Introducing, two ways to enjoy “Good Mornings” from home!
Since early November 2014, we’ve taken to Facebook & Twitter to share photos of local homes, gardens and landmarks “in real time,” taken with the best compact point & shoot camera I can use one-handed while walking a dog & drinking coffee (a Canon Powershot S120, btw).
Every morning, Steve and I walk these streets with our dog, Ducky, through all kinds of weather. Through heat waves and cold snaps. Under rainbows and along wind-tossed rivers.
I’ll admit it, I’m in love with East Falls. When I moved here in 2011, I would literally stop and stare down blocks at time, some mornings — just drinking in the architecture & landscaping & the ghosts of former businesses on every corner.
I am not nor have I ever been a photographer, but I couldn’t resist the urge to snap some images, if only to prove to myself later in the day that no, I hadn’t imagined that glowing cement head in a mossy garden on Midvale. And, yes, the Schuylkill really was perfectly smooth as glass that morning.
Sharing these photos on social media connected us with a whole community of neighbors and “ex-pats” who were just as passionate about this place as we were. Dyed-in-the-wool “Fallsers” like Russ Gardner Sr, Paula Holesworth Dougherty, Joe Verdone and lots of Hillanbrands (!) chimed in with the coolest, most personal stories behind the buildings and streetscapes we were posting.
And I fell in love with East Falls even more. You might say I fall a little deeper every day. Certainly every day is a new adventure, scouting out an interesting corner, and hoping for some insider scoop to go with it.
The feedback has been overwhelming sometimes (and quite touching). Seems these images have been bringing back wonderful memories for many, yay!
East Falls was clearly an amazing place to be a kid, so many people who’ve left over the years still hold these stoops and steeples dear in their heart. Seems almost every day, we hear from someone who wants an image copy, or — most recently — folks have been clamoring for postcards of favorite scenes.
Well, ask and you shall receive! We’re excited to offer two ways everyone can enjoy East Falls like a local, no matter where you are.
“GOOD MORNING” Daily Delivery: a high-quality version of our “Good Morning” Twitter/Facebook photo, sent to any email address. A free service — it’s easy to miss things on social media, so here’s a simple way to make sure every Good Morning comes your way.
To sign up, click here! Of course, we’d never sell, share or distribute any contact information. (Nor are we delivering spam or spyware or triangulating your location or broadcasting messages thru your toaster, in case you’re wondering.)
For those seeking print images, we’re now introducing, our first paid service — THE LOCAL POST.
Everyone agrees East Falls is pretty as a picture postcard! Now, we’re taking our favorite “Good Morning” photo every month, and printing it up as a fine-quality postcard.
Just $5 per month for a hand-stamped, addressed East Falls Local postcard mailed to any address from the East Falls post office on Ridge Avenue (mailings will go out mid-month, to show as “real-time” a scene as possible). NOTE: If you purchase a yearly subscription, you get the first month free.
Sign up through Paypal or email us for alternate payment options.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! We are insanely grateful for every “investment” you make in our boot-strap operation. At this time, we are even too small for a proper 501-3-C application, so while all donations are greatly appreciated, they are unfortunately not tax deductible. On a side note, we also accept favors, volunteers, and gift certificates of all kinds (including bar tabs).
In other news… The newly-published SUMMER JOURNAL of our “Little Blog That Could” recently received the highly-esteemed* “MakeMyNewsPapers.com” list for nicely-designed community newspapers on their “Examples” page. <golf applause>
(*not really)
But then the bummer is, it’s full of typos. D’oh!
Wish we could blame jet lag or a tequila bender for this, but truth is we’re just terrible proofreaders. Good news for critical eyeballs: the person who finds the most typos/errors by the end of the month, we’ll take out for lunch at either Trolley Car or Epicure (plus we’ll do a special piece on what a good job you did, and what must’ve happened to make you so critical, ha). Email us or leave an edited copy of the Journal at either location, with your name & contact info.
Meanwhile, read the PDF here, or pick up your free copy at local bars & cafes. The library and EFDC office has ’em too, and we usually drop off a stack at Frequency Tattoo, and Rose Cooper from RAH Civic Association takes them to Sherman Mills (thank you, Rose!). We’ll update with additional locations as they’re added.
If you’d like us to drop off a JOURNAL to your home or business, please email us your address (and how many copies you’d like) and we’ll get one out to you asap. If you’d like us to drop one in the mail for you or someone you think will enjoy our publication, please email us for shipping calculations.
Thanks again for reading East Falls Local — we’re already looking forward to our Fall issue, hope you’ll stick around to see what’s next in our neighborhood!
Carolyn, you really have a good eye. You always know how to frame the shot to focus on the beauty … it’s amazing to me how you transform some of the little serendipitous moments I’ve seen myself walking around from a small detail into a whole world unto themselves. Well done!