Philly Chit Chat

Last week I tweeted about waiting to break some news, but it involved an advertiser/client of mine.

Joan Shepp Closing Walnut Street Boutique

“We’re definitely not wanted here.”

The 71-year-old Shepp explains that the building recently sold and
that the new landlord wants her out. “They’re making apartments
upstairs, and they want a chain store downstairs,” she says. “They’re
not really concerned about who it is. They just want to get the highest
rent, and they’ll give the space to whoever is going to pay them the
most.” Shepp’s lease is up in September [2013], and she has started looking for a
new location, although comparable real estate options in Rittenhouse are
slim.

The “pop up place” is the old Cameo Swimsuit space (near Westin hotel entrance, it’s right in the Rotunda), This space used to house Philly Sports Cave store (BTW I named that store, it used to be called Philly Man Cave and I successfully convinced them to change it.), which can be found on the 2nd level now. Shepp tells me that the store on Walnut Street will close today through Thursday. Then open with a splash on Friday or Saturday.

 

Every year the law firm of Zarwin Baum DeVito Kaplan Schaer Toddy P.C. hosts a great networking cocktail party consisting of business and political leaders in Philadelphia.

 

  Up next for Zarwin Baum:

Upon graduation from The University
of Pennsylvania, Lipstein determined that the vast majority of his
college-aged peers were about to enter the workforce with little
knowledge of or interest in their professional appearance. As a
participant in the Wharton Venture Initiation Program, he decided to
open the business.

 

 

Mt. Airy’s fabulous food-centric evening Street Fare takes place on Thursday, September 19th! From 6:00-10:30, Sip delicious beverages, Savor amazing food from the City’s best gourmet food vendors and local restaurants, and Stroll along historic Germantown Avenue (between Sedgwick Street and Mt. Airy Avenue).

45 food trucks, carts, and local restaurants will be offering tasty
bites and unique beverages. In addition, Mt. Airy USA will have an
outdoor simulcast of the Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs, in addition to having 2 stages of live entertainment,
an artisan craft fair, a fashion truck, and a family activity zone.

• Avenida – Tostadas, margaritas and sangria
• Earth Bread + Brewery – Craft-brewed beers
• Herb Scott Catering – Grilled meat and veggie skewers + grilled peaches
• Jyoti Indian Bistro – Kati rolls, chickpea curry and matar paneer
• Little Jimmie’s Bakery Café – Brownies, sweet potato cupcakes and cheddar biscuits
• Mini
  Trini Food Truck – Doubles – Flat fried bread filled with curried chick
  peas topped with pumpkin, cucumber and mango kuchela and calypso sauce

• Trolley Car Diner – Catfish sandwiches, hamburgers and water-ice
• The Wine Thief Bistro – Cocktails, wine and beer

A new family activity zone has been added at Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church, corner of Germantown Avenue and Mt.
Pleasant Ave, between 6:00pm and 8:00pm.  A baby care tent will be
managed by Pre-School Plus with comfy chairs for nursing, baby changing
tables, diaper bags, hand sanitizer, spray bottles with disinfecting
spray and lots of paper towels. Mt. Airy-based
Kadillac Tattoo will offer specially designed (local-themed) temporary
tattoos.  Rhino Chiropractic will present food jewelry making
activities. Mt. Airy
Presbyterian will host free-form drawing and coloring. Blue Banyan Yoga
will offer kids’ yoga activities.  There will also be an open play and
hang out area on the grass where families can sit and relax in this safe
space.

On September 17th 1983, Vanessa Williams broke color barriers and made history becoming the first black Miss America.

Less than a year later, on July 23, 1984, Williams gave up her crown
after nude photos of her surfaced. Despite the scandal, Williams later launched a successful singing and acting career, including featured
roles  on the hit television sitcoms Ugly Betty, and dramas like Desperate Housewives, 666 Park Avenue, many TV movies like my fav “Bye Bye Birdie”; no doubt becoming the most successful Miss America to date.

 The 2nd most famous Miss America is 1955 winner Lee Meriwether who went on to play Catwomen, and appeared on one of my fav soaps, All My Children. She tweeted a photo of her, Vanessa Williams, and her daughter.

During yesterday’s press conference Davuluri talked about Vanessa Williams, and how they were both from New York, and ground breaking choices:  “Vanessa Williams was former Miss Syracuse and went on to win Miss New
York and Miss America” and that was the same exact path thirty years apart, she said. “Really the stars aligned for both
of us.”

Chairman and CEO, Sam Haskell, III  (above with the New Miss America right after she was crowned, and after the TV cameras stopped filming) said at the press conference Monday morning, that he had just gotten off the phone with actress Vanessa Williams, and the following night, Tuesday, they would be attending the Broadway Play, “The Trip to Bountiful” play starring
Vanessa Williams. Vanessa was excited to meet Nina, and would give the new Miss America advice on what to expect in the upcoming year.

Updated: Vanessa Williams reached out to the organization after the backlash on Twitter over the choice of Nina not looking American enough.
She knew the selection of Nina Davuluri,
the first winner of Indian heritage, would face some of the hostility
that she, [Williams] faced after she was won; there was hate mail and racist comments

This will be the first time in my memory, and I’m a big Miss America fan, as well as a Vanessa Williams fan, that Vanessa has welcomed Miss America back into her life. I’ve met Vanessa Williams a few times, and she is just one of the nicest celebrities. But you knew just to never bring up the mention of the Miss America pageant to her.

I hope there’s a lot of press, welcome back home Miss America.
As the world’s largest provider of
scholarship assistance for young women and one of the nation’s leading
achievement programs, the Miss America Organization made available last
year more than $45 million in scholarship assistance.
Thanks to #DoAC, the Atlantic City Alliance, Cashman & Assocs, and the Miss America Pageant for hosting me this past weekend. I’ll have a more insiders write up coming soon.

Since 2010, beginning with Philadelphia Eagles player Winston Justice
and his “Justice For All Roll” that benefited Variety, The Children’s
Charity, Chef Zama has been reaching out to celebrities and athletes to
create collaborative dishes for the benefit of a chosen charity. Zama
has partnered with some of Philadelphia’s most revered chefs to create
signature dishes that blend the guest Chef’s cuisine with Zama’s refined
Japanese cuisine.

Partnerships to date include: Jose Garces, Garces
Chirashi for the Garces Family Foundation; Marc Vetri, the Vetri Roll
for the VetriFoundation for Children; Michael Solomonov, The Zahav Roll
for the Police Athletic League; Pierre Calmels, The Bibou Roll for the
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia; as well as past collaborations with
?uestlove, Bernie Parent, Ryan Madson and Tony Luke. Zama has donated
more than $10,000.00 to charities since the inception of the program.

 Last week Global Philadelphia Association Held a press event at Zama to Celebrate Coming of GlobalPhilly™ 2013 and introduce the new charity roll named in honor of Top Chef winner, celebrity chef Kevin Sbraga.
The event was presided over by Global Philadelphia Association Board Chair & President, John F. Smith III, (r) as well as GlobalPhilly™ 2013 Coordinator Asmaa Lahlou and GPA Executive Director Zabeth
Teelucksingh. Renowned international chefs Kevin Sbraga (2nd from r) and Zama Tanaka (2nd from left) were in attendance, as well, to describe their GlobalPhilly™ 2013 involvement. Also pictured here, Bryon Phillips, gm of Zama.

Off Broad Street Consortium hosted an “Appy Hour” to celebrate the launch of The Off Broad Street Mobile App
This
joint venture offers theater enthusiasts exclusive offers, social media
feeds and up-to-the-minute show information from all seven Off Broad Street theater companies: 

• 11th Hour
• Azuka
• BRAT Productions
• EgoPo
• Flashpoint
• Inis Nua
• Mauckingbird

From just the touch of a screen, users can
expect full season listings, an interactive map and custom social media
feeds. Favorite the companies you love to follow or discover the one
you have yet to experience. Add insight and share your thoughts about a
production directly from the app to Facebook or Twitter. This free app
offers user unprecedented access and exclusive promotions to
Philadelphia’s freshest independent theatre companies. Android and
iPhone users can download the app by searching “Off Broad Street” in the Apple Store or Android Market.

• Mix and mingle with Off Broad Street theatre companies
• Lite bites, wine and beer provided by the Corner Foodery
• Enter contest to win a pair of tickets to each OBS theatre company
• Door prizes include theatre tickets, limited edition tee-shirts, more