Hopkinson House Holiday Party SCitizens League, the ... › wp-content › uploads › ... · Citizens League, the holiday party features the winter celebrations of Christmas, Hanukah,

ON THE HOUSE · WINTER 2020 · 13

Sponsored jointly each year by the Hopkinson House Owners Association and the Washington SquareCitizens League, the holiday party features the winter celebrations of Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanzaa.

Photos by Ba

ri Sho

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Hopkinson House Holiday Party

14 · WINTER 2020 · ON THE HOUSE

Happy Hour Monday –Friday 4:30 – 6:30pm

Hours of OperationMonday 4:30 – 10 p.m.

Tuesday –Friday 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.Saturday 4:30 – 10 p.m.

Sunday Closed

Handicap Accessible

711 Locust St | (215) 928–0556Since 1980


It’s several weeks afterChristmas, and that

dreadful sweater fromCousin Louise is still sittingin its box. Or maybe thatabandoned gift is a portabledrill from your former bestman Charlie, who thinksyou still do home repairs.e sweater might makegood bedding for a hamster,you muse. But oops! Pet rodents are a no-no according to the HopkinsonHouse Code of Regulations.So it’s trashville for thesweater and the drill,too...or is it? How aboutdonating them to ourfriendly Philly AIDSrift, just a short walkdown 5th Street?

“is place always makesme feel like an adventurestill ongoing,” chirpeda happy thrift-shopperon Yelp. ere used tobe a tree outside thatwas bedecked with stuffed animals of every description,which attracted admirationeven from performer MileyCyrus when she was intown a while back. (Alas,that tree fell down a fewyears ago.) But stuffed animals as tree decorations?Just a typical strategy atPhilly AIDS rift (PAT),where a dizzying varietyof objects simply beg to be repurposed. When one ofthe store’s volunteer stafferswas asked about his “bestpurchase” there, he confided,“Dinosaurs I use as art.”PAT also repurposed a donated skull by puttingit on display with a sign:“Shoplifter of the Month.”

It’s easy to imagine othercreative ways to use thriftstore purchases. Naturally,

you might hope to snag adeal on lightly-used, high-end garb like a North Facejacket for $12 (actual pricereported online by a satisfiedcustomer), or a portabledrill if you do need one, orperhaps some wild-childearrings to wear dancing.You can also pick up presentable yet cheap tableware for parties or asecond house (if you don’twant to feed more plastic tothe Great Pacific GarbagePatch), the makings forunique Halloween costumesor cosplays, vases and basketsgalore, kitchenware gadgetslike melon ball scoopers,funny door prizes or favorsfor parties, toys and boardgames for younger relatives,or all kinds of containersfor storage. And the widearray of electronics, movies,music, tchotchkes—even“really nice weddingdresses”—will certainlyspark your imagination.e store sells gift cards

for its merchandise, a terrific present for friendsneeding an oddball- treasure-fix like oldParamount promotionalposters or a 1945 newspaper announcingWWII troop discharges.

PAT has also taken overGiovanni’s Room, theLGBTQ bookstore at 12thand Pine, under the newname Philly AIDS rift atGiovanni’s Room. Foundedin 1973, Giovanni’s Roomis the oldest gay bookstorein America still operating.Stock includes new andlightly used LGBTQ booksplus music, art, videos,comics, clothing, and “muchmore.” All the proceeds gointo the same pot as fromthe flagship thrift store,tagged to support localAIDS charities.

Indeed, Philly AIDS riftisn’t just a store—the “AIDS”in the name really meanssomething. Its four co-

founders all worked withvarious HIV/AIDS organizations throughoutthe 1990s, and then PeterHiler launched a predecessorstore, rift for AIDS.That venture closed in 1999,but Hiler plus ChristinaKallas-Saritsoglou plustwo others reincarnated the concept on Bainbridge in2005. By 2011, stock andcommerce had outgrownthat space, and the wholeoperation moved to thecurrent, larger buildingwhere they could do morethan just sell stuff.

On National HIV Testing Day 2015, Kallas-Saritsoglou announced theofficial opening of an HIVtesting center at the shop,providing free, confidentialtesting every weekend byhealth professionals fromother Philly AIDS organizations. (For currentdays/times, consult theschedule posted at the storeor call them.) At quarterlywee-hours “rifty Discos,”Drexel University’sWKDU DJs “turn PhillyAIDS rift into theFunkiest Lil Club whileRaising Money for Charity& Rockin it AfterhoursStyle!!” PAT also holdsvoter registrations and provides free store vouchersto needy AIDS patients.

Now back to those localcharities. Because PATruns mostly on volunteers,the 501c3 nonprofit can actually raise serious moneyto support HIV/AIDS relief. How much?

Cumulatively, some two anda half million dollars to date.

A Lot of Caring for a Low Price: Philly AIDS ThriftMartha Cornog

continued on page 17

Philly AIDS Thrift

Photo courtesy of ph

illyvoice.com

/thrift-store-ph

illy-hiv-testing-center


[email protected]

215-546-0550 x 5678

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Last February, income fromthe thrift store and bookstorefunded PAT’s 2019 annualcontributions to twenty-three Philly area HIV service organizations, withgrants totaling close to$250,000. Grantees includethe Gay Community Centerof Philadelphia, the MazzoniCenter, the LGBT ElderInitiative, the AIDS LawProject of Pennsylvania,and MANNA.

Now back to that dreadfulsweater and unneededdrill—you can help supportall this worthy communityactivism by schlepping themto PAT. Lately, donationsto the store have beenbooming, partly because

of Marie Kondo’s “tidying”books and her Netflix series,and sales have kept pace.So that’s how PAT can giveaway so much money whilerecycling “lovely, useful,amusing, and sometimesmysterious stuff ” to makeboth donors and customershappy. (Check the websitefor lists of items acceptedand not accepted.)

And while dropping offthe sweater or drill, you justmight see something-you-can’t-live-without for a tinyprice. For if other people’sgifts can be your trash,other people’s trash canseem like a gift to you, ifit scratches that itch youdidn’t know you had.

P.S. Can you think of a better first date than a tripto a thrift store? You willhave plenty to talk about,and you can get a real ideaof what your date is interested in. Moreover, thevisit is free—actually buyingthat something-you-can’t-live-without is optional. n

Philly AIDS Thrift710 S. 5th Street215-922-3186http://phillyaidsthrift.com/

Philly AIDS Thrift @Giovanni’s Room345 S. 12th Street215-923-2960https://www.queerbooks.com/

A Lot of Caring for a Low Pricecontinued from page 15

As many HopkinsonHouse residents know,

the Athenaeum of Philadel -phia, facing WashingtonSquare from Sixth Street,is a treasure. For those whodon’t know this 206-year-old institution, here’s a tasteof what you’re missing.Behind the elegant brown -stone façade, fascinatingprograms, book events, andexhibitions unfold in someof the grandest spaces inthe city. Established in 1814as a subscription library ata time when free librarieswere nonexistent, theAthenaeum has, from thebeginning, also emphasizedprograms where memberscould meet and discuss historical, literary, and cultural topics. Today, that

tradition is more vigorousthan ever, and with agreater number and varietyof programs open to thepublic. Non-members arewelcome, sometimes for asmall event fee. Revolvingexhibitions and many otherevents are free to all visitors.

In its early years, theAthenaeum met in rentedrooms in our neighborhood.en, in 1847, the impressivebuilding that has beenits home ever since was completed on WashingtonSquare. Designed by JohnNotman, it is regardedas the seminal Americanstructure in the ItalianateRevival style. Unrevealingon the outside, the second-story rooms have 24-foot

ceilings, columns paintedto resemble marble, and graceful chandeliers. erequiet reigns, as befits a library, except for the times whenprograms unfold in thesechambers. Portraits, sculptedbusts, and other artifactsare sprinkled throughout

(see the box for an anecdoteregarding the Athenaeum’snamesake bust, Athena,Goddess of Wisdom).

On the ground floor, spacewas originally rented outto lawyers and other

Getting to Know the AthenaeumLynn Miller (www.lynn-miller.net)


The Athenaeum on Washington Square.

Photo by Danya Henninger/Billy Penn

Photo by Lynn Miller


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In 1838, Edgar Allan Poe visited the PhiladelphiaAthenaeum in its rented quarters. A “Book of

Strangers” from that period records the names anddates of all who came as guests of members. A bust ofthe goddess Minerva—Pallas Athena to the Greeks—was on prominent display at the time, as she still istoday on the second floor of the Athenaeum’s 1845

building. Some staff members believe that she inspiredthe poet to envision “a pallid bust of Pallas” above thenarrator’s chamber door when he wrote his wildly popular “e Raven” after his visit. To memorializethat possibility, a stuffed raven now appears aroundHallowe’en at the Athenaeum, perched on the goddess’shead. e bird’s name? Nev R. Moore, of course.

professionals. Today, theserooms are largely open to thepublic. ere, in addition toa large gallery for temporaryexhibitions, you may be surprised to find a fascinating collection of memorabiliafrom the estate of JosephBonaparte, who lived inPhiladelphia and acrossthe river in New Jerseyfor some fifteen years afterthe fall from power of hisyounger brother, Napoleon.Why is that collection here?Because Bonaparte gavethese things to his neighbor,friend and Athenaeummember, a doctor whowilled them to theAthenaeum years later.Art by, and images of,members of the Bonapartefamily share space withNapoleon’s death mask, letters, and furniture fromJoseph’s estate, PointBreeze, at Bordentown,New Jersey.

I sat down recently withDr. Beth Hessell, the newAthenaeum director. Sheacknowledged that thissomewhat austere buildingmay look forbidding tostrangers. Her goal is tomake it welcoming to all.She was happy to reportthat First Friday receptionshave become increasinglypopular, bringing many, especially younger,

Philadelphians into thebuilding for the first time.(As you probably know, thefirst Friday of every monthis when many arts and cultural organizations inand near old city open theirestablishments for free, andoften serve refreshments.)In increasing the Athen aeum’svisibility, she is eager to increase its membership,which consists of three categories: shareholders,who buy a share, whichmay be passed on to another family member,then an annual fee; sub-scribers, who pay an annualfee only; and young friends,members under the ageof 35. If you are interestedin joining in any category,phone 215-925-2688,or visit their website: www.philaathenaeum.org.

In 2018, an arrangementwas made with theUniversity of Pennsylvanialibraries to permitAthenaeum shareholdersto have immediate and freeaccess to Penn’s seven- million-volume circulating library. By the mid-20thcentury, when much larger,public libraries existedin every major city, thePhiladelphia Athenaeumdecided to focus much ofits more limited resourceson the history of architecture

and interior design, especially in America.While theirs is now oneof the most important collections of its kind inthe nation, the arrangementwith Penn allows memberswith more general andeclectic reading and researchinterests to borrow froma pre-eminent general collection. e Athenaeum’slibrarian is also continuallyadding new books of general interest to theirown collection.

e organization nowsponsors discussion groups,one of which is in Frenchfor those who wish to brushup their skills in that language.ere are conversationsover brown-bag lunches;talks about movies by thePhiladelphia Inquirer‘s longtime critic, CarrieRickey; and member bustours. In February, agroup will visit theMichener Museum inDoylestown. Chambermusic is sometimes on themenu, as are other musicalmoments presented in cooperation with OperaPhiladelphia.

Washington Square’sprominence in the life ofPhiladelphians owes muchto the presence of theAthenaeum overlooking

its green space for a century-and-three-quarters. anksin part to that presence, thesquare became the centerof publishing early in the19th century, and the heartof what was Philadelphia’smost desirable residentialquarter. But through the firsthalf of the 20th century,suburbanization, followedby population decline, greatlyreduced this neighborhood’sfortunes. e Athenaeumsurvived as one of the fewlegacies of the square’s richpast. en, after WorldWar II, the revitalizationof Society Hill began.Mayor Richardson Dilworthhelped inspire that rebirthby building his new homeadjacent to the Athenaeum,the neighborhood’s anchor.

Today, increasing numbersof Athenaeum memberslive in the city, many ofthem, like those fromHopkinson House, nearby.If you would like to learnmore and visit this augustinstitution, please let meknow via our BuildingLink’s NeighborhoodDashboard so that I canarrange a group tour witha staff member. n

Getting to Know the Athenaeumcontinued from page 17

Was Poe’s “The Raven” inspired by a visit to the Athenaeum?


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On Top of the World!Joseph Quinn

Well, almost. I nevergot close to the

29,000 ft. peak of Mt.Everest (except by air).But my 26-day trip toBhutan, Nepal, and Tibetin November 2019 hadmany memorable “high”points. What a privilege itwas to travel in these fabledlands, experience such cultural richness, be movedby such deep spirituality,and astonished by such natural beauty.

ese countries (Tibet isconsidered an autonomousregion within China) areclustered to the north ofIndia, with which theyshare a border, and are contiguous with the massiveHimalayan range. Yet theyare different culturally, spiritually, and politically.What they do have in common is the incomparablebeauty of their landscapes,made all the more intoxicatingby being sometimes forbiddingly inaccessible.

And then for some thereis their association withthe mystical/mythical ideaof Shangri La, an Edenic paradise supposedly hiddenin the far reaches of theTibetan Himalayas, hauntingly described by

James Hilton in his 1933best-seller, Lost Horizon.

Mountains and mysticism,particularly that of aBuddhist nature, werewhat drove my curiosityand around which I centered my journey. I encountered plenty ofboth wherever I went.

During two weeks inBhutan, our group travelledwestward from centrally-located Bumthang to thecapital city of imphu.We traversed endless windingroads up hills and downinto valleys, our eyes poppingwith the staggering beautyof the landscape, so cherished and protectedby the Bhutanese peopleand their leaders.

e guiding principle ofBhutan’s governing processis the much-discussed (andBuddhist-inspired) GrossNational Happiness (GNH).Unlike Gross NationalProduct, which focuses onthe productivity and financialwell-being of a country andits workers, GNH is a toolfor measuring and supportingsustainable growth, environmental conservation,and the total well-being—financial, social, and even

psychological—of individualsand society.

In Bhutan, mountainsare admired from afar, evenworshiped as repositoriesof sacred mysteries.Recreational mountainclimbing is forbidden bylaw. Every monastery andresidential or commercialdwelling adheres to mandated architectural principles designed to createaesthetic uniformity andalso allow for the practicalitiesof urban and rural life, including the presence of aBuddhist altar in every home.

We visited several majordzongs, majestic fortress-likebuildings, usually situated onpromontories visible formiles around, that combineactive Buddhist monasteriesand offices of the local civicgovernment. Every dzong isbuilt around a large centralcourtyard that becomes thestage for frequent tsechus, orfestivals, like the Jakar andBlack-necked Crane festivalswe observed. ese are religious rituals or pageantspresided over by the residentmonks. Each one is a dazzling, sensory-rich combination of colorfulcostumes and masks, processions, music, and

dancing, with some comicrelief thrown in for children.Every village family attends,staying for hours, as the primary reasons for attendinga festival are to receiveblessings, be cleansed ofnegativity, and gain meritin the Buddhist tradition.

We rafted the Pho Chhuriver in Punakha, hikedthrough serene woodlands,were served delicious mealsin village farmhouses, andstumbled upon an archerytournament that lookedlike something out ofSherwood Forest. Whowould have guessed thatBhutan’s national sport isarchery? We visited museumsthat preserve the heritageof Bhutanese art and culture,and toured a school whereboys and girls are trainedin practical arts and craftsto ensure that the traditionof harmonious Bhutanese design will thrive and continue to beautify homesand religious spaces.

Our visit culminatedin two ascents that testedour physical endurance andlung capacity. e first wasan arduous, day-long trekfrom the Haa valley up tothe sky burial site on the

A typical dzong in Bhutan, combininga Buddhist monastery and local government offices.

A huge religious painting is unveiledat the conclusion of a religious festivalin Bhutan.

Monks-in-training and their teachers actively “debate” the finer points ofBuddhist philosophy in Lhasa, Tibet.

Photos by Joseph

Quinn



highest ridge of Cheli LaPass. ere, at almost14,000 ft., we caught ourbreath and contemplated astunning view of the distantHimalayan range. On thefinal day of the tour, weslowly negotiated the perilous-looking climbto the fabled Tiger’s NestMonastery, spectacularlysituated on the side of adizzyingly steep cliff at10,400 ft. You gaze in aweand ask yourself, how didit get there? Legend has itthat the founding monk arrived on the back of a flying tigress. When you finally rest your aching feetand trembling knees at the entrance, you ask yourself,how the heck did I get here!

Tranquility, beauty, spiritu-ality, reverence for nature,love of ritual, and a beliefthat everyone has a right tohappiness and prosperity—these are some of the char-acteristics of Bhutan and itspeople that you will experi-ence if you venture there.

After the Bhutan tourgroup dispersed, I continuedmy journey solo into Nepaland later, Tibet. My visit toNepal’s capital, Kathmandu,began with an early-morningMountain Flight, offeringjaw-dropping views of theHimalayas and a briefphoto-op of Mt. Everest itself from the cockpit.

As my guide pointed out,Nepal is about eighty percentHindu and ten percentBuddhist. e country maybe unique in how people ofdifferent faiths coexist andrespect each other’s spiritualtraditions and spaces. Signsof the devastating 2015earthquake that killed over

8,000 people and partiallydestroyed many historicbuildings are still evidentas you walk through thebustling palace squaresof Kathmandu, Patan,and Bhaktapur.

Experiencing Kathmandumeans visiting bothBuddhist and Hindu sites.e signature Buddhistshrines are huge, domed,spherical stupas like the oneat Boudhanath, the largestin Asia, which is actuallythe tip of a massive three-dimensional mandala. emost revered Hindu templeis in Pashupatinath, whereone can observe solemncremation rites at the AyraGhat on the Bagmati River.Fresh air and mountainviews are available at the resort-like town ofNagarkot up in the hillsoutside of town.

After four days inKathmandu, I received myvisa for Tibet and was offto Lhasa, a city combining elements both ancient andmodern, situated on a vast,barren 12,000-ft. plateaureferred to as “the roof ofthe world.” To feel the truepulse of Lhasa, you haveto go beyond the modern central district, which israther sterile, with broadstreets, well-mannered trafficand glass-walled high rises.(Oddly, Lhasa was the onlyplace where I saw western-style junk food for sale, likeat Pizza Hut and KFC.)

Drepung and Sera arethe two major Buddhistmonasteries where visitorscan observe the daily activities of monks in training and sense the deepspirituality pervading these

holy places. At the Seramonastery I watched the “debating” exercise that takesplace every day in thecourtyard. Student monksare energetically confrontedby their teachers with shoutedquestions, vigorous handclapping and foot stomping,all part of a good-naturededucational exercise.

Lhasa’s crowning jewel,physically and spiritually, isthe sprawling Potala Palace,perched on a hill high abovethe city. Photographs don’tdo it justice, and nothingcan prepare you for thisheart-stopping vision. Onceit was an active monasteryand home of the currentDalai Lama before he wasforced to flee to Dharamsala,India, where he establishedthe Tibetan government-in-exile. Now it is a monu-mental museum filled withvestiges of glorious Buddhistreligious art and open tovisitors who are able to negotiate its 432 steps.

e political situation inTibet is, to say the least,complicated. My Tibetanguide explained he was notpermitted to mention thecurrent Buddhist leader- in-exile or discuss thetense relations betweenCommunist China and the

Tibet Autonomous Region(TAR). Nevertheless, whatimpressed me most aboutLhasa was the steadfastspirituality of its people.e citizens of Lhasa livetheir faith actively as partof their daily routine, savoring opportunities toexpress and deepen theirspirituality. ey live underan oppressive regime that,at best tolerates, and atworst can be openly hostiletoward their religious beliefs.Yet you see them by thehundreds patiently walkingclockwise around every sacred site for hours at atime, fingering their beadsand murmuring prayers.

So, is there a Shangri La?Maybe not literally. But aspects of that mythicalEden-like world can befound in Bhutan, Nepal,even in Tibet, if you lookclosely. In the shadows ofthe looming Himalayanpeaks, communities existthat strive to harmonizebody, mind, and soul;honor and protect the natural environment; illustrate the power of faithto sustain communities inthe face of repression; andallow people to live togetherpeacefully despite their differences. n

On Top of the World!continued from page 21

View of a Buddhist shrinenear Kathmandu, Nepal. Theeyes are watching you.

A temple near Kathmandu stillunder repair as a result of thedevastating 2015 earthquake.

Photos by Joseph

Quinn


215-514-9884 – Cell

215-440-8195 – Direct

215-627-6005 – Office

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C O M I N G S O O N


Some of our most recent sales at Hopkinson House114 | 303 | 404 | 506 | 511 | 513 | 516 | 517 | 612 | 711

806 | 901 | 910 | 915 | 916 | 1006 | 1401 | 1516 | 1517-1518 1603 | 1604 | 1809 | 1910 | 2010 | 2013 | 2203 | 2407 | 2515

2605 | 2702 | 2709-07 | 2710 | 2803 | 2907 | 2914 | 2917Thinking about buying or selling a Hopkinson House

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Allan Domb Real EstatePHILADELPHIA’S LARGEST SELLING CONDOMINIUM REALTOR® WE COOPERATE WITH ALL REALTORS®1845 Walnut Street, Suite 2200, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Phone: 215.545.1500 allandomb.com [email protected]

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Documents

Hopkinson House Holiday Party SCitizens League, the ... › wp-content › uploads › ... · Citizens League, the holiday party features the winter celebrations of Christmas, Hanukah,