🏰 Your Doylestown day trip guide

💰 School Funding Plan Advances in Harrisburg

In a 107-94 vote, the Pennsylvania House passed a multi-billion-dollar revamped school funding plan this week, which would increase the funding available to low-wealth and underfunded school districts. The plan still needs approval from the Republican-controlled state Senate and Gov. Josh Shapiro. [Chalkbeat Philadelphia]

• Context: A Commonwealth Court judge ruled last year that Pennsylvania’s school funding formula is unconstitutional and must be overhauled. [City Cast Philly 🎧]

☕ OCF Coffee Houses Are No More

A week after 23 workers asked real estate developer Ori Feibush to voluntarily recognize their union, Feibush shut down all three of his OCF Coffee House locations. He pointed to a longtime lack of profitability, expiring leases, and the “staggering” costs of responding to the union organization as reasons for the immediate closures. [Inquirer 🔒]

🥊⚡ Philly Statue Showdown

Taking inspiration from Washington D.C.’s subreddit, the folks on r/philadelphia are debating an intriguing hypothetical: “If all of Philadelphia’s statues came to life, which would win in a fight?” (Quick warning: Some of the comments are a little NSFW.) [Reddit]

Hey there, and welcome back to “Where Is It,” our weekly game where we celebrate Philly’s vast public art scene. Playing along is pretty simple: I’ll show you a photo of some public art, and you let me know where you think it is (without looking it up!).

We’ll start by revealing the location of last week’s challenge, submitted by Hey Philly reader Rosa G.:

The big reveal: This mural — called “The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles by Faith Ringgold” — lives in Brewerytown, and you can find it near the intersection of 29th Street, Glenwood Avenue, and Montgomery Avenue.

Painted in 2007 by Felix St. Fort, the mural pays tribute to the work of artist and activist Faith Ringgold, whose piece “The Sunflower Quilting Bee at Arles” is part of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s collection. Holding the quilt in the piece are several accomplished Black women from throughout history, including Ida Wells, Harriet Tubman, and Rosa Parks. The person standing on the right is Vincent van Gogh, the Dutch artist known for his sunflower paintings.

Ringgold, who passed away a few months ago, was known for her paintings, African-style masks, “storyquilts,” and advocacy for feminist causes and the racial integration of art spaces. There’s another tribute to her work, “Hearing Our Voice” by Delia King, across the street from this mural.

Shoutout to Nicole K. for correctly guessing the location of the mural! (Note: A few people guessed that it was located in Mantua … you might’ve been thinking of “Holding Grandmother’s Quilt” by Don Gensler, which you can find on the 3900 block of Aspen Street.)

Now, on to today’s challenge, brought to you by me:

Where in Philly is this train mural located? Guess here, or send me an email.

If you’re a Philadelphian seeking a day-long getaway with some small-town charm, I’ve got a great recommendation for you: Doylestown.

Located about 35 miles north of Center City, Doylestown is the seat of Bucks County. It’s got enough museums, shops, and eateries to fill a day’s agenda, but not so many that visiting is overwhelming. The borough is also walkable, cute, accessible from Philly by public transit, and kind of just gives off a Stars Hollow vibe, in my opinion. (Any “Gilmore Girls” fans out there?)

Have I got you intrigued? If so, here are some recommendations for how to spend a day there.

🏰 Pick a Museum (or Two)

For a town with a population of less than 10,000, Doylestown actually has quite a few museums.

At the Mercer Museum — a century-old, six-story concrete castle — you can take a self-guided tour of pre-industrial tools displayed in the building’s nooks and crannies, and suspended from the ceiling. Think hornsmithing (i.e. comb-making) tools, weathervanes, animal-powered treadmills, and even a whaleboat. It’s an intriguing (and quirky) space where you could certainly spend a few hours, but be advised that the hallways are narrow and most of the museum lacks A/C.

If you want to enjoy a more climate-controlled space with a great art collection, the Michener Museum is right next door and features both permanent galleries and rotating exhibitions. Early last year, I saw a cool showcase there that focused on historic shoes.

For more museums, snack and shopping recommendations, and how to get there, continue reading on our website.

Why You Should Try Breakfast Tacos in Philly

Philly’s got a great breakfast and brunch scene, and according to a recent Philadelphia Inquirer article, one particular dish is seemingly having a renaissance: breakfast tacos. City Cast Philly podcast host Trenae Nuri chats with Jenn Ladd, food reporter at the Inquirer, about their takes on this tasty trend.