{"id":294405,"date":"2026-09-26T10:00:09","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T10:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/294405\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T10:00:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T10:00:09","slug":"septa-dreams-big-350-broad-street-signs-and-wonderland-disappears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/294405\/","title":{"rendered":"SEPTA dreams big, $350 Broad Street signs, and Wonderland disappears"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Wonderland really is disappearing: F<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Wonderland Pier closed almost two years ago. Now, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/topic\/ocean-city\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Ocean City<\/a> has declared part of the former amusement pier unsafe after a wall beneath the decking began caving in.  Developer Eustace Mita says the iconic Ferris wheel \u2014 which his original hotel proposal called for preserving \u2014 is in such bad shape that it will have to be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/news\/new-jersey\/wonderland-pier-collapse-eustace-mita-20260922.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/news\/new-jersey\/wonderland-pier-collapse-eustace-mita-20260922.html\">\u201cliterally torched\u201d and cut into pieces to come down<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Oof.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">For generations of families, that Ferris wheel was part of the Ocean City skyline. You could see it from the beach, the boardwalk, blocks away. Even after Wonderland closed, it was still there.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">There\u2019s plenty of debate over what happens to this property next, including Mita\u2019s proposed hotel. But whatever eventually replaces Wonderland, this part is just sad.<\/p>\n<p>A bad-luck sports September: F<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Did the Phillies, Eagles, and Flyers collectively break a mirror? Walk under a ladder? Open an umbrella indoors?<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Because in the span of 11 days, <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/sports\/flyers-vladar-injury-luzardo-phillies-dickerson-eagles-20260923.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/sports\/flyers-vladar-injury-luzardo-phillies-dickerson-eagles-20260923.html\">three of the most important players on three Philadelphia teams got hurt<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">First, Phillies All-Star starter <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/topic\/jesus-luzardo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Jes\u00fas Luzardo<\/a> landed on the injured list with a sore shoulder, just as the postseason approached. Then the Eagles lost three-time Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson to injured reserve with a bone bruise in his already twice-repaired right knee. And Tuesday, Flyers MVP Dan Vlada\u0159 left a preseason game injured after a collision.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">The Phillies were counting on Luzardo as a major part of an October rotation. The Eagles already look like they desperately miss Dickerson in the run game. And Vlada\u0159 was the heart of the Flyers team that finally made hockey fun around here again last season.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Bad luck comes in threes, right? Well, apparently not.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Thursday night, <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/phillies\/luis-arraez-injury-leaves-game-ankle-brewers-20260924.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/phillies\/luis-arraez-injury-leaves-game-ankle-brewers-20260924.html\">Luis Arr\u00e1ez sprained his left ankle trying to beat out a grounder against Milwaukee<\/a> and had to be helped off the field, unable to put weight on his leg. X-rays were negative, but with the playoffs days away (hopefully), it\u2019s unclear when he\u2019ll be able to return.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">So much for completing our allotment of sports misery.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Whatever dark cloud is  following Philadelphia sports around, please find another city. Four is plenty. We\u2019ve officially met our injury quota for the month.<\/p>\n<p>Fall understood the assignment: A+<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Finally, fall in <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/weather\/fall-equinox-2026-when-date-leaves-weather-20260921.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/weather\/fall-equinox-2026-when-date-leaves-weather-20260921.html\">Philly actually feels like fall<\/a>. The autumnal equinox arrived Tuesday, and somehow the weather timed it perfectly: cool mornings, highs in the 60s, and just enough color starting to show up in the trees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">This is the good stuff. Open windows, sweatshirts, and walks that don\u2019t end in sweating. It\u2019s the beginning of leaves changing along Kelly Drive and the few glorious weeks when sitting outside is actually pleasant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Of course, Philly weather couldn\u2019t just let us enjoy this. A powerful early-season nor\u2019easter is expected to bring heavy rain and winds that could gust to 45 mph in the city this weekend, with even worse conditions and significant flooding possible at the Shore. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Fall arrived right on time. Apparently, it also brought weather. <\/p>\n<p>The promise of a well-funded SEPTA: A<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">After years of hearing what SEPTA might have to cut, it\u2019s refreshing to hear <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/transportation\/septa-vision-big-potential-investment-legislature-funders-20260922.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/transportation\/septa-vision-big-potential-investment-legislature-funders-20260922.html\">what SEPTA might actually add<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">The agency unveiled an ambitious 10-year vision this week that includes new trolleys, new El cars, more accessible stations, and a pretty wild idea for Regional Rail: trains every 15 minutes or better on several lines. <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/topic\/septa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">SEPTA<\/a> says the change would essentially give the region another 75 miles of subway-level frequent rail service. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">And people are riding again. SEPTA says it\u2019s now carrying more than 800,000 daily riders, after reporting a summer spike tied in part to Philly\u2019s huge slate of events. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">There is, naturally, a very SEPTA-sized catch: Someone has to pay for all of this. The agency still faces a $192 million operating deficit next fiscal year, and much of this vision depends on additional funding. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">But after years of \u201csave SEPTA,\u201d it\u2019s nice to spend a week imagining a SEPTA that gets better instead of merely surviving. Regional Rail that comes every 15 minutes? Keep talking.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/6WSJ3KCX7NHB7NCZ3GAW6B7L6Y.jpg\"   alt=\"Broad Street Line signs, like the one pictured above, quickly sold out in SEPTA's RETROmania sale.\" class=\"object-contain max-h-screen lg:max-h-75vh h-full w-screen sm:w-full mb-2\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\"\/>Broad Street Line signs, like the one pictured above, quickly sold out in SEPTA&#8217;s RETROmania sale.Courtesy of SEPTA<\/p>\n<p>$350 for an old SEPTA sign?: B<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Speaking of SEPTA, it may have accidentally discovered its next funding source.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Philadelphians have spent years complaining about SEPTA. Turns out, we   like to own pieces of it.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">SEPTA dug through its vault and put old transit signs, maps, and TransPass sheets up for sale this month, and people went nuts. More than 100 decommissioned signs sold, <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/life\/septa-vintage-sale-decommissioned-signs-20260923.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/life\/septa-vintage-sale-decommissioned-signs-20260923.html\">some for $350 apiece<\/a>, and the old Broad Street Line signs were among the first to go. (Duh.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">The sale came about because riders kept asking what SEPTA was doing with the old signs as it switched the Broad Street Line to the \u201cB\u201d \u2014 a name change many Philadelphians are still politely declining to participate in.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">And apparently nothing says the Broad Street Line will always be the Broad Street Line quite like paying $350 to hang the evidence in your basement.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/MZKGN7VT6NFE7LO4X4BFPGCTHA.gif\"   alt=\"Lynnewood Hall is getting a second chance under new ownership.\" class=\"object-contain max-h-screen lg:max-h-75vh h-full w-screen sm:w-full mb-2\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\"\/>Lynnewood Hall is getting a second chance under new ownership.Monica Herndon<\/p>\n<p>Lynnewood Hall opens its doors: A<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">For 84 years, one of the most spectacular buildings in the Philadelphia region has been sitting in <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/topic\/elkins-park\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Elkins Park<\/a> with its doors closed to the public, but not anymore.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Lynnewood Hall, the 100,000-square-foot Gilded Age mansion built for industrialist Peter A.B. Widener, is now <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/arts\/lynnewood-hall-reopening-renovation-flower-show-20260922.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/arts\/lynnewood-hall-reopening-renovation-flower-show-20260922.html\">open to the public for the first time since 1942<\/a>. And naturally, a house this over-the-top is reopening (through Oct. 4) with thousands of flowers and a show inspired by HBO\u2019s The Gilded Age.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">But the really exciting part is what happens after the flowers leave.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">The mansion sat abandoned for decades before the Lynnewood Hall Preservation Foundation bought it for $9.5 million in 2023 and began the enormous job of bringing it back to life. Now, the group is planning more public programming for 2027.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">There are plenty of old buildings around Philly that people wish somebody had saved before it was too late, so it\u2019s pretty nice to watch one actually get a second chance.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/ZORHPUW7QFGX5NR65GNMJLMYTU.jpg\"   alt=\"At Marlton's Johnny Longhots on Sept. 18, 2026, are (from left): Ralph DiSibio, 85, Bob McDermott, 83, Gary Mazzucco, 78, Paul Ferretti, 79, John DeSilvio, 74, and Mike Mouber, 79.\" class=\"object-contain max-h-screen lg:max-h-75vh h-full w-screen sm:w-full mb-2\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"650\" height=\"433\"\/>At Marlton&#8217;s Johnny Longhots on Sept. 18, 2026, are (from left): Ralph DiSibio, 85, Bob McDermott, 83, Gary Mazzucco, 78, Paul Ferretti, 79, John DeSilvio, 74, and Mike Mouber, 79.Aidan T. Gallo \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n<p>Retirement, but make it cheesesteaks: A+<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Six friends from a 55+ community in <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/topic\/moorestown\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Moorestown<\/a> have embarked on <a data-link-type=\"article-body\" class=\"text-blue-mid hover:shadow-lightmode\" href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/south-jersey\/cheesesteak-south-jersey-johnny-longhots-marlton-food-20260923.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/south-jersey\/cheesesteak-south-jersey-johnny-longhots-marlton-food-20260923.html\">a mission to find the best cheesesteak in South Jersey<\/a>, trying a new spot every month and debating the important things: bread firmness, hot peppers, meat-to-money ratio and whether Cooper Sharp was actually the right call.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">There\u2019s a spreadsheet, but no real scoring system. They mostly decide whether a sandwich is \u201cgood\u201d or not while talking about sports, movies, and whatever else comes up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">So far, Chick\u2019s Deli is winning. Donkey\u2019s lost points for the kaiser roll. And they refuse to cross the bridge because there are too many cheesesteaks in Philly and, as they put it, they\u2019re not sure they have enough time to eat them all.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-inquirer-text-web text-4.5 leading-[30px] sm:text-5 text-primary mb-6 sm:mb-5&#10;      sm:leading-8 [&amp;&gt;a]:text-blue-mid [&amp;&gt;a]:no-underline [&amp;&gt;a]:hover:shadow-lightmode px-5 sm:px-4 font-medium\">Forget pickleball, these guys have retirement figured out.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.inquirer.com\/author\/ruland_sam\/\" title=\"Sam Ruland\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"no-underline text-primary hover:text-primary-blue font-normal\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img class=\"inq-image visible-inq-image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/https:\/\/author-service-images-prod-us-east-1.publishing.aws.arc.pub\/pmn\/2571ff7a-a042-4b02-ab4d-3ed8.jpeg\" alt=\"Sam Ruland\" decoding=\"async\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m the planning and coverage editor for features, helping shape coverage, plan big projects, and strengthen collaboration across the newsroom. I help steer our weekend franchises, special section issues, and long-term feature plans \u2014 the big, ambitious stuff that keeps readers coming back. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wonderland really is disappearing: F Wonderland Pier closed almost two years ago. Now, Ocean City has declared part&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294406,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[69,71,70,121857],"class_list":["post-294405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-septa-signs-wonderland-pier-philly-sports-report-card"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=294405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=294405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=294405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=294405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}