Flightster

Philadelphia: Still a City of Revolution

• by Andi Norris
• on July 14th, 2010
• 6 Comments

Looking back at the 20th Century, each generation has a group of young revolutionaries that, though not necessarily predominate in numbers, were influential enough in thoughts and actions to establish themselves as the title characters of that generation. The twenties have the whiskey sipping, fringe-clad flappers; the sixties have the peace promoting hippies; the eighties have the garage band punks. The twenty-uaghts have the indie hipsters.

The hipsters are a clash of young visionaries borne of the financial crisis. Artists, musicians and entrepreneurs flourishing with vitality in a digital age. Represented in each city, but inhabiting a different space, they are both local and global. I’d like to report that they are very much alive in Philadelphia, tucked away in Old City.

Blocks away from Independence Hall (certainly not on accident), lofted on the second floor of an unbranded building on 3rd street, dozens of independent workers, freelancers and entrepreneurs tip-type away at their computers in the spirit of a self-formed future. Indy Hall 64, the sequel location to Indy Hall Classic (have I mentioned 80’s childhood nostalgia as a defining feature of the hipster?), offers a productive and creative space for individuals with no desire to work for others but every desire to work amongst others.

Coworking spaces like Indy Hall are popping up all over the nation in response to the need to bridge the location independent work and a familiar structure conducive to productivity. As businesses halt their full time hiring processes and lean toward contracting and outsourcing to reduce overhead, more and more fresh college graduates are finding opportunities in turning their own hobbies and private ventures into financial endeavors. It’s an age of entrepreneurial creativity. Combine that with the ability to operate most business ventures for next to nothing thanks to open source technology. The possibilities are endless.

One might be surprised to find that many of the most popular online businesses were created in working spaces similarly adorned with renovated arcade consoles, chess sets, bean bag chairs and big screen TVs (complete with every video game system available on ebay). Beneath lofted ceilings decorated with nerf darts, even computer code is poetry to these young innovators. They’re piecing from scratch the technology to allow any average Joe to build a custom t-shirt shop featuring his own illustrations on top quality material, printed on demand. No bulk ordering necessary. No technical experience needed. No brick and mortar storefront. No overhead.

Young enough to know they don’t want to follow in their parent’s footsteps, old enough to know that water gun wars are all ages in the summer, these guys and gals are the movers and shakers, the enthusiasts, the idealists and the revolutionaries of our age.

The hipster generation is emerging from the shock that a full time career in the field of your degree is no longer safe. Benefits are a joke. Tenure is practically a myth. Past the grieving phase, they find their ambition is only limited by their creativity; an idea that oozes out of the architecture and decor lining the small streets and alleyways of Old City.

The storefronts are a patchwork of Romanesque columns alongside skinny brownstone offices. Courtyard steps hug front stoops bordered by concrete and cobblestone. Generation-less, specific and scattered, Old City lacks the enforcement of predetermined style, and offers the “Make Your Adventure” approach to definition. No place paints a clearer picture of this attitude than National Mechanics.

This whimsical industrial style bar is named after the original inhabitants of the building, Mechanic’s National Bank. The classic marble exterior has collected character over the years from the various churches, banks and bars that have lived within its walls. What is merely suggested at in the age of the marble is clearly demonstrated in the eclectic interior decor of National Mechanics. Paired church pews face off along the walls, replacing cushioned booth seats around beaten wooden tables. Long bar height tables fill the center of the room, inviting the mingling of strangers in a communal table sort of way. Large greyhound dog sculptures darkly embellished with lit light bulbs fill the cutaways in the walls, adding wittiness to the ambiance. Every detail, down to the twisted pipe facets in the bathrooms, screams of industrial discovery. Clever use of bare bulbs, wires and nuts and bolts evokes a handcrafted mechanic feel.

It’s no wonder National Mechanics is the hipster post workday hangout of choice. With 32 beers on tap or bottled and on hand and an adventurous selection of specialty cocktails, there’s never a shortage of new liquid inspiration. The scrap yard turned found art environment mirrors the visionary mentality of its regular clientele. Here is what we were given. This is what we found. That is what we made. The whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.

If you happen to find yourself soaking in the history of the city of Independence wondering if that spirit has been lost in this age of commercialism and corporate power fighting, take a jaunt on down to the 3rd street. Tucked away in the art district of Old City are some of the hidden gems that make Philadelphia the home of the ideas that fostered the American Revolution. Check in for a day at Indy Hall 64. Chat with innovators of some of the edgiest new businesses. Start your own! The tools are all there!

End the day with a hop, skip and a jump down the street for chilled microbrew at National Mechanics. If you show up at the right time, you might even catch a filming of Two Guys on Beers, Philly’s own beer connoisseur podcast for the everyday beer drinker! If not, the staff is more than knowledgeable about what they provide and trust me; there is something on the drink menu for every palate!

The heart of Philly is in the people who keep the spirit of Philly alive. Allow yourself to be swept up in the fever of innovation and be a part of the defining revolutionaries of this generation.

Andi Norris

Andi Norris is the mastermind behind Dezabulous, a design and branding focused studio based out of Seattle. She moonlights as head instigator on her blog Instigationology, where she takes on a new career each month to challenge other bloggers at their own game. In her copious free time, she flits around the US on ambitious road trip adventures in search of undiscovered American treasures. Follow her day to day doings in TMI detail over on Twitter as @instigatingandi.