{"id":299892,"date":"2026-10-05T02:44:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T02:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/299892\/"},"modified":"2026-10-05T02:44:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T02:44:23","slug":"philly-loves-analog-spaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/299892\/","title":{"rendered":"Philly loves analog spaces"},"content":{"rendered":"

Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In a world focused on scrolling, AI and technology, analog culture has been something more people are embracing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

These \u201cgrounding, hands-on\u201d habits<\/a> include everything from puzzles and drawing to listening to music on record players or using typewriters.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Olive Zoya is one of the driving forces creating more of these spaces in Philly through her club \u2013 Analog Lovers Club.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gather on a recurring basis,\u201d she said. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s multiple times a month and sometimes it\u2019s every month. We do a series of bring-your-own vinyls, where we share some of our favorite vinyls and we take turns listening and engaging in conversations in real life. In addition to that, sometimes we also do Tiny Desk-inspired sessions where we feature local Philly artists, letting them have a moment and a night to share their gifts with us. And sometimes it\u2019s a CD swap or a physical media swap where we fundraise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Themed events with Analog Lovers Club offer lots of different analog options, including puzzles and Polaroids (photo courtesy of Olive Zoya) <\/p>\n

Zoya said she grew up creating and appreciating music.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up in a home where there was always music and always physical media like CDs, vinyls, photo albums, books, and so all those things I love and I hold dearly, and I collect them,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And around the pandemic, Zoya said she took some time to explore her habits and decided an \u201cInstagram detox\u201d was a part of her plan. In the meantime, she found herself in Philly creative circles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI just kept thinking, \u2018how can I add value to this space?\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cWhat can I do to kind of support my friends or bring more attention and more exposure to all the great art and artists and creatives and all the cool things about Philly? And so I thought about creating a third space.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there, Analog Lovers Club was born. Zoya said her first event gave her the confidence to continue hosting.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think analog culture is human connection,\u201d she said. \u201cMy first event was held at Plant and People, a cafe in West Philly, and that was the first \u2018Bring Your Own Vinyl,\u2019 and we had about probably 40 people, from different ages, genders, and backgrounds.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"\u2018Bring Your Own Vinyl\u2019 events have many participants, Zoya said. (Photo courtesy of Olive Zoya)<\/p>\n

Connecting outside of tech\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zoya said she is passionate about not just promoting physical media, like CDs and DVDs, but bringing people together.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it\u2019s great for all of us to collect our physical media, but I think the important part about analog culture is to come together,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Physical analog materials can also create a no-pressure space to unwind and socialize, said Bill Rhoda, co-owner of Philly Typewriter<\/a> in South Philly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

His store is a space for people to come try out typewriters, for free \u2013 with no strings attached.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI fell in love with typewriters, but more so, I fell in love with the people that use them, getting to know their stories, why they want to come back to this and this whole new era for the machine,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Philly Typewriter provides a space for people to learn about the machines and network (Photo courtesy of Philly Typewriter, Eric Carosella and Brenden McCafferty)<\/p>\n

Rhoda\u2019s co-owner, Brian Kravitz, is the one who started the shop. Rhoda explained that what started as a pop-up in 2014 was so successful, it developed into a brick-and-mortar shop by 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rhoda said the space has become a spot for all kinds of things \u2013 from connecting work-from-home folks to hosting lectures and live music.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s getting people back to something more thoughtful and patient, and to something that they\u2019re going to have with them the rest of their life,\u201d he said. \u201cThe community aspect of this is getting people to come in and not only connect with us and make friends with everybody, but also to offer a third space for people.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zoya said she hopes her club can offer a similar philosophy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we all just go to record stores and all these different stores that are selling (analog stuff) and then we go back home and all we do is post it and just be in our own space, that\u2019s great and for some people, that works,\u201d she said. \u201cBut, it\u2019s beautiful to have a third space where you can come and share and geek out and just enjoy or explore even more physical media and a lot of culture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Novelty and throwback culture\u00a0<\/p>\n

Statistics show that many people, especially those within Gen Z, are increasingly taking up analog hobbies and analog media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A 2025 report<\/a> showed vinyl sales passing $1 billion for the first time this decade. And smaller studies show that over 80% of Americans<\/a> have incorporated analog lifestyle choices in their daily living, and that nearly three-quarters of adults<\/a> participated in a crafting project in 2025, up from 62% in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Everyone has different definitions for \u201canalog\u201d activities \u2013 but many say these are most \u201ctechnology-free\u201d activities. This could include everything<\/a> from birdwatching to painting with watercolors and working with a needlepoint kit.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Part of the appeal of analog culture is the novelty, said Peter Fader, a professor of marketing at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere\u2019s something that people don\u2019t usually use, but let\u2019s give it a go and just, kind of, a change of pace,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fader said some people are likely moving to analog culture to try to \u201cbe different\u201d and try new things.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not as internally driven as, \u2018hey, I just wanna try something new,\u2019 but more of just a social signaling to say, \u2018I\u2019m different than the usual clones out there,\u2019\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Fader said it\u2019s hard to determine whether this will be a fad or a lasting trend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But he explained that those who are adopting the \u201cnovelty\u201d analog technology may actually be more likely to simultaneously explore new, digital trends.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cEven if just for novelty or social signaling, if people get the old record player, or the landline phone or something else, it doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019re abandoning the new stuff,\u201d Fader said. \u201cIt just means that they\u2019re doing this as a change of pace, but they\u2019re still, for the most part, on that progressing, advancing technology bandwagon.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said novelty and \u201ctrying to be different\u201d are trends that continue generation to generation. As for the analog trend, he said it may not be something to read into.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Philly paves the way\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zoya said that beyond the enjoyment of analog media, spaces like her Analog Lovers Club can be important to combat the loneliness epidemic and encourage others to come together.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s important to have safe spaces that aren\u2019t always heavy,\u201d she said. \u201cTherapy is great, and I\u2019m very pro-therapy, but sometimes just having fun and being able to be in a space where you can just be and you can just enjoy is super important.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rhoda agrees. He said this no-technology connectivity in the typewriter shop is important in a world full of digital media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no pressure with you just sitting there,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s no all of a sudden, you\u2019re on Spotify building a playlist. You\u2019re not on Amazon buying different things. You\u2019re not on Facebook, doomscrolling. It\u2019s just you and your words. The space that we provide people to come into, as far as the community, is about that human interaction and connectivity.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can follow Analog Lovers Club on Instagram<\/a> for upcoming events and check out Philly Typewriter at 1735 Passyunk Ave. on Wednesdays-Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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