APT WEIGHS IN. CHECK OUT SOME GREAT SUGGESTIONS BELOW…AND READ THE FEEDBACK/RESPONSES FROM LOCAL NEWS SOURCES.
The 250th anniversary of independence and nationhood grows ever-closer and the eyes of the nation will be upon Philadelphia next summer. But are we on track to get it right?
Before we break out the huzzahs, it’s time to plan. After all, as Philly’s official tour guides, it’s our feet and minds that continue to welcome visitors from here, there, and everywhere.
We’re full of good ideas! It’s time to set them free and help make a difference.
Last week Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Stephanie Farr expressed what many of us are so frequently feeling—Philadelphia’s already poised on a knife edge, or so it seems. How can we add more to the mix? As Farr expressed, our city may already be in jeopardy “if state legislatures don’t get their act together and properly fund SEPTA” and if we don’t address all the things in Philly that already badly need to be fixed.
In her May 22 column, Farr explains that she went to a meeting last month to hear city leaders discuss how prepared we actually are for 2026. She was excited to hear (our own APT member!) Ernest Rouse ask the meeting what the plan is for public bathrooms. Though Rouse never got an answer, Farr writes that “it was a great question, one which reminded me that often, the best inquiries and ideas come not from those in power or in charge, but from we, the people.” Boom.
So Farr, and the Inquirer, are asking for ideas. “Depending on the response,” Farr says, “I hope to deliver your ideas to the city this summer in a missive that will appear online and in print. I have no actual power, so I can’t promise our officials and local organizers will act on any of them, but you never know what might happen just by speaking up.”
Huzzah to that.
APT, it’s time to take the lid off your creativity. Break out your ideas!
Farr’s five categories are:
1. Easy and cheap (e.g. fix the Reading Terminal Market clock)
2. Time and money (e.g. create a pedestrian-only zone)
3. Big things (e.g. intercity bus terminal with bathrooms – yes please!)
4. Fun activities and events (e.g. Ben Franklin beer crawl?! With t-shirts!)
5. Off-the-wall ideas! (e.g. ban all red coats for the year!)
APT member Wendy Stanley collected, collated, and submitted ideas from APT members to Stephanie Farr at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Thanks to the following APT members for their participation: Rich Armandi, Maria Gorshin, Philip Hodgson, Rob Kettell, Vance Lehmkuhl, Charlene Mires, Christa Parlacoski, Maryanna Savage Phinn, Gloria Reisman, Marianne Ruane, Wendy Stanley, Eric Staudt, Karen Sutton, and Pat Wynne. Here are the results.
APT recognized for 2026 suggestions to ‘phix’ Philly’ in the news blurbs
Stephanie Farr/Inquirer took notice…here’s her thank you for APT’s efforts:
“…I wanted to thank you for this incredible work! What you and the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides have put together here is amazing. My editor and I are blown away! Thank you so much for your attention to my request, for all of these superb ideas, and for the wonderful presentation.
I have a few other stories I’ve got to knock off my plate first, but I’m hoping to start working on this piece toward the end of July. I’ll be sure to keep you in the loop going forward and reach out with any questions I have.”
APT also received an acknowledgement at a recent pop up newsroom event hosted by WHYY News and Billy Penn at City Hall on July 14. Rich Armandi, from APT corporate member Philly Town 76, brought our list of suggestions to the press conference and got a shout out! Thank you, Rich!
Let’s keep the momentum going! We encourage anyone with additional ideas to submit them to Stephanie Farr directly sfarr@inquirer.com and to mention that they are members of APT.