April was a bustling month for the PhillyVoice team. We scoured the region for the newest restaurants, the most efficient rides across town and asked you to pick the greatest living Eagle. We followed trash collectors with dangerous jobs and kids in the 'burbs doing dangerous drugs.
Don't miss these must-read stories from PhillyVoice.
11 great area restaurants opening this spring and summer
The spring and summer seasons are bringing warm weather and new and exciting food concepts. From popular chain brands working their way down the East Coast to a cult-favorite snack getting its own shop, local foodies will soon have a full plate of dining options.
In suburbs, families of heroin addicts live in fear – every day
Heroin is stealing children away. It’s the monster that snatches them in the night, shackling them in prison and burying them in cemeteries. Thousands of parents in suburbs across the country face that fear daily. Talk with parents whose children have succumbed to drug addiction, however, and their response is textbook: He was a good kid. He was the star of his soccer team. Everybody liked her. She always seemed so happy. It’s those same “good kids” who end up aimlessly wandering Kensington’s alleyways, strung out after a rendezvous with their dealer. Or with a litany of bench warrants for drug paraphernalia. Or six feet under. America’s “good kids” are hiding dark secrets.
Heroin is stealing children away. It’s the monster that snatches them in the night, shackling them in prison and burying them in cemeteries. Thousands of parents in suburbs across the country face that fear daily. Talk with parents whose children have succumbed to drug addiction, however, and their response is textbook: He was a good kid. He was the star of his soccer team. Everybody liked her. She always seemed so happy. It’s those same “good kids” who end up aimlessly wandering Kensington’s alleyways, strung out after a rendezvous with their dealer. Or with a litany of bench warrants for drug paraphernalia. Or six feet under. America’s “good kids” are hiding dark secrets.
So are the Eagles getting Marcus Mariota or nah?
Doula for the dying: Connecting birth and death
Women birth best when they feel safe, are supported and their bodies are allowed to open with organic wisdom. In the same way, the dying are best comforted with human touch, love, story and song.
We ride UberX, Lyft and taxis for a day, and keep score
Need a ride across town? Six months ago, your options were pretty limited. But then UberX came to town, and now Lyft is here too, and within a couple of months, there are now options for getting around Philadelphia. In an attempt to make sense of the new landscape, PhillyVoice dispatched a team of reporters to ride Uber, Lyft and taxis around the city and South Jersey to rate their experiences. Here’s who’s fastest, cheapest and most likely not to keep you waiting.
The dangerous job of picking up garbage
For Philadelphia's trash collectors, life on a truck is full of hazards and hustle. It’s one of the most dangerous – and deadly - municipal jobs in the United States. We go along for the ride and learn about some of the city’s most unappreciated workers.
10 Philadelphia female artists you need to know
There are many female artists in Philadelphia making big, bold statements through a range of mediums – from painting and sculpture to photography and installation. These locals are emerging as top talents at galleries and museums around the country. Remember their names.
Who is the greatest living Eagle?
With the passing of the legendary Chuck Bednarik in March, we sought the help of Eagles fans in determining who would carry the mantle as the Greatest Living Eagle.
How a Philly-area raver found his 'PLURmate'
They say love is only a heartbeat away. But in the case of Clifton Heights native Michael Correnti, it was more like an Instagram post and a 1,500-mile plane ride.
Adoptees to Pa.: Birth certificate access a 'human right'
Pennsylvania's adoptees aren't muddling through life without a birth certificate, but they are doing so without their original birth certificate. Under Pennsylvania law, an adoptee's original birth certificate is sealed away by the commonwealth the moment the ink settles on adoption paperwork. The problem: An original birth certificate can unlock the key to an adoptee's important medical history.
Route 23: A window on Philadelphia
SEPTA’s Route 23 is a 13.8-mile bus tour of Philadelphia between South Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill. It’s such a complete view of the many layers of city life that, for years, college professors assigned students to ride the route to learn about the city. Once the world’s longest trolley route, the line's future is in jeopardy as SEPTA considers severing it in two. We climb aboard, look out the window and talk to passengers to find out what we may soon be missing.
Philadelphia racing to open traffic center by pope's visit
We’re the only major U.S. city without a traffic operations center, but that is expected to change – quickly. With the pope coming here in September and expected to draw as many as 2 million people to Center City, Philadelphia is racing to the finish line on its own traffic center. It could be a bumpy ride, though – with just five months to go, there is still $2.2 million of equipment to buy and install and get operational.
Overbrook grad winds up in cuffs after crossover embarrasses two cops on playground
Samir Hill was just another kid from West Philly, home from college to visit his family over spring break. Because he's a basketball player -- he plays at Allegany College in Maryland -- he did what any other 21-year-old would do on a warm day: go to the nearest playground to shoot around. What Hill didn't know was that his trip to the courts on 56th and Lansdowne would wind up making him famous on the Internet and ultimately land him in handcuffs.
The story behind Samir Hill's viral 'crossover arrest' video
A day after a video of Samir Hill crossing over a couple of Philly cops and then getting arrested a few days later went viral, Matt Mullin caught up with the Overbook High grad, who said he had no hard feelings against the officers.
Should Nerlens Noel win Rookie of the Year?
Rich Hofmann examined the Rookie of the Year prospects of the Sixers’ Nerlens Noel, comparing his numbers with those of the other top contenders.