The buyers: Rebecca, 43, surgical oncological nurse, and Ryan Taylor, 43, chief financial officer
The house: A 3,250-square-foot home in Chestnut Hill with five bedrooms and 4½ bathrooms built in 1898.
The price: $925,000. Originally listed for $1,100,000.
The agent: Jacob Markovitz, Elfant Wissahickon Realtors
Rebecca and Ryan Taylor’s home in Chestnut Hill became “an amazing deal” after they negotiated for repairs, the couple said.
The ask: Originally from Westchester, N.Y., and Wayne, respectively, Rebecca and Ryan Taylor have been in Chestnut Hill since they bought their first house there in 2017. They loved their other house — a 1920s twin off Germantown Avenue with beautiful architecture, and the place where they’d had their two children, Lily, 3, and Asher, 5. But they felt the need for more space.
“We wanted property for the kids to run around, at least four bedrooms, and two-plus bathrooms,” said Rebecca.
The search: The couple were on the lookout for a new house since they had their second child. But it had to be right, so they took their time exploring options. School districts were a big factor in their decision. “We hadn’t fully decided if we wanted to stay in the city or not,” said Rebecca.
They toured a few houses in Glenside, but that didn’t feel like the right fit. Eventually, they decided they wanted to do whatever they could to stay in Chestnut Hill and upped their search in the area with their agent.
The family of four wanted several bathrooms in their new home. This one has 4 and a half.
The appeal: After two years of searching, their agent found a five-bedroom, 4½-bathroom house, listed in an estate sale. They both fell in love with the historical details: heart carvings in the stairwell, stained glass all over the house, as well as the Dutch tiling in the dining room.
“There’s craftsmanship that you can’t find anymore,” Ryan said. “This house was built largely by hand 127 years ago.”
Plus, the location was right: Chestnut Hill, with its small-town feel, city access, and plentiful nature.
“The community with small children is huge,” she said. “There’s so many trees. You can hike in the Wissahickon, and Pastorius Park is right in town.”
Equally important was public transportation. Rebecca’s commute on the Chestnut Hill West Line to Center City would take only 40 minutes.
But the house was old and in need of repairs.
The deal: The Taylors were surprised to find the house’s septic system was eroded, and they had to use a private septic system, rather than city water management. An initial evaluator told them they might not be able to put in a new septic at all.
A nautical stained glass window in the front entryway of the Taylors’ home. The couple loved the historical details of the old home.
“That was scary. We backed out from the deal because we felt like, ‘Oh my God, this wouldn’t be a livable house.’ I mean, what would we do?” said Rebecca.
When they took steps to walk away from the sale, their agent suggested they ask the sellers to drop $100,000 so they could figure out the issue. They agreed, and the sellers accepted their negotiated offer on the house in a verbal contract. The Taylors then listed their own home, which sold within a week.
“We got an amazing deal on this,” said Ryan.
The money: They purchased the home for $925,000 after negotiation. It was originally listed for $1,100,000. The mortgage rate is 6.625%. They borrowed $740,000 (80%). The down payment was $185,000, paid with the proceeds from the sale of their previous home, which they sold for $675,000. The closing costs were $42,500, and their monthly payment is $5,750 with escrow, interest, and principal.
The move: They closed on Aug. 6, 2025, and moved in shortly after, going on a preplanned vacation to the beach the day after move-in. They immediately had the original quarter sawn floors refinished in white oak.
Outdoor space for the kids and natural light were selling points in the Chestnut Hill home.
“The floors had a dark stain,” Rebecca said. “As soon as we did the floors, the whole house lit up.”
They had a lot of work planned, including the new septic system, so they rented a house in Conshohocken for a month while the larger renovations were ongoing.
Life after close: The house needed significant renovations and repairs, which Ryan estimated at $200,000 so far.
Projects included asbestos removal in the basement, replacing the septic system, refinishing the floors, replacing the roof on the garage, renovating the kitchen, renovating the master bathroom, replacing the windows, landscaping with privacy hedges and tree removal, and converting a second-floor closet into a laundry room. The windows in the sunroom had been plastered over, so they exposed those. They wanted to make the bathroom feel luxurious with green tones and exposed the brick of the old stove in their kitchen.
After investing in their first round of repairs, they find the home to be peaceful and idyllic, with trees and greenery outside and a natural flow inside. “It’s been a wonderful transition, a wonderful home. The house is just easy to live in,” said Rebecca.
Details like Dutch tiles in the kitchen made the Chestnut Hill home appealing.
Did you recently buy a home in the Philadelphia area or South Jersey? Share the story of how you did it. Email Inquirer real estate reporters at properties@inquirer.com.
Yes, Memorial Day weekend is the official start of summer, but there’s a pleasant lull down the Shore between then and when kids get out of school. These are the final moments to enjoy the excellent weather and relative serenity of the microseason, and Seven Mile Island — home to the bougie siblings of Stone Harbor and Avalon — has rolled out the white-sand carpet.
These towns contain some of the most expensive real estate at the Jersey Shore, and in the height of the summer, staying anywhere nice is prohibitively expensive for anyone who is not on a Comcast C-suite salary or whose grandparents didn’t buy a house in 1975. This is another benefit of visiting before July 4. Rates are lower, reservations are easier, and the line at Springer’s is only slightly less insane.
Situated right in the center of Seven Mile, at the southern end of Avalon, beachfront ICONA has the location edge over the island’s other luxury hideout, the Reeds at Shelter Haven, which is convenient to Stone Harbor’s 96th Street shopping district. Both properties are expensive, but you can still find some lingering June rates under $400 a night. ICONA’s beach is beautiful and peaceful, with a breezy bar and lounge between the property and the shoreline, and Avalon Brew Pub is a popular canteen for locals and Shoobies alike.
The origins of Pete Smith’s Surf Shop lie in Virginia Beach, but the boutique has been part of the Jersey Shore for decades. The Stone Harbor location, spread across two storefronts, stocks men’s and women’s swimwear, woolly shackets for chilly nights, and enough Sun Bum for the entire summer. Pick up a branded T-shirt; Pete’s releases a new design every Christmas.
📍 285 96th St., Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247
Learn: The Wetlands Institute
Whether you’re visiting the Shore with kids or simply marine-curious, the Wetlands Institute, located just before crossing the bridge into Stone Harbor, makes a perfect stop. Learn about the local terrapin turtles, pet a sea star in the touch tank, or walk along the marsh trail and elevated boardwalk for views of an integral Jersey ecosystem that most of us rarely see up close.
📍 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd., Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247
Surf: Avalon Surf Camp
Don’t be dissuaded by the multitude of kids on Avalon Surf Camp’s website. Their instructors teach wannabe surfers of all ages and experience levels through group and private lessons on 12th Street beach at the north end of Avalon. The camp provides everything you need: boards, wetsuits, and a working knowledge of the ocean’s mercurial temperament before ever getting in the water. With a little luck and a little wind, you’ll be up on a board by noon.
Because surfing is a workout, and because you’re a good person who deserves nice things, book a treatment with 7 Mile Island Massage. This isn’t a spa but a mobile studio that comes to you. Owner and therapist Nik Pattantyus, who’s also a registered nurse and avid stand-up paddleboarder, will set up in your hotel suite, on the back porch of your rental house, or wherever else you happen to be staying. In addition to deep-tissue, reflexology, and other massage styles, he’s recently added manual lymphatic drainage to the menu.
The fire wood grill cooking various meats at La Portena in Stone Harbor, N.J., on Thursday, June 12, 2025.
Dine: La Porteña
Lucas Manteca has been cooking down the Shore for two decades, and La Porteña, a few blocks from his Quahog’s seafood tavern, is his most personal project yet. The menu and family-style format draw from the chef’s Argentine heritage. Every table receives a spread of snacks and salads to share, including Manteca’s famous empanadas, followed by each diner’s choice of entrée: New York strip, short ribs, Iberico pork secreto, and more. At the time of this writing, dessert is dulce de leche rice pudding with compressed rhubarb. Make reservations.
The line stretching from the white-sided front porch of Springer’s Homemade Ice Cream down Third Avenue is legendary. You might run into your college lacrosse coach, the kids you babysat who are now disconcertingly grown and lifeguarding on 88th Street, or the local girl you spent that one magical summer with in 10th grade. Springer’s has been scooping since the early 1900s, and the nostalgia it inspires is as much a part of the appeal as flavors like banana fudge, the slightly salty butterscotch brickle, and Cookies in My Coffee, crushed Oreos veined through dark coffee ice cream. Worth the wait, always.
An Ecuadorian influencer wrapped his country’s flag around the Rocky statue before Sunday’s World Cup match and immediately learned a lesson generations of visiting fans have learned before him.
After Ecuador lost 1-0, social media quickly concluded the curse had struck again. The poor guy spent the next 24 hours apologizing to an entire nation and explaining that he simply didn’t know the rules. (Another fan also put a custom jersey on the statue.)
But Philadelphians weren’t content with one curse. Almost immediately, attention shifted to Ecuador fans gathering at the Hard Rock Cafe, prompting comparisons to Commanders fans who famously “took over” the same restaurant before getting flattened by the Eagles in the NFC championship game.
The Rocky curse has decades of lore behind it. The Hard Rock curse appears to have been invented sometime this week.
Which is exactly how sports superstitions are supposed to work, right?
Hawker John Culin sells Surfside canned cocktails during a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park in 2024. Surfside canned cocktails led the Phillies’ stadium drink sales last year.
Surfside has become the official drink of saying, “Fine, I’ll get one”: A-
There was a time when a Philadelphia summer meant a soft pretzel, a hot dog, and a beer.
Now, it apparently means spending $16 on a Surfside at Citizens Bank Park, and somehow doing it again the next inning.
The team from Kalaya on stage at the 2026 James Beard Awards with chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon (from left): Al Lucas, Nick Kennedy, Greg Root, Jerome Skaggs, and Benjamin Duignan.
Philly’s James Beard haul: A
For years, Philadelphia food stories came with a chip on their shoulder. The city was seen as underrated and overlooked when compared to New York and D.C. But now, that argument gets harder to make every year.
Kalaya has spent years introducing diners to southern Thai cooking at a level that made national critics pay attention. Ito’s Royal Sushi & Izakaya is so sought-after that getting a reservation is almost impossible.
So these really aren’t underdog stories anymore, they’re expectations. Philadelphia sent seven finalists to Chicago for the awards and came home with two major wins.
A decade ago, that would’ve been a breakthrough, but now it feels like a normal year.
Fans reach for a ball that entered the stands during a FIFA World Cup Group E match between Ecuador and Ivory Coast on June 14, 2026, at Lincoln Financial Field. The match marked the first FIFA World Cup game played in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia’s World Cup debut: A
For months, the conversation centered on everything that might go wrong.
Traffic, transit, crowds, security, weather — if anyone would actually show up.
Instead, the first week of the World Cup has mostly served as a reminder that Philadelphia can throw a pretty good party. The city is filled with visiting fans, flags, jerseys, and the sort of international energy that rarely comes through town at this scale. SEPTA has had a few hiccups. The weather has done what Philadelphia weather does. But the city itself has looked good.
More important, Philadelphians seem to have embraced the whole thing.
There was always going to be some skepticism, but somewhere between the FIFA Fan Festival, the packed stadium, and thousands of visitors wandering around Center City, the World Cup stopped feeling like something Philadelphia was hosting and started feeling like something Philadelphia was enjoying.
And we’re only getting started.
PPA towing residents with permits: F
Like we just said, the World Cup has gone better than many people expected, which is why this one stands out.
Fairmount residents were told to register for special parking permits during the FIFA Fan Festival. They registered, but then some got ticketed anyway and a handful even got towed. The PPA says the tickets will be canceled and fees refunded, which is good.
But “we’ll fix it later” tends to land differently when you’re standing in an empty parking spot wondering where your car went.
The encouraging part is that the number of mistakes was relatively small compared with the thousands of tickets issued around the festival. But, if you’re one of the people who had to Uber to a tow lot in South Philly to retrieve your vehicle, that statistic probably isn’t very comforting.
Sixers new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey just jinxed Jesus Luzardo's no hit bid on the Phillies broadcast💀 pic.twitter.com/bMnsPFBg2K
Mike Gansey’s first Philadelphia sports lesson: Never say it out loud: D+
Every city has its rules, and Philadelphia’s are simple.
Don’t mess with Rocky. Don’t wear Cowboys gear. And under absolutely no circumstances should you mention a no-hitter while it’s happening.
The newly hired Sixers president learned that lesson the hard way this week when he casually noted on a TV broadcast that Jesús Luzardo’s no-hitter was still intact.
The good news is that Luzardo still pitched well, the Phillies still won, and Gansey appears genuinely remorseful. The bad news is that his first viral moment in Philadelphia involved accidentally becoming the physical embodiment of every fan yelling “shut up!” at their television.
Welcome to town, Mike!
The Highmark Mann Center, in Philadelphia, June 15, 2026.
The new Mann: A
For a city that never really got a big Semiquincentennial gift, the renovated Highmark Mann will do nicely.
The Mann opened in 1976, the last time America threw itself a big birthday party.
It’s fitting that one of the best things to come out of the 250th conversation is a 50-year-old Philadelphia institution getting ready for its next 50 years.
My husband has recently decided to get really into soccer. Of course he has decided he wants to get really into soccer right when the World Cup is here and tickets start around $1,000. Like most people, we can’t really afford that. If he’d been a lifelong fan, maybe I could justify it, but come on. Do I support his new passion or do I draw the line?
Rosa Cartagena, Arts & Entertainment Reporter
Well, arguably there’s no better time to pick up a passion for soccer in Philadelphia than right now because we’re one of the chosen few cities hosting the international spectacle renowned for celebrating the world’s most beloved sport.
I totally understand feeling wary of trying to get into the fray when it’s so prohibitively expensive, but I’ll admit that I’m definitely the person who would say yes to this — I think major live events are (typically!) worth it for the unparalleled experience you’ll have, especially if you can do it together.
Abigail Covington, Life & Culture Reporter
Unfortunately, for the reader’s finances, I totally agree with you, Rosa. I’m one of those idiots who paid an ungodly amount for “Eras” tour tickets, and I don’t regret it one bit. I can look back at that once in a lifetime event and say (I’m so sorry for this): it was rare, I was there, I remember it, ALL TOO WELL.
But enough about T. Swift. This is about your predicament. I suggest getting the cheapest tickets you possibly can. So much of the fun with these events comes from just being there. It doesn’t matter where your seats are. Especially if your husband is a new fan. Set a price limit. Do not allow him to purchase merch. Merch is for serious fans only.
Rosa Cartagena
Yeah I’m not gonna disclose how much I paid to see Bad Bunny during his San Juan residency but … I have never regretted it!
The other thing I’d note is that this World Cup opportunity could be what cements him as a lifelong soccer fan. Ultimately, I’d always encourage folks to support their partner’s passions instead of trying to come up with ways to restrict them. Of course, if you really can’t swing it, there are still fun ways to feel the energy of the World Cup outside of the stadium, from watch parties at local bars or the outdoor Fan Fest.
Abigail Covington
For what it’s worth, I would qualify being able to swing it as “I can put this on a credit card and eventually pay it off.” Or, “I can dip into our rainy day savings and make it work.”
If you have to take out a second mortgage to afford the tickets or, like, sell a kidney, don’t do that. Keep all your organs and go to the bar instead.
In general though, I’m also in favor of supporting your partner’s passions, especially if, like Rosa said, you guys can do it together. Call me a romantic, but I think you’ll enjoy seeing him in the stadium, geeking out over his newfound fandom.
Rosa Cartagena
Ha, yes I agree with you, Abigail — to be clear we are definitely advocating for a responsible way to afford those tickets!
The only other element I’m curious about is more context around the husband’s history: Has he picked up and dropped expensive hobbies or passions before? Is this a sore spot in the relationship due to some previous impulsive financial decisions? Because then I’d sympathize with wanting to avoid a pricey bandwagon move only for him to lose interest soon after.
Abigail Covington
Yeah, like if your husband suddenly got really into hockey ahead of the Olympics earlier this year and is now the proud owner of a pair of ice skates he never uses maybe proceed with caution. But otherwise, go forth and splurge!
DEAR ABBY: I’m a gay man who has been married to a wonderful man for seven years (together for 12). Throughout our relationship, my husband has struggled with religious trauma that affects his desire (and ability) to be intimate. We’ve seen counselors, talked through it and addressed the value we place on physical intimacy. Nothing has changed.
I love him, but I remain unsatisfied with my needs unmet. This, combined with other things — including limited acceptance from his family and from many of those who live in our geographic area — has led me to push aside many of the issues in our marriage as “no big deal.” Until now.
Two years ago, I started working on a degree with the hope of becoming more self-sufficient and pursuing a career to support my interests. Now that I’ve graduated and am establishing my career, I find my and my husband’s values and goals line up even less. I have also met another man who seems to be more aligned with what I’m looking for in my life, and who has expressed interest. While I don’t want to end my marriage over such a new relationship, the feelings it has brought to light have illustrated how far apart my husband and I have been — and for how long. I’m torn between remaining in a marriage that, despite its issues, has helped me find some happiness, and parting ways after more than a decade together to pursue what I feel is best for me.
Is this just the seven-year itch, or are these issues enough to part ways? I’m struggling and could use some insight.
— CROSSROADS IN IDAHO
DEAR CROSSROADS: It’s time for a long talk with your husband about all of the issues you have written about in your letter — the sexual incompatibility, the family problems, the fact that you are no longer happy living in the geographic area because of attitudes about homosexuality, and finally the fact that you have met someone.
The two of you have a lot going against you, but you should not end the marriage without first communicating that things have not been happy for a very long time and why.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: At work today, a colleague published a report and disseminated it to my entire organization. In the report, they specifically referenced and highlighted a typo I had made in a previous product. Their comments hurt my reputation and could have been cleared up with a simple phone call. Am I wrong to be upset?
— HURT IN MASSACHUSETTS
DEAR HURT: For your colleague to have done what they did was unhelpful and unprofessional. I agree that the matter should have been handled privately. I don’t blame you for being upset, and I don’t blame you for feeling embarrassed. That said, it was only one typo.
Although computer spell check is quite reliable, nothing is absolutely foolproof. The next time you create a document for publication, ask someone to proofread it before you hit “send.”
At 102, Cyrus Bloom does not pretend that old age is pleasant.
“It’s hard,” he said during a recent interview at his Center City apartment. He can barely walk, even with a walker, and he lives with the constant fear of falling. His short-term memory is shot, too. Walking into a room to get something, only to forget what he went there for, is an everyday occurrence. “It’s terrible,” he said matter-of-factly.
But his long-term memory? That’s a different story.
Bloom can still recall names, places, and details from more than 80 years ago, when he was one of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II. He can rattle off the details of his first assignment as a meteorologist with the Army Air Corps and the names of the bomber bases that dotted the coast of England where he was stationed. He remembers everything about “the very big war,” as he called it, even though he spent most of his life not talking about it.
Bloom, who was born in Newark, N.J., was a sophomore at Columbia University when he enlisted with the Army Air Corps and began training as a meteorologist. It was March 1943. He received his commission as a second lieutenant on June 6, 1944, the same day the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy.
The invasion, Bloom noted, had originally been scheduled for June 5. But bad weather over the English Channel prompted Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to postpone it for a day. Bloom had no role in that decision; he had only just completed his training. But the delay demonstrated how heavily the Allied war effort depended on accurate weather forecasts.
Cyrus Bloom, 102, is photographed at his home in Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Bloom worked as a meteorologist during World War II.
Bloom’s first assignment took him to Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas. There, he and the other meteorologists gathered reports on temperature, wind, and air pressure from weather stations across the country. They plotted the information on maps and drew isobars — lines connecting places with the same air pressure — by hand. Those lines revealed high- and low-pressure systems and helped meteorologists predict how the weather would move.
In September 1944, the Army sent Bloom overseas. Like so many young soldiers, he had never been abroad before. Today, he remembers every step of the journey. He left Washington on a military transport plane bound for Europe. The first stop was Goose Bay, Labrador, in northeastern Canada, where the plane refueled.
“It was just wilderness,” Bloom recalled, “very rugged country.”
From there, he flew across the Atlantic to Prestwick, Scotland, then continued south to London. The Army later sent him to the Cotswolds for additional training in British forecasting procedures. He remembers the region for its thatched-roof houses.
His final assignment took him to East Anglia, on England’s eastern coast. The countryside was crowded with airfields used by the U.S. Eighth Air Force, which carried out bombing missions over Germany. Bloom was stationed at Bovingdon, code-named Earl’s Court. His job was to brief bomber crews on the weather they could expect en route to Germany. His briefings were based on forecasts prepared at Eighth Air Force headquarters, which was called Pinetree.
“Everything had a code name,” Bloom said.
That world of code names, weather maps, and high-stakes forecasts is the subject of Pressure, a new film about the meteorologists who advised Eisenhower in the tense days before D-Day. In the film, a meteorologist stands at the center of a decision that could determine the fate of the war. But Bloom describes his own wartime work in much plainer terms. Asked whether it felt consequential, he said he did not think about it that way.
“I was simply doing what I was supposed to do,” he said.
After the war, Bloom returned to college and then attended Columbia Law School. His college roommate was also a veteran. So was almost everyone in his law school class. But none of them talked about the war. Bloom and his roommate didn’t even know what the other one did in the war.
“Everybody knew that they had served,” Bloom said, “but nobody knew how they served.”
The silence continued as Bloom built a life after the war. He became a litigator and, in 1962, married Nanette, who is 13 years younger. They raised two sons in South Orange, N.J. But Bloom rarely spoke to his family about his service. His son Josh said they didn’t hear much about it until Bloom was around 90, and they interviewed him about it.
“It’s funny,” Bloom said of the veterans he knew. “They had the biggest experiences of their lives having been at war, but nobody talked about it.”
For most of his own life, neither did he. And yet, when asked to name the biggest experience of his century-long life, a period that included the moon landing and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Bloom didn’t hesitate.
DEAR ABBY: My husband’s best friend died when we were in our early 30s. His son, “Marty,” recently moved back to the area with his wife and three boys. We think of them as family.
My husband often needs help with heavy handyman jobs. (I was diagnosed with cancer and am unable to help him.) He frequently recruits Marty for this kind of help, and Marty always brings along his wife and kids. They don’t watch or discipline the kids, and I’m exhausted. Is it really up to me to parent their kids while they are here giving us a hand?
— BOTHERED IN UTAH
DEAR BOTHERED: It certainly looks like it. Unless you find the courage to remind the wife that you are not in good health and need the children to “tone it down,” the situation isn’t going to change. If you cannot bring yourself to do that, then consider arranging to “visit a friend” when you know they are coming.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My wife meets once a week with several other Christian women to discuss various topics. Everyone gets to the meeting on time except one woman, “Florence,” who typically arrives just a few minutes before the meeting is over. The others have tried ending the meeting just as she comes in to encourage her to come on time, but it has had no effect.
Last week, they had a three-hour lunch party. In an attempt to get Florence there on time, the hostess had told her they were shutting down after three hours as she had other things to do afterward. However, Florence arrived 15 minutes after the party was over. My wife is at a loss about how to get the woman to arrive for the beginning. Should they just exclude her?
— FRUSTRATED GROUP IN TEXAS
DEAR FRUSTRATED: What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting. If she were interested in doing anything more than making a “personal appearance,” she would arrive at the appointed time as the rest of the women do. Yes, because of her rude and inconsiderate behavior, they should scrub her from the invitation list.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: We are grandparents. When our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren visit, we want to do a lot of things and take them places. But I often feel like I am pushing my daughter-in-law. She says her life is hectic with work and activities for the kids. She just wants to sit in my house. I want to get out.
We are arguing because we can’t come up with a plan that everyone is agreeable with. Is it proper for me to ask her if we could take the kids while she rests at home? I’m not sure she would like that. How can we work this out so everyone is happy?
— TRYING TO HELP IN THE EAST
DEAR TRYING: Your daughter-in-law has already told you she would be happy sitting quietly in your home. Tell her this is her vacation as well as the kids’, and there is a way for everyone to be happy if she will allow you and your spouse to take the kids for outings. If you do, you might find that she is not only open to the idea, but also relieved.
Hi we decided to write this together so you have both sides fairly represented. We recently moved in together and it’s going great (young, gay, in love!), but we only have AC in the bedroom. One of us prefers the room wayyyy hotter than the other at night (80 degrees vs. 70 degrees). One of us argues that at 70 degrees, the other person can just wear sweatpants. The other one argues that at 80 degrees it’s not that hot, it saves money, and the other person can focus the fan on themselves. What do we do?
Earl Hopkins, Arts & Entertainment Reporter
As someone who naturally runs hot, especially during the summer months, anything above 76 degrees is an absolute no go. I never understood why some people like to bake under their covers, but our bodies all operate differently.
I think an easy compromise is to place the AC somewhere in the middle. Maybe around 75? That seems reasonable to me.
Stephanie Farr, Features Columnist
First, I love that they wrote this together. It shows they communicate well and are willing to face problems openly and honestly, which is a great foundation for any relationship.
Second, it’s often said that one of the things couples argue about most is money, but I’m of the firm belief ambient room temperature ranks pretty high up on that list, too. It’s something you may not even think about until you move in with someone and realize they are the Human Torch or Mr. Freeze.
In my house, I am Mr. Freeze, so I’m fully siding with the partner who has the totally reasonable request to keep the AC at 70. 80 is way too hot. Heck, thanks to the Human Torch I live with I’ve discovered even 75 is too hot at night for me to sleep with a blanket on — and I need a blanket to sleep.
What’s your opinion on putting on more clothes vs. using a fan?
Earl Hopkins
I think it’s way easier to add a layer of clothes than it is to have the sound of a fan buzzing in your ear all night. It’s OK when there’s a heatwave and broken AC. But beyond that, I recommend throwing on a pair of sweats, a long sleeve shirt, or a beanie.
Also, I’m no electrician or HVAC specialist, but are you really saving that much money? I don’t know. Stephanie, how do you feel about cuddling as an alternative to 80-degree temps? I think there’s a cheat code there.
Stephanie Farr
Oh I love the cuddling idea! It promotes intimacy and is a good argument against keeping it warm in the room. Nobody wants to cuddle someone when they’re all hot and sweaty.
And I’m with you on more clothes vs. fan. You can always put more clothes on when you’re cold or pile up the blankets (and cuddle!), but when it’s getting so hot in there you’ve already taken off all your clothes and you’re still sweating, what then? Are you supposed to sleep with ice packs because a fan alone will not cut it?
Do you think that only having one room with AC — aside from the whole house — should factor into the decision?
Earl Hopkins
I think so! If there’s only one room your partner can truly get cozy in, give them free rein. It’s like giving your loved one the last slice of pizza or chocolate cake. Of course you want it, but it’s a lovely gesture that doesn’t require much sacrifice. A little chill at night won’t hurt!
Stephanie Farr
Agreed! The AC room should be considered a human refrigerator in this home — an arctic oasis where the one who’s Mr. Freeze can escape and find solace. The Human Torch partner already has all the other rooms nice and toasty, so they can go to sleep in one of them if they don’t like the cold.
I wonder if the partner who wants it 80 degrees at night may not be from the U.S. In that case, this makes a bit more sense. We’re very spoiled here. I remember a great column last year by Adrian Schulz, a journalist from Berlin who did a fellowship with us at The Inquirer last summer. He expressed shock, confusion, and mild horror at our AC habits here, writing: “Am I in a restaurant or in the Siberian Tundra? Am I at an airport gate or in a cryogenic chamber? Am I on the Broad Street Line or the Polar Express?” Meanwhile, when I went to Germany in September 2024, I was shocked, confused, and mildly horrified by the lack of AC everywhere amid sweltering heat.
It’s what you’re used to, I guess, but living with a partner means getting used to new things. I think Earl has the best idea — a compromise at 75 — to start out (then slowly inch the temp down from there by dangling the possibility of more cuddles).
People have been bragging about their trips to the Outer Banks since I moved to the Shore three decades ago. Quieter, cheaper, more laid back, more of a relaxing vacation than anything you’ll find in, say, Sea Isle.
Last summer, with an increasingly unaffordable Jersey Shore spawning a subculture of people swearing by other places, we looked at the cost of vacationing in Hawaii and Paris, along with Margate. Deals could be had.
This summer, as gas prices are on the rise, the appeal of an eight-hour drive to North Carolina might give even a priced-out Margatian pause.
Is it worth the drive to get to Duck, N.C.? What about flying to Dublin? Has the “We’re going to Europe instead” crowd thinned out?
We priced options for a family of four and targeted a week in July, the 11th to the 18th.
Rental inventory at the Jersey Shore is rapidly depleting, said Duane Watlington, the CEO and founder of Vacation Rentals Jersey Shore LLC. As of April 1, Long Beach Island is 83% booked for the eight summer weeks, June 27-Aug. 22, he said.
But Watlington said rental prices were looking better, with “Most listings … the same price or up to 10% lower for weekly rentals due to the soft market we had in 2025.”
Everything is relative, of course. Available rentals for that week on LBI can range from a four-bedroom Harvey Cedars charmer at $11,000 to a cozy two-bedroom Beach Haven duplex available Friday to Friday for just $3,000.
The real value, Watlington advised, is in September, with rentals as much as half the price of peak summer weeks, a warm ocean, and the joys of “locals summer.”
Data from HomeToGo showed that Sea Isle City rentals ranged from $6,745 to a whopping $18,828, with an average of $9,389.10 for available properties during that peak July week.
Bethany Beach, Del., ($5,537.59) and Duck, N.C., ($5,361.90) had similar average weekly rentals. Ocean City averaged $6,321.53 for that week, according to Berger Realty data.
Watlington said the median price on LBI for a July or August rental is $7,000 per week, with a range of $1,000 to (yikes) $55,000 week.
The sun peeks out from under the clouds as it sets in Mazatlan, Mexico (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
Looking abroad
Paul Ferdinand of Rainbow Voyages in Philadelphia found little available in Dublin during July, “regardless of price.”
He advised switching to early August, and came up with a very competitive trip, detailed below.
Mezgaron James of YouBeEverywhere Travel suggested Mazatlán, Mexico, which she said combines the charm of a Jersey Shore boardwalk with the luxury of a hotel on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
In the end, results were undeniable: The total cost of the more adventurous destinations like Ireland or Mexico was comparable, or even less, than a typical weekly rental at the Shore.
Here are the details.
In this Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2010 photo, wild horses are seen in Corolla, N.C. A boom in vacation homes in the last 25 years in this remote place has seen the descendants of colonial Spanish mustangs confined to a 7,500-acre sanctuary on the northern tip of North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and now the herd itself may shrink along with its habitat. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
Outer Banks: Linens included
Outer Banks rentals trend toward the larger side, so the trick might be to vacation with that other family whose kids like your kids.
Myles Wood, of Shoreline OBX, said his company includes a friendly $250 credit for beach gear rental during your stay.
Jersey Shore veteran renters, used to having to (literally) bring their own sheets, find this extremely attractive.
“One of the things we aim to do if someone comes down, everything’s taken care of,” Wood said.
Rental prices have crept up a bit, he notes, but said those priced out of buying a beach house in New Jersey will be pleasantly surprised to see a lower bar of entry, like this Duck beach cottage listed at $650,000.
Sample food: At Aqua, $34 gets you Chef Cory Bryant’s Shrimp and Grits, with smoked pork belly lardons, sun-dried tomatoes, and a creamy lobster sauce.
Vibe: Personal space-y. Says Wood: “Our beaches are wide enough and plentiful enough. You get a slice of personal heaven.”
What’s free? Beaches and parking, oh my.
Drawbacks: No true boardwalk scene. Long, and increasingly expensive, drive for a week’s vacation.
Drinkers and tourists visit the Temple Bar pub in the Temple Bar area of Dublin on September 15, 2024.
He found a “stylish one-bedroom apartment” for four at the Dublin City Center location of the Staycity chain that will rent for a week for $1,996. If it’s just for two, he recommends the Hoxton Hotel for its “tasteful decor and fawning service,” which will run about $2,029 mid-August, “a steal for that hotel group,” he said.
Airfare round-trip from Philly on Aer Lingus Irish Airlines will run you around $929 per person, including a seat assignment, checked bag, and in-flight meal.
Vibe: Sea Isle meets James Joyce. Cliffs!
Sample food: Three-course menu at Vintage Kitchen in Dublin for 72 euros features theSkeaghanore duck with miso, sprouting broccoli, sweet potato, and samphire (sea beans).
What’s free? At the Guinness Storehouse, take the basic tour where mom and dad get a free stout.
Drawbacks: Peak Dublin Bay temps are about 59 degrees.
Boardwalk near 6th Street, Ocean City, NJ.
Ocean City: Nostalgia — for a price
Brian Logue, of the Anchor Group in Ocean City, notes that Ocean City has had some record sale prices. But that hasn’t affected rental prices, he said. “The upside for tenants is that rental prices have not kept up with value.”
He’s not sold on the North Carolina alternative.
“From experience, I have clients who love the Outer Banks,” he said. “But unless you have your own plane, it’s eight hours in the car each way.”
He thinks people may think they want an alternative to their ancestral Shore destinations, but in the end, they really don’t.
“There’s not a boardwalk,” he said of the Outer Banks. “The things that make Ocean City ‘America’s Greatest Family Resort,’ it doesn’t exist there. It doesn’t have that nostalgic Jersey feel.”
Maria Sacco Handle, of the Shore House Team, said the snowy winter has spurred interest in Jersey Shore rentals. She said prices have stayed “fairly steady,” with some early booking incentives that will disappear as the season approaches.
“Believe it or not, we love a snowy winter at the Jersey Shore — it reminds everyone how amazing a week at the beach will feel,“ she said. “My advice to anyone thinking about renting this summer: Don’t sit on the fence — the best weeks always go first.”
A typical week in Brigantine in July comes out as about the same as the Outer Banks, minus the cost of driving and plus the cost of a beach tag ($15 per week per person).
In a time-honored Jersey Shore tradition, you’ll have to bring your own bed linens or rent them (no Outer Banks-y credit included).
A four-bedroom, two-bath charming blue rental house in Brigantine’s “A zone,” in the middle of the island, is listed for $5305, a bargain by current Jersey Shore standards.
Sample food: Spicy tuna with Caribbean jerk seasoning at La Scala Beach House will run you $25.
Vibe: With one way on and off, Brigantine is its own insular vibe. All-terrain vehicle holders can go tailgate at the cove.
What’s free?Hmm. An early morning around the island bike ride, as always.
What’s not? Linens! BYO.
Perks: The Borgata is just a short hop over the bridge, and you can visit some stranded marine mammals at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. Also, golf.
Frolicking in a beachside seawater pool in Mazatlán, Mexico.
Mazatlán, Mexico: 13-mile boardwalk
“This was the first thing that popped in my mind,” said Philadelphia travel agent Mezgaron James.
She’s referring to Mazlatán, Mexico, a resort town on Mexico’s Pacific coast. “A lot of people don’t know they have the longest boardwalk in the world, a 13-mile boardwalk. It’s a place that’s untouched.”
James priced out seven nights in our target week, July 11 to 18, at Costa de Oro Beach Hotel, including round-trip tickets on American Airlines from Philadelphia for … $4,000.
“It’s family-friendly,” James said. “There’s a lot of things to do. It’s still lively like the Jersey Shore, but you’ll see a nice mix of people, fishermen hauling the morning’s catch, people bicycling and jogging, catch a coffee and pastry. There’s zip-lining. There’s open air taxis.”
The hotel provides direct access to the beach at no extra cost.
“It’s actually a four-star hotel with a pool right by the beach,” she said.
Sample food: I’m ordering the Zarandeado fish, a whole grilled fish available at multiple places.
Vibe: The 13-mile boardwalk will meet all your Jersey needs.
What’s free? Beaches.
Drawbacks: Check with the U.S. Department of State’s travel advisory to see about impacts from any nearby (but not in tourist areas, typically) cartel violence.
Inquirer staff writer Chris A. Williams contributed to this article.
DEAR ABBY: My brother has found love again. His first wife passed away from cancer two years ago. He is getting married in two months. We were never super close but have always been civil to each other and spent an hour or two with each other during holiday meals or birthdays.
Our mother is 89 and lives at his home in an added-on apartment. She’s our common denominator. Because my brother is quick-tempered and short with me (and others), I’m afraid that after Mom is gone, he will have no use for me and I’ll never see him again.
I sent him an email stating my fear, and his reply was shocking. He said he didn’t like my facial expressions. He also said he doesn’t like my mannerisms and feels nothing I say is genuine, but very fake. He also told me he wasn’t alone in those thoughts. I felt like he had stuck a knife through my heart. He said he wished he had a video of me so I could see how fake I was. I cried and got physically ill.
I am so embarrassed that he and others see me that way that I have decided not to go to his wedding. I cannot be in a room full of people who have made these judgments about my integrity. Am I making the right choice? Should I go for my mother’s sake?
— STUNNED AND EMBARRASSED
DEAR STUNNED: Your brother may have found love again, but he has some real problems. That he would speak to you that way was cruel and deliberately hurtful. Could he have some unresolved sibling rivalry? If that’s the case, you cannot fix it for him.
Under the circumstances, not wanting to attend that wedding is understandable. However, just because your brother says something does not make it true. They may be his feelings, but he doesn’t have the right to speak for all your other relatives. That is why I hope you will maintain your relationships with the rest of the family and not allow him to drive you away.
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: My mother comes over to visit every single evening at 7:30. She knows that I must be up early and leave the house at 5:30 a.m. to go to work. I have dropped numerous hints, but she’s oblivious. This causes a lot of stress in my marriage. My partner thinks it’s ridiculous to visit someone at 7:30 every night, especially since I have two kids who need rides home from practices in the evenings. Please help.
— AT WITS’ END
DEAR WITS’ END: Because you have already tried talking to your mother about this but she doesn’t get the message, enlist the help of your partner and talk to her together. When you do, establish a realistic schedule for her visits — two days a week, perhaps — and how long they will last. Then, when the time is up, escort her to the door.
Your mother may do this because she has no life of her own. If that’s a contributing factor, start researching groups of seniors she might join for activities other than visiting her daughter every night. If you do, it may vastly improve the quality of her life and the lives of those in your household.
