Prohibition Taproom: 501 N. 13th Street. With a name that more than rings bells of the bygone era, Prohibition Taproom is a bit easier to locate with big neon sign hanging out front stating “BAR.” Maybe back in actual Prohibition times this would have blown their cover, but modern-day patrons obviously need not worry. Located in the emerging Loft District surrounded by horse stables, Prohibition Taproom has a vibe that will make you feel like you’ve traveled time — with the exception of the enormous beer list, delicious food, weekend brunch and Sundays’ BYOV (bring your own vinyl).

(via Roundup: Top Picks For Where To Get A Taste Of Prohibition At Bars, Restaurants And Museums Throughout Philadelphia | Uwishunu – Philadelphia Blog About Things to Do, Events, Restaurants, Food, Nightlife and More)

You may have heard of theGreat Pacific Garbage Patch, but you don’t have to worry about that here in Philly. Right?

Nonprofit 5 Gyres rolled into town Monday to share their findings of sailing around the world on a plastic pollution studies mission. And the results were shocking.

The 5 Gyres Last Straw Plastic Pollution Solutions Bike Tour kicked off in Boston on October 2nd. They did a riverside cleanup at the Camden Waterfront during the day, picking up 295 LBS of trash! Regardless of their cleanups and biking hundreds of miles in the past few weeks, their presentation at Underground Arts was completely energized. Each team member brought their unique including amazing photos, fascinating videos and real-life “ocean” samples passed around the audience for a truly educational event.

(via Is there an “Atlantic” Version of “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”? 5 Gyres Tells All! – Green Philly Blog)

In 1993, teenagers Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin, and Jessie Misskelley, Jr.who have come to be known as the West Memphis Threewere arrested for the murders of three eight-year-old boys in Arkansas. The ensuing trial was marked by tampered evidence, false testimony, and public hysteria. Baldwin and Misskelley were sentenced to life in prison; while eighteen-year-old Echols, deemed the “ringleader,” was sentenced to death. Over the next two decades, the WM3 became known worldwide as a symbol of wrongful conviction and imprisonment, with thousands of supporters and many notable celebrities who called for a new trial. In a shocking turn of events, all three men were released in August 2011.
Now Echols shares his story in fullfrom abuse by prison guards and wardens, to portraits of fellow inmates and deplorable living conditions, to the incredible reserves of patience, spirituality, and perseverance that kept him alive and sane while incarcerated for nearly two decades.

(via The 215 Festival » Just Added! Damien Echols, Sunday, Nov. 4 @ Underground Arts!)

Eric Bresler, site editor of Cinedelphia.com and Director/Curator of PhilaMOCA, presents the feature-length debut of his comedic found footage project Video Pirates at the Philadelphia Mausoleum of Contemporary Art on Friday, November 9 at 8:00 PM.

Video Pirates takes short clips from thousands of instructional/educational/oddball VHS tapes and edits them together into thematic pieces.  VP debuted in July with the 10 minute short HORRORS (available here), which opened for a screening of POSSESSION at the International House.  VIDEO PIRATES: SPARKS, an hour-long history of the titular band, recently screened as part of the PhilaMOCA SPARKStacular on October 6.

(via PhilaMOCA hosts the maiden voyage of found VHS footage plunderers VIDEO PIRATES | PhilaMOCA)

Will underground park plans for NYC mean more attention to Philadelphia’s viaduct park ideas?

discoverynews:

sciencecenter:

Amazing technology would allow for underground parks in NYC

If you’ve been to Manhattan in the past several years, you may have heard of the Highline in Chelsea. It’s a project that converted an abandoned above-ground railroad track into a park, and it has turned the formerly underdeveloped area around it into one of the trendiest new neighborhoods in the city; if you visit Manhattan, you have to check it out. Anyway, two architects want to build a park that will do for the Lower East Side what the Highline did for Chelsea, but with a twist: they want to build it underground!

If you’ve been to Manhattan ever, you’ll also know that space is at a premium, and there are few open spaces left to grow leafy green things or build a park. Dubbed the LowLine, the project would convert an old underground trolley car station, abandoned in 1948 and untouched since, into a 1.5 acre underground park. But how? This is where the science comes in: they’ve developed the technology to transmit sunlight underground. Using large parabolic mirrors and a fiber optic relay, sunlight from the surface would be shuttled to the park and then redisbursed, allegedly yielding enough light for photosynthesis. As shown in the artist’s renderings above, the park could house trees, grass, farmers markets, or art installations, all year round, rain or shine. The architects raised money on Kickstarter for a proof-of-concept exhibition, happening RIGHT NOW in the Essex Street Market in NYC, and they’re doing battle with the city and the transit authority that owns the underground depot for approval. Here’s to hoping the city bureaucrats see the light! *slaps knee*

Quick Links

• TheLowLine.Org
• LowLine Kickstarter Project Page
• Meet the LowLine – The New Yorker

this looks beautiful, but how would it smell? hopefully not like a musty, damp basement.

Either way i’d still visit.

Saturday’s conversation was intended to encourage public input about design concepts for a linear viaduct park and spread the word about the project. Questions about the project’s viability, design, and representation of history were all themes covered during an open exchange between the members of VIADUCTgreene and the audience. Ideas from this session will feed into the design group’s future efforts, including a possible international call for designs.

(via VIADUCTgreene invites public input on Viaduct park)

[A plan for the future of the Reading Viaduct. Now on display.]

Hello Everyone,

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who came out to our event this weekend! Your support allowed us to get a great turnout, and we’re touched to know that so many people came together for such a great cause!

As we near the end of our Kickstarter campaign, we are just $450 short of our goal!! Please help us reach our goal by October 17th!!

The show will be open to the public through November 30th and we would love for you to stop by!

Open Hours: 
Weekdays October 15th through November 30th: 10:00 to 5:00pm
Saturdays and Sundays through November 30th: 1:00 to 4:00pm

Hope to see you at the show!

(via above l below l beyond ::: futures for a former railroad by Susan Kolber » HELP US MEET OUR KICKSTARTER GOAL!!! — Kickstarter)