly transformational,” noted Mike Carroll, the city’s deputy managing director for transportation and infrastructure.