It\u2019s Friday, Philly. Expect mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-80s.<\/p>\n
What does it take for a restaurant to last in Philadelphia? An Inquirer analysis found that new food licenses are outpacing closures in the city<\/a>. <\/p>\n We also dig into why Washington Square has a new surveillance camera<\/a>. <\/p>\n Plus, Philly City Hall was evacuated due to a suspicious package<\/a>, and more news to know before your weekend begins.<\/p>\n \u2014 Paola P\u00e9rez (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com<\/a>)<\/p>\n If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Philly is a foodie\u2019s paradise with thousands of restaurants that call it home. But it\u2019s a notoriously difficult business, and recent high-profile closures in the city reinforce that reality.<\/p>\n According to our analysis of business licenses since 2006, the median lifespan of a restaurant is seven and a half years.<\/p>\n To examine what has changed in that time frame, we looked into what happened in 2018. That year\u2019s data shows:<\/p>\n \u2705 The city had a little more than 8,000 active licenses for food preparing and serving. (A new licensing process that year gave this figure a boost.)<\/p>\n \u26d4 Around 1,000 new licenses were issued throughout that year, but around 650 of those businesses have since closed.<\/p>\n That short forecast, coupled with the volatile dining scene, hasn\u2019t deterred new places from opening up shop, though. And there\u2019s one West Philly block in particular that represents this turnover trend.<\/p>\n Follow along with senior interactive designer Garland Fordice as she explains the data and takes us to the neighborhood<\/a>. <\/p>\n There\u2019s a new fixture on Washington Square that doesn\u2019t exactly obscure its presence.<\/p>\n The fenced off, solar-powered security camera has sparked questions about whether it was a Flock camera, a type of surveillance device that has raised privacy concerns.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not a Flock device, my colleague Abraham Gutman reports. He tracked down more information on the camera, including:<\/p>\n Who installed it. The National Park Service did so in July, according to City Councilmember Mark Squilla.<\/p>\n Why they put it there. A handful of vandalism incidents in the area prompted the additional surveillance measure.<\/p>\n Get the full story here<\/a>. <\/p>\n What you should know today<\/p>\n South Jersey power broker and former Inquirer co-owner George E. Norcross III on Thursday filed a $100 million defamation and conspiracy lawsuit against the newspaper and one of its editors<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sheriff\u2019s deputies investigated a package found in Council chambers, Council President Kenyatta Johnson said. No injuries were reported and police have determined it was not a bomb<\/a>.<\/p>\n The cousin of a woman believed to have been killed by Raymond Horsch criticized police for sharing graphic details with the public before conferring with family<\/a>.<\/p>\n Upper Darby passed an ordinance this week aiming to restrict the township\u2019s cooperation with federal immigration agents<\/a>.<\/p>\n The head of the Conviction Integrity Unit in the District Attorney\u2019s Office has stepped down from his supervisory role, sources said, days after a federal judge said his actions in a contentious post-conviction case could amount to crimes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker ordered a task force to explore whether the city should place new regulations on the construction of data centers that power artificial intelligence<\/a>. Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh, Gov. Josh Shapiro called for the federal government to establish \u201cstrict rules of the road\u201d to guide the AI industry<\/a>.<\/p>\n Atlantic City\u2019s iconic Steel Pier, home to diving horses, Miss America pageants, and lately rides, has gone up for sale at $85 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n Old City is one of the few Philadelphia neighborhoods that still sees condo development. A new 43-unit project, which would preserve historic features, could become part of the trend<\/a>.<\/p>\n Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We\u2019ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city\u2019s quirks<\/a>.<\/p>\n This week, we\u2019re resurfacing an explainer on Philadelphia street nomenclature. A reader, self-described as obsessed with avenue numbers in Philadelphia, wanted to know why they start at 64th. And why 63rd Street, not 63rd Avenue?<\/p>\n We asked multiple city departments, but as it turns out, no one really knows why. Still, Inquirer reporter Michelle Myers uncovered some history of Philly\u2019s street naming conventions, and how it may be related to the city\u2019s addressing system. Here\u2019s the full story<\/a>.<\/p>\n Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83e\udde0 Trivia time<\/p>\n Biology students at Stockton University are monitoring this Jersey Shore icon and say the species could be in danger:<\/p>\n A) Turtles<\/p>\n B) Horses<\/p>\n C) Horseshoe crabs<\/p>\n D) Ospreys<\/p>\n Think you know? Test your local news know-how and check your answer in our weekly quiz<\/a>. <\/p>\n What we\u2019re \u2026<\/p>\n \ud83c\udf15 Highlighting: Philly\u2019s most unique mooncakes, according to The Inquirer\u2019s food writer Kiki Aranita<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u26bd Impressed by: Union phenom Cavan Sullivan, 16, and two other teammates got the call-up to play with the senior U.S. men\u2019s national team<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb8 Listing: Concerts to catch as we wrap up the last big weekend for outdoor shows in Philly<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u26f3 Following: Why the plan to build a warehouse on a shuttered South Jersey golf course has yet to break ground<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2615 Curious about: A West Philly coffee shop\u2019s new bagel-themed fall drink<\/a>. The Inquirer\u2019s Emily Bloch says it\u2019s a \u201cmust-try.\u201d <\/p>\n \ud83e\udde9 Unscramble the anagram<\/p>\n Hint: The United States got its name at this Philadelphia site on Sept. 9, 1776. (At the time, it was called the Pennsylvania State House.)<\/p>\n ENPLANED LICHENED <\/p>\n Email us if you know the answer<\/a>. We\u2019ll select a reader at random to shout out here.<\/p>\n Cheers to Khalil Garriott, who correctly guessed Thursday\u2019s answer: Reading Terminal Market. The beloved Center City institution recently tallied up its local economic impact, to the tune of $126 million last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n Photo of the day<\/p>\n Thanks for starting your weekend with us. Have a great one.<\/p>\n