City Cast Philly

Atlanta, Chicago, and New York have all transformed unused railroad lines into beautiful public parks. Philly has been trying to do a similar makeover with the Reading Viaduct for around 20 years. But so far, only a tiny stretch has been completed. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Inga Saffron, architecture columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer, about what’s derailing this project's progress.  Read I...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri talks with Tom Fitzgerald, transportation reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer and Meir Rinde, investigative reporter for Billy Penn. They discuss what's causing SEPTA’s recent string of crashes, why the transit agency's drivers are facing more abuse from passengers, and local political figures connected to the most recent Trump indictment. Plus, t...

Philly and South Jersey residents have long complained about loud music blasting from cars during late night ‘boom parties' held along the Delaware River. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with PhillyVoice reporter Maggie Mancini about how New Jersey and Philly are pulling the plug on these meetups, and nuisance cars in general, with new laws and fines. Read Maggie’s full story here.  RSVP for our upcoming...

Crimes against the elderly are on the rise, according to the Pennsylvania state courts. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Alex Blumenthal, supervisor of the Elder Justice Unit in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, and Sarina Issenberg, coordinator of the Philadelphia Elder Abuse Multidisciplinary Team, about local initiatives to combat these crimes and support victims. Here is a list of elder...

Let’s face it, even if you love your sweetheart, sometimes you can fall into a rut with date ideas. Enter "alphabet dating." This new TikTok trend encourages couples to plan date nights with themes for every letter, running from A to Z. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Manisha and Gabe Maday, the Philly couple behind the Instagram account @phillydateideas, about their Philly-centric alphabet dating gui...

There’s new research from the real estate brokerage company Redfin that says first-time homebuyers in the Philly region need to make more money than they did a year ago if they want to buy a house. That means dreams of homeownership remain out of reach for many in our city. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Aaron Moselle, housing and community development reporter for WHYY’s PlanPhilly about what's dri...

It’s the Friday news roundup! Host Trenae Nuri talks with Zoe Greenberg, features reporter at the Philadelphia Inquirer, Stephen Caruso, capitol reporter with Spotlight PA, and Ben Seal, freelance reporter. They discuss the drama over who gets to profit from Tiffany windows discovered in a church in West Philly, why a sexual abuse amendment missed its deadline to get on the November ballot, and wh...

This week, hip-hop turns 50. Even though the Bronx birthed this music genre, Philly’s produced some legendary rappers. But that’s not all we’ve done. Our city has deep connections to R&B hitmakers as well as a thriving punk scene. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Evon Burton, creative director of The Anderson Street Project, and Dave Kiss, talent buyer with Dave Kiss Presents, about which genre or gen...

There’s been a debate brewing in the Garden State for years. Is Central Jersey a real place? Well, a bill that recently passed the NJ State Legislature would officially settle it and carve up the state into North, Central, and South Jersey. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with bill sponsor and state Senator Andrew Zwicker about what defines Central Jersey and why it deserves to be on the map. RSVP for our...

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a slice of pizza. Luckily, there are plenty of great Philly pizza parlors to choose from, slinging everything from Detroit-style pies to Indian fusion pizza. In this episode, host Trenae Nuri and Dave Wez, the food blogger behind Feeding Time TV, dish about their favorite pizzas in the city.  Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morni...

Just over a year ago, the Philadelphia 76ers announced a new plan to build a stadium in Center City. Since then, it’s pretty much been non-stop controversy. The Sixers say they want a modern, new stadium where they get to control their schedule. But some community groups, many in Chinatown, say they don’t want a stadium in their backyard. Host Trenae Nuri digs in with Jordan Levy, general assignme...

It’s a ~sporty~ Friday News Roundup! Host Trenae Nuri is joined by John Barchard, co-host of Bell and the Birdmen podcast, Jaison Nieves, sports social media manager at The Temple News, Brian Micheal, owner of Shibe Vintage Sports, and Isaac Avilucea, reporter at Axios Philadelphia.  They discuss how the Philadelphia Eagles throwback Kelly green uniforms rollout was leaked, Temple University’s upd...

Philly is a great place to raise kids, but it could be even better. Host Trenae Nuri goes from A-to-Z on what could improve with Christine Speer Lejeune, a fellow Philly parent and contributing editor at Philadelphia Magazine. Christine breaks down 17 big kid-centric innovations the city could try, from appointing a child mayor to encouraging more multigenerational housing.  You can read the story...

Thousands of Philly city government jobs are vacant, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. This labor shortage affects everything from how quickly someone picks up your 911 call, to how late your local library is open. And this is all putting pressure on the city budget, in the form of rampant overtime. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Ryan Briggs, a researcher on the investigations team at The Phil...

Lemon Hill is usually a place where people host cookouts, but it’s also a great spot to forage for local, edible plants. Host Trenae Nuri and producer Abby Fritz explore this corner of Fairmount Park with Lynn Landes, the creator of Wild Foodies of Philly. She shares her knowledge about the vast variety of useful plants found in our city, as well as some general tips on urban foraging.  You can le...

Potholes are just part of life in Philly, and now it feels like sinkholes are too. In the last few weeks, sinkholes have closed city streets, shut down a highway in Montgomery County, and maybe even derailed a freight train. Host Trenae Nuri dives into the bedrock issues causing these cave-ins with Laura Toran, a hydrogeologist at Temple University. Here’s a geological map of Pennsylvania sinkhole...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri talks with Asha Prihar, reporter at Billy Penn, and Kenny Cooper, reporter with WHYY News. They discuss why the city is going after unlicensed short-term rentals, how Delaware County and Pennsylvania State Police cracked a 48-year-old cold case, and why the former Glen Mills campus plans to admit students this fall.  Note: This episode briefly mentio...

Philly’s bar scene is changing. There’s more trendy, beer gardens popping up, and you can drink in grocery stores. But where are those neighborhood corner bars where you can get a cheap drink, you know the bartender by their first name, and there’s no a crowd to push through? Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Paul L. Herron, Esquire, of Kelly & Herron, P.C., who has spent decades working with bar owner...

Artificial intelligence is everywhere right now. It’s writing travel guides, doing customer service, and even making art. ChatGPT is one such AI tool, that responds to questions or requests in text form. In this episode, host Trenae Nuri, lead producer Laura Benshoff and producer Abby Fritz put questions about Philly to ChatGPT, and get back some surprising answers. Want some more Philly news? The...

Some Philly residents are frustrated by surprisingly high water bills. The Philadelphia Water Department says they’ve upgraded residents’ home water meters to be more accurate and high charges are rare. Host Trenae Nuri talks with Meir Rinde, investigative reporter for Billy Penn about why some customers are struggling to keep up with the water bills and what relief is available.    Want some more...

Pennsylvania’s laws can sometimes feel like they were written for another time. That’s because many of them were. From a ban on fishing with dynamite, to a prohibition on fortune-telling for money, we get into some of the weirdest state laws still on the books. Host Trenae Nuri talks with City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris and Harrison Cann, reporter at City & State PA. Want some more Philly n...

It’s the Friday news round up! Host Trenae Nuri talks with Lizzy McLellan Ravitch, workplace reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Sophia Schmidt, environmental reporter for WHYY’s PlanPhilly. They discuss a looming UPS strike and what it could mean for thousands of workers in our region, as well as what we’ve learned about the recent deadly flash flood in Bucks County.  Our Friday news roun...

Imagine waking up one day and looking out your window to see 20 dinosaurs mounted on a roof of a nearby skyscraper. This isn’t a joke. Host Trenae Nuri and Stephanie Farr, columnist at The Philadelphia Inquirer, chat about why there are enormous sculptures of prehistoric creatures on an apartment building in Center City, and what weird pop-ups like this say about our city.   Want some more Philly...

Philly was recently named the 4th Best Place to Bike in America, according to PeopleForBikes, a nonprofit that focuses on bike safety and access. But is Philly actually bike friendly? Host Trenae Nuri speaks with Stuart Leon and Zach Leon, bicycle crash and safe street lawyers in Philadelphia, and Dillon Mast, paralegal at Stuart Leon Bicycle Crash Law, about how cyclists can stay safe in Philly s...

From Peanut Chews to Tastykakes, pretzels to water ice, Philly is home to some great treats. In this show from March, host Trenae Nuri and City Cast Philly producer Abby Fritz taste and grade their favorite local snacks. Want some more Philly news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us @citycastphilly. Have a question or just want to s...