Philadelphia, Again

The Provident Mutual Life Insurance Building was built in 1926 and now sits in West Philly, largely abandoned (the windows on the first floor are boarded up). So I was thrilled to hear that the Philadelphia Police Department plans to move into the building. It's hard to believe that this grand building was originally built to be the headquarters for a life insurance company.

This door is from a house in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philly. 

I have no pictures, but I also want to tell you about Victor's Cafe, an Italian restaurant in the heart of South Philly, which is to say, the farthest south I've been in Philadelphia. Victor's Cafe features waiters and waitresses who double as opera singers and perform during dinner. We were treated to two up-close arias--it was really thrilling. And the food was delicious--this was, embarrassingly, the first time I've eaten Italian food in Philadelphia, and, goodness, I loved the ravioli. In addition to the opera singers, the ambiance of the restaurant is charming--there are intricately patterned tin ceilings, walls papered with framed pictures of opera singers, and Tiffany-style lamps.