🎶 ‘Oh, those Schuylkill days’ | Morning Newsletter

Happy Friday. Today will be cloudy with a chance of afternoon showers and temps in the low 60s. Perfect for wallowing as a certain Berks County native’s The Tortured Poets Department plays on repeat.

If you’ve ever thought, “You know what Philadelphia is missing? A beach!” then one, I have questions, and two, you may be in luck: A bi-level, $60 million public space with a water park, pool and beach is being imagined for the Schuylkill riverfront at 30th Street Station.

And following President Joe Biden’s tour of Pennsylvania this week, find a rundown of how it fits into this moment of the 2024 presidential election.

Here’s what you need to know today.

— Julie Zeglen (@juliezeglen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Why take the train from 30th Street Station to Atlantic City when you could cross Schuylkill Avenue and find a beach right there? ... Kinda?

University City District, the nonprofit behind public spaces such as The Porch at 30th Street and the 40th Street Trolley Portal Gardens, is envisioning an ambitious new project near the Amtrak station.

🏖️ For the cool price of $60 million, Philly could get a waterpark, public pool, and riverfront beach on the western bank of the Schuylkill. The development would include two levels connected by a slide, a nearly Olympic-sized pool, an entertainment venue, kayaks, and public restrooms.

🏖️ Now, it must be noted that zero dollars are allocated to the project so far, and logistical details are scarce. But we still have some questions:

🏖️ Will commuters change into their swimsuits and take a dip on the way home from work? Can we make that traffic-heavy area a little more pedestrian-friendly first? Will out-of-towners — or worse, Philadelphians who should know better — think they’re asking people to *gulp* swim in the Schuylkill? How will they get sand to stay in that one spot? Wait, how do you keep sand clean?

Check out the renderings and everything else we know so far, courtesy of The Inquirer’s Jake Blumgart.

President Joe Biden completed his pre-primary tour of Pennsylvania on Thursday with a visit to Martin Luther King Recreation Center in North Philadelphia. Earlier in the week, he stopped in Pittsburgh and his hometown.

What he said: Unlike his visit to Scranton, when he touted his tax policies, Biden focused on his values as he sought to align himself with heralded Democratic figures of the past.

Endorsements: Kerry Kennedy, the sister of independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., spoke during the event in support of Biden alongside other family members. Attendees showed mixed concern over the role of RFK Jr. and other third-party candidates in a tight race.

Protests: Pro-Palestinian protesters, who have shown up at every event Biden held in the state this week, voiced their outrage over his handling of the war in Gaza and called for a permanent cease-fire.

Trump’s tour: The former president hosted his own events farther north in the purple state this past weekend, including a raucous rally in the Lehigh Valley. He has a beach rally scheduled for Wildwood on May 11, a few weeks before New Jersey’s June 4 primary election.

Don’t forget: The Pennsylvania primary election is Tuesday. Check out The Inquirer’s full voters guide.

Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.

This week, we’re resurfacing a 2019 explainer on those 12-by-8-inch bright yellow lattices found on some — but not all — Peco poles around the region. What the heck are they for?

If you guessed “they’re reflectors for drivers to see,” ding ding ding. Here’s the full explanation.

Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.

Which Philly-area city is featured in Trash & Burn, a new short documentary film about residents’ fight to close a controversial incinerator as pollution concerns pile up?

A) Reading

B) Chester

C) Camden

D) Collingswood

Think you know? Check your answer.

🎸 Snagging: A copy of WXPN’s all-Philly LP, Homegrown Originals, on Record Store Day this Saturday.

🛶 Wondering: If our dogs would be willing to travel 200 miles down the Delaware with us, like Sully.

🛩️ Renewing: Our passports with this helpful guide.

The Berks County native mentioned in this newsletter’s introduction.

FLORA TWISTY

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Kaylee Wilson, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Wissahickon, the well-loved park and creek in Northwest Philadelphia. The Friends of the Wissahickon group turns 100 this year.

Will Philadelphia drag queen Sapphira Cristàl win Season 16 of RuPaul’s Drag Race? We’ll find out in the finale tonight.

Enjoy your weekend and see you Monday!

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