Icepack: A.D. Amorosi on the news, nightlife and bitchiness beats
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
The spur. Get to know it. You’re going to hear that term a lot now that the Reading Viaduct elevated park — Philly’s answer to Manhattan’s High Line — will be sitting pretty above the Eraserhood sooner than expected. Center City District, Friends of the Rail Park and the decade-old Reading Viaduct Project have long campaigned to turn the empty SEPTA railroad spur (starting just off Noble Street at North 11th) into a manicured green space that would attract enterprise (businesses, condos, restaurants) to an emerging neighborhood. Now, the state has pledged over $3 million to start movement on the spur (the gateway to the entire elevated space) with the city pledging nearly $2 million more. Philly has been so interested in dull, quickly erected condos, that I nearly forgot what a beautifully designed non-condo project felt like. Bravo.
Century 21. That’s another name you’ll hear, but it’s got nothing to do with the realty company. I’ve been griping about the Gallery Mall for some time, how it was never tony enough to get a Nordstrom’s or any other high-end retail anchor. Still, the rumors are flying. Next on the rumor docket for the PREIT-owned Gallery: Century 21, the N.J./N.Y. clothier/retail chain. While C21’s NYC shop is cool (near the World Trade Center and nearly destroyed during 9/11), the rest of the chain is more Macy’s than Neiman’s. Eh.
Then there’s the fate of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A year ago I wrote about how the show had just moved to the FXX Network as rumors flew that writer/actor Glenn Howerton was considering leaving (he gave an interview that hinted at such). Well, nix that. FXX, Howerton, Rob McElhenney and Charlie Day (the series’ writers/producers/stars) just signed a new deal that keeps Philly sunny for at least two more seasons — that would make the series 12 years old, the longest-running live-action comedy in cable history — as well as giving the trio green lights for their upcoming Tracy Morgan series, additional pilot opportunities and script deals. Guess Howerton ain’t leaving.
We’re hearing that George Atterbury, the fairly recently installed director of operations and service for Garces Group, left his post amicably (too much running between Volvér and Bookbinders?). Scott Steenrod will be Garces’ new VP of operations after leaving his food-and-beverage VP post with the beleaguered Celebrity Cruise line. Another longtime Garces alum, Yun Fuentes (who opened Rosa Blanca recently), will be the executive chef at the newly reopening Artful Dodger at Second and Pine — now called Society Hill Society — this weekend.
More ice? See citypaper.net/nakedcity.
