We’ve moved! Come join us

By Shannon McDonald

NEastPhilly.com has moved! This site, neastmag.wordpress.com, will no longer be updated, but everything you’re looking for is now on NEastPhilly, a self-hosted site.

Aside from your old favorites, we’ve got updates and new additions, like advertising space.

If you subscribe in a feed, please make the switch to NEastPhilly.com, and tell everyone you know. The shiny, new site means we’re basically starting from scratch.

See you over at NEastPhilly.com!

Final Statistics from NEast Philly’s second incarnation

Monthly stats for this site's short existence. Click to enlarge.

Yesterday we announced that NEastPhilly.com has finally outgrown this WordPress.com template and has officially moved to a self-hosted, grown-up modified WordPress.org-style theme.

We are very proud of the growth we experienced — a stable 6,113 monthly page views in July, a fine total for a small community news portal for a community that is admittedly print-heavy — and were on pace to surpass that.

For a few weeks, the latest, greatest incarnation of NEastPhilly.com will lose some traffic due to back links and residual search engine optimization directed at this site, which now can only be accessed by NEastmag.WordPress.com, but we fully expect to build a stronger brand in our new location.

However all of those fresh stories, perspective and aggregation you loved about this site have been moved, so please update any links, and if you use any RSS feed readers, use this URL now.

For the forseeable future, this site will remain live, but inactive. All of our news and content will appear on NEastPhilly.com.

I hope you’ll follow along and help our continued traffic and immersion in our Northeast Philadelphia community grow further.

Part of the move to the new site is certainly devoted to the possibility of collecting advertisers and sponsorships, in addition to other revenue models, that can make NEastPhilly even more of a source to cover our neighborhoods.

I hope you’ll continue to support us. Thanks, and feel free to contact us about concerns, questions or interest in working together.

Under construction

By Shannon McDonald

NEastPhilly is undergoing some construction so we can make the site better for our readers. No worries, we’ll be up and running by Monday — look for a new Right NEast/Wrong NEast!

Northeast (OK, Mayfair) makes Philly mag’s ‘Best of Philly’ list

By Shannon McDonald

The August issue of Philadelphia magazine is out, complete with the 2009 Best of Philly Awards. And believe it or not, a few Northeast spots made the list. Though we often rag on Philly mag (and others) for ignoring the NEast, there’s no denying the editors over there paid us some well-deserved attention in this issue. Maybe it’s got something to do with the fact that Michael Callahan, who hails from the Northeast, edited the list. Either way, we’re honored.

One thing we have to make note of though: all these places are in Mayfair. And they’re all on or right off Frankford Avenue. Though two of the winners straddle the Mayfair/Wissinoming border, they usually get pegged as Mayfair for their proximity to the avenue. We love Mayfair, but the rest of our region has plenty to offer. Just ask Donna Ward, resident restraunt reviewer, or Pat McNally, who has probably explored every inch of our region with his kids. This year’s winners are among the best, but they don’t represent all of the Northeast.

The list of winners is below. How do you think they stack up?

NEast Links: jam-packed with a river rescue, police shooting, pretzel war and more

By Michael Feeney

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Retired police officer Christopher Kaullar – of Trout Road near Rising Sun Avenue, has been charged with the murder of his ex-con brother, Robert Kaullar. The two argued over motorcycles when Christopher fatally wounded Robert by shooting him in the left hand and side at about 3am Monday. Robert Kaullar’s sister-in-law was also shot, but only grazed, police said. He was pronounced dead at Aria Health-Torresdale.

Keep reading for the latest on a local Phillie draft pick, a hometown welcoming for Bonnie Raitt, a local Michael Jackson impersonator and more.

Right NEast/Wrong NEast: Action News typo makes all the difference

Outside media don’t care about the Northeast. We have all seen them misuse, misspell and mistake our neighborhoods and our streets, so we at NEast mag wanted to do something about it. When they get it wrong, we set it right in a segment we like to call Right NEast/Wrong NEast.

By Shannon McDonald

Sure, reporters in a rush to get stories out often make small mistakes. This mistake involves only four letters, but makes a huge difference geographically and culturally.

A story from Action News this morning, which followed up on the death of a PHA carpenter who was shot on the job last month, reported that the shooting took place in Northeast Philadelphia. The story’s lede reads:

NORTH PHILADELPHIA – July 28, 2009 (WPVI) — A worker for the Philadelphia Housing Authority has died after a shooting last month in Northeast Philadelphia.

Given that the dateline says North Philadelphia – the true location of the shooting – it seems the reference to the Northeast is the result of a reporter’s haste – which says more about the station’s editing abilities than its geography skills. But still, we at NEastPhilly vow to point out even the tiniest of mistakes in an effort to do the Northeast proud. Sorry, Action News, it had to be done.

Jeanes Hospital and Katie Elise Lambert Foundation team up for safety event

By Shannon McDonald

On Saturday, Jeanes Hospital and the Katie Elise Lambert Foundation will host a Butterfly Release to honor deceased loved ones, especially those who died in household accidents. In addition to safety information, products and tip, children’s entertainment will include Chippy the Clown and facepainting.

There will only be 100 butterflies on hand for the event, so those who’d like to participate should call in advance, though the event is open to the public.

Katie Elise Lambert was an area toddler who died when a large dresser fell on her in 2005. Her family set up the foundation to educate people about household dangers. For more information about the event and the Katie Elise Lamber Foundation, visit the Web site to download the flyer.

Food for Thought: Las Margaritas

By Donna Ward

Las Margaritas is a fantastic Mexican restaurant located at 2538 Welsh Rd. near Roosevelt Boulevard.  You have probably seen the jalapeño van driving around the NEast and other neighboring areas, but if you haven’t eaten at Las Margaritas you are missing some of the best Mexican cuisine in the NEast.  It may be true that some Mexican food requires an acquired taste, but at Las Margaritas there is something for everyone, even the mild-palated patrons.

The restaurant is very crowded most nights, but don’t be discouraged because the staff is very speedy in their turnaround.  The tables are wiped down after each party leaves, as are the chairs and booths, and the dinnerware is kept clean. My server was very friendly but at the end of the meal was very anxious for me to pay and depart.  The food arrives at your table very quickly and is always warm.

Tonight at the Pennypack Park Concert Series…

By Shannon McDonald

The Liberation and Kick it Out, Chicago and Heart tribute bands, respectively,  will play Pennypack Park’s Summer Music Festival tonight at 7 p.m. Don’t forget your chairs, blankets, snacks and bugspray.

Next up is Guitar Legends Night on Aug. 19, featuring  tributes to Eric Clapton, Cream, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix. You can see the full list of events here, or check back with us for updates. Need directions? We’ve got ‘em.

*There’s a good chance of thunderstorms tonight, so check back later for a rain update.

Red light cameras stolen from Red Lion Road

By Shannon McDonald

Frenzied drivers got a brief reprieve recently when two red light cameras were stolen at Red Lion Road and Roosevelt Boulevard.

The Parking Authority sent an employee out to check the cameras, which had broken signals, only to discover the expensive equipment missing. Though new cameras were installed shortly thereafter, the missing cameras turned up in an unlikely place.

Running around $4,500 each, the cameras turned up in New York City when the NYPD arrested 45-year-old Anthony Cintorrino and a friend who stole the cameras (and 22 others in NYC) using a bucket truck.

As high-tech as the cameras are, they can’t detect any damage being done to them. Councilman Frank Rizzo hopes to fix that by installing tamper detectors on the cameras. Rizzo was behind the initial push to have the cameras installed at various high-traffic intersections around the city.

For now, weekly on-site checks will be made of the cameras to prevent further theft and damage.