Robert DiGiacomo

As someone with four nephews and a niece but no children of my own, I’ve learned when to say uncle.
From my spot on the sidelines of parenting, I’ve been able to opt in on their lives on a regular basis. I’ve changed their diapers, taken them Trick-Or-Treating, sat through the joyful noise of their school concerts, hosted sleepovers and visited the oldest ones at college.
Together with my husband, we have carved a niche as the fun uncles who are on call to help on an as-needed basis. We’re al...

If you haven't been to Atlantic City lately, you might assume that the storied resort's luck might have finally run out.
Five casinos –– including the once fabled Trump Taj Mahal and a multi-billion-dollar flop called Revel that lasted just over two years –– shut down, leaving seven remaining. The city flirted with bankruptcy amid the lingering recession and unprecedented competition from casinos in neighboring states.
But like a player whose cards are suddenly hot, Atlantic City could be on ...

By Robert DiGiacomo

Three years ago, while working at a New York City art gallery, self-taught furniture-maker Brian Christopher (bicyclettefurniture.com) decided to rent a space in Hoboken to try his hand at woodworking. Acquiring his first tool from Craigslist and using the power of Instagram, he began building a client base for his signature white oak pieces. Last year, Christopher returned to his native Philly and set up a s...

At Philadelphia’s newly opened Rooster Soup Company, the signature choices might include mouth-watering versions of mushroom barley or matzo ball. You can pair the soups with chef Erin O’Shea’s interpretations of classic diner sandwiches and entrees like a tuna melt or chicken pot pie and finish up with a slice of the pie of the day.
Even more satisfying than the menu offerings from the team behind nationally known Zahav, Federal Donuts and Dizengoff, is the restaurant’s mission. Rooster Soup...

After Two Decades, a Philadelphia Urban Farm Grappl...

Experience Where the Obamas dined during the 44th p...

New York Times reporter John Leland thought he knew how to write about the “oldest old” — people 85 and up. For a proposed year-long series, he figured he would chronicle a laundry list of their issues: things like the dangers of falling, financial pressures and family conflict.
As Leland delved deeper, however, he realized the people in this age group were more than the sum of their problems. And he saw how much he didn’t know about the realities of aging. The resulting “85 & Up” series took...

Discover London's sophisticated urban resort - The ...

Class of ’94 | Back in 1998, Erica Armstrong Dunbar C’94 was sifting through the Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s electronic archives when she spotted an advertisement in the May 26, 1796 issue of Claypoole’s American Daily Advertiser. It began:
Absconded from the household of the President of the United States, on Saturday afternoon, ONEY JUDGE, a light Mulatto girl, much freckled, with very black eyes, and bushy black hair … Ten dollars will be paid to any person, (white or black) who w...

For anyone looking for a break from the intensity of the election season, but still craving some excitement, the fall lineup of travel and food shows promises plenty of back-stabbing, stunning scenery and mouth-watering dishes. Fortunately, for the country, the stakes are much lower.
Among the highlights, curmudgeonly celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is returning for Season 16 of Fox reality competition Hell’s Kitchen, Andrew “Nothing Is Too Gross to Try Once” Zimmern is traveling the world once ...

Postcard-Worthy Provence - The Hunt Magazine

In Newport, RI, tracing the Golden Age that precede...

Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is one of the more inscrutable — and yet accessible — music legends. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member, and the only songwriter to receive a Nobel Prize in literature, tours regularly, releases new recordings and even has his own whiskey label.
But fully understanding the publicly reticent Dylan is something else entirely, and a challenge no doubt welcomed by his legion of fans. He will return to A.C. to perform 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, at the Etess Arena at t...