This summer's Philly lifehacks
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.
Save money, save time, do things you're not really supposed to.
Last summer, Technical.ly founder Christopher Wink wrote about "lifehacks" for living in Philly and other major cities. Here's an updated list of 15 things to make your life easier in the city this summer and beyond.
1. SEPTA Concourse Rain Hack: No one lives in Philly for the weather. It sucks, and despite the best efforts of Hurricane and Sheena, unexpected rain can ruin your walk to work. While it might smell a bit too much like asparagus, the SEPTA concourse offers legit shelter from any storm. And it’s huge: It runs to Broad and Race to the north, as far east as 11th and Market, as far south as Broad and Spruce (with a Locust Street spur running from 12th to 16th) and can get you as far west as 18th and JFK.
2. Free Museum Hack: The Philadelphia Art Museum is “pay what you wish” every First Sunday of the month and every Wednesday after 5p.m.; the Institute of Contemporary Art on Penn’s campus is always free. Speaking of Penn, the Arthur Ross Gallery is also free, and is located in Frank Furness’ architectural wonder, the Fischer Fine Arts Library. Finally, keep Sept. 27 open – that’s Smithsonian Magazine’s Museum Day, when museums across America open their doors, gratis; the Penn Museum of Archeology and Anthropology has already signed up for this year.
3. Crosstown Traffic Hack: Philadelphia drivers are notoriously antsy – we love to start moving before the light turns green. Save yourself some anxiety: the traffic signals on Spruce and Pine are timed for 20 miles per hour, so if you drive that speed, you shouldn’t hit any reds during your slogs through Center City.
4. “Free” SEPTA Hack: As a lover of public transportation and a law-abiding citizen, I hesitate to divulge this hack. But as a cheap bastard, I feel morally obligated to tell the world: the SEPTA regional rail conductors don’t check for tickets until the trains leave Center City. Get on at University City, 30th Street, Suburban, Market East and Temple, and enjoy a free ride for a stop or two.
5. Highway Traffic Hack: If you commute in or out of the city, you are probably already familiar with these traffic hacks to get around backed up traffic: on I-95N, take the I-76 exit to cut the line; on 95 near Aramingo, you can use Bridge Street; on 76-W – where jams can occur even at 3 a.m. on a Tuesday – take the City Ave ramp to skirt around the suckers.
6. Free Center City Parking Hack: On Wednesdays, parking in Center City is free after 5 p.m. (except for rush-hour zones; they’re free after 6:30). That’s free parking anywhere between the rivers, Bainbridge and Spring Garden. And it’s the same day as Sips! (Note: Don't be a drunk driving jerk.)
7. Weekend Bike Ride Hack: West River Drive is closed to traffic on weekends, allowing cyclists to take advantage of its wide pavement. Roller bladers, too, if you're super into the 90s.
8. Race Bibs Hack: Want to ensure you get a Broad Street bib? Volunteer to run in support of an approved charity. For the last Broad Street Run, these were the Fairmount Park Conservancy, American Cancer Society, Students Run Philly Style and Back on My Feet.
9. Volunteer Hack: Volunteers receive lots of free stuff and sweet perks. Volunteers at the Philadelphia Folk Festival get reduced price tickets and every year. Or if you want a puppy but your landlord is some sort of anti-canine fascist, you can help out at Monster Milers, where volunteers take shelter dogs for runs. Almost every charitable group has something to offer: go to Generocity.org to find one to your liking.
10. Free Tree Hack: Want a free tree for your yard, or in front of your row home? Check out Philadelphia Parks and Recreation’s TreePhilly.org or, for those of you on the other side of the Schuylkill, UC Green to request a free tree. Both services are extremely popular, so there’s a bit of a wait.
11. Electric Parking Spot Hack: If you buy an electric car, the city will put a reserved space on the street for you in front of your place to charge it. Major caveat 1: This ain’t free – expect to pay a few grand for the application, installation and annual fees. Major caveat 2: Any electric vehicle will be allowed to park there; thankfully/unfortunately electric cars are still rare.
12. More Free Date Nights Hack: The Curtis Institute of Music is arguably the best music conservatory in the nation. The students’ tests are actual recitals that you can watch for free.
13. Graffiti Hack: Everyone everywhere, including us, has already written about the Kurt Vile mural thing, so we’re going to breeze right past it. Did you wake up to find actual shitty graffiti tags on the side of your house? The Graffiti Abatement Team moves surprisingly fast. They’ll clean up that mess for you.
14. Firewood and Mulch Hack: Want some free firewood? Mulch? Compost? Just go to the Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center – all of it is free for Philly residents. It’s BYO chainsaw, though (seriously).
15. Finally, but most importantly, the Beer Delivery Hack: Lots of beer distributors in Philly deliver. Springfield Beverage has been my go-to for years. There’s a nominal fee, and don’t forget to tip the delivery guy.
