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  • How Chestnut Hill’s main street is staying relevant in the Amazon era

    How Chestnut Hill’s main street is staying relevant in the Amazon era

    At lunchtime on a Thursday, a week before Thanksgiving, Chestnut Hill was buzzing.

    Inside the newly expanded Matines Café, almost every table was full. People sipped warm drinks from large mugs and ate Parisian croissants and quiche. Bottles of prosecco sat on ice by one large table adorned with Happy Birthday balloons.

    McNally’s Tavern was bustling, too, with regulars sitting at the bar and at tables inside the cozy, nearly 125-year-old establishment atop the hill. Multiple generations gathered — a son taking a father out to lunch, a mother with a baby in a stroller, and two sisters, Anne and Meg McNally, running the place.

    Behind the storefronts along Germantown Avenue’s main drag, some people perused the boutiques, while others typed away on laptops in coffee shops.

    In the northwest Philadelphia neighborhood known for its wealth and postcard-picturesque aesthetic, the small-town charm of longstanding establishments — four are more than 100 years old — is now complemented by the shine of some newer shops and restaurants. Several Chestnut Hill business owners said the variety has helped both old and new spots succeed despite broader economic challenges, including inflation and tariffs, and the loss of a few restaurants.

    A view down Germantown Avenue from the Chestnut Hill SEPTA Regional Rail station.
    The closed Iron Hill Brewery is shown in downtown Chestnut Hill on Nov. 19.

    As the owner of Kilian Hardware, which has been in business for 112 years, Russell Goudy Jr. has watched the avenue change. Fifty years ago, he said it was “basically like a shopping mall,” a one-stop shop for everyday needs.

    In recent years, however, the neighborhood has focused on attracting and retaining unique food and beverage businesses, “quaint, specialty shops,” and service-oriented businesses, which Goudy said offer experiences Amazon and other e-commerce platforms can’t replicate.

    “If you’re not giving people an experience in today’s economy, it’s very tough to compete,” said Nicole Beltz, co-owner of Serendipity Shops, which for a decade has had an expansive store on Germantown Avenue. And providing a memorable experience is never more important than during the lucrative last few months of the year.

    “When you come to Chestnut Hill over the holidays, you get what you came for,” Beltz said. “You get that charming feeling of being somewhere special for the holiday.”

    People walk by holiday decor outside Robertson’s Flowers & Events in Chestnut Hill earlier this month.

    ‘New vitality’ coming to the Chestnut Hill restaurant scene

    During the holidays and all year long, Chestnut Hill business owners said they’re grateful that the neighborhood has held onto its charm despite recent challenges.

    During the pandemic, “it definitely felt a little grim and dark,” said Ann Nevel, retail advocate for the Chestnut Hill Business District. “The impressive thing is the old-timers, the iconic businesses, and some of the newer restaurants … pretty much all were agile enough to tough it out.”

    And a slew of other businesses have moved into the community since then. In the last four years, 20 retail shops, 20 service businesses, and 10 food and beverage spots opened in Chestnut Hill, Nevel said, while several existing establishments expanded.

    Among them was Matines Café, which opened a small spot on Bethlehem Pike in 2022 and expanded this fall to a second, much larger location on Highland Avenue. The café serves 500 people or more on weekdays, according to its owners, and even more on weekends.

    Sitting inside their original location, which is now a cozy children’s café, Paris natives Amanda and Arthur de Bruc recalled that they originally thought they’d open a café in Center City, where they lived at time. Then, they visited Chestnut Hill and fell in love, despite “a lot of empty spots” there around 2022, Amanda de Bruc said.

    A colorful storefront along Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill.

    “We liked the idea of living in the suburbs, which technically Chestnut Hill is not the suburbs, because it’s still Philly,” she said. But “we were looking for something that we were more used to, like Paris. There are so many boutiques in such a small area,” and everything is walkable.

    The opening of shops and cafés like Matines became a “catalyst for this new vitality, a new, more contemporary energy that has taken hold in Chestnut Hill,” Nevel said. Soon, “we’re going to see that new vitality in the restaurant scene,” including in some long-vacant storefronts.

    In 2026, former Four Seasons sommelier Damien Graef is set to open a wine bar, retail store, and fine-dining spot called Lovat Square off Germantown Avenue, Nevel said. On the avenue, a café-diner-pub concept called the Blue Warbler is under construction and also slated to open sometime next year.

    Kilian Hardware in Chestnut Hill has been in business for 112 years.

    In downtown Chestnut Hill, there are still a few empty spots, including those left by Campbell’s Place, a popular restaurant that closed this summer; Diamond Spa, which closed this fall; Iron Hill Brewery, which closed in September (right before the regional chain filed for bankruptcy); and Fiesta Pizza III, which closed last year.

    Kismet Bagels, a popular local chain, was set to fill one of the spots this summer, but its deal fell through, co-owner Jacob Cohen said in a statement. He said they could “revisit the Chestnut Hill neighborhood” in the future.

    While the future of Iron Hill will be dictated by bankruptcy proceedings — which include an auction of assets set for next month — stakeholders say conversations are ongoing about some of the other vacancies.

    Shuttered Iron Hill breweries sit empty across the Philly area. What will become of them?

    Steve Jeffries, who is selling the Campbell’s building for $1.5 million, said he’s gotten a lot of interest from people who want to revive the nearly 3,000-square-foot space as a neighborhood pub, but one that is “more cutting edge.” Perhaps, he said, one that is not focused on craft beer, which has decreased in popularity, especially among younger generations.

    “The town is just screaming for other opportunities for nightlife and sports bars,” said Jeffries, executive vice president of Equity CRE. “There has been a connotation in the market that Chestnut Hill was kind of older, stuffy, that it wasn’t a nightlife town.”

    But that’s changing, Jeffries said.

    Char & Stave, an all-day coffee and cocktail bar, has done great business since moving into Chestnut Hill, its owner, Jared Adkins, said.

    Just ask Jared Adkins, owner of Char & Stave, an all-day coffee and cocktail bar at the corner of Germantown and Highland Avenues.

    After Nevel visited Ardmore and saw the success of Adkins’ original Char & Stave, she recruited him to open a Chestnut Hill location. It started as a holiday pop-up in 2022, then became a permanent presence the next year. Since he moved into town, Adkins said, business has been booming.

    “We’re really just busy all day long,” said Adkins. The café is open until 11 p.m. during the week, midnight on the weekends, and it often brings in musicians and hosts events.

    Adkins describes Char & Stave as a place where drinkers and nondrinkers alike can spend time together, and where people can get work done with coffee or a cocktail beside them: “It’s really a gathering place that fills a niche of a nice cocktail place.”

    More changes to come for Chestnut Hill

    Businesses along Germantown Avenue in Chestnut Hill are decorated for the holidays.

    Chestnut Hill business leaders and community members say they’re optimistic about the neighborhood’s continued evolution.

    As Brien Tilley, a longtime resident and community volunteer, ate lunch inside Cosimo’s Pizza Cafe, he said the community is doing well. But, he added, “it could always do better. It’s always in transition.”

    Nevel noted that restaurants require more capital to open than other businesses, so it can take awhile to fill those larger holes downtown.

    “The economy is tough,” said Anne McNally, a fourth-generation owner of McNally’s, as she sat by the tavern’s front window overlooking Germantown Avenue. But in Chestnut Hill, she gets the vibe that the community “wants us to be successful.”

    McNally and Goudy, of Kilian’s, both noted that their families bought their buildings decades ago. That has contributed to their longevity, both said, as has evolving with the customer base.

    For the McNally family, that meant transitioning from a “bar-bar,” with no clock or phone, to a bar-restaurant that closes at 10 p.m. For Goudy, it meant soliciting online orders and walk-in business from out-of-town and even out-of-state customers whose older homes require unique hardware.

    “Everything is changing,” Goudy said. “It’s important to keep changing and not to try to go back to where you were before.”

  • At Project HOME, providing shelter is just one link in a chain that restores dignity and offers hope | Philly Gives

    At Project HOME, providing shelter is just one link in a chain that restores dignity and offers hope | Philly Gives

    As charming and ebullient as Nephtali Andujar is (lots of hugs, compliments, and gifts of his homemade pottery), the 61-year-old is also pretty blunt about why people should give to Project HOME, one of the city’s largest nonprofit housing agencies.

    Because of Project HOME, said Andujar, who spent years living on the streets, he is no longer desperate — desperate to get money to feed a heroin addiction, desperate to scrape $5 together to pay someone to let him drag a discarded mattress into an abandoned house for a night’s sleep out of the rain.

    “It’s not just giving someone an apartment,” said Andujar, who sheepishly described a past that included stealing cars and selling drugs. “It’s the snowball effect.

    “You are not just helping the homeless,” he said. “You are helping the city. You are helping humanity.”

    In the agency’s name, the letters HOME are capitalized, because each letter stands for part of the multipronged approach that Project HOME takes in addressing homelessness and combating poverty for the 15,000-plus people it serves each year.

    There’s H, for Housing — not only housing in the literal sense, but also in the teams of outreach workers who comb through the city’s neighborhoods looking for people like Andujar. One outreach worker found Andujar in 2021 at a critical moment in his life — clean, just out of the hospital for liver treatment, and back on the streets of Kensington ready to begin anew.

    “We know we have to do the most we can to preserve these resources that we’ve come to rely on,” says Donna Bullock, president and CEO of Project Home.

    For Andujar, it was a race. What would find him first?

    Would it be heroin, as it had so often been in the past? It was tempting. It’s painful being on the street — cold, hungry and dirty, ashamed and alone. “When you do heroin, you don’t feel the cold. It kills the hunger,” he said. “When you use the drugs, you don’t have to suffer for hours. Heroin numbs you.”

    Instead, though, it was the outreach worker — someone who had been through Project HOME’s recovery program — who plucked Andujar off the street in the nick of time and took him to a shelter.

    A year later, that same outreach worker helped Andujar move to his own room at Project HOME’s Hope Haven shelter in North Philadelphia.

    “You get tired of the streets. They were killing me,” Andujar said.

    Next Andujar found Project HOME manager JJ Fox, who helped him get a birth certificate and other documents, and arranged for him to stay. But he needed more than a warm bed.

    The problem with getting straight after a heroin addiction, Andujar explained, is finding a new purpose and direction. For so long, life was focused on a repeat cycle of getting the next fix and then becoming numb to pain while it was working.

    So when he got to Project HOME, he needed a new direction, which is where both the O and E in HOME came in for Andujar.

    “JJ Fox gave me direction,” he said, and so did Project HOME employment specialist Jamie Deni.

    Training certificates cover a wall in Nephtali Andujar’s studio apartment in Project HOME’s Inn of Amazing Mercy in Kensington.

    The “O” in HOME has to do with Opportunities for employment. Certificates cover one wall in Andujar’s studio apartment in Project HOME’s Inn of Amazing Mercy, a 62-unit apartment building and offices in a former nursing school dormitory in Kensington. He can point to his accomplishments in computer skills, barbering, and training as a peer specialist to help others the way the outreach worker helped him.

    But Andujar is not in good health, as vigorous as he appears. His addictions will someday exact their price, even though with cirrhosis of the liver, he is already living years beyond what his doctor predicted.

    Full-time work is not an option. So Andujar is part of the “E,” as in Education. Deni helped him get a grant to take art classes at Community College of Philadelphia. She helped him understand CCP’s education software so he could turn in his homework.

    Project HOME offers classes in graphic design, music production training, ServSafe food handling, forklift and powered industrial trucks certification, and website building, among other courses.

    The M stands for Medical. Project HOME doctors, nurses, and other health practitioners treat 5,000 people a year, both in a fully equipped health center and by sending medical teams into the streets, caring for people, literally, where they live.

    “My dad always told me that you need three things — housing, food, and love. You get all that here,” Andujar said.

    And for him, it goes beyond that. During a stable period in his life, Andujar had a partner and a child. His daughter is now 14 and living with her aunt in New Jersey. Her mother, who was also stable for many years, fell into addiction but is clean now. She is living in another Project HOME apartment.

    Like Andujar, Omayru Villanueva, 49, another resident at the Inn of Amazing Mercy, recalls her first night of homelessness.

    She remembered a cold slushy rain.

    She remembered sweeping every corner of her house, determined to leave it clean, no matter what. Her husband had been convicted and jailed for a federal crime. She couldn’t make the payments on the house, so she sold or stored all of her belongings and prepared to leave.

    On her last morning at home, she and her school-age twin sons walked out the door before the sheriff came. Her older daughter was able to find a place in a shelter. Her second daughter, just under 18, said she was living with a boyfriend, but it turned out that she had been trafficked.

    “There’s a sense of dignity and respect when you have your own place,” says Omayra Villanueva, another resident of the Inn of Amazing Mercy.

    By that evening, Villanueva was desperate. She took her boys to a hospital emergency room. At least they could sit indoors while she figured out something. “I was crying inside.” Finally, she called a friend from church who took her and her sons in.

    From there, they moved from shelter to shelter, and ultimately to a Project HOME apartment with two bedrooms.

    “That night we had a pizza party. We were so happy,” she said. “There’s a sense of dignity and respect when you have your own place. You can take your worries away from having a place to live, and you can focus on other things.”

    She remembered lying in her new bed, “thanking God and rubbing my feet against the mattress.” The next day, she woke up, opened the window, and listened to the birds. Then she asked her sons what they wanted for breakfast. “When you are in a shelter, you eat what they give you.”

    The simple pleasures.

    The new head of Philly’s Project HOME brings a lived experience of housing insecurity

    Three of her four children, scarred from the experience, have also been homeless and living on the street. Her two sons, now 23, are in Project HOME apartments. Both daughters are now fairly well-established.

    Villanueva appreciates the medical help she has been given at Project HOME, particularly for mental illness stemming from the trauma she has experienced with her ex-husband’s arrest and homelessness.

    “Anybody can end up being homeless,” she said. “I wasn’t a drug addict. I wasn’t an alcoholic. It can happen to anybody.”

    She thinks of her daughter, who has a house, a job, and a car. But if something happens to the car, her daughter won’t be able to get to work. She won’t be able to pay her mortgage, and she could wind up homeless. It’s that simple.

    “It’s important to donate because people can help break the cycle of homelessness,” Villanueva said.

    “It’s about housing and education. It’s about medical help. It’s about employment,” she said. “Project HOME helped me a lot.”

    The truth is that every person in Project HOME has a story. Those stories keep Donna Bullock, president and chief executive, motivated to preserve and protect the agency founded just over 35 years ago by Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon.

    She worries about how the city will respond to federal executive orders amounting to the criminalization of homelessness. Will there be tightened requirements for agencies that provide shelter?

    Project HOME is reimbursed for some of the medical care it provides, but Bullock worries that new rules involving Medicaid reimbursement will impact the agency’s budget, while cutbacks in services increase demand.

    “It’s terrifying,” she said. “We know we have to do the most we can to preserve these resources that we’ve come to rely on.

    “In this job, I’ve learned to appreciate the humanity of folks — the residents and the stories they tell and the contributions they make to our community.”

    Sometimes, she said, Project HOME residents walking the path of recovery slip and fall away. Sometimes the results are tragic, the losses devastating.

    “We’re experiencing all these moments — communal grief and communal celebrations as well. We talk a lot about how every journey of recovery is unique. Everyone walks their own journey. We can’t do the walk for you, but we can walk with you,” she said.

    Bullock invites others to the journey, promising that when people give to Project HOME, they can be assured that their money is carefully managed. “We’re good stewards of the resources entrusted in our care. We know how to leverage the resources given to us.

    “Folks expect a return on their investment, and the return is the difference in individual lives and also building a community,” she said. “Your investment is magnified 10 times over.”

    This article is part of a series about Philly Gives — a community fund to support nonprofits through end-of-year giving. To learn more about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org.

    For more information about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org.

    About Project HOME

    Mission: To empower adults, children, and families to break the cycle of homelessness and poverty, to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty, and to enable all of us to attain our fullest potential.

    People served: More than 15,000 annually — with street outreach, housing, opportunities for employment, medical care, and education.

    Annual spend: $49.06 million

    Point of pride: Project HOME, which operates 1,038 housing units, broke ground in October for construction of 45 new apartments; also under construction are 20 respite beds. In the pipeline are an additional 44 apartments. Project HOME also operates the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs, Stephen Klein Wellness Center, Helen Brown Community Center, and Hub of Hope.

    You can help: Volunteers tutor students, serve meals, participate in neighborhood cleanups, and organize donation drives at their organizations for household items or other items useful to families or people still experiencing street homelessness.

    Support: phillygives.org

    What your Project HOME donation can do

    Here are some ways that a gift can help the people we serve:

    $25 provides warm clothing and new socks for a visitor at the Hub of Hope.

    $50 supports a behavioral health counseling visit.

    $100 provides a month’s worth of hygiene products and toiletries for a family.

    $250 provides a welcome basket for a new resident complete with sheets, towels, and cooking supplies.

    $500 supports five dental visits at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center.

    $1,000 funds six weeks of summer camp at the Honickman Learning Center Comcast Technology Labs, keeping a child’s mind active during the summer and supporting moms who work.

    $1,500 funds a certification program through the Adult Education and Employment program leading to employment readiness.

  • Meet Project HOME’s New President and CEO

    Meet Project HOME’s New President and CEO

    The former state representative, lawyer, and longtime community advocate Donna Bullock is now leading one of Philadelphia’s most respected nonprofit organizations, Project HOME. Named its president and CEO in July 2024, Bullock brings lived experience and a deep sense of justice to the organization’s mission of eradicating homelessness. The child of a single mother, she grew up relying on the network of local church soup kitchens in New Brunswick, N.J. “But my mom and grandmother taught me something powerful there, not just how to receive help, but how to give back,” she said. “I may have gone there for a meal, but I also had to wash dishes, help a senior. That sense of community responsibility has always stayed with me.”

    Founded in 1989, Project HOME has built more than 1,000 units of supportive housing, manages more than $150 million in net assets, and has become a national model for holistic solutions to homelessness. In this conversation, Bullock reflects on the legacy she has inherited, the systems she hopes to shift, and the very personal stories that shape her leadership.

    Project HOME was founded in 1989. How is the landscape different than it was 36 years ago? What does the cause of ending homelessness look like now?

    We remain true to the founding vision of our co-founders [Sister Mary Scullion and Joan Dawson McConnon]: none of us are home until all of us are home. When we look at that statement, it’s really this commitment that we have to our fellow human beings, to see them as our brothers, and sisters, and neighbors, and fellow Philadelphians. Our work doesn’t end until we can really say that everybody is home and that we all have a role in the work it takes to solve homelessness.

    That also remains true: we still believe we can solve homelessness. We can do that. It will require everyone to play their part.

    The founders of Project HOME and the folks doing this work 20, 30, 40 years ago really believed we could achieve functional zero homelessness in Philadelphia. They were on track to doing that. But what they could not expect was a pandemic. They could not expect the opioid crisis. And they could not expect the scale of the affordable housing crisis. These three national, if not global, issues have deeply impacted housing and homelessness here and across the country.

    In the 1990s, Project HOME fought a four-year legal battle that culminated in a landmark Fair Housing victory, securing the right to build supportive housing at 1515 Fairmount. Over the years, the organization has also built a holistic model of care. How will the organization’s legacy continue under your leadership?

    Sister Mary and Joan, our founders, built this amazing organization with a deep understanding: to address homelessness at its roots, we have to address housing, employment opportunities, medical care, and education. We will continue that. We will continue to build supportive housing, provide services, and support individuals on their journeys, through recovery and into stability.

    We’ve also always remained on the front lines. We’ve always been an advocate, and we’ll continue to be one. I believe the skillset I bring as a legislator and as a lawyer, with experience in both city council and Harrisburg, will only amplify and support the legacy I’ve inherited. That means being a voice for those in our care, those at the core of our mission, especially now as we navigate policies from the federal government, HUD, and the Department of Health, that will impact the people we serve on a very personal level.

    You were raised by a single mom. You’ve experienced some of the very issues you’re now helping others navigate. How did your upbringing shape your worldview?

    Those lived experiences absolutely shaped my sense of justice and community obligation.

    My family relied on resources like the local soup kitchen in New Brunswick. I watched that soup kitchen evolve too. It was once just different churches offering meals on different days. But in the ’80s, around the same time Project HOME was founded, they came together, formed a nonprofit, created a central location, coordinated the schedule, and started offering meals seven days a week. That showed me the power of nonprofits when they work together in the best interests of the people they serve.

    And that’s what I want to carry forward. No matter where we go next, we keep the people we serve at the center of our decisions.

    You studied criminal justice at Rutgers and earned your law degree at Temple. You could have taken different paths. Why law?

    Honestly, I was a very naive young person who wanted to change the world. I thought, law school is how I’ll do that.

    And I did well: I got good grades in tax law, property law. But I took a class called “Law and Community,” and one of my classmates worked at Project HOME. We talked about their work in the 19121 ZIP code. I was planning to move into that same community.

    When I graduated, I asked myself, “How am I going to change the world with corporate law?” That’s when I found my niche supporting nonprofits and small businesses as a legal services attorney. I helped make sure they stayed compliant and stable, because they were providing critical resources to the community. It was a way for me to give back what I always believed didn’t belong to me: my law degree belonged to the community.

    That work exposed me to leaders like [Philadelphia city] council president [Darrell] Clarke and others, and it led me into public service. Eventually I was working with organizations like Project HOME from the outside. Now I get to work with them, and lead them, from the inside.

    In a past interview you said you “took the leap” in 2015, and ran for political office, eventually winning a special election to represent Pennsylvania’s 195th district in the state House of Representatives. What compelled you to leap?

    I’ve always answered the call to service. Did I plan to run for office? No.

    But a few people came to me and said: “You should consider this. You’re the right fit.” I gave it a lot of thought. I had been hosting a women of color leadership breakfast at my house every year, encouraging other women to run. When this opportunity came up, many of them looked at me and said, “Donna… it’s your turn.”

    What is it like to run for and hold office?

    It’s a vulnerable position to be in. But because I was led by service, it didn’t feel like I was putting myself in the spotlight. It was a shift, of course — personally for family, and professionally for my career — because it wasn’t the direction I was going. But it was an amazing detour. I was able to bring in my skillset as a lawyer and as an advocate into this legislative space, see the issues that I was passionate about on a statewide level, and advocate for those issues with folks who weren’t as aligned. Being on that stage in Harrisburg really helps you to become a stronger advocate for issues that are really important for you. You have to work a little harder to see where other folks are coming from and try to reframe those same issues so you can get buy-in.

    Yes, it becomes about consensus building.

    Yes. I spent time across the state meeting folks in their district. “What does this legislation look like in your district? Well, now I understand why you don’t support it. Let me show you what it looks like in my district, and maybe we can find a way to get to the middle.” That coalition building is so important, and I think has helped already in the work that I’m doing here at Project HOME.

    You’ve said, “There are many challenges, but you don’t overcome them. You accept them, embrace them, and use them to effectuate change.” That’s a powerful reframing. What’s a moment in your career where that philosophy took hold?

    There was a moment in Harrisburg when there had been a series of shootings in my district. Young people had lost their lives to gun violence. I stood on the House floor and talked about it, not just as a legislator, but as a mother of two Black boys in North Philadelphia.

    I talked about what it meant to walk my children past blocks with candles and teddy bears. I didn’t want to just argue the policy; I wanted them to understand the experience. My colleagues had met my boys. I wanted them to understand that these weren’t abstract lives; these were our kids. While it didn’t move the legislation, it did bring more people to the table to say, “I need to understand this.” There were a couple of colleagues who met with me separately. With one in particular, we started having regular coffee meetings to talk about the differences in our districts and in the things that our constituents wanted.

    And that’s the power of storytelling. Whether it’s on the House floor of the state capitol, through the media, social media, in a small group, or just a conversation that one of our residents may have with somebody else, storytelling can really move people. It can move legislation, policy, and resources.

    PHILLY QUICK ROUND

    Favorite Philly food indulgence: It’s got to be water ice, right? My favorite water ice is the neighborhood spot called King’s in Strawberry Mansion.

    Favorite Philly small business: Everybody needs a spa day. My favorite is a Black woman-owned spa in Brewerytown called Remedy Spa & Wellness. I’ve been going to [owner Cari Young’s] spa for years. Back when I was a state representative, she would host Black women’s business roundtables there. Even when I didn’t have a spa appointment, she would let me just sit in the space. Even her lobby had that sense of relaxation, Zen, and getaway, and I always appreciated that.

    Sports teams you love or root for: I’m at Project HOME, so it’s got to be the Phillies. [The Phillies are a Project HOME partner.]

    Greatest Philadelphian of all time: Marian Anderson. Just for what she stood for at the time. Standing firm in her art form, but also in advocacy and what she meant to the community, and her grace and beauty in doing it.

    What do you wish people knew about the folks who call Philly home? We got grit. But we are also just a loving group of folks. Everybody’s welcome. What I love about Philly is once you become family, they just welcome you with open arms. We may be a little aggressive with the love. But it’s love.

  • More New Yorkers want apartments in the Philly area

    More New Yorkers want apartments in the Philly area

    More out-of-towners and fewer locals are searching for rental homes in the Philadelphia region, with New Yorkers leading the way. No word on whether they plan to become Eagles fans.

    In an analysis of the country’s 50 largest metropolitan areas, Philadelphia had the second-largest drop in local rental demand since before the pandemic, as measured by listing views on Realtor.com.

    In fall 2019, about 68% of the Philadelphia metro’s rental traffic on the website came from local residents. By this fall, that share had dropped to about 45%, according to a Realtor.com report published this month.

    Philadelphia was one of 20 metros that switched from having mostly local demand for rental listings before the pandemic to mostly out-of-town demand. Only Detroit had a larger drop than Philadelphia in the share of locals looking online for rentals.

    This fall, most of the Philadelphia metro’s out-of-town rental traffic — 48% — came from the New York metro, which includes some North Jersey cities. The share of listing views coming from the New York metro grew from almost 7% of all traffic before the pandemic to more than 25% this fall.

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    In the Philadelphia region, the median asking rent for rentals with zero to two bedrooms was $1,743 in October, according to Realtor.com. The area’s affordability compared to New York and other large nearby metros attracts out-of-town renters. That’s also the case in such metros as San Francisco and Charlotte, N.C.

    But for many renters already living in the Philadelphia area, the region’s relative affordability doesn’t mean much. The region is one of the least affordable major metros in the country for its apartment renters based on their incomes, according to a January report by the online real estate brokerage Redfin.

    “Shifting affordability across regions is reshaping renter behavior, with a growing share of demand coming from outside local markets,” Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said in a statement.

    “Data show that more renters are willing to look farther afield, in some cases to entirely new markets, for homes that better align with their budgets,” Hale said.

    Although New York renters are among those eyeing the Philadelphia region, many are looking to stay put. The New York metro had the highest share of local rental demand this fall. About three in four online views for rentals in that metro came from inside the metro, about the same share as in 2019.

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    Nationwide, the rental market has continued to cool, Hale said. From January to October of this year, the median asking rent stayed roughly flat, falling by 0.1%. Over the same period of 2024, the median asking rent increased by 1.1%.

  • Helping Philadelphia’s Children Heal

    Helping Philadelphia’s Children Heal

    For more than five decades, Philadelphia’s Children’s Crisis Treatment Center (CCTC) has opened its doors to vulnerable young people and families who have been impacted by violence, loss, and adversity. “Helping a child heal doesn’t just change their life. It strengthens their family, their extended network, and, in a very real way, their community,” the organization’s CEO Antonio “Tony” Valdés, 61, said. “That’s what continues to inspire me: understanding that the work we do at CCTC ripples outward, touching countless lives beyond the one child sitting in front of us.” Since taking the helm in 1997, Valdés has transformed CCTC from a small local agency into a cornerstone of children’s mental health care in the greater Philly region, helping the nonprofit expand from four programs to 15, to reach more than 3,500 young people each year.

    Valdés has spent his career focused on the guiding belief that every child, no matter their circumstances, deserves the chance to feel safe, seen, and supported. Under his leadership, CCTC has redefined what community-based care looks like, meeting families where they are, honoring their cultures and experiences, and building systems of care rooted in empathy and equity. In this Q&A, Valdés reflects on the urgent mental health needs facing Philadelphia’s children, the evolution of trauma-informed care, and how CCTC continues to offer hope where it’s needed most.

    What inspired you to do the work you do today?

    I think it has a lot to do with how I grew up. I was very fortunate as a child. My parents are immigrants, my father from Cuba, my mother from the Dominican Republic. When I was young, my dad started his own business and we moved from the States back to the Dominican Republic. Living in another country as a teenager gave me a deeper sense of perspective.

    It made me think about culture as the environment we live and grow in, the “soup,” so to speak, that shapes our narratives and defines how we experience the world. That way of seeing things naturally led me to think about systems: families, neighborhoods, schools, and how they all influence children’s lives.

    So when I began working in mental health, I was already thinking in those systemic terms. A few years later, I had the chance to work with children and it immediately clicked. I realized that the earlier you reach a child, the greater the impact you can have.

    Helping a child heal doesn’t just change their life. It strengthens their family, their extended network, and, in a very real way, their community. That’s what continues to inspire me: understanding that the work we do at CCTC ripples outward, touching countless lives beyond the one child sitting in front of us.

    What do you bring to this job that is unique?

    First, I’m very persistent. Once I decide to go down a path, I keep pushing forward. Second, I’m personable and social. I interact casually with people, which makes me approachable. Finally, I bring a practical, analytical approach to the work. Many CEOs in this field come from operations or program backgrounds, and I do too, but I also have a knack for numbers and finance. That combination allows me to manage the business side of CCTC effectively while staying deeply connected to our programs and the families we serve.

    Right now, our annual budget is about $30-35 million, and managing that while staying true to our mission requires both persistence and practicality.

    You’ve talked about the importance of early intervention. Why does that matter so much?

    The earlier you intervene and support families, the better. A lot of our work at CCTC focuses on helping parents and caregivers understand what their children are experiencing, what we call “psychoeducation.” We help them see that many behaviors, even the difficult ones, make sense in light of what a child has lived through. It’s not “bad behavior.” It’s a natural response to trauma. It’s actually not normal for a child to go through terrible things and show no signs of distress.

    Science now backs this up. The landmark Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) study, conducted more than 20 years ago, revealed powerful connections between early trauma and long-term health outcomes, including not only behavioral issues or substance use problems, but even higher rates of heart disease and cancer. What we’ve learned since then, through brain imaging and neuroscience, is that trauma in early childhood can actually shape how the brain develops. The brain adapts to prioritize survival, and other areas, the ones that regulate learning, relationships, and emotion, can be underdeveloped as a result.

    That’s why early, loving, consistent relationships are so crucial. The most powerful protective factor is the presence of caring, dependable adults in a child’s early life. The next is a sense of belonging and community. When those are strong, children build resilience.

    Some adversity can actually help children grow, as long as that balance tips toward safety, love, and connection.

    How has CCTC evolved since its early days?

    The people who founded CCTC in the early ’70s probably wouldn’t have used the language we use today, but they were clearly responding to a growing awareness that children’s behavior was often rooted in trauma. That early insight has shaped CCTC from the beginning. Over the years, the field has evolved, and so have we. About 18 years ago, we made a major shift by embedding trauma-informed principles into every part of the organization. It changed not only how we treat children, but how we support staff, collaborate with partners, and engage with the community. It became a core philosophy, not just a clinical model.

    That focus has kept us true to our mission. We’re not trying to be all things to all people. We’re a children’s behavioral health agency and everything we do aligns with that purpose. Staying disciplined in that way allows us to build stronger partnerships and deliver deeper impact.

    Today, we serve children from about 18 months through 18 years old, but most of the kids we work with are between three and 13. Roughly 75% are 10 or younger. That’s really where our heart is: early and elementary-age children, because that’s where we can make the greatest difference.

    What’s been the biggest challenge for CCTC over the years?

    One of the biggest challenges has been working within systems that are incredibly complex, whether that’s government, insurance, or even community and political structures. These systems often tend to move toward the least common denominator: keeping things steady, avoiding risk. Innovation doesn’t always get rewarded.

    But CCTC has always been an organization that looks ahead. We’re constantly asking: What’s next? Where do we need to be two, three, four years from now? That kind of thinking sometimes puts us at odds with the larger system, and that can be frustrating. There have been times when we knew an idea would make a real difference, but it took years before the funding or policy landscape caught up.

    A good example is care coordination, or what some call “case management.” We’ve always believed in helping families navigate all the challenges that can prevent them from engaging in treatment: housing instability, food insecurity, lost utilities, lack of transportation. For years, that kind of work wasn’t funded or even recognized as essential. But to us, it was obvious, since if a family’s basic needs aren’t met, therapy alone won’t change much.

    What’s a big goal for CCTC’s future?

    One of our biggest goals is to bring what we do directly into the natural settings where children and families already are. That’s where real access happens: in schools, recreation centers, community programs, and other places that feel familiar and safe.

    When mental health care is part of everyday life, it becomes normalized. We’re already doing some of this, placing parenting groups and educational programs in community settings, to help families better understand the roots of behavioral challenges. Many parents we meet are doing their best, but no one’s ever helped them recognize how their own childhood experiences might still be shaping their parenting today.

    What transformations have you seen in the development of children who have come to CCTC?

    I look at it on two levels: observable outcomes and how a child functions in their life. On the surface, success shows up in things like fewer suspensions or detentions, reduced fights, and improved grades.

    But real success goes beyond behavior. It’s about helping children make sense of what happened to them. Kids who’ve experienced trauma should never simply forget it. They need to learn how to live with it, understand its impact, and gain the skills to respond differently. That helps them manage triggers, regulate emotions, and gain self-awareness.

    What misconceptions about trauma or mental and behavioral health do you most want to challenge?

    There are a few. The first is one that still lingers. The idea that “kids are young, they’ll forget.” That’s just not true. When a child experiences something terrible at four years old and starts acting out at nine, those behaviors are often connected. Ignoring that link does a real disservice to the child.

    The second misconception is about resilience. People sometimes say, “She’s stronger because of what she went through.” Trauma doesn’t make you stronger; protective factors do. Maybe that person had strong family support, stable housing, or a teacher who cared. Those things build resilience, not the trauma itself.

    And the third is about the multigenerational nature of trauma. When harmful behaviors aren’t addressed, they echo through families. A parent who grew up with abuse or neglect might not repeat the same actions, but the emotional patterns of anger, control, and detachment can still carry forward. Recognizing that connection across time, generations, and communities is key to breaking the cycle.

    What is your mantra?

    I try to live by the idea of focusing on what you can actually impact. I stay focused on what makes the biggest difference.

    PHILLY QUICK ROUND

    Favorite Philly food? For Dominican food, I really like Mamajuana in Fishtown and a few spots in North Philly, like El Meson and Barú.

    Sports team you love: I’ve been a Phillies fan my whole life.

    What you wish people knew about those who call Philly home: What I wish people knew about Philadelphians is how much the city has changed over the past 20 years. Many outsiders still see Philly as it was 25-30 years ago, but today it’s far more diverse, not just in food and restaurants, but across neighborhoods.

    Greatest Philadelphian of all time? My pick for greatest Philadelphian of all time is easy: Ben Franklin.

    Favorite thing to do when you have free time in and around Philly: I love exploring new restaurants I haven’t tried yet, especially with friends.

    Lucy Danziger is a journalist, an author, and the former editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, Women’s Sports & Fitness, and The Beet.

  • Fully booked: The ‘Michelin effect’ is being felt at Philly’s honored restaurants

    Fully booked: The ‘Michelin effect’ is being felt at Philly’s honored restaurants

    As chef Nicholas Bazik climbed into bed late Tuesday night, he checked the reservations at Provenance, his posh restaurant in Society Hill. Business at Provenance, with its 25 seats and $225 French-meets-Korean tasting menu, had been respectable especially since September, when it appeared on Bon Appétit’s list of the country’s best new restaurants.

    Bazik discovered that Provenance was fully booked, 30 days out. The next day at noon, the next round of tables was snapped up in six minutes, he said.

    Chef Nicholas Bazik of Provenance, with wife Eunbin Whang, accepts a star at the Nov. 18 Michelin Guide ceremony.

    The so-called Michelin effect was at work. Provenance — as well as Her Place Supper Club and Friday Saturday Sunday, both in Rittenhouse — received one star from the Michelin Guide at Tuesday’s Northeast Cities ceremony, placing them in a rarefied league of 280 so-honored U.S. restaurants.

    In city after city since Michelin’s arrival in the United States two decades ago, newly starred restaurants report full books, wait lists stretching weeks or months, and in some cases double- or triple-digit growth in reservations. Winning a Michelin star — one or especially two or three — is no small task, and customers are known to travel to dine at a starred restaurant.

    Her Place Supper Club chef Amanda Shulman (left) and husband Alex Kemp take a photo at the Sixers game Wednesday. Shulman rang the bell at the start of the game.

    At Her Place, where it’s been what chef-owner Amanda Shulman called “a whirlwind of a week,” it’s difficult to determine Michelin’s impact. “We’re a small restaurant to begin with, but we’ve definitely seen a jump in email inquiries that are keeping our reservationist/administrative queen Natalie busy, along with a bump in social following. Truly a surreal experience and we’re just excited to welcome in more new faces.” (The Sixers invited Shulman to ring the bell before Wednesday’s game.)

    Friday Saturday Sunday already was one of Philadelphia’s hardest reservations, even before it won the James Beard Award for best new restaurant in 2023, and owners Chad and Hanna Williams are planning an expansion to the rowhouse next door.

    Chefs Marc Vetri (left) and Chad Williams during the cocktail hour, at the Michelin Guide announcement at the Kimmel Center.

    Restaurants that were included in Michelin’s Bib Gourmand (best value) and “recommended” categories also reported an uptick in business.

    “It’s been an outpouring of positivity,” said Louis Novak, general manager at Famous 4th Street Deli in Queen Village, a Bib Gourmand recipient where all business is walk-in. He reported “exceptional” sales. “It’s also a ‘Day 1’ mentality moving forward. It’s a responsibility to live up to being a Michelin award winner.”

    At chef Jesse Ito’s Royal Izakaya in Queen Village, a Bib recipient, the line is longer and the weekday wait list is growing earlier than usual, said Daisy Zeijlon, who handles the restaurant’s publicity.

    At Sally (Bib), a pizzeria near Fitler Square, business was up 10% since the announcement, said owner Cary Borish.

    At Mish Mish (recommended), Alex Tewfik was ebullient on Sunday: “Being in South Philly, and the Eagles being the last monoculture we have left as a city, our Sundays have been brutal. Today, they are no longer brutal, which is, in ways, a sort of godsend situation.”

    Although hard numbers were hard to come by so far, the good vibes are everywhere as the restaurant industry enters its typically busy period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

    Chef Chris Kearse of Forsythia with his wife, Lauren, at the Michelin Guide announcement.

    “We have received such amazing support from the culinary community,” said Chris Kearse, chef-owner of Forsythia (recommended). “It feels like the whole city has come together to celebrate the excitement of the awards, and we’ve been touched by how many guests have stopped in to sit at the bar and share a celebratory drink with our team.”

    Al Lucas — a partner at Defined Hospitality, which operates Suraya (recommended), Kalaya (recommended), and Pizzeria Beddia (Bib) — said reservations “have already been very robust so we really cannot tell the impact quite yet. We have, however, seen a lot of anecdotal positive responses through Instagram, emails, and DMs.”

    Ellen Yin, who owns High Street (recommended), said it was too early to tell Michelin’s long-term recognition; “however, the energy is palpable.”

    Study after study has cautioned that Michelin acclaim does not always translate to success.

    A report in the Strategic Management Journal challenges the assumption that Michelin stars only help restaurants, finding that starred establishments are actually more likely to close due to increased operational pressure.

    Daniel B. Sands of University College London examined New York restaurants deemed “at risk” of earning a star by tracking those that received favorable New York Times reviews and later Michelin recognition. His analysis and interviews with owners revealed that while stars boost prestige, they also intensify strain along the value chain. Landlords, suppliers, and employees often demand higher compensation, while staff may leverage the star to seek better opportunities or launch competitors.

    At the same time, customer dynamics shift: New diners arrive with heightened expectations or tourist motivations, and regulars may visit less often. Some restaurants make costly adjustments to accommodate new guests without increasing revenue. Sands concludes that Michelin stars can bring mixed outcomes, with some businesses thriving but others buckling under the added pressure.

    Can the good vibes last? “Having seen bumps from things like being on lists [and] getting accolades in the past, the ‘pop’ doesn’t always last,” said Tewfik, at Mish Mish. “I’m aware that we’re in uncharted territory with Michelin, but usually it dies away in a few weeks. So we’ll see, but for now, we’re so so so thrilled.”

    Philadelphia chef Marc Vetri, who took Michelin nods for Fiorella (Bib Gourmand) and Vetri Cucina (recommended), tempers exuberance through experience. His first major award was in 1999, when Food & Wine named him one of its best new chefs. “These awards, while exciting and give the city a big boost, are not a magic pill,” Vetri said.

    “Lists, awards, Beards, Michelin — it’s all the same,“ he said. ”Over time, they will bring more visitors, and if you have a good reputation and you are consistent, if you keep putting in the work and [are] evolving, more people will come. That’s the award: The customers who keep coming back. People are going to be very sorry if they think a nod from anyone is going to validate them and make them super busy. That’s just not how it works.”

  • The CEO Shaping the Health of Greater Philadelphia

    The CEO Shaping the Health of Greater Philadelphia

    “I grew up admiring my father,” Kelly Munson, the president and CEO of Independence Health Group, parent company of Independence Blue Cross (IBX), said. Thurman Munson was a major league baseball star and captain of the New York Yankees in the 1970s, and Munson said he taught her the importance of hard work, humility, and giving back: “What I loved most was his resilience.”

    Now, Munson is bringing those lessons to her own leadership position. This October, she became the first woman to lead Independence Health Group in its 87-year history. The organization, which has 14,000 employees and serves more than 7.1 million people across 32 states, including the District of Columbia, plays a vital role in shaping the health of communities across the region and nationally.

    Previously, Munson served as president and CEO of AmeriHealth Caritas, an Independence Health Group company that provides national leadership for vulnerable populations. She was named CEO of the parent company after an extensive national search for the position. Here, she reflects on the moments that shaped her career, her admiration for Philadelphia, and her vision for the future of the company.

    Why did you choose to dedicate your career to health care?

    When I was in college, I was studying political science and happened to take a nutrition class. That’s where I learned that the [national] school lunch program was, at one point, counting ketchup as a fruit. I remember being stunned by that. Around the same time, I read an article about the impact of inadequate nutrition on schoolchildren, the way missing something as simple as breakfast could lower test scores and hold kids back.

    It struck me deeply that through no fault of their own, children were starting the day at a disadvantage, unable to focus and thrive, simply because of what food they had access to. That realization lit a fire in me. I knew then that I wanted to dedicate my life to health care, to helping address these inequities.

    What excites you most about being part of Philadelphia and its surrounding communities?

    I’ve been here for two years now, and what’s struck me most is how misunderstood Philadelphia can be from the outside. People often see the passionate sports fans, or some of the stereotypes, and miss what the city is truly about. Once you’re here, you realize it’s one of the most soulful, passionate places you could imagine. There’s an energy and pride that runs through everything, from the sports teams to the neighborhoods to the people who call it home.

    Independence Blue Cross has been woven into that fabric for generations. It’s not just an employer; it’s part of the lifeblood of the region, serving police officers, teachers, families, and communities across the area. In fact, IBX was the city of Philadelphia’s first health insurer! To lead an organization so deeply rooted here, in a city that’s so alive, is incredibly exciting.

    Previously, you were CEO of AmeriHealth Caritas, a Medicaid health plan that is a subsidiary of Independence Health Group. When it comes to AmeriHealth Caritas, what are you the most proud of and what is your vision for the company’s future?

    Honestly, what I’m most proud of are the associates at AmeriHealth Caritas. They are extraordinary: mission-driven, compassionate, and deeply committed to serving vulnerable populations. That mission is exactly why I joined the company. At our core, what we do is care for those who need it most.

    All our teams go beyond traditional health care. They bring high-touch, community-centered support, with care management programs that truly change lives. For those at highest risk, we assign dedicated care managers who ensure people get the extra help they need. That hands-on approach translates directly into healthier outcomes.

    Is there a member story that has made a lasting impression?

    There are a few that stay with me, but one comes to mind immediately. I received an email from a man thanking us because, for the first time in 15 years, his elderly mother was able to enjoy a family barbeque with his brother, who had been living with serious mental illness, and they got through the event without a behavioral episode. It was a simple moment, but it meant the world to them as a family.

    Through our programs, we helped the man’s brother secure consistent therapy, proper medication management, safe housing, which he had not had, and even a job. Over the next two years, he was able to reconnect with his family, get engaged, and spend meaningful time with his mother. Sadly, he passed away from cancer two years later, but for the first time, he was healthier, happier, and able to be fully present with his loved ones.

    That experience reminded me that when we help a member, we’re often impacting an entire family. Health is rarely just one issue; it’s intertwined with many layers of social and medical needs. We consider the whole person and their loved ones.

    Independence Health Group has a history of community involvement, including employee volunteer work. How will you carry that forward in your role?

    Community engagement is at the heart of who we are. Across IBX and the AmeriHealth brand, employees have contributed more than 122,000 volunteer hours, with hundreds of nonprofits nationwide, not only to support the communities we serve but also to build trust and strengthen the networks that help our members.

    We help organizations with technology, infrastructure, and funding to ensure they can thrive. I’m committed to continuing this legacy and empowering our teams to make an even greater difference in the communities we serve.

    How is Independence Health Group addressing disparities in social determinants of health?

    Social and environmental factors often shape health outcomes even more than medical care itself, especially in Medicaid populations. Many of our members face multiple challenges at once: food insecurity, housing instability, utility needs, limited health literacy. Our goal is to identify those gaps early, connect members with the right resources, and measure whether those interventions truly make a difference. When social gaps are closed, members are up to 7% more likely to get preventive care, and hospitalizations can drop by a third. That’s powerful.

    I’m especially proud of our partnerships driving equity at a systemic level. Through the Regional Coalition to Eliminate Race-Based Medicine, IBX worked with 12 health systems to remove bias from clinical algorithms, resulting in more than 1,100 patients moving onto or up the kidney transplant list. By the end of 2024, 188 received kidney transplants. Our Accelerate Health Equity initiative brings hospitals, insurers, and community organizations together to tackle inequities across Philadelphia.

    Rising drug costs continue to be a concern for consumers. What strategies are effective for addressing affordability?

    It’s a serious challenge. Pharmacy costs have risen more than 230% over the past two decades, driven largely by high-priced specialty drugs. Many of these medications bring real value to patients, but the costs can be overwhelming.

    We’re focused on evidence-based strategies that maintain quality while improving affordability. That includes expanding access to biosimilar drugs, which offer the same effectiveness at a lower cost; ensuring members try proven, lower-cost options before moving to more expensive treatments; and helping members receive infusions or medications in lower-cost care settings when appropriate.

    We also work closely with providers to ensure members understand their options, like choosing between generics and brand names depending on what’s clinically appropriate. It’s about empowering people with choices that protect both their health and their wallet, without compromising quality of care.

    Who do you admire in your personal life or family?

    I grew up admiring my father, Thurman Munson. He was captain of the New York Yankees in the ’70s; what I loved most was his resilience. He came from very humble beginnings. They were so poor growing up that sometimes he had to go without shoes or resources, but he performed at the highest level anyway. In high school and college, he would have to mow seven lawns before showing up at the ball park for practice. Yet he achieved something extraordinarily rare while staying grounded, valuing family, and teaching us the importance of hard work and humility.

    And my mom was equally remarkable. When he passed [at the age of 32], she carried through those values. She picked right up with that same approach to raising us to be hard-working kids. Having both of them as role models shaped who I am, and I don’t take for granted the lessons they gave me about resilience, humility, and having an impact.

    What do you do with a few free hours?

    The number one way that I recharge is to do anything with any one of my kids, or all three and my husband, preferably. My favorite thing is to go hiking. So when I can, I get them to go hiking with me.

    Do you have a mantra? Any words you live by, or sayings that resonate with you?

    Actually I do. I was trying to make a big work decision one time, and I was struggling with it. A gentleman came by my office and he could tell that I had been struggling, and he just leaned in and shared a quote by Goethe: “Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”

    These words helped me decide. It really boils down to knowing what matters most to you.

    PHILLY QUICK ROUND

    Favorite food: Jim’s Steaks. It’s absolutely fantastic.

    Which sports team’s shirt do you wear most often? The Yankees. I’m sorry, but no other baseball hat goes on my head. I’m the daughter of a former captain. It’s family.

    What do you love about Philadelphia? Well, of course it’s the fans. You come here, and everyone is passionate, and it’s so much fun.

    Who is the greatest Philadelphian of all time? Everyone who fought for freedom and human rights.

    I feel most Philadelphian when …. I’m in a sports bar watching an Eagles game.

    Lucy Danziger is a journalist, an author, and the former editor-in-chief of Self Magazine, Women’s Sports & Fitness, and The Beet.

  • An Infrastructure for Empowerment

    An Infrastructure for Empowerment

    A 2019 recipient of the Philadelphia Award, the Rev. Luis Cortés Jr., 67, has come a long way from working after school at his father’s grocery store, known as a “bodega” in East Harlem. The bodega is where he learned the impact of social connection. “I’ve never seen sociology papers written from the bodega perspective, but there can be,” Cortés said.

    Those early observations informed Cortés’ belief that perseverance and financial literacy can help close the gap for Latino communities. In 1986, Cortés founded the nonprofit Esperanza, which means “hope” in Spanish. The faith-based organization is guided by Jesus’ mandate in Matthew 25:40 to serve and advocate for “the least of these” around us.

    Known simply as “Rev” by members of the wider Philadelphia community, Cortés is proud of the breadth of services Esperanza offers. The organization improves the lives of those in North Philadelphia through education, housing stability, work training, civic empowerment, and the arts. Over the last 40 years, Esperanza has grown to serve more than 30,000 families annually. Cortés aspires to do more, still.

    How did your upbringing in New York City influence you?

    The first 10 years of my life were in Spanish Harlem, then we moved to Black Harlem and I attended New York City public schools. My father ran a grocery store, a bodega in the neighborhood, and I worked at the store. Working at the store teaches you a lot about life. You get to know the customers. You get to know their families. You get to know their hopes, aspirations, fears, and you begin to become part of the fabric of their lives. You learn about things that are happening in people’s lives that are very real and painful.

    It’s always the same things: the desire to have safety, and also long-term aspirations, [like to] be able to provide for their family.

    What experiences in your life or background led you to dedicate your career to social services and community support?

    I decided to go into the ministry because I could work on behalf of communities. I went from “I’m going to be a lawyer to help people,” to being a minister to help people. I became immersed in civil rights, both in my theological training as well as [in] my ministerial pursuit.

    I worked for a group called IFCO [Interreligious Foundation for Community Organization], based out of the Abyssinian Church under Rev. Lucius Walker. We [supported] self-determination for Puerto Rico. We [supported] civil rights in the U.S., [and] the National Anti-Klan Network. I’m willing to persevere for the greater good of the community. I realized I’m better at civil rights work and community development work.

    If someone were to ask you about entering the clergy today, what would you advise?

    I think that entering the clergy allows you to get into the most theoretical, philosophical, theological thoughts in the history of humankind. All areas of inquiry are open to you.

    Esperanza is a faith-based organization. How is faith woven into all that Esperanza does?

    The fact is, all human beings are equal and all human beings need to be loved and respected.

    That’s our theological and our epistemological premise. Every individual has something to share, both for the growth of their family and for the whole. If you start there, everything [is] about opportunity. Money should not inhibit your growth and your ability to serve others. At Esperanza the religious aspects will always be present as long as we maintain the theoretical framework that all human beings are created by God. And all human beings are equal, regardless of who they are in the present day, because that will not define who you will be tomorrow.

    Economics is a touchstone for you and for Esparanza. What’s behind your focus on financial literacy?

    I learned early that money is a tool. And no matter how much money you have, it is still a tool, and an important one. How do we learn to use and apply that tool?

    The example I use is this: When I worked at my family’s store, I would always take a Snickers bar and a Pepsi. The fact that I wasn’t thinking about it irritated my father. So one day he asks me four basic questions: How many are in a box? How many do I have to sell to break even? How long is the box there? And why is the box there?

    He wasn’t upset that I was eating a Snickers bar. He was upset that I didn’t know what [it] meant to the overall economics of the store, and that I was taking that tool [of money and economics] for granted. Money is a tool no matter how little you have. And you need to understand the tool and how you apply the tool.

    We need to find ways to educate people about money, about status, immediate gratification versus long-term gratification. You cannot just live for tomorrow, but you should not just live for today. That’s my philosophy.

    Is there a division of Esperanza that you hold a soft spot for?

    In our art gallery, Galéria Esperanza, we highlight Latino artists from Philadelphia who don’t get a shot anywhere else. There are great composers, [musicians, dancers, and other Latino artists] in history. And so Esperanza Art Center melds [the performing arts, including theater, film, music, and dance, to feature those artists]. And then [another] important [piece] is access: [kids] 18 and under and college students [can attend for] free, and senior citizens are free.

    We need to thank the philanthropic community because they made that access possible. We built and paid for our theater, the Teatro Esperanza. I convinced the performing groups, including Philadelphia Ballet, Philadanco and Opera Philadelphia, to come, but I still needed a way to help finance those groups.

    We have a library, which is now a community library. The businesses use it in the evenings. It’s reserved for our high school juniors, seniors, and college students during the day. It’s wonderful. We don’t get any government funding for that, but we need it. We hold community school meetings here at Esperanza as well.

    Can you share a recent success story?

    It is the opening of Esperanza Academy Charter School‘s elementary building in September. It took us almost 12 years to gain permission, raise the money to build, and open our elementary school. Once we finally got permission we had to raise money. It took five years to raise $40 million for the construction. We have a state-of-the-art facility. It is a physically beautiful space for our children. The parents see it and cry.

    There have been a lot of recent changes politically on the local, state, and national levels. How has Esperanza had to shift its focus?

    Civic rights, civic engagement have become a larger focus in the more recent months. We have an immigration division, so we put out training sessions to know your rights.

    We also have explained to staff what their rights are. We’ve explained to business owners [and] clergy. A lot of clergy thought that ICE cannot come into their church. The law is clear. ICE can walk into your church on a Sunday morning while you’re preaching. They cannot go into any space that’s private. So put “private” on every door.

    Learning the rules of engagement is important, even though the rules of engagement are not always followed by the government these days. But knowing them is important because they will affect your case as you move forward.

    We’re proceeding with our work. People need housing. People need food. People need education. Nothing changes. We have to continue to let people know that this political climate is abnormal. But you need to understand that while it’s abnormal, it may be legal. And if it is legal, you need to understand what your rights are. You need to understand where you must comply.

    What is the biggest challenge for Esperanza in the coming year?

    The biggest challenges include programming for senior citizens around heat mitigation, cuts to our college (a Hispanic-serving institution), and reductions in community development funding. We had to make tough decisions. The loss of funding meant we couldn’t hire a group of people, and hard-working people had to be let go.

    These are fundamental issues about being humane and they’re very important. I see a lot of inhumaneness by governmental structures these days.

    Esperanza turns 40 years old in 2026. Are there any special events in the works?

    We will be celebrating our 40th anniversary in April with a sponsored event. And then, we also are celebrating the 25th anniversary of [Esperanza Academy Charter School] and the 25th anniversary of [Esperanza College of Eastern University].

    We’ll be holding an event the day before our 40th anniversary event [that is] a musical celebration with a jazz orchestra band for the community [celebrating] 250 years of Latin music. We’ll have big-band-style performers with Pablo Batista heading it up. Pablo was this year’s Grand Marshal for the Puerto Rican parade. He’s one of the top percussionists and a global icon who’s been living in [Philadelphia] for his whole life.

    What do you want your legacy to be?

    That’s easy: to build Esperanza College into one of our major universities in Philly. And the institution will compete and become the mechanism by which people can become empowered.

    PHILLY QUICK ROUND

    What’s your favorite Philly food splurge? I have two: the Tres Leches cake from Vickie’s Sweets and the homemade ice cream from Helados Chupi Chupi.

    Favorite Philly restaurant? Tierra Colombiana. You can get the best Latin food in the city.

    Favorite Philly small business? Cafe Tinto and Amy’s Pastelillos, both in North Philly.

    Which sports teams do you root for? I was a Sixers fan before I came to Philadelphia. All the other teams I became a fan of after I moved to Philadelphia. They grow on you. The Flyers, Phillies, the Eagles are in a renaissance period right now.

    Favorite Philly artist, performer, musician and/or band? Percussionist Pablo Batista and the band Low Cut Connie.

    What elements of Philly remind you of your childhood neighborhood of East Harlem in NYC? Any time I walk into a bodega and I can talk in Spanish, it’s like a time warp.

    What’s one place in or around Philadelphia everyone should visit at least once? Teatro Esperanza.

    What do you wish people knew about the people who call Philly home? We always get up. We get knocked down, but we always get up. It’s part of that Rocky theme. There’s a lot of persistence in Philadelphia. It makes our city more dynamic.

  • Eli Lilly & Co. is opening a Lilly Gateway Labs biotech incubator in Philadelphia

    Eli Lilly & Co. is opening a Lilly Gateway Labs biotech incubator in Philadelphia

    Philadelphia is the newest destination for Lilly Gateway Labs, an incubator for early-stage biotech companies backed by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co., the company announced Wednesday.

    The Center City incubator will be Lilly’s fifth in the United States. Biotech hotbeds Boston, South San Francisco, and San Diego already have them. (South San Francisco has two.) Companies at those locations have raised more than $3 billion from investors since the program started in 2019, Lilly said.

    Lilly’s Philadelphia operation will occupy 44,000 square feet on the first two levels of 2300 Market St. in Center City.

    Lilly expects to house six to eight companies there, aiming to welcome the first startups to the site in the first quarter of next year, said Julie Gilmore, global head of Lilly Gateway Labs. She did not identify prospects.

    Typically, Gateway Labs residents are at the stage of raising their first significant round of capital from investors, called Series A, and are two or three years from clinical testing, she said.

    The arrival of high-profile Lilly, which has seen resounding success with its GLP-1 drugs for diabetes and weight loss, could turn out to be a shot in the arm for a local biotech scene. Philadelphia has a growing biotech sector but has lagged places like Boston, despite the presence of world-class scientists at local research universities. Their work has fueled groundbreaking discoveries in cell and gene therapy, as well as vaccines.

    But Lilly is interested in supporting ideas that go beyond the city’s cell and gene therapy strengths, said Gilmore. Gateway labs is part of Lilly’s Catalyze360 Portfolio Management unit, which provides broad support to fledgling biotech firms, including venture capital.

    “What we like is to go after innovative science. Who are the companies trying to solve really hard problems?” Gilmore said. “And we do know that Philadelphia has had a ton of success in gene therapy and CAR-T and I hope we can find some great companies in that space, but we’re going to be open to other types of innovative science as well.”

    Expanding Philly’s life sciences footprint

    Indianapolis-based Lilly already has a small presence in Philadelphia with Avid Radiopharmaceuticals Inc., a company it acquired in 2010. Avid still operates in University City. Lilly’s chief scientific officer, Daniel Skovronsky, founded Avid in 2004 after receiving a doctorate in neuroscience and a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

    Lilly is interviewing people to lead Philadelphia’s Gateway Labs location. They like to hire people who are familiar with the local universities and venture funds for those jobs, but that’s not all that matters. “We’re also looking for somebody who’s got deep drug development expertise,” Gilmore said.

    Lilly’s incubator adds to the life sciences activity at 23rd and Market Streets.

    Breakthrough Properties, a Los-Angeles-based joint venture of Tishman Speyer and Bellco Capital, announced plans for the eight-story, 225,000 square-foot building in 2022. Last week, Legend Biotech, which is headquartered in Somerset, N.J., celebrated the opening of a new cell therapy research center on the building’s third floor.

    Lilly Gateway Labs companies agree to stay for at least two years, and they can apply for up to another two years, Gilmore said.

    “The goal is, a company moves in and they can just worry about their science, worry about their team, and moving their mission forward, and we try to take care of everything else,” she said.

  • Thomas Jefferson University gets its first alma mater song 200 years later. Meet the composer.

    Thomas Jefferson University gets its first alma mater song 200 years later. Meet the composer.

    For its 201-year history, Thomas Jefferson University has been without an official alma mater song.

    Until now.

    Elizabeth Avril Barden, a customer-experience specialist at Jefferson Health Plans and recent summa cum laude graduate of the school, has written one.

    Jefferson Health reported a $104 million operating loss in first quarter of fiscal 2026

    “Jefferson How We Adore Thee” will be released to the university community at its annual gala Tuesday. The university held a contest during its bicentennial last year, and Barden’s piece was selected from dozens of entries, the school said.

    Elizabeth Avril Barden, a customer-experience specialist at Jefferson Health Plans and recent summa cum laude graduate of Thomas Jefferson University, has written the school’s first alma mater song in its 201-year history. “Jefferson How We Adore Thee” will be released to the university community at a gala on Tuesday.

    “Elizabeth really captured the essence of the Jefferson community,” said Jefferson President Susan C. Aldridge “Learning, collaborating and innovating are all part of our collective DNA and I couldn’t be happier that we finally have an alma mater which captures who we are as a university as we venture into our third century.”

    Jefferson has had a handful of songs that students have written over the years and a processional theme that launched in 1974, but never an official alma mater song, said F. Michael Angelo, Jefferson archivist.

    One reason could be that at its founding in 1824, Jefferson was a medical college and over the years evolved into a university. But it was always medically focused until the school merged with the former Philadelphia University, best known for its design, engineering, and health science programs, in 2017.

    Jefferson-Philadelphia University merger drawing attention from other schools

    “Philadelphia University, as far as we can tell through their archives, never had an alma mater song, either,” Angelo said.

    Barden, 32, who received her bachelor’s degree in Health Services Management from Jefferson this year, said a colleague encouraged her to enter the contest. She has written about 30 songs, she said, so it wasn’t an off-the-grid venture.

    It took her just 25 minutes to write the lyrics and music for the one minute, 55-second piece, she said.

    “If you’re creative, you just flow,” she said. “You flow like water because it’s already in you, and you don’t have to overthink what’s already in you.”

    And with the help of producer Keegan Myers, who played the music while Barden sang, the chorus goes:

    It’s the Jefferson strong and true, where innovation leads us through. Together we achieve our best, as we prepare for what’s next.

    “In every step I was taking at the university, it was preparing me for the next level of life,” she said.

    Barden has been singing in front of people since age 2 and wrote her first song at 7, she said. Her parents, both Christian pastors originally from Haiti, encouraged her musical talent as she grew up in Brooklyn surrounded by gospel music, she said.

    “Me and my six siblings, we were essentially the choir,” she said.

    In high school, she won a song-writing contest and got to meet Grammy-winning R&B singer Jazmine Sullivan, who, she said, encouraged her to keep writing. She had written her high school’s alma mater song, too. And when she was a student at Delaware County Community College, she sang the national anthem at two ceremonies.

    “Any school I go to, I want to leave a piece of me there,” she said. “Music to me is connection. That’s how I connect to people.”

    For winning the Jefferson contest, she received a $200 gift card to the school bookstore, lunch with Aldridge, and a Jefferson mug.

    “But the greatest gift was my name being attached to this alma mater song,” she said.

    Barden said her aim in writing the song was to give Jefferson a gift.

    “Jefferson gave me a lot,” she said, including a scholarship. “There were moments where I needed to talk to professors because life was happening. They were always kind and patient with me.”

    Barden attended community college in New York after high school, but left when she got pregnant. When she moved to Philadelphia in 2016, she enrolled at Job Corps and then moved on to the Delaware County college. She continued on to Jefferson, while raising her four children, now ages 2 to 13.

    In 2023, she began working there, too. Her job entails focusing on the patient experience and helping patients navigate the system.

    “For the most part, I’m kind of like a clean-up person,” Barden said.

    She’s currently enrolled in a dual program at Bryn Mawr College and Jefferson to obtain her master’s degrees in social service and public health. She plans to become a licensed clinical social worker and to incorporate music therapy into her work.

    As part of her studies, she’s doing research on how music therapy can help those suffering from post-traumatic stress.

    “I do believe that the incorporation of music,” she said, “has the ability to communicate with anyone … and help them learn how to cope.”