Philadelphia Products

Love Park by Jim Zervanos

2011-09-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Local writer and high school teacher Jim Zervanos has crafted a touching and engaging first novel set in Philadelphia. Love Park (published by Cable Publishing) follows a Greek-American family living just outside the city, adeptly exploring their inner dynamics and family secrets. Philadelphia plays a major role as the backdrop to the story as the author brings to life its streets and public art. Philadelphia Magazine described the work as "funny, smart, and incisive."

Zervanos also published a story, "Georgie," in the anthology Philly Fiction, a collection of short stories set in Philadelphia and written by local writers. He also has a piece in the collection Philadelphia Noir, a set of gritty hard-boiled tales which take place around the city.

Find out more about the author at jimzervanos.com.

Philly cut-outs by Grand Circus

2011-05-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

We've been seeing these around for some time now at craft fairs and cool artsy shops in the city. Little cardboard cut-outs of archetypal Philadelphia homes, including row homes, a "Fishtowner" town house, and a trinity (small three story homes that proliferate in parts of South Philly and Kensington). Small emblematically Philly vehicles are also available, including a Mambo movers truck, a Kenzinger beer truck, and a classic Philly food truck.

These little craft works are sold under the name Grand Circus Paper & Toy (though the previous incarnation, Daymaker Industries, also has an apparently active store on Etsy, with slightly different merchandise). If you see the company at a fair, they'll build the model for you. At stores, they are usually available both ready made or in flat form. But part of the thrill is putting together your very own miniature Kenzinger truck.

Prices range from $3 to $7. Products available at Grand Circus's Etsy site.

2wo One 5ive Tees from BreakawayINK

2011-05-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

We all rock the 2-1-5, even when we're doing it from our 2-6-7 cell (or 6-1-0 or 4-8-4, or, god forbid, those NJ codes). We've seen a lot of 215 merch over the years, but something about BreakawayINK's design caught our eye. Perhaps it's the way the first letters seem to incongruously spell 205. Whatever, cool Philly T-shirt. Breakaway's 2wo One 5ives are available for $25.99 on their website, breakawayink.com, in three colors: red, green, or our favorite, blue. Some colors are on sale for $19.99, which might mean they're not going to be around for too long.

CHRMNG Tees

2010-12-13T14:18:00.000-08:00

This ethical T-shirt company has made a name for itself with an impressive collection of shirt designs, including a couple Philly-centric prints. But it's not just the soft stylish T-shirts that will make you feel good. Chrmng donates 10% of all sales towards providing clothing for those in need. Charming, indeed.

Here are a couple of our favorite Chrmng shirts:

Chrmng, Phila, PA design, $18: a world-weary sketch of the First Philadelphian, Ben Franklin.

I [pretzel] Philadelphia design. $20: A personalized take on this ubiquitous Philly love logo.

Phuk Yeah Philly T-Shirt

2010-08-30T11:30:00.000-07:00

Saw these great Philly-rific tees for sale at the annual Community Cultural Exchange show and fair at 6th and Lombard this weekend past. The makers, Eyevolve, have an array of out-there designs. Another favorite was the printed picture of Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan "Free Hugs." The shirts are sprayed with red paint dye, so each one is uniquely macabre.

The Phukyea shirts are done in the style of the Phillies logo, but have decidedly more 'tude. The Eyevolve website neglects to give pricing info.

LOVE "J-A-W-N" T-shirt

2010-08-19T20:22:00.000-07:00

You totally need one of these jawns.

To paraphrase T-shirt designer Secret Lovers, "The slang word jawn is used in Philadelphia conversation to replace just about any noun, roughly like thing, or doo-hickey. The Pittsburgh designer now offers hip unisex T-shirts emblazoned with the word, in the style of Robert Indiana's famous LOVE statue at JFK Plaza/LOVE Park in Philadelphia, and other places around the world. Buy these great Philadelphia gifts for $22 (plus $6 shipping) at their etsy store, and maybe other places.

Get this jawn. And also this jawn: a Philadelphia LOVE necklace, yeah.

Another Philadelphia Map Print

2010-07-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

We recently showcased this cool Philadelphia neighborhood map print, last weekend at the Punk Rock Flea Market, we spotted this, from Peaceful Traveler. It's not as comprehensive, but it's simple and attractive.

Hand drawn silk printing, $24 at peacefultraveler.org. Other states, cities, and colors available. Also look out for their Philadelphia Hoagies tee.

Phlyers Rule

2010-05-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

It's still early season, but the Phillies look set continue the winning ways of 2008 (remember that?) and 2009, and their sports complex neighbors, the Flyers, are cruising through the NHL playoffs in unlikely style. Celebrate a love for both with a hybrid logo: the Phillies "P" script (retro style) with the distinctive Flyers wing-trails. Available in three T-shirt styles: in Flyers orange on black or black-and-orange on grey or in Phillies maroon on blue ('82 model). I want one.

Get yours at Broad Street Bootlegs.

Neighborhood map

2010-04-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

I love maps and I love Philadelphia's neighborhoods. The changing architecture, culture, and population as you move from block to block is what makes Philly such a unique and fun-to-walk city. My loves have been combined with the Philadelphia neighborhood map from Ork Posters. Their exact boundaries and names might be the subject of debate, but it's a nice design and it captures the city well. Plus, Philly has a great and recognizable city shape, I've been seeing it used more and more to great design effect.

$22, available in several colors. orkposters.com/philadelphia

Absolute POP Philly Art Blocks

2009-11-23T21:12:00.000-08:00

Great gift idea for anyone who likes Philadelphia: attractive 10"x10" art blocks for just $39 from Absolute POP. The store at 141 South 13th Street has artistic photos and painting prints of classic and unusual Philadelphia scenes. They are giclee prints on thick wooden blocks treated to withstand heat and humidity.

Absolute POP and its sister store Absolute Abstract are good places to find reasonably priced original and replicated artwork. Some of the selection border on gaudy (they also serve corporate offices), but many items are unique and beautiful. Their Absolute Philadelphia series of images is also available in other sizes and on canvas.

Mitchell & Ness throwback jerseys

2009-11-23T20:11:00.000-08:00

Stopped in the Mitchell & Ness store at 13th and Chestnut today to oggle their collection of throwback Phillies jerseys. Mitchell & Ness has been a sporting goods company since 1904, when they began selling wooden tennis racquets and golf clubs. By the 1920s they were manufacturing baseball jerseys of local teams and at one point supplied official uniforms for the Eagles, Phillies, and the since-departed Philadelphia Athletics. In the late 1980s, with business struggling, the company decided to focus its efforts into making vintage uniforms, first in baseball and then in other sports.

The authentically made vintage uniforms can be a little pricey, running $200-$300, but you can find throwback jackets, caps, and T-shirts for $50 or less.

Here are some of my favorites:
Philadelphia Phillies Battery Jacket, $60

Philadelphia Athletics 1927 Road Jersey (featuring the white elephant!), $225

1945 Philadelphia Phillies "4 Jimmy Foxx" jersey (with Blue Jay!), $250

Philadelphia LOVE Necklace

2009-11-16T15:02:00.000-08:00

A shining tribute to Robert Indiana's famous design and the sentiment it represents. This sterling silver piece is inspired by the famous LOVE statue in JFK Plaza (LOVE Park) in central Philadelphia. Made on Jewelers' Row, this is a slice of Philly that will even appeal to someone who is yet to visit the city.

Sterling Silver, 16" or 18" chain
On sale at Etsy.com. $75.

Philadelphia Filly

2009-09-03T13:23:00.000-07:00

I saw this great t-shirt the other day at a Phillies game and looked around online for it. It’s available from zazzle.com at zazzle.com/nuclearswan/filly+gifts, and can be custom printed in a variety of styles and colors. Makes a great Philadelphia gift for any Philly girl. And it looks hot too.

Philly Fiction

2009-08-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

2006’s Philly Fiction was published, as its subtitle suggests, to “highlight Philadelphia as a city of literary inspiration.” It features 19 stories set in Philadelphia, all written by authors who are from Philly or who live in the city. The cover features a stylized sketch of Philadelphia’s ubiquitous icon Benjamin Franklin, rendered by West Philly artist Theron Warren in a cartoonish deconstructionist style that seems to straddle homage and mockery. (There’s a Septa train on the back cover, too!)

Philly Fiction is an ideal gift book for area readers. The stories are diverse and of a generally very high quality and present Philadelphia tenderly, while keeping a knowing eye on its peculiar flaws. As Philadelphia Magazine put it: "[t]he writing sings; in 'The Shanghai Ship to Love,' Edward P. Clapp hilariously describes a trip on the Chinatown Express. There’s genuine emotion in Michael Aronovitz’s 'The Big Picture' …. In Greg November’s 'Dinnertime at 42B,' a loser pays a hooker for her company, but the woman isn’t pretty, and the ending isn’t Hollywood. Welcome to Philadelphia."

Other reviews at the time, such as this extended piece in the Inky, were full of praise. It is available through area bookstores and online at PhillyFiction.com and Amazon.com. A second volume of tales was released earlier this year.

Philadelphia in Art: Paintings by Lilliana Didovic

2009-08-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

Philly-based artist Lilliana Didovic finds inspiration in the streetscapes and skylines of her adopted city (she was born in Croatia and lived in Bosnia before finding a home here). Her paintings depict city landmarks like the Betsy Ross House (one of Didovic’s renderings of this is in the possession of Mayor Michael Nutter), South Street, the Friendship Arch in Chinatown, and the Ben Franklin Bridge. Recent work has incorporated shining stones to capture the lights of the city. Didovic also has a series of paintings of the Philadelphia skyline that straddle a border between representative painting and abstract expressionism, with Philly skyscapes hovering surreally over single-color backgrounds.

Didovic's work has appeared in numerous galleries around town: Smile Gallery, Skylight 307, and the Davinci Art Alliance Gallery, among others. The paintings are affordable: many of them can be had for less than $1,000. For a cheaper option, consider purchasing a set of Didovic’s postcards of her art. Contact Lilliana@lillianadidovic.us for more information.

[This article has been corrected. It originally incorrectly identified Lilliana's place of birth. Many apologies for the mistake.]

Philadelphia Products

2009-07-31T17:34:00.000-07:00

We'll be posting notices about books, clothing, jewelry, music, and other items related to the city of Philadelphia. Ideally, products will be inspired by the city, made in the city, and reference Philly in some way. Whenever possible, we'll sell the pieces or provide links to where they can be purchased.

As these things go, we'll likely post a few at first and then it'll peter out.

Go phils.