Stories & Series

I set out on February 7th for my 6th annual (and 7th total) pilgrimage around the city’s edge. One week later, after ~110 miles through snow and ice, detours and discoveries, setbacks and surprises, challenges and connections, I found my way back to the beginning, yet again amazed by the wonder of this city, and…

Chestnut Hill zigzag, Cheltenham Ave, Tacony Creek to Fox Chase… Rising early to meet Day Two lets us catch some beautiful early morning light. (I’m not always out and about this early, but it’s always a treat to catch the sunrise, and the walk is a good motivator…) We’re intercepted by Kathy & Chloe who’re…

The 8th Walk Around Philadelphia is halfway complete! This fall’s 10×10 edition of the perimeter walk is divided into ten segments that are roughly ~10 miles each. With five of them done, there’s still five more opportunities to register via FringeArts join a group walk in this exploration of the city’s margins. Sept 25/26/27 take…

The first weekend of this fall’s 10 x 10 edition of Walk Around Philadelphia is was pretty fantastic. Each route offered surprises, challenges, contrasts and unexpected delights (as expected!) There’s seven more segments open for you to join (Sept 18/19, 25/26/27 and Oct 2/3) alongside an option to organize your own group, so head on…

Segment 6:Torresdale towards Bridesburg We started off this weekend’s iteration of Walk Around Philadelphia having already walked halfway ’round the city, from 61st & Baltimore up Cobbs Creek, along City Ave, up the Schuylkill and around Chestnut Hill all the way to Fox Chase (recap of first 3 days) and then all the way around…

Heinz Wildlife Refuge, Darby & Cobbs Creek, Mt Moriah Cemetery… The final day of the walk started with a bit of a mad scramble of physical and logistical challenges: The ice storm had continued overnight, and the whole world was coated in ice in the morning. Just walking out the door was a challenge. Getting…

The Navy Yard, Platt Bridge, Hog Island. We’d arrived back at Pier 68 before 7am in hopes of a sunrise over the river, but this morning was overcast. The forecast was calling for a potential ice storm hitting in the ~1pm range, and we were hoping it would hold off long enough for us to…

Pine Rd, the Northeast / Poquessing Creek / Knights Rd… This might be the longest and most ambitious segment of the six-day itinerary, at least for those of us coming from W. Philly / Center City. I was up by 4:15 in order to leave enough time to get ready and make it to the…

Segment 9:Around the airport (Hog Island Road) It’s the final weekend of this fall’s Walk Around Philadelphia and we’re headed into the home stretch, circumnavigating the airport today and then following the creek back up to 61st & Baltimore where I started a few weeks ago. (If you’ve missed the earlier blog posts, you might…

The beginning of an epic pilgrimage around the city’s perimeter. Here’s the story of our first day on the walk…