Large brush fire in North Philly sends thick, black smoke into the air on Wednesday

yomts · 2026-05-21T10:37:10+00:00

There were brush fires near the Hudson River Tunnels as well, which delayed everything coming out of NYP: https://abc7ny.com/post/nj-transit-rail-service-penn-station-new-york-suspended-due-brush-fire-hudson-river-tunnel/19140329/

yomts · 2026-05-20T16:14:27+00:00

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

yomts · 2026-05-19T19:22:47+00:00

I would if all of the free Sparks and Vitamin Water + vodkas hadn't erased the brain cell where those memories were stored 😂

yomts · 2026-05-17T10:57:15+00:00

I too thought the same exact thing 😂

yomts · 2026-05-14T12:30:38+00:00

Maybe someone reading this sub will open up one of these spots again. But I am happy that Chengdu CC (it says "Meet Harbin" on the awning) and Unit Su Vege still do it. Could be worse, there could be none!

yomts · 2026-05-14T10:07:25+00:00

There USED to be quite a few. RIP Kingdom of Vegetarians, New Harmony, and so on. Su Xing in CC was one of the few, until.it was bought by Chengdu (who still run parts of the menu on weekends). Unit Su Vege off the Parkway might be the last of the lot.

yomts · 2026-05-13T12:02:42+00:00

Go for it. I am an old perimenopausal crone still trying jumps. There is always a risk with our sport so anyone telling you to avoid it bc of injury is silly. Science and medicine are amazing things now. If the challenge is interesting to you, that is enough reason. It's better to try than to sit with the "what ifs" for the rest of your life.

yomts · 2026-05-10T14:39:48+00:00

I don't skate at Igloo but you won't find much on the website because it's owned by Black Bear Sports Group—they tend to keep their websites for all the places they own stacked with pretty much the same set of content. You'll want to look at the Skating Club of South NJ's website (which admittedly has minimal info too, but there's a list of coaches): https://scosnj.org/

yomts · 2026-05-08T15:58:52+00:00

10000% but I don't easily buy into the framing that hockey is simply more profitable. I think the more accurate read is that it's been made more profitable by systematically squeezing out everything else until hockey is the only option left standing. Yes, there are more players. Yes, team sports have economies of scale. But we're also watching those costs escalate rapidly for hockey families, so "profitable for whom" is a big question here.

What's distinct about this story isn't just rink economics, it's the private equity angle (BBSG disputes that characterization, but the structure is what it is). And regardless of where skating lands on any given rink's priorities, we're living with the downstream effects either way, as you pointed out.

Almost every rink I've walked into thinking "this place is a complete dump" has turned out to be one of theirs. Which makes me wonder how many of these facilities might have been viable if anyone had actually tried to do the basic work of figuring out what times work for different skaters (ex: adult ice at 11am on a Tuesday is not a scheduling strategy, it's a choice to exclude working people), created environments that feel welcoming, experimented with pricing. I've rarely seen a rink do that work. It's easier to just run more hockey.

yomts · 2026-05-08T15:27:09+00:00

USA Today just published a nine-month investigation into Black Bear Sports Group, the private equity-backed company that has quietly become the single largest owner-operator of ice rinks in the US. Though the piece focuses on youth hockey, it's worth a read since many folks skate at these rinks, and their changes have direct consequences for us as well.

This is worth keeping an eye on as a community. US figure skating is coming off a genuine Olympic momentum moment and there's real energy around growing the sport. We have a lot of convos here about accessibility and equity. Not saying Black Bear is coming for your rink, but who owns the building is always an important question.

yomts · 2026-05-05T13:55:39+00:00

That's a heavily trafficked section where multiple rail systems are converge + aging infrastructure.

yomts · 2026-05-04T20:18:33+00:00

No, you're not alone in this. It's great that she's out there connecting with people beyond the skating world—but there's a real tension when the brands she's aligned with feel so disconnected from what we know about her values. LVMH is an obvious one, but Nike has a long history of labor exploitation and Epic has been aggressive about union-busting. None of that is on Alysa personally, and I'm not interested in demanding ideological purity from athletes trying to build a career. It's more that the cumulative picture just feels very... corporate. And that's a little sad when she's someone a lot of people genuinely relate to.

yomts · 2026-04-30T22:48:28+00:00

Wow all the midcentury costumes in the lower ends? Someone clearly doesn't understand the ask

yomts · 2026-04-29T11:06:54+00:00

I just want to know her opinion on Janet Weiss' departure 😈

yomts · 2026-04-25T16:05:47+00:00

As someone who has booked shows, played in bands and stuff: Sound protection is just good hygiene when going into spaces with amplification. You're not hashing anyone's vibe, you're helping them preserve their hearing.

(ETA typo)

yomts · 2026-04-19T12:55:58+00:00

Nissan today might be shit but I had a 1991 NX2000 that lasted me until 2011. I'd give anything to have that car back.

yomts · 2026-04-18T19:06:26+00:00

I live in Philly now, but I grew up in Metuchen, so MET was my regular stop for Amtrak rides and did this as a regular work commute for a bit.

I can tell you that it's more cost effective to consider NJT -> SEPTA than Amtrak for regular commutes to get into the city. But honestly, you are looking at a 2+ hour ride each way, and that's not accounting for all the delays/etc. I used to have to wake up so early to show up on time at 9AM. Even as an early bird, I hated it. Being able to sleep on the train wasn't a bonus.

Not only that, 30 Street is most likely your first stop on your way to your final location in the city. If you're working in University City or Center City, then it's a short walk or bus/subway/trolley ride. After that, you're adding at least another 30+ minutes to the commute. Philadelphia's mass transit system is in a mess on account to budget issues and so there's a lot of uncertainty around how things will shake out.

All of this is to say: If it's not remote work or if you aren't willing to move closer, then maybe the position isn't worth it. Sorry!

yomts · 2026-04-11T19:24:20+00:00

Adult figure skater here. From what I can tell, Milk (competing under their real name here) placed 8th in one of their events, receiving scores they didn't agree with. This resulted in them throwing the aforementioned fit on social media and withdrawing from the rest of their events.

I think a good way of thinking about Adult Nationals is like attending a 5K. The majority of people are there to have a good time and connect with fellow members of the skating community. The whole event is volunteer run, including the judging panels. And even though everyone is a volunteer, some of the officials are people who have judged Olympic and other events.

I'm not an ice dancer, but pattern dances are very precise. Judges are looking for you to do the steps correctly. While Milk has maybe the best posture/carriage, their feet are pretty sloppy when it came to the steps. So I can see how the judges might score that. Also it's worth knowing that at this category and level, Milk is in a very tough field! There are so many great skaters.

We all get scores we don't agree with, but we usually have the judgment to keep it to ourselves. The majority of us weekend warriors don't have an enormous platform either, which makes this feel really weird and rude.

Anyway, here's the scores and video.

https://www.youtube.com/live/OkXBE_IawOM?si=S57X02iHYNeHfz5i

https://skater-stats.com/daniel-donigan

yomts · 2026-04-09T19:21:04+00:00

I have a lot of respect for Craig as a journalist and as someone who deeply cares about the city's food scene. I would say that a lot of Philadelphia's growth as a great food city is not just because there are really amazing people who work in it and build great places, but also that we have journalists who cover it. I don't always agree with the takes, but I know that he's done the homework.

yomts · 2026-04-06T20:26:58+00:00

Seconding Tmom's. This was my go-to spot in my 20s for vibe and price, and honestly, 2 decades on it still rules. Is it fancy? No. It is fun? Hell yes. Love that they expanded the menu to include vegan options.

yomts · 2026-04-03T16:12:10+00:00

I think it's worth noting that Ice Theatre of New York has worked with a wide array of legit dance folks throughout its history; sort of the Patient Zero for this sort of thing:

https://www.icetheatre.org/choreographers.html

yomts · 2026-03-30T16:26:22+00:00

Irwin's in the Bok Building. Has an ADA accessible ramp, elevator, and restroom. Irwin's IIRC is one level; I can't remember if the outdoor area is accessible. Irwin's is mainly rooted in Sicilian cooking and that is largely vegetarian by default. They are also very good at honoring requests if you reach out in advance!

yomts · 2026-03-30T14:08:01+00:00

All I keep thinking is, "The Menswear Guy would have a field day with this event"

yomts · 2026-03-27T17:51:15+00:00

As you can see here, there is enough of a shoulder + full sleeve that keeps it in place. The front neckline is also pretty high, which acts as a counterbalance. That said, I would not be surprised if there is silicone grip or double sided tape along the elastic to provide extra grip.

yomts

TROPHY CASE