DEAR ABBY: I am 67, and my husband is 68. For the past six years, we have been caring for aging parents. My father-in-law, who had Alzheimer’s, passed away a few years ago. We went through a lot with him as his illness progressed. My mother-in-law is 87 and does not want to go into a nursing home. She still lives by herself, but my sister-in-law and I take turns cooking and bringing her food, and my husband works his tail off cutting the grass and doing maintenance and repairs she can no longer do. Although we are retired, our lives revolve around her needs.
I recently had a conversation with my daughter, my only child. She has three sets of parents — us, my ex and his wife and her husband’s parents. She said she loves us, but she doesn’t want to take care of any of us. When she retires, she wants to enjoy her retirement, travel and not have to worry about caring for anybody.
Having gone through it myself, I understand her feelings. Nobody WANTS to do this. At the same time, I’m a little hurt. All that we have — money, cars, house — is set up to go to her after we pass. Now it looks like we may need it to pay for assisted living. Abby, is it normal for kids these days to refuse to help aging parents?
— REVISING PLANS IN MISSOURI
DEAR REVISING: I don’t know whether it has become “normal,” but it is not unusual. Woe to any parent who assumes their children will take care of them, because it doesn’t always turn out that way. Be glad your daughter is speaking up now, so you can plan accordingly.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I lost my beloved mother-in-law five years ago. Since then, my father-in-law has become engaged to a woman who, frankly, is not liked by anyone in our family. She’s unkind and dismissive, and her presence creates tension at family gatherings.
They have now announced their wedding date, which happens to fall on my birthday. This has hit me hard. My parents have both passed away, and my birthday has always been a cherished day, filled with memories and meaning. It was one of the few days I felt truly celebrated. Now, I worry that every future birthday will be overshadowed by their anniversary and the complicated emotions tied to it.
Would it be selfish or inappropriate to ask them to consider a different date? I don’t want to cause drama, but I also feel deeply hurt. How do I navigate this without making things worse?
— TORN BETWEEN GRACE AND GRIEF
DEAR TORN: I am sorry for your disappointment, but the date of your birth does not belong solely to you. It’s clear that you disapprove of your father-in-law’s choice of a second wife, and I sincerely hope you will be able to adjust. I do not think it will go over well if you approach the happy couple and ask them to change the date of their nuptials to accommodate you.
A man has been arrested in the theft of more than $175,000 worth of metal and mechanical components from the iconic Jersey Shore theme park Morey’s Piers.
Wildwood police said they arrested William Morelli, 67, of Wildwood Crest. Police first became aware of the heist, which occurred over several days, on Feb. 4. The reporting party provided police with a suspect and vehicle description after reviewing surveillance video.
Upon investigation, police said they identified Morelli, as the suspect who removed a large amount of metal from Morey’s temporary work site on the beach.
Morelli allegedly removed metal from the beach before selling it to an unidentified scrapyard business, according to Wildwood police. Morelli was charged with theft of movable property and later released from custody.
The theft comes at a time when the iconic Morey’s Ferris wheel is undergoing much-needed renovations at the South Philadelphia Navy Yard.
Geoff Rogers, chief operating officer at Morey’s Piers, said although work crews remain optimistic, the stolen materials bring an “unexpected and disappointing setback” to the project.
“We are heartbroken by this incident,” Rogers said. “The Giant Wheel holds deep sentimental value for not only the company and our team members, but the generations of families who have made memories on it.”
Despite the theft, Rogers said that the planned Ferris wheel renovation should be complete by the start of the 2026 summer season, as originally planned.
The Giant Wheel, a 156-foot LED-lit Ferris wheel and one of the tallest at the Jersey Shore, is disassembled, repaired, and repainted regularly, but this year’s renovation required transportation to the Navy Yard to work on its 16,000-pound centerpiece.
Designed by Dutch ride manufacturer Vekoma Rides and installed in 1985, the Giant Wheel has been a recognizable symbol of the Wildwood skyline for decades. In 2012, they upgraded it with an LED light system.
After last year’s closures of Gillian’s Wonderland in Ocean City and Wildwood’s Splash Zone Water Park, Morey’s Piers are the last beachside water parks and one of the Jersey Shore’s remaining large-scale Ferris wheels.
When Aaron Deary, partner and general manager of R&D cocktail bar in Fishtown, began formulating his “liquid love letter” to Philly in honor of our nation’s 250th anniversary this year, he set out to challenge his bartenders in a new and novel way.
Seems appropriate, given that Philadelphia finds new and novel ways to challenge each of us every day.
Typically the mixologists at R&D receive cocktail projects that are flavor-focused, but for the bar’s latest themed menu, “Ripoff & Duplicate,” Deary asked them to create 13 drinks based on the stories, legends, and places that make Philadelphia Philly — from the murder of a meddling Canadian robot to the city’s long history of choking in big moments.
Bartender Eddie Manno makes cocktails at R&D.
The concoctions are presented in a 10-page glossy magazine-like menu designed by Deary that features cheeky Philly tidbits, tips, and neighborhood recommendations.
“We obviously had to put some funny things in there, too, because that’s our city and we wanted to show off some of the more ridiculous sides of Philadelphia that we all love,” Deary said.
While the new menu is the first of its kind for the bar, Deary said they plan to do other iterations throughout the year featuring different Philly neighborhoods and events. So while a dumpster pool drink didn’t make the cut this time, there’s still hope yet.
The Casting Bait (a tropical sour with Vietnamese gin, mangosteen, ginger, guava, and lime) at R&D.
“There were a few of them that came up and ones that I was a wee bit too scared to jump into, but you never know, you might see them in summertime,” Deary said.
Can Philadelphia’s stories be conveyed in a cocktail glass, and, if so, do they taste good? Inquirer food writer Kiki Aranita joined me at R&D last week to find out. We chatted about our experience the next morning. — Stephanie Farr
Kiki Aranita, food and dining reporter
Looking at some of the cocktail descriptions, I won’t lie — I was initially skeptical. There was nutmeg paired with watermelon, cream cheese paired with white chocolate. It takes a sort of mad genius (or 10 of them) to come up with those flavor combinations and have them be good.
I believe the technical term is “wackadoodle.”
Stephanie Farr, Philly culture columnist
Agreed. What I loved was how the drinks were created. Aaron told us they came up with the Philly reference for the drinks first and then created different challenges for the bartenders to invent them. For the HitchBOT, the rule was to create a drink made with ingredients from each of the countries HitchBOT went to before being murdered in Philly. So there’s a gin from Holland, a German herbal liqueur, a Philly orange liqueur, and Canadian maple syrup.
Longing for Awnings and the Art of the Choke.
For the Art of the Choke, an ode to all the times Philly’s choked in major moments over the years, the rule was to create a drink using ingredients that spelled out J-A-W-N, so there’s Jamaican rum, artichoke amaro, watermelon, and nutmeg.
The best analogy I can think of is it was like these bartenders were given amazing writing prompts and came up with great liquid stories.
Kiki Aranita
HitchBOT was made blue by blue Curacao. It was the most visually stunning of all the drinks, which showed shocking restraint in terms of garnishes and presentation.
It’s one of the less sweet sours I’ve had and it had Jagermeister in it, which gave it a surprising, herbaceous balance.
The Hitchbot (a blue sour with Dutch gin, Jagermeister, maple, and lemon).
Stephanie Farr
I think the Crum Bum was really interesting. It’s listed on a menu page that tells about Philly’s history with pretzels and baseball, but it’s a pretty clear nod to the infamous incident where KYW reporter Stan Bohrman approached a then-retired Frank Rizzo to ask why city police were acting as his private security detail. In turn, Rizzo called him a “Crum Bum.” I love getting to introduce that legendary Philly moment to people who haven’t seen it yet. And as I said, as a reporter, it’s good to be hated by the right people, and Rizzo is definitely someone you want to be hated by.
Also that drink came with a sidecar of pretzels, and it smelled like pretzels and Philly and love. It was a little strong for me though.
Kiki Aranita
We had to ask for seconds of pretzels at this point.
Stephanie Farr
I mean, that is a Philly drink. I want all my cocktails to come with a sidecar of pretzels from now on.
The Crum Bum, a tequila old fashioned with genever, burnt honey, pretzel and mustard spices.
Kiki Aranita
I have to say — a lot of the drinks sounded weird but didn’t taste weird. They were straightforward, balanced, and really lovely.
Stephanie Farr
As you noted, there was a lack of garnishes overall, aside from a few twists. Do you think that was the right call? I don’t know why I was expecting them to come with a Tastykake on the rim or something. That being said, I did not miss the garnishes once I dove into the drinks.
Kiki Aranita
I’m not a native Philadelphian … and I’ve never had a Tastykake. I’m glad my first one didn’t have to be shoved into a cocktail last night.
No component was ever too much. Longing for Awnings, an ode to South Philly, had lingering spice (but not too much!) from serrano pepper and beautiful body from tomatillo (but also not too much! It didn’t taste like salsa).
I also loved the Kompleta martini, which I found really smart and a great way of using Polish bison-grass vodka (not the easiest to find and rarely seen except in Polish restaurants) with Italian Nonino bitters. It tells the story of major immigrant groups coming to Philly in a really thoughtful way.
The Kompleta Martini with bison grass vodka, Italian bitters, and Islay gin.
We also found that embedded in all the Philly history, there were personal stories, the fingerprints of previous bartenders and bar managers who left their mark on R&D. For instance, Resa Mueller, who used to run the bar there — her citywide is a pet-nat and room-temperature gin. You can go and order that off this Very Philly Menu.
Stephanie Farr
And how about that menu? It’s beautiful and cheeky — part neighborhood guide, part Philly history, part urban legend and also still a menu.
In a small guide to Bella Vista in the menu, for instance, it says to go to Angelo’s but “don’t pee on the street” and it also reads “Magic Gardens, mushrooms,” without any context. I’m pretty sure they don’t sell mushrooms at the Magic Gardens, so I can only assume what they’re talking about here.
Kiki Aranita
They self-deprecatingly describe these cocktails as gimmicky, but they’re really not. They lead with flavor and balance first, and gimmick second.
Reading through the menu (it’s basically a graphic novel) and tasting through the cocktails that were odes to different neighborhoods (though unfortunately not mine), made me feel a lot of Philly pride. You really see how vast our bank of flavors, spices, produce, and dishes is.
And in the hands of nerds, it was so much fun to see what they came up with.
I do have to recommend for our readers, though, that they should not attempt to try all the cocktails solo. Bring a group. There are so many cocktails.
Stephanie Farr
I think the menu also illustrates how vast our stories are but also how we have a shared sense of culture as Philadelphians — moments we all remember and some we can never forget, like when Philadelphians caught babies thrown from the window of an apartment building fire, “unlike Agholor.”
DEAR ABBY: I am 57 and have never been married. I have had many relationships (some good, some bad). Although in the past I experienced heartbreaks, I am now open to meeting someone new.
I recently ended a relationship with “Bill,” a man I met at a resort casino three years ago. I was happy in the beginning, until things started to take a turn.
Because we go to the same places all the time, it was hard to break it off. I tried, but Bill would run back to me, and I always took him back, mostly because I felt guilty for hurting him. I finally ended things for good four months ago, after he did something very rude. A neighbor later told me that Bill was stalking me. Bill denies this, even though I have proof.
Abby, I am writing because, for some reason, I’m still drawn to him. He’s the only man in my life who ever told me he loves me. I’m afraid no one will ever love me the way he does. I know the stalking is a sign that he is mentally unwell, yet we keep bumping into each other, which has caused this pull to want to be with him.
I can’t afford therapy right now, so any advice you can give me to move beyond this “pull” I have for him would be appreciated.
— HEART RULING THE HEAD
DEAR HEART: Honey, if you no longer frequent the places you used to frequent together and keep running into him anyway, has it occurred to you that it’s happening BECAUSE HE’S STILL STALKING YOU? If you’re still going to the same places, it’s time to change your routine. This troubled individual may be the only person who has said “I love you,” but he won’t be the last if you open yourself to other relationships.
You say you can’t afford therapy, but please be aware that free or low-cost counseling is available from your county’s department of mental health services or a local college or university with a psychology department.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I’ve been talking to a famous pro wrestler who is having marriage problems. He has been hitting on me through Google Chat. I just want to be a supportive friend whom he can vent to. He says his wife “is getting too old for him,” if you know what I mean. They have a joint bank account, but he says it’s frozen. He has asked me for an Apple card. I told him no and to ask his extended family instead.
Abby, I need my money to help out my brothers and sister. I’d prefer he be like a friend or big brother to me. I need major advice, please, because it feels like my life is going out of control.
— UNCERTAIN IN IDAHO
DEAR UNCERTAIN: People must exercise caution when communicating with strangers online. “Famous pro wrestlers” usually have enough money that they aren’t reduced to hitting up women they meet on the internet for Apple cards. Your life will not “go out of control” unless you allow it to. Regain control by ghosting and blocking this person. He’s a scammer, and he, not you, should figure out his own financial problems.
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I (both male) have been together for 28 years. The last few years have been less than romantic, but we remain close and in love (or so I thought).
A few days ago, he called me from work (I’m retired) crying so hard I could hardly understand him. I rushed to his office, and he told me he had just learned from his doctor that he has AIDS. He then confessed that he’d had an affair with a contractor at his place of employment. He said it happened years ago when we were going through a rough patch, and swore it was the only time he had strayed. I am awaiting the results of my HIV test, heartbroken and crushed. What now? I’m so hurt; I don’t know if I should stay or go.
— CRUSHED IN FLORIDA
DEAR CRUSHED: Your first order of business should be to ensure you and your husband are getting the best medical advice and treatment possible. A diagnosis of HIV-positive does not necessarily mean the disease will progress to full-blown AIDS because with the advances in medication, it can be held in check. Whether you should stay with your husband or leave is a question that should be tabled until you are less traumatized and thinking rationally.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: Two of my children are planning weddings two months apart next year. I’m originally from the Netherlands, where my entire family still lives. My kids both want to invite these relatives (which is great), except my parents are 86 and 87 and can make it to only one wedding. For my sisters, nieces and nephews, it’s too costly to come to both. They don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, and I have no idea how to advise them about which wedding to attend. My son said he will help them financially if they need it so they can come to both, but even so, I know it would not be possible for my parents to come to both. Any advice?
— CHALLENGED IN IDAHO
DEAR CHALLENGED: I do have one suggestion: STEP BACK! It should not be your responsibility to orchestrate who will attend which wedding. Invitations should be sent to everyone. After that, I’m sure conversations will ensue. If financial help is needed, your son is offering it. Should your parents’ degree of infirmity prevent them from attending both celebrations, the decision about which they will attend should be theirs. Even if they can’t be there in person for both, these days many weddings are livestreamed, and photos and videos can be shared on social media.
** ** **
TO MY ASIAN READERS WHO CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR: The Lunar New Year begins today. This is the Year of the Horse. According to Asian culture, individuals born in the year of the horse are dynamic, charming and adventurous. They thrive in settings that are bustling with activity and are often seen as natural leaders and motivators. A healthy, happy and prosperous New Year to you all. Tallyho!
DEAR ABBY: I work in a place where being friendly to customers is part of my job requirement, but I feel like many guys interpret this the wrong way. It seems I am a “jerk attractor,” and I don’t know how to make it stop. The worst of these jerks can’t take a hint that I’m not interested. One of them is a coworker who sexually harasses me all day. Please help me so I stop attracting these losers.
— FRIENDLY IN MASSACHUSETTS
DEAR FRIENDLY: While this is certainly not your fault in any way, many women in the hospitality industry wear a wedding ring to discourage the kind of unwelcome attention you have described. However, a coworker doing this is a different story. There are workplace rules to protect women and men, and they should be listed in your employee handbook.
Start documenting what this person has been doing and warn the other female employees. The next time it happens, inform him that the name for what he’s doing is harassment, it’s unwelcome and you will report it to your boss. If that doesn’t discourage him, follow through, because it could cost him his job.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I have a longtime friend with whom I had a wonderful relationship. Over the last couple of years, he has made some bad life decisions. He is now without a job, without a girlfriend and in an apartment that’s less than desirable. For a long time, I kept my opinions to myself. But, finally, I started offering advice with the hope he’d see that his decisions are causing him grief and hardship. I always do it with love, but he becomes very upset when I try to help him. Am I wrong for trying to guide a dear friend toward a better path?
— IN A DILEMMA IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR DILEMMA: Your friend may not be ready to listen to someone telling him he has chosen the wrong path. Because the guidance you have so generously offered has fallen on deaf ears, recognize you are wasting your time and turn off your fountain of wisdom.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are seniors. We got married in 2020. When we were dating, things were fun and good. Now, however, I’m in a no-talk, no-response nightmare. After the first two years, he changed. He never starts conversations and never says “thank you” for anything. He simply doesn’t talk. If I ask questions, he won’t respond or acknowledge me in any way. If someone calls, he talks and talks with them. Does he hate me? I speak my mind and voice my disappointment. Should I still try to fix it or get out?
— STUCK IN SILENCE
DEAR STUCK: You can’t fix something that may not be your fault. However, before calling it quits, you can offer your husband the opportunity to get your marriage back on track with the help of a licensed marriage and family therapist. Schedule an appointment with one, and if your husband refuses to go with you, go alone.
DEAR ABBY: I have been dating “Rita” for four months. We peck on the lips, hug and hold hands, but we have had only one real kiss so far. Rita was first married for 22 years to an emotionally abusive man and then remarried to a manipulative one. She said we were going too fast and she wanted to slow down. I understood and have exerted no pressure on her.
Rita has canceled dates for various reasons and gone silent for a day here and there. She says she’s not talking to anyone else, and neither am I. I have told her she is worth the wait. I have fallen hard for her and have serious intentions about her.
Rita says she has strong feelings for me and that I treat her better than any man she has ever been involved with, but she doesn’t know how to handle the feelings. How long should I give her to figure out what she wants this relationship to be?
I’m not worried about sex or anything like that, but four months without even calling us “dating” or “girlfriend and boyfriend” has me worried that I am, for a lack of a better description, wasting my time with her. What would you advise me to do?
— TAKING IT SLOW IN VIRGINIA
DEAR TAKING IT SLOW: Continue allowing your relationship with Rita to develop slowly. The woman has had two unsuccessful marriages, so it’s no wonder she’s slow to commit. If, after a year (eight months from now), Rita still feels uncomfortable calling you “boyfriend” or “companion,” revisit the conversation and decide then if you have invested enough time.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: After reading so many horrible letters sent to you from people about their mothers-in-law, I feel compelled to write to you about mine. I met her 43 years ago when I was dating her oldest son (now my husband). From the moment we met, she treated me with caring, acceptance and love. She and my father-in-law raised five amazing children, and they treated their children’s spouses as if we were their own. She devoted her entire life to caring for and nurturing her husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Unfortunately, we just lost this beautiful woman at the age of 89 to a long and difficult battle with Parkinson’s and dementia. We watched her “sparkle” slowly fade away, but we will carry her amazing legacy with us always. I hope I can be half the MIL to my children’s spouses that she was to me.
I also hope that all those who aren’t as lucky as I was can find some common ground with their mothers-in-law — especially if there are children involved. I LOVE YOU, MOM!
— FORTUNATE IN NEW YORK
DEAR FORTUNATE: Thank you for sharing this beautiful tribute to a woman who made such a positive difference in the lives of those she touched. Not only were you fortunate to be a member of such a warm and loving family, but she was also lucky to have a daughter-in-law like you.
In the note, he finally filled in the blank: “Ok apparently I need to address the Miami incident.”
For eight months, the “Miami incident” hovered over the franchise without much other information. It was a turning point, but no one outside the clubhouse knew why.
Now we know his side of the story: After being pulled late in a June game in Miami, he brought a can of Presidente into the dugout and confronted Rob Thomson about what he saw as inconsistent standards. Teammates took the beer before he drank it. He apologized. The next day, his starting streak ended. And after that, the relationship was never the same.
But still, this ending lands with nostalgia.
This was the guy who turned tragic news cycles into accidental baseball folklore. The timing of his biggest hits was just uncanny. The day I-95 collapsed, or the day a president was shot at, or the day another dropped out of a race.
Then there was Liam, andthe joy of getting to experience Red October with his son in the stands. Back-to-back postseason multihomer games with his kid watching. Whatever else you thought about Castellanos, those nights felt special.
He was never boring, and that counts for something.
Northeast Philadelphia’s Delilah Dee walks through Bad Bunny’s halftime show stage at Santa Clara’s Levi’s Stadium, on Feb. 8 2026
An Eagles fan from Fishtown spent weeks rehearsing in a 50-pound grass suit, keeping the secret, grinding through 12-hour days, then waddling past Pedro Pascal and Cardi B on global television. A Northeast Philly marketing pro manifested her way onto the field crew and helped execute one of the most high-pressure seven-minute turnovers in live entertainment.
The plant story is peak Philly optimism: “The Eagles didn’t go, so I went for them.” That’s delusional in the best way. That’s Broad Street confidence. The field-team story hits deeper. In a halftime show centered on Latino pride and visibility, a Mayfair native who’s built community through Latin culture here in Philly ends up helping pull off the mechanics of the moment.
Would it have been better if it were an Eagle-and-Benito Bowl? Obviously. But Philly showed up anyway. Grass suit. Stage crew. Go Birds.
It hits 40 degrees and Philly declares emotional spring: A-
People are planning vacations, talking about the Cherry Blossom Festival, and declaring the worst is behind us while carefully sidestepping three-foot snowbanks and skating past frozen crosswalks. Someone said, “It’s gorgeous out,” and meant it sincerely.
Diane and John Davison (back, right), who met here in 1969, laugh with other attendees at McGillin’s on Feb. 3, 2026. Attendees gathered for a book talk on “Cheers to McGillin’s: Philly’s Oldest Tavern.”
McGillin’s proves love doesn’t need an algorithm: A
The 166-year-old pub gathered dozens of couples this month who found love under its low ceilings and tinsel hearts. Some have been married 50-plus years while others are newlyweds who matched over wings and Yuenglings. The upstairs bar looked like a class reunion for romantics.
In a city that loves to argue about everything, this one’s hard to fight: Proximity still works. (Eye contact and beer don’t hurt, either).
There’s something deeply comforting about the idea that the most reliable matchmaker in Philly isn’t an app. It’s a place with oak tables, framed liquor licenses from the 1800s, and bartenders who’ve seen it all. At some point, the legend becomes self-fulfilling. If everyone believes McGillin’s is where love happens, eventually it does.
Pennsylvania watching eagle eggs hatch on a livestream: A
There is something deeply Pennsylvania about thousands of people spending their morning refreshing a live webcam of a bald eagle nest in an undisclosed Lancaster County tree.
More than 100 live viewers at mid-morning, with nearly 700,000 views last year. The chat section is full of viewers who are emotionally invested in avian domestic life.
There’s something quietly moving about it. Bald eagles were nearly wiped out here with just eight known active nests in 1990. Now there are more than 300.
Spring is coming. And until baseball starts, this is what we’ve got.
FILE – His son, and former heavyweight boxer Marvis Frazier (right), and Rev. Blane Newberry from Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church bless a 12-foot-tall 1,800-pound bronze statue of “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier after it was unveiled Saturday, September 12.2015 at XFinity Live in South Philadelphia.
The Art Commission voted unanimously to relocate Frazier’s 12-foot bronze statue from the sports complex to the base of the museum steps — the spot Rocky has occupied for two decades. Rocky, meanwhile, is headed back to the top.
On one level, the move feels overdue. Frazier wasn’t a metaphor. He was a real Philadelphian, an Olympic gold medalist, a heavyweight champion, the man who handed Muhammad Ali his first professional loss. Meanwhile, Rocky, beloved as he is, is a fictional character who may have beeninspired in part by Frazier’s life.
There’s something quietly powerful about visitors encountering Joe first, before heading up top to take a selfie with a myth.
Yes, there are valid conversations about symbolism, especially in Black History Month, about a real Black champion standing below a fictional white character. The city’s explanation is practical: Frazier’s statue is physically larger and not structurally suited for the top. Rocky’s footprint is smaller and easier to manage up there.
Logistics matter, but narrative does too, and this move reshapes the narrative. You climb the steps for the movie moment, but you pass the real champion on the way.
World Cup wants 4 a.m. last call. Philly isn’t sure it even wants 2: B-
On paper, this is easy. The World Cup is coming, and along with it comes half a million tourists and a global spotlight. Other host cities pour until 4 a.m. Philly shuts it down at 2.
The pitch is simple: if Brazil and Haiti kick off at 9 p.m., and knockout games can run long, why send thousands of fans back to their hotels when Miami and New York are just getting started?
The last time Pennsylvania tried this, during the 2016 DNC, the response was tepid, reported Philly Voice. Businesses had to deal with expensive permits and confusing rules, and the result wasn’t exactly a citywide bacchanal. And even now, bar owners quietly admit the late-night crowds aren’t what they used to be.
There’s also the Philly tension underneath this: We want to be global, but we also want to sleep. Would it be cool to say Philly partied like a World Cup city? Sure.
But it’s also true that if bars will be pouring until sunrise, at least half the neighborhoods would immediately be on 311, complaining about all the drunk and noisy tourists.
Nestled in the crook of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers, Easton’s manufacturing might was powered by its waterways during the Industrial Revolution in the early 20th century. Tanneries, flour and silk mills, distilleries, breweries — these were the big businesses in town.
Now, those old industrial shells and the former mansions of tycoons house cafés and galleries, boutique hotels, and French-inspired markets.
Easton sits just 90 minutes from Philly, making it an easy weekend getaway. Take the Turnpike north, hook a right at Allentown, and head toward the river.
In dining, shopping, and arts, Easton way overdelivers. Hotels are still catching up. Fortunately, the popular Gusto Hospitality Group (see Dine, below) opened the Townley House Hotel several years ago, and the 16-room boutique remains the best place to stay in town. An original mahogany staircase links the levels of this restored brick townhouse on Easton’s historic Millionaire’s Row. There’s a sun-dappled courtyard, Mercer-tiled fireplaces, maximalist wallpapers and custom headboards — a different one for each room.
📍 130 N. 3rd St., Easton, Pa. 18042
Stroll: Karl Stirner Arts Trail
Running nearly two miles along scenic Bushkill Creek to Lafayette College’s William Visual Arts Building, the Karl Stirner Arts Trail weaves through 27 works of public art. The trail is named for the German-born sculptor and metalsmith largely credited for making Easton an arts destination in the 1980s. You’ll find his untitled steel arch, painted an unmissable scarlet, about two-thirds of the way down the path.
In this world, there are people who love pie, and then there are monsters. Don’t be a monster. On Northampton Street, Easton’s main drag, Pie + Tart is charming spot with exposed brick walls and Shaker-style chairs from bakers Lisa Yelagin and Anne Gerr. Savory pies (coq au vin) and sweet ones (Mexican chocolate chess, cherry cheesecake) rotate weekly, alongside soups, quiches, and other cozy blackboard specials.
If you’re bringing kids — or you simply have strong feelings about Burnt Sienna and Tickle-Me-Pink — meet the Crayola Experience. The king of crayons was born — and still manufactured — right here in Easton. The four-floor experience mixes analog crafts and digital diversions, including an 85-foot water table and a photo booth that generates a coloring-book selfie. Great opportunity to see what you’d look like as a Mango Tango redhead.
Men’s shearling-lined shackets, watercolor paint-by-numbers journals, irreverent incense (“Chai-Scented Laziness,” “Burn Away the BS”), and more fill Belleville Market, a three-level department store inspired by the marketplaces the owners fell for in France. Keep an eye on their events page to see whether your Easton trip lines up with the shop’s happenings, like the upcoming Moka pot demonstration and tasting and floral-filled spring open house.
📍 20 S. 3rd St., Easton, Pa. 18042
Drink: Kabinett
We don’t need to tell you: The PLCB does not make sourcing great wine easy. Which makes Kabinett, a Bavarian-inspired refuge furnished with warm woods, wishbone chairs, and framed botanical prints all the more impressive. A grandly antlered stag skull presides over the bar. The Wine Spectator-recognized list ranges from whole-cluster Santa Barbara Sangiovese and South Australian Riesling from 175-year-old vines. It’s deep but playful, organized under headings like:“Reds ~ OK, Boomer. Safe Cabernet & oak space for full-throttle bottles.”
📍 125 Northampton St., Easton, Pa. 18042
Dine: Albanesi Restaurant & Bar
Italian restaurants run by Albanians form their own industry sub-genre. At Albanesi Restaurant & Bar, Gusto Group’s Mick Gjevukaj, who grew up in the war-torn former Yugoslavia, is putting his heritage center stage with dishes like harissa-spiced rib-eye qofte (kofte), veal goulash, and braised lamb shoulder lacquered in pomegranate. Climb into one of the camel-colored clamshell banquettes, order some samuna bread and hummus swirled with ajvar, a Balkan condiment of roasted peppers and tomatoes, and settle in for culinary geography lesson. Who knew you’d learn it in Easton?
I invited two Inquirer journalists to discuss the submitted question, which ended with some strong judgments.
Have a question of your own? Or an opinion? Email me.
Evan Weiss, Deputy Features Editor
This week’s question is a question and a story…
A friend and I were waiting for Regional Rail for Center City when the announcement came that the train was canceled. It being freezing weather, I asked other passengers what their transit apps were saying, and what their plans were. A man said he was planning to drive to Center City, and his car was parked in the lot. Before I could stop myself, I asked for a ride. His wife did not like the idea, giving a wide-eyed look, but the man agreed after hesitating.
The husband was very nice, as was the car, but the wife was irritated the whole way into the city — she never said hi or introduced herself and when we tried to include her in the conversation, she sat silent.
Was it weird for me to ask for a ride or was it weird for her to treat us like a nuisance?
Beatrice Forman, Food and Dining Reporter
I am having a lot of thoughts and most of them feel unkind so I’m going to let Stephanie take the lead on this one.
Stephanie Farr, Features Columnist
I think it’s highly unusual to ask for a ride from a stranger. From a young age we’re told not to get into cars with strangers or, once we get old enough, not to give strangers a ride. That being said, we all take Uber these days so the rules have changed a bit.
I think asking for a ride may have put the man in an awkward situation where he felt obligated to help you, but I think the bigger issue is you saw he had his wife with him and you did not ask her if it was OK too. You shouldn’t have just assumed the husband speaks for both of them. I would have been a bit offended too if I was her.
Beatrice Forman
Oh, you’re so much nicer than me.
Outside of the absolute stranger danger of it all (whose to say that man and his wife aren’t Bonnie and Clyde 2.0?), I think it’s absolutely bonkers to assume a stranger would give not just you, but a friend — double the imposition — a free ride when, as you pointed out, Ubers exist. The wife was probably stunned into silence by the gall of it all.
I’m all for the generosity of the human spirit and know that a village requires being a good villager, but a good villager knows when to read the room!
Stephanie Farr
Agreed, so our letter writer is the weirdo and the wife was totally in her right to treat them like a nuisance.
Beatrice Forman
Weirdo is such a strong word but yeah, total weirdo.
Stephanie Farr
They asked if it was weird!
A weirdo move, let’s say.
Beatrice Forman
My 2026 resolution was to be less of a hater and I do fear this question has set me back.
I do wonder what motivated the husband to say yes in this situation even though his wife seemed uncomfortable. Do either of you have any ideas?
Stephanie Farr
Some people have a hard time saying no, especially when they’re put on the spot in a moment of stress and see someone else in need.
Evan Weiss
In an ideal world, giving rides to people who need them sounds wonderful. It’s fair to say that safety is likely not something that presses on the husband’s mind as much as the wife’s. He may have just been trying to be kind without being empathetic.
Beatrice Forman
That’s fair! He seems like a nice guy and very generous. I guess he deserves, like, 10 “good person” points for the gesture. He does lose two though for not considering his wife in the moment.
Evan Weiss
More than 2!
Beatrice Forman
How many points are you docking, Evan?
Evan Weiss
I honestly can’t imagine not considering how my wife would feel in the moment. Or, worse, knowing how she felt and going through with it anyway (which is how it sounds like it went down). Minus 8?
It’s a good deed, but you’re not the only person doing it.
In this scenario, I actually think it’s the husband who’s most at fault.
Beatrice Forman
Ooooof you run a tight program, Evan.
Stephanie Farr
Nobody thought about the wife in this situation and that may be what ticks me off most of all.
Everybody is at fault but the wife.
Beatrice Forman
Mayhaps this man is the true weirdo, not our question asker.
I really do feel for the wife, and I don’t like that she comes off as rude and entitled in the scenario when in reality, everyone else was entitled. I also don’t think the couple owed the question asker more than the hospitality of the ride itself, if that makes sense? The wife didn’t say yes to this, so why is she required to make polite chit chat?
Stephanie Farr
Agreed — but I don’t think the couple owed the question asker anything, not even the hospitality itself.
One thing is for sure, this person and their friend better have offered the couple a few bucks at the very least for the ride.
Evan Weiss
The core of the question is an interesting one: When, if ever, is it OK to ask for a ride?
Stephanie Farr
When you know the person. Dead stop.
But even then there are rules.
Beatrice Forman
Only in an absolute and total emergency situation, like the apocalypse.
Stephanie Farr
Or right after an Eagles Super Bowl win in Center City, when if you don’t get out, you’re gonna stay in till the next morning.
Beatrice Forman
That constitutes an apocalypse-adjacent situation. We do sometimes light things on fire when we’re happy here.
Stephanie Farr
Very true. It’s part of our charm.
Evan Weiss
Any last words?
Beatrice Forman
Always, always think about your partner.
Stephanie Farr
And if someone has a partner, consider them a team when you ask something.
Also, don’t ask for rides from strangers. In Philly, if someone wants to give you a ride out of the kindness of their heart they’ll ask if you want one with an annoyed sigh.
