Officially, Earth Day is on Monday, April 22 but Philly is hosting a month-long celebration, the third annual Everyday Futures Fest, a City-wide sustainability festival coordinated by the DaVinci Alliance (DVAA), 704 Catherine St., throughout April. DVAA has partnered with over 40 organizations, including Solo Real Estate who joins this year as a sponsor. The 2024 theme of the event is “Building Capacity Toward Self-Sufficiency and Collective Resilience.” “We coordinated with 40 other cultural partners, presenting events all over the City,” said Samantha (Sam) Connors, DVAA Director. This is o ..read more

Among the many positive aspects of gardening, is the pride you take in knowing that your efforts support wildlife and pollinators, conserve water, and add to the beauty of the natural environment. To encourage sustainable gardening, we’d like to introduce you to several programs and certifications that you can apply to whether your garden is on a terrace, rooftop, or backyard. Why Pollinator Gardens? According to the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society (PHS), pollination is essential to life on earth. 90% of plants, including fruits and vegetables, rely on pollinators to produce fruit and seeds ..read more

Architecture has long been a field dominated by men but women’s involvement in the profession can be traced back to 17th-century England. However, it wasn’t until the 19th century that they began gaining recognition. As we close out Women’s History Month, we take a look at Philadelphia’s female architects, inspiring women who broke through barriers to create their own architecture firms and achieve national attention for their work.  Philadelphia Women Architecture Pioneers  Minerva Parker Nichols (1863-1949) was the first woman in the United States to practice architecture independe ..read more

It’s time to exercise your green thumb and plan your Spring and Summer garden. Whether you have a container garden, roof garden, window boxes, or the luxury of a backyard, we want to connect you to resources that will not only add beauty to your garden but also improve the local ecosystem. Indestructible Plants If you have tried talking to your plants, reading poetry to them, and begging them not to die to no avail, we have good news. There are plants you can’t kill even if you never look at them. Try an Aloe Vera plant! It only needs to be watered every two weeks and requires minimal sunlight ..read more

Your bathroom can be the most sustainable room in your home or the most wasteful, depending on your choices. We’ve put together a guide to help you create a bathroom that is not only more eco-friendly but also a pleasure to experience, from plush organic towels to the products you use daily like soap, toothpaste, and more. Green Bathroom Supplies Chances are that every time you purchase a bottle of shampoo or shower gel it comes in disposable plastic packaging, adding to the landfill waste. Fortunately, Philly has purveyors that eliminate this unnecessary waste by encouraging you to bring your ..read more

Nothing signals the arrival of Spring like the opening of the 195th Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Flower Show, on March 2-10th. For one week, gardening enthusiasts and nature lovers are invited to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street, for a sensory immersion of stunning beauty. This year’s theme, “United by Flowers,” reflects the coming together of professional and amateur gardeners from across the nation and around the world. Garden Cottage at the 2024 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Courtesy of PHS. “In a world where loneliness has become an epidemic, the PHS Philadel ..read more

Chances are, by the time you own your first property, you are used to having to prepare for tax season. Either you file your income taxes yourself online if they are simple enough or hire an accountant to do them for you. However, property taxes can bewilder even a longtime homeowner. Why? Because property tax seems to go up, down, and sideways. Sure, you want your home to increase in value, but what happens when taxes increase beyond your ability to pay? We created the below guide to help you find resources and take advantage of existing city tax programs. “Most people do not know how the pro ..read more

This is the time of year when the winter slump conjures up visions of escaping the city for warmer weather. We have a better idea. Rejuvenate your health and boost your energy right here in Philly! Our Winter Wellness Guide offers ways to enhance your well-being and put a glow on your cheeks without going through the TSA security line. When the temperature dips below freezing, there’s more than one way to turn up the heat. “Coming to our Rittenhouse Square studio, 2016 Walnut, is like taking a vacation somewhere warm and welcoming where you can move your body and relax your mind,” said Hally B ..read more

For Philly landlords, winter is more than hot chocolate and mistletoe. It’s making sure your properties are protected against seasonal events that can damage property, harm tenants or cause expensive repairs if not addressed before freezing temperatures occur. We invite you to use the below guideline to prepare your rental properties for whatever winter brings. Yardwork Clear all sidewalks, stairs, and yards of fallen leaves. When wet, autumn leaves turn into slippery surfaces which may cause serious falls for tenants, as well as to pedestrians, for which you are legally responsible. Even if t ..read more

This is the season when Shane Confectionery, America’s oldest continuously operating candy shop, offers scrumptious holiday treats made with 100-year-old recipes in vintage molds, using local and traceable ingredients. Take a journey back in time with us as we visit this historic Philadelphia candy shop. Stepping through the front door of Shane’s at 110 Market is a form of time travel. In 2011, the exterior and interior were restored by the current owners, the Berley brothers, to replicate the shop’s original Victorian appearance. This not only earned Shane an award by Preservation Alliance; i ..read more