Top 10 Philadelphia blogs

By Lisa Angelucci
Collegian Editor
February 21, 2007

Blogs are no longer just online diaries where Internet users can share their lives with billions of people. Although that’s still common, they’ve become much more. Now they’re about news, marketing and a constant stream of information. In Philadelphia, they come in all forms— blogs aboutpolitics, news, culture, you name it. With so much information at your fingertips, it’s often difficult to decide which to read. While I’m certainly not an expert, here are my top 10 Philadelphia blogs.

1. UWISHUNU—This blog was launched by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation. It’s clearly a marketing effort, which means you’re not likely to read much criticism of the city in these bloggers’ posts. It’s written by GPTMC staff and local Philadelphians to share their favorite Philly spots with readers. The categories and neighborhoods that the bloggers represent are fairly diverse, from puppet karaoke in Fishtown to coffee and cheesecake in Rittenhouse. (www.uwishunu.com)

2. City Paper’s The Clog—I’m almost ashamed to admit that I love the City Paper as much as I do. I have my favorites out of their staff writers and I know they’ll take any chance they can get to take a shot at Philadelphia Magazine. It’s only natural that I would also be a fan of the paper’s blog. The posts aren’t article length, but usually include pictures and video clips to keep readers updated on Philly-related events that take place throughout the course of the day. (www.citypaper.net/blogs/clog)

3. Young Philly Politics—City politics are confusing, whether you’re a transplant or a native. Young Philly Politics is a great way to stay informed on what’s happening at City Hall or in the mayoral race. A recent post by mayoral candidate Chaka Fattah explains his Opportunity Agenda, a plan he hopes to use if elected to tackle poverty issues in Philadelphia. At press time, there were also 22 comments from the blog’s readers both criticizing and supporting his plan. There are many criticisms of the current state of the city’s politics but the majority of the posts are pretty liberal. It’s still a good way to stay up to date. (www.youngphillypolitics.com)

4. Attytood—This one is a project of the Daily News. Some of the posts are serious and others are hilariously critical. The Daily (News) Show is posted fairly often, and the writers mix humor with information to examine their paper’s and other media’s news coverage of the day. (www.attytood.com)

5. Philebrity—News, music, gossip and everything in between are found in the frequent posts in this blog. The blog’s disclaimer explains that not everything posted is necessarily the truth – they rely on tips from readers and are willing to publish gossip and conjecture. As long as you read objectively, it’s worth checking out. (www.philebrity.com)

6. Phillyist—Yet another blog with Philly in the title. It’s not much different than the others, but it’s still cool. Published by Gothamist, which covers New York City, the blog reviews shows in Philly, provides information on various events around the city and concert listings. It’s not as news-heavy as some of the others, but it does include Philadelphia news as well as links to random articles and video clips the writers find interesting. (www.phillyist.com)

7. Blinq—Maybe this blog shouldn’t be included, since its writer, Daniel Rubin, is abandoning his Philadelphia Inquirer blog to write a column for the Inquirer. It’s one of the most popular blogs in the city, though, and Rubin’s a pretty good writer, so I think it’s worth including. As he states in a post from Feb. 17, Rubin has considered posting to his blog again once he is accustomed to the new job. Or he might even blog for fun (it was his job before). Either way, the archives are still there, with some short posts, some long, some Philly-related, some not. (blogs.philly.com/blinq)

8. Philadelphia Will Do—If you’re looking for a blog that is willing to be exceptionally critical of Philly, this is it. The writer’s pretty sarcastic, which makes for a very funny read, which is appropriate because he says it’s “a blog about the funniest city on earth.” It’s sponsored by Philadelphia Weekly and has a similar alternative focus as the City Paper and its blog, but the posts here are generally lengthier, include lots of links to other sources and still have pictures and video clips. (willdo.philadelphiaweekly.com)

9. Foobooz—For information on where to find the best food and drink in the city, Foobooz is the best place. There are links to restaurant reviews, mentions of where writers have had great meals and suggestions on where to go to find your favorite foods. Some of the posts would be more interesting to readers who are over 21, but there are plenty of tips and reviews that apply to the under-21 set as well. (www.foobooz.com)

10. Citizen Mom—A South Jersey journalist who is now a stay-at-home mother writes about absolutely anything she feels like. She has posts that criticize the local media, comment on other blogs, discuss ions about Philadelphia culture and stories about her family. It’s an easy read, and there is a lot of variety to keep you entertained. (quinnchannel.typepad.com/tfh)

angeluccil1@lasalle.edu