Philly Tales Blog

As I aged, I noticed that sleeping got a little more challenging. I often wake up in the middle of the night, and it is frequently hard to get back...

The Boys Clubs have been an important part of Philadelphia for many, many decades. They are spread out in the city and offer an alternative to many...

There were two kinds of Ys, the YMCA for men and the YWCA for women. We had a YWCA just around the corner from where I lived in the 100 block of We...

As kids growing up in Kensington, Philadelphia, we were always on the lookout to make a buck. Well, more like pennies, nickels and at most a quarte...

Since May 14 was Mother’s Day and Father’s Day is June 16th this year, I thought it was a good time to post this article. This story is one of 46 f...

When you see a flying roach, what do you do? If you grew up in rural America, you’re used to seeing and interacting with a great number of God’s ...

A while ago, I bought an illustrated map of Kensington created by Jessie Husband. It’s a beautiful visual depiction of the area where I grew up...

It was a fantastic day. Puffy white clouds slowly drifted across the bright blue skies, and it was warm, but the breeze was cool. It was the kind...

Note: I chose some images that relate to this article. You can see the other 35 images, plus over 1200 other images of historic Philadelphia, at h...

By Harry HallmanAfter 78 years, you have a mixed bag of memories, and I try to draw on the one from my happy years of growing up in Philly. The oth...

It‘s hot, almost oppressively hot, in the crowded schoolroom. You wipe the sweat from your forehead as the teacher gives final information about ho...

Mommy, Maman, Mami, Anychi, Mamo, Mamai, Mammina, Me Oi, Mare, Mamman, Mamusia, Mamica. Whatever language you use, the word mommy can put a smile ...