By John Corrigan
Where’s it at? One sniff of a mouth-watering cheesesteak and you know that you have stepped onto Paddy’s Pub turf. Ranging from South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west, South Philadelphia serves as a melting pot of blue-collar Italian, Irish, African and Mexican Americans.
What’s it about? After shopping for fresh produce at the historic 9th Street Italian Market, ride SEPTA’s Broad Street Line to the AT&T Station at the corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue to cheer on Philly’s athletes at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. As the mecca of Philly sports, the complex hosts the Philadelphia Phillies in Citizen’s Bank Park, the Philadelphia Flyers and 76ers in the Wells Fargo Center, and the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as our beloved Temple Owls, at Lincoln Financial Field. Regardless of the game’s outcome, you will need to stop by the vivacious South Street to either celebrate victory or drown your sorrows with some brew.
What’s new? Although a South Philly staple for over 25 years, the recently renovated and revamped Asylum Arena hosts boxing, wrestling and mixed martial arts events for cheap costs. Despite exclusion from the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, the former home of the Mummers’ practices continues to attract rowdy fans to the corner of Swanson and 7 West Ritner streets.
If you want a taste of the action, Combat Zone Wrestling will provide a night of barbed wire mayhem on Sept. 10 from 7 p.m. until midnight with tickets ranging from $20 for general admission, to $30 for front row seats.
John Corrigan can be reached at john.corrigan@temple.edu.
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