Laura McCutcheon's Blog (12)

So if you were wondering, yes I hibernate in the winter. In fact, if I wasn't at home or at work, chances are you would only find me one other place - Balance Studios. What is so great about this place that would make me get off of my couch and out from under…

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At the corner of 5th and Thompson Streets,  one block north of Girard Ave.,  lies one of my favorite BYOB restaurants in Philly: Taco Riendo. The food at this authentic and affordable Taqueria is an awesome collection of genuine Mexican recipes and dishes. In fact, the menu is written first in Spanish with the English translation underneath. I have loved every meal that I have had here and am especially fond of their cuisine this winter. Let's face it. A little taste of Mexico can't be bad…

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What better way to celebrate the New Year than with Philadelphia's traditional parade down Broad Street. I'll have to admit, though I've lived in and around Philly my entire life, this was only my 2nd year attending the event (sad to say, but I usually watched on tv) but I was determined to get my son to his first parade. The weather was milder than it had been in the past few days, so this was our perfect opportunity.…

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"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life" - Arthur Ashe



This is the quote at the top of Philly for Children’s MySpace page and part of the inspiration for co-founders Barry Hunsberger and Pete Shumacher. The Philly for Children All-Ages Benefit Concert was created to donate toys to Toys for Tots as well as all admission monies from the event go to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.



On Sunday, December 12th, from 4 -9 pm, the Philly… Continue

This weekend when I was picking up my son from my parents, I saw the Boy Scouts delivering their Food Drive bags and sure enough when we arrived home, there was one on our door as well. The Scouting for Food Collection is just one of the ways Philabundance is working to collect and distribute food to hungry men, women and children in the Delaware Valley this year.

Though they are a year round organization, providing food to over 900,000 residents in Philadelphia and the…

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As we sat in my living room, my husband's arm went up with a shout "Yeah". "Why did you say 'Yeah' Daddy?" were the inquisitive words coming from our not quite three year old. "We scored, buddy". "Yeah" the little voice mimicked and his little arm went up. I have to be honest, I got a little choked up. You see, I have been a Flyers fan for as long as I can remember. My dad had season tickets from their second year until I got married (my husband still thinks he was jipped out of his dowry). So… Continue

Set right off of Delaware Avenue (Columbus Blvd) and Beach Street and literally sitting on the Delaware River lies Penn Treaty Park. A small, clean and well maintained park that is part of the Fairmount Park Commission, this beautiful gem is my little piece of heaven within the city limits.



The first thing I noticed when I entered the park was the open space where several people were playing with their dogs. There is almost always a frisbee catching canine or a group of dogs sniffing… Continue

It wasn't long ago that baseball in October didn't exist in Philadelphia. This was Eagles country and the Phillies were playing golf. Now, with one of the best Phillies teams of all time, Philly fans are fully appreciative of this playoff season. Women are accessorizing with red sweaters, toddlers are sporting Utley t-shirts and 50 year old men are dressed for work in jerseys and caps. But the fact that we are all wearing our gear is no surprise. The atmosphere and excitement the Phillies have… Continue

For true art lovers, the only thing better than seeing artwork displayed is perhaps seeing where and how it is created. Thanks to the Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, or POST, this idea is a reality. What began as a collaborative effort between 13 artists in 2000 is now a huge city wide event spanning two weekends at the beginning of every October and features hundreds of artists and their studios. The tour itself is broken into two weekends due to the large numbers of participants. This past… Continue

I first attended First Fridays as a poor college freshman at Temple University. Not having a lot of recreational funds and having several artistic friends made this a great once a month outing. Revisiting this event years later offered a similar and more appreciative view on this great opportunity. This free event (unless you decide to purchase artwork) is a great experience for all ages, regardless of your tastes in artwork.



Art Galleries in Olde City started the trend of staying open… Continue

Built as part of a 28 acre revitalization project in Northern Liberties, The Piazza at Schmidts (and the Liberties Walk) is modeled after the Piazzas of Italy. If you've traveled abroad, you know the cozy feel of the boutique filled side streets and the open environment of the square itself. If you haven't, look no further. The idea of the Piazza was to create a walking neighborhood where the residents could meet all of their needs within 5 minutes. They've captured that and so much… Continue

Inaugural column - Why I LOVE Philly

In this initial blog about Why I LOVE Philly, I am happy to introduce this page as a place to read and write about your favorite people, places and events in Philadelphia. Having lived in and around Philly for most of my adult life (and making frequent trips in from the suburbs when I wasn't in Philly), I already have a… Continue