⚖️ Philly leads U.S. in incarcerating kids

⚖️ Philly Jails More Kids Than Any Major U.S. City

Despite Philly having only 13% of the state’s teen population, our kids represent almost half of the state’s juvenile detention population. And young people in Philly are incarcerated at almost four times the national average. As for what happens when they’re locked up, an Inquirer investigation has found 650 claims of “social coercion and physical abuse” in state facilities over the last 15 years. [🔒 The Inquirer]

📝 Tougher Driving Laws Going into Effect

New state laws in 2025 include two intended to make our roads safer: Fast-and-Furious-style “drifting” – common in car meet-ups – is now a ticketable offense, as is using your smartphone while driving (the law previously only applied to texting). Those are two of the more than 150 bills that Gov. Josh Shapiro signed into law last year. [Pennsylvania Capital-Star]

⭐ After All That, No More Free Potty Breaks at Starbucks

You may remember a 2018 incident that made national headlines about two Black men arrested for sitting in a Center City Starbucks without buying anything. Starbucks apologized, fired the store manager, closed every store in the country for a day to do bias training, and started letting anyone use the bathroom. Well, no longer: Starbucks has a new policy that requires people to pay if they want to sit at a table or use the bathroom. (Fortunately we have a guide for where to use the bathroom in the city so you don't pee yourself.) [PhillyVoice, City Cast Philly]

🚨 17-Year-Old Killed While Leaving for School, Where He Was a Top Student

A student from Samuel Fels High School was killed Tuesday after being shot multiple times while leaving for school with his mom. The student is said to have been a basketball player with the highest score in the school on his SATs. No arrests have been made. [FOX29]

Brewerytown is more than just the booze.

Its name originates from its legacy as a hub for German breweries in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today there's a variety of businesses in the neighborhood, from cafes to thrift shops, even as some local taprooms are keeping the past alive.

The neighborhood’s boundaries run roughly between Oxford and Popular streets in the north-south direction, and between 25th and 33rd streets from east to west, according to the Fairmount Community Development Corporation. Girard Avenue serves as a prominent business corridor.

So what’s there to do if you visit?

Grab a Bite

Don’t start your day on an empty stomach. Here’s where you can go for a quick snack.

• 🛹 Together Skateboarding & Coffee offers classic cafe drinks and pastries, but in the back you can also find apparel and skate decks for sale.
• 🥟 Empanadas United’s signature dish is its chicken empanada, but the cheesesteak empanada will fill you with Philly’s best flavors.
• 🥯 Bagels & Co.’s delectable options aren’t just limited to the bagels – you can slather some sundried tomato, honey nut, or even Oreo cream cheese onto your order.

Be One With Nature

It might be too cold to hang outside now, but stop here if you need some fresh air or are scoping out a sanctuary when spring comes around.

• 🌱 Brewerytown Garden serves about 80 households in the community, growing thousands of pounds of food to share at its farm stand including rhubarb, strawberries, and asparagus.
• 🏀 Considered “the Jewel of Brewerytown,” Athletic Square Park is the community’s central community space with its large sports field, basketball courts, and recreation center bringing residents together.

For the Kiddos

• 🧸 Kith + Kin allows the imagination of kids and their caregivers to break free in its indoor playspace. Beyond the playroom, it also offers support groups and educational classes to encourage healthy childhood development and parenthood.

Welcome back to “Where Is It?” This is the weekly public art guessing game where I share a photo, and you tell me where it was taken. As always, let’s start with the last mural I sent, pictured above.

📍 This mural is located on the corner of Frankford Avenue and Belgrade Street.

🏆 Congrats to Susan from NoLibs for being the first correct guesser!

Here’s your next mural. Let’s see if you can guess where this is!