March 4, 2025 • 28 mins
In this episode, we meet Philadelphia’s night mayor and delve into the importance of a city’s nighttime economy – it’s not just about the fun, but the economic impact.
At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Raheem [00:00:10]:
I don't care if you have a main street with five bars or you have a bustling entertainment district. Someone should be dedicated to ensuring that those businesses, those residents, and, you know, the people that are coming to your city operating at night are being thought about and planned for in city government. (00:00):
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Amanda [00:00:28]: That's the voice of Raheem Manning, the Director of Nighttime Economy for the City of Philadelphia. He joins us for a fascinating conversation about his role supporting Philly's vibrant nighttime economy scene that includes navigating the diverse needs of the businesses, residents and visitors who all contribute to it. Whether you're an economic developer, city planner, or just curious about the inner workings of a 24 hour city, this episode has something for you. Learn more about this podcast at livabilitymedia.com. And with that, let's jump in. Welcome, Raheem, to Inside America's Best Cities. We are super excited to chat with you. I know, as I was saying before we started recording, you have a pretty cool job, which I'm sure you hear all the time. But thanks for being here. (00:01):
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Raheem [00:01:20]: Oh, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. I'm excited to have this conversation with you today, Amanda. (00:02):
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Amanda [00:01:25]: Me too. Can you start off by telling us, what is a day in the life or maybe a night in the life, depending, like for you and your role? (00:03):
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Raheem [00:01:34]: Yeah. So as Philadelphia's Director of Nighttime economy, or as most people call me, the nighttime mayor, everyone says, oh yeah, such a cool title and such a cool job. Well, it's all great until you have a meeting at 11am at 11pm or 12am and at 8am, right. (00:04):
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Amanda [00:01:53]: Oh, that's not fair. Or like it's 8 or 11 and you have to actually check whether it's 8am or p.m. whereas most of us can assume it's like. (00:05):
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Raheem [00:01:59]: Well, because these meetings happen around the clock. So a day in life most likely is. And we'll start at the daytime. Most of my meetings during the day are with intergovernmental departments, agencies, or key stakeholders. So like licensing inspection, or the police department, mayor's office, policy, legal, city council, those who are operating during the day to translate the needs of the nighttime economy. Right. And so, you know, I'm working on policy changes, I'm working on programs, grants, ways to enhance the vibrancy, the safety and the viability of our nighttime economy and those operating within. I'm doing a lot of problem solving for our businesses and residents that operate at night within, utilizing the tools of city government. And so that's what most of my day is going to, you know, take up and consist of. Now at night I'm meeting with the stakeholders and the operators and the people who are in the nighttime economy. One thing we like to do is ensure that, hey, you know, we are meeting these businesses where they are. And the reason that's really important, because one of the mandates that, you know, I've put on this role and for the city is to turn Philly into a true 24 hour city. What does that mean? Right? Not see it as parties all night and all day, but it's a city that has a plan for what it looks like at 2pm and at 2am and it has the same access to city services for those who operate at 2am, for those who operate at 2pm so for a nighttime economy, a lot of these people are working overnight, they're running their businesses, they're, you know, doing essential services, whether it's working in hospital or EMS, but during the day they're sleeping. And so when they have concerns, they have to go out of their normal schedule to communicate those concerns to government. And you know, as we all know, sometimes government can be a little bit bureaucratic and you gotta call more than once and maybe it's, you know, multiple departments you have to talk to. What we try to do for our nighttime economy within my office and our role is if they have a problem, we go meet them where it is, right? So some of the problems, just to give an example that we may be exploring at night is, you know, a business owner is having maybe some trouble with unhoused people, right? Like, hey, you know, at night this is a place where unhoused people may go, right? And you know, they've called or maybe they did a 311. Well, we go out there and we talk to the business and we see what this situation is and how is impeding their ability to provide the service that they're providing. And then I take that information and I go back to the city services and like, hey, we need to get someone out here, we need to handle this. Another may be residents saying, hey, at 1:00 in the morning or 2:00 in the morning on my street, it's loud, I can't sleep, people are leaving and going places. It just is really cumbersome for me and the people that live in my building or something. So we go out there, I go out there at one or two in the morning and I see what the situation is and I take some of the burden off of the business because residents like to be like, well, it's that business, that business. But is it stuff we can do with traffic management? Is it stuff we can do with our own public safety resources to alleviate some of those concerns? So that's some highlights in the day. My days vary very much. You know, we support the opening of any nighttime economy business. So sometimes I may be at a grand opening of a new restaurant and meeting the team there and letting them know that we have services for them. Other times there may be events or speaking engagements, but it's around the clock. So I don't clock in at 5 and then clock out at 9am I'm around the clock guy. And, you know, I try to make sure I'm accessible and my team is accessible to everybody's working at night. (00:06):
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Amanda [00:05:19]: Yes. So when you explore some of those issues or complaints, like you were mentioning, how… What is the ratio of times that you're like, okay, I can see why this would be an issue versus when you're like, really? Why are you fussing about this? (00:07):
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Raheem [00:05:33]: All the time. You know, my job is to make sure that I understand, you know, where people are coming from that are stakeholders in our city, whether that be business owners, residents, or, you know, tourists or people are coming, like, right. And you're telling me something is happening in the city or something's impeding your ability to do business or impeding your quality of life. I go out there and I can see it now, where I then go, okay, “whose responsibility is it?” is where I then discern. I don't discern or, you know, take away from your concern. I discern whose responsibility it is to alleviate it. Right. So if I have, for example, you know, a lot of towns we have in Philly, our entertainment is very mixed in with our residential. Right. We have avenues and people live above the venues or bars, clubs, restaurants. And some of the concerns are it's too loud and it's this venue, and that's the reason it's too loud. But when you look at the concern, it's not that the venue's being loud or it's that it's egress. It's people moving at night. It's, you know, parking, it's horns. And so is that the responsibility of the business, or is that a responsibility that the city can take on and look at traffic management, noise management, in a way that is, you know, fair and equitable? So that resident was right. There is some noise impeding their ability and their quality of life. But who's the blame? Wasn't it wasn't the business's, you know, part it's something that we can do. So I look at those things and bring city resources together to kind of manage and come up with solutions. (00:08):
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Amanda [00:06:51]: Yeah. Find that middle ground. Well, as a longtime apartment dweller, white noise machines. They... They do a lot. (00:09):
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Raheem [00:07:00]: You should tell a lot of our residents about those. Maybe. Maybe we should do a white noise machine campaign and give away a couple. (00:10):
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Amanda [00:07:05]: No, for real. Well, I'd love to have you elaborate a little bit more on what you think about with the term “nighttime economy,” because I think a lot of people only think, you know, bars, clubs, drinking. But I feel like it's really bigger than that when you think about a cultural perspective. Can you talk more about what you think of with that term and what it encompasses? (00:11):
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Raheem [00:07:25]: Amanda, you're spot on. You know, a lot of people think nightlife, right? Yep. And, you know, nightlife is just one aspect of our nighttime economy. It's actually one of the smaller aspects when we look at the economic impact of it. The nighttime economy is everybody that's operating from 5pm to 9am Right. Those are going to be our emergency services people. So people who are working, keeping our cities going, cleaning our office buildings, our hospital workers. Right. Our emergency management people, police officers that are moving in our nighttime economy that need access to city services, quality eats and that need to be thought about and planned for. Right. And it also includes our hospitality sector. Right. Which is our nightlife. Our hotels are in that part as well. And they also need someone in city government to ensure that they're able to thrive and success. Because when you're looking at cities and cities of the future and cities that want to be 24 hours, nightlife is a big driver of tourism. Right. We live in a world where you can, you know, remote work anywhere. And so people aren't choosing cities on the traditional things that they used to do in the past where, like, you know, the job and it's the money. Oh, no, it's the quality of life. It's whether they're going to have a good time there, whether they're going to enjoy these places. And so by propping up and supporting the hospitality sector of the nighttime economy, it's a tool to attract and retain residents and grow. But I always tell people all the time, it is just as much my job to make sure that if someone comes here, they can party and have a great time all night as it is to make sure a resident can sleep and enjoy their quality of life at night. Right. And so when this role came about and it's like, wait, there's someone in government that wants to see me succeed, wants to be my partner. It took a lot of the attraction, but again, that doesn't overshadow that. It's bigger than just entertainment and bars and drinking. (00:12):
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Amanda [00:09:03]: Yeah. But as an economic driver, I mean, despite some of those balance challenges that you're talking about is huge. (00:13):
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Raheem [00:09:11]: Very huge. We just completed our first ever nighttime economy economic impact report here in the city of Philadelphia. Impact reports are how governments and industries determine on how to invest and grow sectors. And we never before my role looked at our nighttime economy as one complete sector. And so that study came back and shown that our economic impact here in the city of Philadelphia, a city of 1.6 million people, sixth largest city in the country, said $30 billion annually is the impact from our nighttime economy. And with our nighttime economy, we got a little bit more narrow and we did businesses and people and economic impact. From 6pm to 6am we're at $30 billion of economic impact. And so that's tax revenue that funds our schools, that funds our roads, that funds our infrastructure, our social, you know, security programs, things of that sort. And so when you look at it as that way, okay, this is a $30 billion plot, how do we grow it, how do we support it, how we stabilize and ensure that it continues to add and not look at it as taken for granted. (00:14):
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Amanda [00:10:10]: Yeah. And from a tourism perspective, I was just reading something, I can't even remember where it was, but a report this week where they looked at some recent tourism trends. And one was, you know, Cities After Dark, like getting that different perspective. You know, maybe sometimes that means bars, but could mean a lot of other things too, like Ghost Tour. I mean, everything you can, all kinds of stuff. (00:15):
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Raheem [00:10:28]: There's a lot of things happening at night, and it's not all, you know, alcohol fueled or, you know, bars fueled. I think that's what we know and that's what people kind of lean to. When you think about, you know, the nighttime economy, you think about even just the entertainment part that happens so much of it is what makes our cities rich, right? The theater in itself, right. The opera, you know, the ballet. Those things are very big cultural assets that really drive a city. And it makes a city world class. Right. You're talking about a world class city. Some cities that have that aspect of entertainment, that nighttime economic activity at nighttime options. Because again, we work from nine to five, a lot of us, and there's a whole five to nine in that world. And so how do we as a city make sure that we are competitive, you know, globally competitive with other cities. Because, you know, as you know and your podcast hints to, there's a lot of great cities doing great things. And how do we ensure that people choose Philadelphia over another city? Or at least make sure Philadelphia is on their list of places to go? Because cities are not islands right now. We're globally connected. We depend on the dollar that's from across the world to ensure that we are able to provide for our residents and grow our city. So, you know, looking at, like you said, those things that happen after five ensures the vitality and the growth of a city. (00:16):
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Amanda [00:11:39]: What are some other cities you've looked at as models? (00:17):
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Raheem [00:11:42]: Oh, there's some great man. I have some great counterparts around the world. So, you know, the position of nighttime mayor started in, right. So the first credit is to Meric Milan in Amsterdam. So Amsterdam was one of the first to adopt this municipal government position, dedicated, supporting, you know, the After Five or nighttime economy. And so they've done some great things in Europe. I recently came back from Bristol, UK and the night mayor there. Her name is Carly, and Carly is amazing. She's doing some, like, just outstanding things when it comes to nighttime economy. Some of those are as simple as establishing rules, right? What are the rules when we go out at night? What are the decorum, right? So that everybody can exist. And she has like, the Bristol night rules that she posts around the city. So even when you're walking, you get a reminder of, like, be respectful, be courteous. You know, people live around here. When you're transitioning from venue to venue, you know, be cognizant of that. Pick up your trash, like, all those things. If it's... If it's creepy, don't do it. You know, if it's unwelcoming, don't, you know, so all these little great things. She's also leading a lot of cities and harm reduction stuff and looking at how to proactively and responsibly manage, you know, drugs and alcohol usage at night and in venues and bars. And she has so many great harm reduction programs, some of which, you know, we want to implement here. And so we look into the States, you know, we have New York, we have Austin that has a night mayor. Brian Block in Austin is doing some great stuff there. You know, Austin is the live music capital of the world, that’s their title. And he has a lot to do with making sure they're branding Austin as that live music capital. And they're protecting their venues and growing the interest and the visitation There. So those are a couple cities. I can name a ton that are also doing well. It's like Sydney, Australia. They're doing great stuff over there. So there's a lot of cities that are really catching on to the importance of managing and growing and supporting your nighttime economy. (00:18):
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Amanda [00:13:32]: You don't have a predecessor in Philly, though, right? (00:19):
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Raheem [00:13:35]: I do not. I am the first to hold this role. (00:20):
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Amanda [00:13:38]: All right, talk a bit about what are some plans you've implemented so far, and how are you measuring success since you may not have, you know, benchmarks that come from a previous person? And I did see the news this week about the cohort that completed the nighttime safety certification, which was really cool. So that might be one to talk about. (00:21):
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Raheem [00:13:56]: Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, for me, the first thing when I got into this role is the first year I did a listening tour. I had over 181 stops. I listened to over 200 businesses, residents, and organizations in the city and ask them what did they need to grow and to be supported from their city in the nighttime economy. And they shared some of those concerns. Some of the top concerns were safety, which is always, you know, a concern for. For businesses that are operating at night or people operating at night because you're under cover of darkness. Other concerns were ease of doing business. It's difficult. And we overly regulate a lot of our nighttime businesses, especially those that sell alcohol, especially in the US. So that was the starting point. Like, where am I getting my, my starting and marching orders were from… It was from that listing tour. So with year two, what we did was we started tackling some of those problems and what we could do. One, we updated the definition of a nightclub in the city, which was inconsistent in our city code. But it also didn't allow for much flexibility. You know, there's a new style of restaurant, right, where, you know, it's not just dinner and white cloth tabletops and everybody's quiet and eating and, you know, low chat, but there's. There's dinner and it's entertainment, right? People bring in live musicians or people want to have DJs for brunch. And in our code, the moment you added live entertainment to a restaurant, you became a nightclub. And you needed nightclub zoning, which is not allowed by, right, in lots of parts of the city. So we're seeing instances where our license inspection team would go into a restaurant, see that there's a dj and, you know, there's live entertainment cited as a club, and it would close it down. There's no, you know, reprise for that. You can't go in a, you know, hey, can I get the zoning change? Well, nightclubs aren't allowed in this area, right. So we immediately went in and tried to fix that. And this also allowed other restaurants to offer and diversify, you know, diversify their offerings. Right. Another thing was just attacking safety right now. For nighttime economy businesses, safety is a two part thing, right? So actual real physical fear of someone committing a crime or harming you. But then the other part of this is the perception of unsafetiness, right? So, and I look at it this way. If I am going to a business and I look down this block, the business is off the main street. I look down the block and the block is well lit and there's people and they, you know, vibrant. I don't feel unsafe. But if there's a business and I look down the alleyway and it's a little dark, the entrance isn't well lit and there's some dumpsters and trash around and a couple streetlights are out, I may feel unsafe and the probability of something happening to me may be the same and whether it was well lit or not, but it's the feeling. And that may deter how I feel about a city or a place or going. And so one of the programs that we launched, like you said, we just did our inaugural cohort with 22 business. There's a Liberty Bell safety certification program. And what we did was we put a program together that had six trainings that addressed those immediate things that happen in nighttime economy to make sure that they were equipped with the best practices on how to deal with something if it came up, that's harm reduction. So drug and alcohol, right? Sexual harassment prevention and awareness, human trafficking prevention and awareness, diversity, equity and inclusion training, conflict resolution, right. If people were to get into something in your venue, how do you de escalate? And then active shooter awareness, which is something that we deal with in this country. So having a plan, right? How to maximize life, how to make sure that your customers and your employees know what's the plan if something was to happen. And then so we trained those businesses on that, utilizing interdepartment. So our health department, our police department, some outside partners, those businesses came for those trainings. And then now what we do is we promote to our city that, hey, if you have any concerns about being safe, here are some businesses that are going above and beyond to ensure that you are safe if you patronize them. No matter what the conditions may be, no matter what you may hear or not these businesses are well equipped. And we're rolling that out citywide for all of our businesses that operate after five. And again, this is not just for businesses that sell alcohol. Right. If you're operating after five, you can get that certification. But to answer your question, I think those are two measurements of success. Listening to what our residents wanted, I documented those concerns and now I'm providing solutions to it. Right. The other part is I need a benchmark. How do I know if what I'm doing is working? How do I know if I'm bringing in more money, bringing in more people? If we're growing as a city? Yeah, we keep some of those numbers, but how do we attribute those to me versus something else? And that was getting an economic impact study. And so we were able to commission an economic impact study with E-Consult to like benchmark where we are. What is the economic impact? That's that $30 billion number I was sharing with you. It goes in more detail on where our economic activity is. And we got this at the end of year two, you know, going into year three. So now it's a benchmark for wherever we're going. We know where we are in 2024, 2025, and we know where we can go and how we can invest and grow. There's a bunch of other programs that are going to support the growth of that that we're rolling out. But those are some of kind of three things where someone can look at like, what did this guy do? (00:22):
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Amanda [00:18:46]: Yeah, and Philly, of course, is a pretty big metro, but a lot of our listeners are in more medium-sized cities or smaller places. What would you tell them about developing their own nighttime economies? Maybe start with like one piece of advice you would give to someone in the economic development field who wants to do something with this. (00:23):
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Raheem [00:19:06]: It doesn't matter how big your metro is or small. If you want to grow and you want to be a city of tomorrow and a true 24 hour city, which is where the world is going, you need someone thinking about the people that are operating after night. I don't care if you have a main street with five bars or you have a bustling entertainment district. Someone should be dedicated to ensuring that those businesses, those residents and the people that are coming to your city operating at night are being thought about and planned for in city government. So I think that is the first step of any part of this. Because we can talk about all the other things you can do, but who's going to implement them? Who's going to make sure that the solutions fit your city, fit your town, or fit wherever it is. And so that doesn't matter. Again, small town or big city, getting someone in a role dedicated to supporting your after five economy. (00:24):
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Amanda [00:19:49]: That definitely makes sense. We touched on this a bit earlier, but I wanted to see if you had anything else to add. We talked about kind of balancing the concerns of, you know, residents with that vibrant nighttime. Those vibrant nighttime economy pieces. Do you want to share anything else about some ways you've engaged the community there or any other examples on kind of making those pieces work? (00:25):
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Raheem [00:20:12]: Yeah, I mean, when you're a city like Philadelphia and a lot of bustling cities and the way cities, you know, are now, like, you know, the entertainment is people want these, what they call 15 minute cities, right? You want to be able to live, work and play all in the same place. Well, with that need or want of a live, work, play and convenience comes the mixture of all types of behaviors and people and businesses. So, yeah, if you want to be able to live but go to the restaurant downstairs, that restaurant or the club or the bar when you want to go, then there's a different expectation of coexisting. And so we deal with that a lot here in the city of Philadelphia, where residents, you know, maybe they were younger and they moved to a cool area with all the bars and it's walkable, and then maybe they had kids and got a little older and it's like, oh, this is loud. Like, people need to be quiet. (00:26):
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Amanda [00:20:57]: I don't like it anymore. (00:27):
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Raheem [00:20:58]: I don't like it anymore. And so I think there's two parts of the job there, right? It's managing what should be fair and what's right and what follows our code and our laws, making sure that businesses are compliant when it comes to sound management or, you know, any of the other nuisance things that we follow. Then it's about again, when I talk to you, like, ownership, like, who's the ownership? Right? If people are leaving an entertainment area and the parking ends up being crazy and the Ubers are loud and it's bothering someone, is that on the business? No, that's something that we can look at as urban planning. And then the other part is this, right? And this is the part that people usually don't like as much, is the responsibility part and the ownership part and putting that on residents. One thing about city, as a Philly, as a city, we're big. We're a city of neighborhoods, and all of our neighborhoods have different characteristics, and we choose where we live. Most of the time. Right. And so you have to understand, if you're going to move into entertainment district, there's an expectation, a higher expectation of noise than if you were in one of our outskirt neighborhoods that.. (00:28):
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Amanda [00:21:56]: Or even downtown living in general, you know, different vibe. (00:29):
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Raheem [00:22:00]: Yeah, you're going to hear some horns, you're going to hear some people. Right. And so putting that ownership on there and having that conversation and mediation. But the tool that I think is most effective that we've seen around the world and we would love to implement here in Philly, it takes a little bit more of a lift and we're working and exploring it, but is a law called Agent of Change and it's a zoning law. Right. And as cities rapidly grow and change identities and neighborhoods go from industrial to residential to entertainment, there's a law called Agent of Change. And what that does is it protects whoever was there first. So if Amanda's Pub has been on Main Street for 20 years, it is the staple in the neighborhood. Everybody loves Amanda's Pub. It really brings us all together. Then you build this, you know, thousand bed apartment across from Amanda's Pub because now everybody wants to be close to Amanda's Pub because it's the hip neighborhood. Well, it's the onus just on the res, the developer to ensure that the windows are soundproof, that that building doesn't come and you know, create a, or look at Amanda's Pub, who's been operating in the same way for 20 years as a nuisance. Right. You can't come in and say, hey, I built a house next door, I built a residence next door. And now you're the problem and you've been here and the vice versa. If there's a residential neighborhood that's starting to get a little bit more hip and entertainment, I can't come and build a loud music venue and club without making sure I soundproof and do not provide any inconvenience or discomfort to the people who are already there. And so Agent of Change laws are taking off around the world. And a lot of my counterparts have been instrumental in implementing Agent of Change laws to ensure that we all understand that yes, our cities grow and they change, but the responsibility is on the new person. And so Agent of Change is a great example of a zoning law that makes sure everyone understands like what the responsibility is when you come into a neighborhood or a new place. (00:30):
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Amanda [00:23:46]: That makes a lot of sense. Well, we're going to move into two kind of fun, lighter wrap up questions. But before we do that, anything else you'd want to add on this topic for our audience in the industry? (00:31):
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Raheem [00:23:57]: No, I think, you know, at the end of the day, you know, when we're looking at our nighttime economy, we can all exist. I tell people in Philly all the time, we can walk into. We can be a lively, thriving entertainment theater, partying, cultural city, but also have quality of life and peace of mind for those who live in our city. And, you know, by having a role like mine or having the conversations that we're having here, we come to solutions where both those things can exist because both of them are needed to make a city a thriving city. (00:32):
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Amanda [00:24:28]: Yes, they definitely are. All right, so our two closer questions here, one I ask everyone, and one is specifically for you. The one that's specifically for you. So your job sounds intense, just like we talked about in terms of the hours. Right. I mean, how do you recharge and make sure you're ready to go? (00:33):
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Raheem [00:24:43]: Yeah. Jump out of perfectly good planes whenever I get stressed or tired. I'm a certified skydiver, so I do skydive, but I'm a big hobbies guy, man. You know, again, when you have an unorthodox schedule like this, hobbies ground you. So I bike ride, I run, I run marathons, half marathons, 5Ks, 10Ks, all those things. I row, so, you know, at the gym, so I make sure I'm active in that aspect. You know, when you have an opportunity where you can be burning the candle on both ends, it's always great to make sure you're recharging. One, making sure you're prioritizing rest, but also decompression. Right. It's not just about rest. For me, it's about making sure I'm able to decompress. And those hobbies, whether it's skydiving or bike riding or running, are my opportunities to decompress so that I can give my all to this role. Right. You know, I really enjoy this role. I'm excited to have it and represent our nighttime economy. So I want to make sure I'm showing up my best, and that's because I make sure that I am my best by prioritizing my health, my mental health, my physical health, and my, you know, my well-being. (00:34):
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Amanda [00:25:45]: Yeah. So true. And then the closer question I always ask guests is, if someone were visiting for the first time, what is one bucket list thing you would say they should do? And yours could be. I was gonna. I was like, should I ask if him his favorite nightlife spots? But I was like, that's not really fair because everyone really asks and then you have to pick favorites so you can answer it however you like. (00:35):
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Raheem [00:26:06]: Yeah, I think if you are visiting the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection, Philadelphia, you know, again, the birthplace of democracy in America, one of the best cities in the world, I would say you cannot leave the city without going to Reading Terminal Market. Reading Terminal Market is one of the oldest farmers or open air markets in the country. It's been around for a very long time and it is a hodgepodge of all the great eats in the city. We are a foodie city. We have tons of James Beard award winning restaurants. We have more restaurants for capita than even New York. But Redding Terminal is a great, like if I have a couple hours I want to kind of get and get out. You can get your cheesesteak, you can get your food, your barbecue or your Thai food or your Amish food, which is really great. They have a great Amish culture and Amish food in the Reading Terminal market. And Reading Terminal I think is a great example of how to sell someone on Philly and convince them to come back. (00:36):
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Amanda [00:27:04]: All right, well that is a great close. Thank you so much. It was a little bit of a different topic for us and I think our listeners will love it. (00:37):
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Raheem [00:27:11]: Yeah. Amanda, thanks again for having me. I'm super, super grateful. (00:38):
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Amanda [00:27:20]: Thanks for listening to the Livability podcast, where we take you Inside America's Best Cities. At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review this show. Wherever you listen to podcasts, you can also learn more about us at livabilitymedia.com. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email me at aellis@livability.com. Until next time, from Livability, I'm Amanda Ellis, sharing the stories of America's most promising places. (00:39):
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Amanda [00:00:28]: That's the voice of Raheem Manning, the Director of Nighttime Economy for the City of Philadelphia. He joins us for a fascinating conversation about his role supporting Philly's vibrant nighttime economy scene that includes navigating the diverse needs of the businesses, residents and visitors who all contribute to it. Whether you're an economic developer, city planner, or just curious about the inner workings of a 24 hour city, this episode has something for you. Learn more about this podcast at livabilitymedia.com. And with that, let's jump in. Welcome, Raheem, to Inside America's Best Cities. We are super excited to chat with you. I know, as I was saying before we started recording, you have a pretty cool job, which I'm sure you hear all the time. But thanks for being here. (00:01):
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Raheem [00:01:20]: Oh, thanks for having me. I really appreciate it. I'm excited to have this conversation with you today, Amanda. (00:02):
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Amanda [00:01:25]: Me too. Can you start off by telling us, what is a day in the life or maybe a night in the life, depending, like for you and your role? (00:03):
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Raheem [00:01:34]: Yeah. So as Philadelphia's Director of Nighttime economy, or as most people call me, the nighttime mayor, everyone says, oh yeah, such a cool title and such a cool job. Well, it's all great until you have a meeting at 11am at 11pm or 12am and at 8am, right. (00:04):
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Amanda [00:01:53]: Oh, that's not fair. Or like it's 8 or 11 and you have to actually check whether it's 8am or p.m. whereas most of us can assume it's like. (00:05):
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Raheem [00:01:59]: Well, because these meetings happen around the clock. So a day in life most likely is. And we'll start at the daytime. Most of my meetings during the day are with intergovernmental departments, agencies, or key stakeholders. So like licensing inspection, or the police department, mayor's office, policy, legal, city council, those who are operating during the day to translate the needs of the nighttime economy. Right. And so, you know, I'm working on policy changes, I'm working on programs, grants, ways to enhance the vibrancy, the safety and the viability of our nighttime economy and those operating within. I'm doing a lot of problem solving for our businesses and residents that operate at night within, utilizing the tools of city government. And so that's what most of my day is going to, you know, take up and consist of. Now at night I'm meeting with the stakeholders and the operators and the people who are in the nighttime economy. One thing we like to do is ensure that, hey, you know, we are meeting these businesses where they are. And the reason that's really important, because one of the mandates that, you know, I've put on this role and for the city is to turn Philly into a true 24 hour city. What does that mean? Right? Not see it as parties all night and all day, but it's a city that has a plan for what it looks like at 2pm and at 2am and it has the same access to city services for those who operate at 2am, for those who operate at 2pm so for a nighttime economy, a lot of these people are working overnight, they're running their businesses, they're, you know, doing essential services, whether it's working in hospital or EMS, but during the day they're sleeping. And so when they have concerns, they have to go out of their normal schedule to communicate those concerns to government. And you know, as we all know, sometimes government can be a little bit bureaucratic and you gotta call more than once and maybe it's, you know, multiple departments you have to talk to. What we try to do for our nighttime economy within my office and our role is if they have a problem, we go meet them where it is, right? So some of the problems, just to give an example that we may be exploring at night is, you know, a business owner is having maybe some trouble with unhoused people, right? Like, hey, you know, at night this is a place where unhoused people may go, right? And you know, they've called or maybe they did a 311. Well, we go out there and we talk to the business and we see what this situation is and how is impeding their ability to provide the service that they're providing. And then I take that information and I go back to the city services and like, hey, we need to get someone out here, we need to handle this. Another may be residents saying, hey, at 1:00 in the morning or 2:00 in the morning on my street, it's loud, I can't sleep, people are leaving and going places. It just is really cumbersome for me and the people that live in my building or something. So we go out there, I go out there at one or two in the morning and I see what the situation is and I take some of the burden off of the business because residents like to be like, well, it's that business, that business. But is it stuff we can do with traffic management? Is it stuff we can do with our own public safety resources to alleviate some of those concerns? So that's some highlights in the day. My days vary very much. You know, we support the opening of any nighttime economy business. So sometimes I may be at a grand opening of a new restaurant and meeting the team there and letting them know that we have services for them. Other times there may be events or speaking engagements, but it's around the clock. So I don't clock in at 5 and then clock out at 9am I'm around the clock guy. And, you know, I try to make sure I'm accessible and my team is accessible to everybody's working at night. (00:06):
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Amanda [00:05:19]: Yes. So when you explore some of those issues or complaints, like you were mentioning, how… What is the ratio of times that you're like, okay, I can see why this would be an issue versus when you're like, really? Why are you fussing about this? (00:07):
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Raheem [00:05:33]: All the time. You know, my job is to make sure that I understand, you know, where people are coming from that are stakeholders in our city, whether that be business owners, residents, or, you know, tourists or people are coming, like, right. And you're telling me something is happening in the city or something's impeding your ability to do business or impeding your quality of life. I go out there and I can see it now, where I then go, okay, “whose responsibility is it?” is where I then discern. I don't discern or, you know, take away from your concern. I discern whose responsibility it is to alleviate it. Right. So if I have, for example, you know, a lot of towns we have in Philly, our entertainment is very mixed in with our residential. Right. We have avenues and people live above the venues or bars, clubs, restaurants. And some of the concerns are it's too loud and it's this venue, and that's the reason it's too loud. But when you look at the concern, it's not that the venue's being loud or it's that it's egress. It's people moving at night. It's, you know, parking, it's horns. And so is that the responsibility of the business, or is that a responsibility that the city can take on and look at traffic management, noise management, in a way that is, you know, fair and equitable? So that resident was right. There is some noise impeding their ability and their quality of life. But who's the blame? Wasn't it wasn't the business's, you know, part it's something that we can do. So I look at those things and bring city resources together to kind of manage and come up with solutions. (00:08):
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Amanda [00:06:51]: Yeah. Find that middle ground. Well, as a longtime apartment dweller, white noise machines. They... They do a lot. (00:09):
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Raheem [00:07:00]: You should tell a lot of our residents about those. Maybe. Maybe we should do a white noise machine campaign and give away a couple. (00:10):
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Amanda [00:07:05]: No, for real. Well, I'd love to have you elaborate a little bit more on what you think about with the term “nighttime economy,” because I think a lot of people only think, you know, bars, clubs, drinking. But I feel like it's really bigger than that when you think about a cultural perspective. Can you talk more about what you think of with that term and what it encompasses? (00:11):
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Raheem [00:07:25]: Amanda, you're spot on. You know, a lot of people think nightlife, right? Yep. And, you know, nightlife is just one aspect of our nighttime economy. It's actually one of the smaller aspects when we look at the economic impact of it. The nighttime economy is everybody that's operating from 5pm to 9am Right. Those are going to be our emergency services people. So people who are working, keeping our cities going, cleaning our office buildings, our hospital workers. Right. Our emergency management people, police officers that are moving in our nighttime economy that need access to city services, quality eats and that need to be thought about and planned for. Right. And it also includes our hospitality sector. Right. Which is our nightlife. Our hotels are in that part as well. And they also need someone in city government to ensure that they're able to thrive and success. Because when you're looking at cities and cities of the future and cities that want to be 24 hours, nightlife is a big driver of tourism. Right. We live in a world where you can, you know, remote work anywhere. And so people aren't choosing cities on the traditional things that they used to do in the past where, like, you know, the job and it's the money. Oh, no, it's the quality of life. It's whether they're going to have a good time there, whether they're going to enjoy these places. And so by propping up and supporting the hospitality sector of the nighttime economy, it's a tool to attract and retain residents and grow. But I always tell people all the time, it is just as much my job to make sure that if someone comes here, they can party and have a great time all night as it is to make sure a resident can sleep and enjoy their quality of life at night. Right. And so when this role came about and it's like, wait, there's someone in government that wants to see me succeed, wants to be my partner. It took a lot of the attraction, but again, that doesn't overshadow that. It's bigger than just entertainment and bars and drinking. (00:12):
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Amanda [00:09:03]: Yeah. But as an economic driver, I mean, despite some of those balance challenges that you're talking about is huge. (00:13):
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Raheem [00:09:11]: Very huge. We just completed our first ever nighttime economy economic impact report here in the city of Philadelphia. Impact reports are how governments and industries determine on how to invest and grow sectors. And we never before my role looked at our nighttime economy as one complete sector. And so that study came back and shown that our economic impact here in the city of Philadelphia, a city of 1.6 million people, sixth largest city in the country, said $30 billion annually is the impact from our nighttime economy. And with our nighttime economy, we got a little bit more narrow and we did businesses and people and economic impact. From 6pm to 6am we're at $30 billion of economic impact. And so that's tax revenue that funds our schools, that funds our roads, that funds our infrastructure, our social, you know, security programs, things of that sort. And so when you look at it as that way, okay, this is a $30 billion plot, how do we grow it, how do we support it, how we stabilize and ensure that it continues to add and not look at it as taken for granted. (00:14):
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Amanda [00:10:10]: Yeah. And from a tourism perspective, I was just reading something, I can't even remember where it was, but a report this week where they looked at some recent tourism trends. And one was, you know, Cities After Dark, like getting that different perspective. You know, maybe sometimes that means bars, but could mean a lot of other things too, like Ghost Tour. I mean, everything you can, all kinds of stuff. (00:15):
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Raheem [00:10:28]: There's a lot of things happening at night, and it's not all, you know, alcohol fueled or, you know, bars fueled. I think that's what we know and that's what people kind of lean to. When you think about, you know, the nighttime economy, you think about even just the entertainment part that happens so much of it is what makes our cities rich, right? The theater in itself, right. The opera, you know, the ballet. Those things are very big cultural assets that really drive a city. And it makes a city world class. Right. You're talking about a world class city. Some cities that have that aspect of entertainment, that nighttime economic activity at nighttime options. Because again, we work from nine to five, a lot of us, and there's a whole five to nine in that world. And so how do we as a city make sure that we are competitive, you know, globally competitive with other cities. Because, you know, as you know and your podcast hints to, there's a lot of great cities doing great things. And how do we ensure that people choose Philadelphia over another city? Or at least make sure Philadelphia is on their list of places to go? Because cities are not islands right now. We're globally connected. We depend on the dollar that's from across the world to ensure that we are able to provide for our residents and grow our city. So, you know, looking at, like you said, those things that happen after five ensures the vitality and the growth of a city. (00:16):
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Amanda [00:11:39]: What are some other cities you've looked at as models? (00:17):
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Raheem [00:11:42]: Oh, there's some great man. I have some great counterparts around the world. So, you know, the position of nighttime mayor started in, right. So the first credit is to Meric Milan in Amsterdam. So Amsterdam was one of the first to adopt this municipal government position, dedicated, supporting, you know, the After Five or nighttime economy. And so they've done some great things in Europe. I recently came back from Bristol, UK and the night mayor there. Her name is Carly, and Carly is amazing. She's doing some, like, just outstanding things when it comes to nighttime economy. Some of those are as simple as establishing rules, right? What are the rules when we go out at night? What are the decorum, right? So that everybody can exist. And she has like, the Bristol night rules that she posts around the city. So even when you're walking, you get a reminder of, like, be respectful, be courteous. You know, people live around here. When you're transitioning from venue to venue, you know, be cognizant of that. Pick up your trash, like, all those things. If it's... If it's creepy, don't do it. You know, if it's unwelcoming, don't, you know, so all these little great things. She's also leading a lot of cities and harm reduction stuff and looking at how to proactively and responsibly manage, you know, drugs and alcohol usage at night and in venues and bars. And she has so many great harm reduction programs, some of which, you know, we want to implement here. And so we look into the States, you know, we have New York, we have Austin that has a night mayor. Brian Block in Austin is doing some great stuff there. You know, Austin is the live music capital of the world, that’s their title. And he has a lot to do with making sure they're branding Austin as that live music capital. And they're protecting their venues and growing the interest and the visitation There. So those are a couple cities. I can name a ton that are also doing well. It's like Sydney, Australia. They're doing great stuff over there. So there's a lot of cities that are really catching on to the importance of managing and growing and supporting your nighttime economy. (00:18):
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Amanda [00:13:32]: You don't have a predecessor in Philly, though, right? (00:19):
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Raheem [00:13:35]: I do not. I am the first to hold this role. (00:20):
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Amanda [00:13:38]: All right, talk a bit about what are some plans you've implemented so far, and how are you measuring success since you may not have, you know, benchmarks that come from a previous person? And I did see the news this week about the cohort that completed the nighttime safety certification, which was really cool. So that might be one to talk about. (00:21):
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Raheem [00:13:56]: Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, for me, the first thing when I got into this role is the first year I did a listening tour. I had over 181 stops. I listened to over 200 businesses, residents, and organizations in the city and ask them what did they need to grow and to be supported from their city in the nighttime economy. And they shared some of those concerns. Some of the top concerns were safety, which is always, you know, a concern for. For businesses that are operating at night or people operating at night because you're under cover of darkness. Other concerns were ease of doing business. It's difficult. And we overly regulate a lot of our nighttime businesses, especially those that sell alcohol, especially in the US. So that was the starting point. Like, where am I getting my, my starting and marching orders were from… It was from that listing tour. So with year two, what we did was we started tackling some of those problems and what we could do. One, we updated the definition of a nightclub in the city, which was inconsistent in our city code. But it also didn't allow for much flexibility. You know, there's a new style of restaurant, right, where, you know, it's not just dinner and white cloth tabletops and everybody's quiet and eating and, you know, low chat, but there's. There's dinner and it's entertainment, right? People bring in live musicians or people want to have DJs for brunch. And in our code, the moment you added live entertainment to a restaurant, you became a nightclub. And you needed nightclub zoning, which is not allowed by, right, in lots of parts of the city. So we're seeing instances where our license inspection team would go into a restaurant, see that there's a dj and, you know, there's live entertainment cited as a club, and it would close it down. There's no, you know, reprise for that. You can't go in a, you know, hey, can I get the zoning change? Well, nightclubs aren't allowed in this area, right. So we immediately went in and tried to fix that. And this also allowed other restaurants to offer and diversify, you know, diversify their offerings. Right. Another thing was just attacking safety right now. For nighttime economy businesses, safety is a two part thing, right? So actual real physical fear of someone committing a crime or harming you. But then the other part of this is the perception of unsafetiness, right? So, and I look at it this way. If I am going to a business and I look down this block, the business is off the main street. I look down the block and the block is well lit and there's people and they, you know, vibrant. I don't feel unsafe. But if there's a business and I look down the alleyway and it's a little dark, the entrance isn't well lit and there's some dumpsters and trash around and a couple streetlights are out, I may feel unsafe and the probability of something happening to me may be the same and whether it was well lit or not, but it's the feeling. And that may deter how I feel about a city or a place or going. And so one of the programs that we launched, like you said, we just did our inaugural cohort with 22 business. There's a Liberty Bell safety certification program. And what we did was we put a program together that had six trainings that addressed those immediate things that happen in nighttime economy to make sure that they were equipped with the best practices on how to deal with something if it came up, that's harm reduction. So drug and alcohol, right? Sexual harassment prevention and awareness, human trafficking prevention and awareness, diversity, equity and inclusion training, conflict resolution, right. If people were to get into something in your venue, how do you de escalate? And then active shooter awareness, which is something that we deal with in this country. So having a plan, right? How to maximize life, how to make sure that your customers and your employees know what's the plan if something was to happen. And then so we trained those businesses on that, utilizing interdepartment. So our health department, our police department, some outside partners, those businesses came for those trainings. And then now what we do is we promote to our city that, hey, if you have any concerns about being safe, here are some businesses that are going above and beyond to ensure that you are safe if you patronize them. No matter what the conditions may be, no matter what you may hear or not these businesses are well equipped. And we're rolling that out citywide for all of our businesses that operate after five. And again, this is not just for businesses that sell alcohol. Right. If you're operating after five, you can get that certification. But to answer your question, I think those are two measurements of success. Listening to what our residents wanted, I documented those concerns and now I'm providing solutions to it. Right. The other part is I need a benchmark. How do I know if what I'm doing is working? How do I know if I'm bringing in more money, bringing in more people? If we're growing as a city? Yeah, we keep some of those numbers, but how do we attribute those to me versus something else? And that was getting an economic impact study. And so we were able to commission an economic impact study with E-Consult to like benchmark where we are. What is the economic impact? That's that $30 billion number I was sharing with you. It goes in more detail on where our economic activity is. And we got this at the end of year two, you know, going into year three. So now it's a benchmark for wherever we're going. We know where we are in 2024, 2025, and we know where we can go and how we can invest and grow. There's a bunch of other programs that are going to support the growth of that that we're rolling out. But those are some of kind of three things where someone can look at like, what did this guy do? (00:22):
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Amanda [00:18:46]: Yeah, and Philly, of course, is a pretty big metro, but a lot of our listeners are in more medium-sized cities or smaller places. What would you tell them about developing their own nighttime economies? Maybe start with like one piece of advice you would give to someone in the economic development field who wants to do something with this. (00:23):
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Raheem [00:19:06]: It doesn't matter how big your metro is or small. If you want to grow and you want to be a city of tomorrow and a true 24 hour city, which is where the world is going, you need someone thinking about the people that are operating after night. I don't care if you have a main street with five bars or you have a bustling entertainment district. Someone should be dedicated to ensuring that those businesses, those residents and the people that are coming to your city operating at night are being thought about and planned for in city government. So I think that is the first step of any part of this. Because we can talk about all the other things you can do, but who's going to implement them? Who's going to make sure that the solutions fit your city, fit your town, or fit wherever it is. And so that doesn't matter. Again, small town or big city, getting someone in a role dedicated to supporting your after five economy. (00:24):
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Amanda [00:19:49]: That definitely makes sense. We touched on this a bit earlier, but I wanted to see if you had anything else to add. We talked about kind of balancing the concerns of, you know, residents with that vibrant nighttime. Those vibrant nighttime economy pieces. Do you want to share anything else about some ways you've engaged the community there or any other examples on kind of making those pieces work? (00:25):
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Raheem [00:20:12]: Yeah, I mean, when you're a city like Philadelphia and a lot of bustling cities and the way cities, you know, are now, like, you know, the entertainment is people want these, what they call 15 minute cities, right? You want to be able to live, work and play all in the same place. Well, with that need or want of a live, work, play and convenience comes the mixture of all types of behaviors and people and businesses. So, yeah, if you want to be able to live but go to the restaurant downstairs, that restaurant or the club or the bar when you want to go, then there's a different expectation of coexisting. And so we deal with that a lot here in the city of Philadelphia, where residents, you know, maybe they were younger and they moved to a cool area with all the bars and it's walkable, and then maybe they had kids and got a little older and it's like, oh, this is loud. Like, people need to be quiet. (00:26):
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Amanda [00:20:57]: I don't like it anymore. (00:27):
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Raheem [00:20:58]: I don't like it anymore. And so I think there's two parts of the job there, right? It's managing what should be fair and what's right and what follows our code and our laws, making sure that businesses are compliant when it comes to sound management or, you know, any of the other nuisance things that we follow. Then it's about again, when I talk to you, like, ownership, like, who's the ownership? Right? If people are leaving an entertainment area and the parking ends up being crazy and the Ubers are loud and it's bothering someone, is that on the business? No, that's something that we can look at as urban planning. And then the other part is this, right? And this is the part that people usually don't like as much, is the responsibility part and the ownership part and putting that on residents. One thing about city, as a Philly, as a city, we're big. We're a city of neighborhoods, and all of our neighborhoods have different characteristics, and we choose where we live. Most of the time. Right. And so you have to understand, if you're going to move into entertainment district, there's an expectation, a higher expectation of noise than if you were in one of our outskirt neighborhoods that.. (00:28):
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Amanda [00:21:56]: Or even downtown living in general, you know, different vibe. (00:29):
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Raheem [00:22:00]: Yeah, you're going to hear some horns, you're going to hear some people. Right. And so putting that ownership on there and having that conversation and mediation. But the tool that I think is most effective that we've seen around the world and we would love to implement here in Philly, it takes a little bit more of a lift and we're working and exploring it, but is a law called Agent of Change and it's a zoning law. Right. And as cities rapidly grow and change identities and neighborhoods go from industrial to residential to entertainment, there's a law called Agent of Change. And what that does is it protects whoever was there first. So if Amanda's Pub has been on Main Street for 20 years, it is the staple in the neighborhood. Everybody loves Amanda's Pub. It really brings us all together. Then you build this, you know, thousand bed apartment across from Amanda's Pub because now everybody wants to be close to Amanda's Pub because it's the hip neighborhood. Well, it's the onus just on the res, the developer to ensure that the windows are soundproof, that that building doesn't come and you know, create a, or look at Amanda's Pub, who's been operating in the same way for 20 years as a nuisance. Right. You can't come in and say, hey, I built a house next door, I built a residence next door. And now you're the problem and you've been here and the vice versa. If there's a residential neighborhood that's starting to get a little bit more hip and entertainment, I can't come and build a loud music venue and club without making sure I soundproof and do not provide any inconvenience or discomfort to the people who are already there. And so Agent of Change laws are taking off around the world. And a lot of my counterparts have been instrumental in implementing Agent of Change laws to ensure that we all understand that yes, our cities grow and they change, but the responsibility is on the new person. And so Agent of Change is a great example of a zoning law that makes sure everyone understands like what the responsibility is when you come into a neighborhood or a new place. (00:30):
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Amanda [00:23:46]: That makes a lot of sense. Well, we're going to move into two kind of fun, lighter wrap up questions. But before we do that, anything else you'd want to add on this topic for our audience in the industry? (00:31):
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Raheem [00:23:57]: No, I think, you know, at the end of the day, you know, when we're looking at our nighttime economy, we can all exist. I tell people in Philly all the time, we can walk into. We can be a lively, thriving entertainment theater, partying, cultural city, but also have quality of life and peace of mind for those who live in our city. And, you know, by having a role like mine or having the conversations that we're having here, we come to solutions where both those things can exist because both of them are needed to make a city a thriving city. (00:32):
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Amanda [00:24:28]: Yes, they definitely are. All right, so our two closer questions here, one I ask everyone, and one is specifically for you. The one that's specifically for you. So your job sounds intense, just like we talked about in terms of the hours. Right. I mean, how do you recharge and make sure you're ready to go? (00:33):
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Raheem [00:24:43]: Yeah. Jump out of perfectly good planes whenever I get stressed or tired. I'm a certified skydiver, so I do skydive, but I'm a big hobbies guy, man. You know, again, when you have an unorthodox schedule like this, hobbies ground you. So I bike ride, I run, I run marathons, half marathons, 5Ks, 10Ks, all those things. I row, so, you know, at the gym, so I make sure I'm active in that aspect. You know, when you have an opportunity where you can be burning the candle on both ends, it's always great to make sure you're recharging. One, making sure you're prioritizing rest, but also decompression. Right. It's not just about rest. For me, it's about making sure I'm able to decompress. And those hobbies, whether it's skydiving or bike riding or running, are my opportunities to decompress so that I can give my all to this role. Right. You know, I really enjoy this role. I'm excited to have it and represent our nighttime economy. So I want to make sure I'm showing up my best, and that's because I make sure that I am my best by prioritizing my health, my mental health, my physical health, and my, you know, my well-being. (00:34):
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Amanda [00:25:45]: Yeah. So true. And then the closer question I always ask guests is, if someone were visiting for the first time, what is one bucket list thing you would say they should do? And yours could be. I was gonna. I was like, should I ask if him his favorite nightlife spots? But I was like, that's not really fair because everyone really asks and then you have to pick favorites so you can answer it however you like. (00:35):
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Raheem [00:26:06]: Yeah, I think if you are visiting the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection, Philadelphia, you know, again, the birthplace of democracy in America, one of the best cities in the world, I would say you cannot leave the city without going to Reading Terminal Market. Reading Terminal Market is one of the oldest farmers or open air markets in the country. It's been around for a very long time and it is a hodgepodge of all the great eats in the city. We are a foodie city. We have tons of James Beard award winning restaurants. We have more restaurants for capita than even New York. But Redding Terminal is a great, like if I have a couple hours I want to kind of get and get out. You can get your cheesesteak, you can get your food, your barbecue or your Thai food or your Amish food, which is really great. They have a great Amish culture and Amish food in the Reading Terminal market. And Reading Terminal I think is a great example of how to sell someone on Philly and convince them to come back. (00:36):
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Amanda [00:27:04]: All right, well that is a great close. Thank you so much. It was a little bit of a different topic for us and I think our listeners will love it. (00:37):
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Raheem [00:27:11]: Yeah. Amanda, thanks again for having me. I'm super, super grateful. (00:38):
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Amanda [00:27:20]: Thanks for listening to the Livability podcast, where we take you Inside America's Best Cities. At Livability, we highlight the unsung awesomeness of small and mid-sized cities across the country. We also partner with communities to reach their target companies and potential residents through digital content and print magazine programs. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review this show. Wherever you listen to podcasts, you can also learn more about us at livabilitymedia.com. Have an idea for an upcoming episode? Email me at aellis@livability.com. Until next time, from Livability, I'm Amanda Ellis, sharing the stories of America's most promising places. (00:39):
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Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.