Down the Shore

I have to tell you, one thing about the way we Philly people talk is one not everyone understands.  There is something to be said about our vernacular.  When I first started dating Mike, one thing was for sure....I was different than his family.  I met his family for the first time at the beach, or as we Philly-ites like to say, down the shore.  So, when I say down the shore......well, that was a whole different phrase to them.

Down the shore meant to us a Friday night or Saturday morning ride over the Ben or Walt Whitman, straight down 42 to AC Expressway to GSP for a weekend (or week) of fun.  If you were MY dad, you would find the most convoluted back roads to take to get down the shore.  Some people prefer the Tacony, down 73 to Winslow and then hit up AC Expressway there.  Others prefer the Walt to 42 to 55 to 47 to 347.  Any way you slice it, it takes you down the shore.

Of course, the way you went would depend on what shore you were staying at  (ewww.....did I end a sentence with a preposition? I sure did!  I am a Philly-ite!).  I mean if we were doing a night at the casinos, it was stupid to take any way else than the AC Expressway and shoot straight down.  Same with Ocean City, of course you have to get off at 7S - haha I still remember!

My aunt had a place in Avalon; many summers and weekends were spent there.  We would take the AC Expressway to 7S for the GSP and get off the Swainton/Avalon exit.  My cousin and I would spend the days crabbing, beaching, or bike riding to Hoy's.  Then, we would go to Stone Harbor for some dinner at Henny's and some shopping.  Later, in my college years, we rented a house in Avalon.  It was like telephone booth stuffing; let's see how many drunk college grads could fit into a two bedroom bungalow!

Alot of time was spent traveling to Ocean City with my youth group or with my family.  Enter in.......Mack and Manco's Pizza.  It wouldn't be a complete trip without Mack and Manco's Pizza.  Completely different though from Mack's Pizza in Wildwood (same pizza though.....weird - family rivalry, perhaps?). 

Which brings me to Wildwood.  Wildwood was Jersey Shore before Jersey Shore became famous.  We would always stay at the Crest. You weren't respectable if you didn't stay at either the Crest or North Wildwood.  I like to say though, North Wildwood seems to be for the Northeast Philly-ites.  The Crest seems to be for the surburban-ites.  Doesn't matter to me though, I loved it all.  I would cry when we would leave, and see the big Ferris Wheel in the distance on the GSP.  I miss it even though at times, it is a trash heap.  I also miss Cape May; walking around and going shopping and eating at the Lobster House.

This was our family vacations.  This was our college summer getaways with friends.  I loved it all, and miss it terribly to this day.   It is all kitschy, really, but it is tradition!  Water balloon fights....the trolley to the boards......walking on the beach at night......swimming at 2am........ahhhh, those were the days.  

Some awesome places to visit down the shore:
La Piazza Cucina - Wildwood, NJ (my cousin's awesome Italian restaurant)
Mack's Pizza - on the boards in Wildwood (look for the little old lady owner, always sitting at the end of the counter)
Sam's Pizza - on the boards in Wildwood (it went through a fire, got rebuilt and is busier than ever)
Laura's Fudge - Wildwood, NJ (oh my, wonderful treats! and it is all PINK inside!)
Keenan's - North Wildwood, NJ (a fun place to let loose)
Flip Flopz - North Wildwood, NJ (another fun place to let loose)
Jack's Place - Avalon, NJ (yet another awesome place to let loose)
Maui's Dog House - North Wildwood, NJ (was seen on Triple D....awesome Hot Dogs!)
The Lobster House - Cape May, NJ (amazing soup!)
The Crab Trap - Somers Point, NJ  (amazing food and overall experience - right on the Egg Harbor Bay)
Mr. Bill's - Winslow, NJ (a nice stop off 73 for some eats and ice cream; it was our Midway point to the shore - look for the big Mr. Bill!)

So, I guess my next question is.......are you a Mack's person, or a Sam's person?

Willow Grove Park

I am waiting for pictures to upload to my computer, and found myself traveling back in time to the days of working at Gap Kids in Willow Grove Park.  Right smack dab on the second floor, I once stood selling flame retardant PJ's to snobby, uptight parents while some of my best friends were upstairs chasing chickens at Master Wok.  Wait, I am digressing.  It is an awesome mall; in fact, it is my mall of choice.  I love the ambiance, the stores, but most of all - I love the history.

Willow Grove Park was an amusement park located in, you guessed it, Willow Grove, PA, and my guess is it sits about 5-10 miles outside the Northwest Philadelphia city line.  The Park operated for eighty years from 1896 until the 1975 season.  After that, the ground on which the park was laid vacant until 1982 when the boom of the shopping malls hit.  The mall now pays homage to its amusement park days, complete with amusement park banners, horses from the merry go round, and in 2001, a merry go round was installed and now is located inside the mall. 

Willow Grove Park was originally conceived as a means to get away for the weekend for busy Philadelphians.  As you see, Philadelphia, quite obviously, was not as big geographically in 1896 as it is today.  To Philadelphians, getting away to Montgomery County was a vacation, a home away from home.  The park was also created to encourage people to use the new trolley line, created by the Peoples Traction Company, who in turned created the park.  What a promotion!  Obviously, at the the turn of the century and at the height of the Industrial Revolution, trolley cars and trains were seen as amazing new ideas to get people places quicker.  It all makes sense now!  

Willow Grove Park was the premiere amusement park in its heyday, and continued to be important until the bigger franchises of amusement parks came to be, and people could go other places now with the invention of cars, highways, and eventually airplanes.  DUH!  Okay, I feel like I am talking to my third graders, so I need to move on......

.......One of the biggest attractions in the park was the music pavilion, at which John Phillip Sousa and his band played every year but one between 1901 and 1926. The pavilion was demolished in March 1959.  Remember his hit song, "Be Kind to Your Webbed Footed Friends"?  Okay, again digressing.  

So if you are ever interested in hitting up some killer stores within a historic area, be sure to check out the Willow Grove Park (or Willow Grove Mall for the locals).  

http://willowgroveparkmall.com/

As seen on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives? Well, where is it, then?

When I come home, one of the places I love to go is The Dining Car, located in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philly.  It is literally right off the Academy Road exit of I-95.  Located on Torresdale Ave., The Dining Car offers great eats, good prices and an awesome atmosphere.  The front part, or the old part, I should say, takes you back to the 1940's, complete with art deco lighting, tiled floors, and small, train-type booths.  The addition is a dining room area, carpeted and bigger to serve the bustling breakfast crowd.  Some of their famous eats are their Cream of Chicken soup, Chicken Croquettes, and my personal fav - Creamed Chipped Beef, or as my family says, SOS.  It also serves as a bakery as well, and is just as famous for the bakery's Jewish Apple Cake as it is for its Croquettes.  This awesome diner was featured on Guy Fieri's "Triple D", Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives.  This diner is also one place where, yes, you can order your food and have a nice cocktail, too.  It is one of the original diners left in Philly that is not a chain, and is still family owned.    One caveat that you have to remember prior to going is that is a cash only establishment, so bring your cash.  they do have an ATM for people like me who forget cash EVERY single time.  Enjoy and Mangia! ..

Website info:
http://www.thediningcar.com/ 

Blue Cross River Rink at Penn's Landing

The reason I started this blog was because a friend of mine posted a picture if themselves at the River Rink, and it bought back so many memories.  I started to get nostalgic.  The above picture is Mike and I ice skating, with the Ben Franklin bridge in the background.  I just love that is 1.outdoors, 2.next to the Delaware River, and 3.filled with wonderful views of the city.  It wasn't too expensive either, and after wards, you can walk over to Old City to warm up with some beer and goodies at Truimph Brewery.  You can skate during the day or night, and there is always a good crowd and good music.  It never gets too rowdy at the River Rink, which I love.  I would definitely suggest it for someone looking for something different to do in Philly and relatively inexpensive! 

My First Post

Hey to everyone reading.  This is going to be a blog about my hometown, my first love, Philadelphia.  I grew up in Bucks County, PA, but my family, with the exception of myself, were all born and raised in Philly.  So, part of me feels like I am a true Philadelphian, not to mention countless nights spent on South Street, working in the city of brotherly love for the School District of Philadelphia, and all the other wonderful things like the Northeast, etc.  So this is my homage to the town I once called home, and someday will go back to live (hopefully).  This is a lover's guide to Philadelphia and its countryside.  Feel free to add your thoughts, opinions and criticisms, if need be.