Even Philadelphia's football team is green.
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Philly represent! Philadelphia is the eigth most sustainable city in the U.S., according to SustainLane, an organization that researches and ranks green cities. Only just out of a lengthy industrial age, the City of Brotherly Love is now in the midst of a major transition period, and working to find a new niche. With some 40,000 abandoned lots and 7,000 abandoned warehouses, there is plenty of space to get creative with.
What will the new city look like? If the Philadelphia Orchard Project (POP) gets its wish, fruit trees will be on every corner, and Philly will be the first American city to grow most of its own food. The community-based organization is planting orchards throughout the city.
But it's not just trees: New green shops and restaurants are popping up all over downtown and organizations including Sustainable Philadelphia Initiative and the Sustainable Business Network are encouraging green living and working. For a closer look at the revitalization, tune in to Philadelphia: The Holy Experiment, part of the Eden Then and Now series on PBS.
Philly is a terrific city to visit any of time of year, but if your heading to the city in September, check out the annual Green Philly Fest, featuring 300 exhibitors showcasing the latest and greatest in green food, fashion, and fun.
Find out more on these and other green projects in Philadelphia by digging into Treehugger's Philadelphia archives.
- Ride Public Transportation: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA)
Each year, some 300 people get around the city via the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority, otherwise known as SEPTA. A line connects directly to the airport and $7 gets you to 30th Street Station for an Amtrak connection or to Suburban Station, where daytrippers can purchase regional rail tickets for destinations outside the city. Bus, subway, and trolleys are $2 per ride, or $1.45 if you purchase multi-packs of tokens.
- Stay at a Green Hotel: The Four Seasons Philadelphia or the Philadelphia Airport Marriott
Can't eat everything on your plate? Luxury hotel The Four Seasons Philadelphia sends table scraps to a farm to be composted, diverting some 120,000 pounds of kitchen waste a year. The hotel saves a big chunk of change on dumping fees and the compost is brought back to the hotel to mulch flowerbeds.
Conveniently located steps away from the Philadelphia International Airport, the Philadelphia Airport Marriott has been stamped with the Green Seal of approval. An independent non-profit organization, Green Seal provides science-based environmental certification standards. To garner the seal, the hotel had to meet a long list of eco criteria, including waste reduction and recycling, and bulk product purchasing. The hotel is also required to use energy efficient equipment such as compact fluorescent bulbs, perform indoor air quality measurements, install water conservation fixtures, and use organic insecticides and non-toxic paints throughout. - Drink Fair Trade and Organic Coffee at Independents Coffee Cooperative
Independents Coffee Cooperative began as four independent coffee shops sharing information and helping each other out. The co-op now boasts 13 locations across Philadelphia, all working on their triple bottom line (people, profits and the planet), as well as brewing up the best roast -- fair trade and organic.
- Indulge at Eco Bakery Betty's Tasty Buttons
Despite its name, buttons are not the main attraction at Betty's Tasty Buttons. Instead this green bakery offers a vast array of addiction-ready, melt-in-your-mouth fudge. Each batch is hand-made from local, organic, and fair-trade ingredients. Take-away cellophane bags are compostable and jars and boxes (decorated with vintage buttons) are made locally. Have extra vintage buttons hiding away in a basement or attic? Betty's has a unique recycling campaign: Send in an ounce of buttons and receive an ounce of fudge in return.
- Dine at a Green Restaurant: White Dog Café, the Pita Pit, and Derek's Restaurant
The White Dog Café is a not-to-be-missed destination for organic and sustainable food. Management has a passion for eco-friendly practices and cuisine is American with an innovative mix of Native American and South East Asia accents. The café is also behind White Dog Community Enterprises, a non-profit organization dedicated to community involvement, environmental stewardship and responsible business practices. The café is more than a healthy food option in a city known for its Cheesesteaks: It has helped bring in sustainability.
The Pita Pit, the brainchild of two young entrepreneurs -- Adam Green (26) and Adam Palmer (28) -- is Philadelphia?s first Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association. For less than $7, meat lovers, vegetarians, and vegans alike can sink their teeth into a pita bursting with toppings, cheese and house-made sauce. The Pita Pit employs a low-water system, biodegradable cutlery and carryout bags, and a strict recycling program and has reduced its carbon footprint by sourcing local food.
Another option is Derek's Restaurant, which serves locally sourced organic food. With deals like a three-course lunch for $20 or a three-course dinner for $30 offered every day, you can taste a lot without breaking the bank. Derek's features fancy cocktails, brilliant dinner creations and tasty desserts. Vegans and vegetarians take note: the menu is heavy on meat items. Sorry no cheesesteaks here. - Sign up for an Eco Spa Package at JuJu Salon & Organics or Eviama Life Spa
JuJu Salon & Organics offers spa, cut, and color services with one common denominator: all-natural, non-toxic, and organic professional body products and services. The classic organic manicure ($22) comes with a soothing hand soak and cuticle treatment with organic oils.
Eviama Life Spa is a holistic spa featuring organic facials, pampering massages, yoga classes, and even "energy treatments." The building is green-designed, with sustainable, reclaimed, and recycled materials throughout. Eviama purchases green energy, uses energy-efficient lighting, and only sells eco-friendly gift items, such as paraffin-free candles. - Watch a Philadelphia Eagles Football Game
The Philadelphia Eagles boast both green uniforms and green practices. The Eagles stadium is powered by 100% wind energy. Recycling containers are located every 46 feet to prevent beer and soda cans from reaching a landfill and carbon offsets are purchased to cover the flights for away games. Tickets and programs are all printed on recycled paper, the field "vacuum" is run on biodiesel and all utensils are corn-based. Fans have planted over 1,500 trees in Eagles' Forest (enough to cover the organization's carbon offsets) and the practice facility runs on solar power. Employees are also reimbursed if they purchase wind energy from electric and natural gas service PECO. That's a lot of green!
- Make a Clothing Donation to The Career Wardrobe
The Career Wardrobe offers free professional clothing to women in transition as well as resources to help find, land, and keep that job. Each year, thousands of women get a boost in economic and self-sufficiency. You can help by donating items or purchasing a few gently worn-goodies before leaving the city. The Career Wardrobe is located at 1211 Chestnut Street, Suite 205.
- Book a Carshare or a Zipcar Car Service
If you're planning on a day excursion to sites outside of the city, why not try a popular car-sharing program. Philly Car Share or Zipcar are two of the major players, and they have several convenient locations around the city. Philly Car Share is one of the largest regional car-sharing programs in the U.S. They recently lowered their mid-week rates on hybrids and also offer free rail passes so customers can get to and from the car share location. Membership-based ZipCar has over 20 spots to pickup cars. Both programs are cheaper than regular car rental and allow you to return the car at any time, without the hassle of a line.
- Join a Biking Group: The Bicycle Coalition
Hop on a bike and pedal around with the locals. The Bicycle Coalition offers biking routes around the city and fun events, such as Biketoberfest in the fall. The organization is currently lobbying for a bicycle and pedestrian pathway on the new I-95 Scudder Falls Bridge over the Delaware River, so more bike paths could be on the horizon.
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