One of my very favorite things about Philadelphia is something universal and simple: Neighbors. No matter what part of the city you live in, no matter what you do or how you voted, how long you’ve been here or who your people are, your neighbors more than likely share at least one common purpose, which is to make the neighborhood the best that it can be.
I can think of several ways my neighbors do this every day: minding each others’ packages so they don’t get stolen; picking up each others’ trash cans after garbage pickup; sharing gossip and candy and wine and — in one strange case — brisket on Halloween; shoveling each others’ sidewalks after snowstorms, and bagging up leaves in the fall; even just stopping to say hi on the way to the subway.
All of which is to say: It’s not the hard things that matter. Making a better neighborhood, community, city can be easy and quick — and fun.
Here, simple ways each week that you can make a better city in 2025:
- Help someone read. Become a Philly Reading Coach. Start or stock a neighborhood Little Free Library. Donate books or money to Treehouse Books.
- Put — or keep up — the holiday lights around your house. Who decided we can only be festive during the holidays? Twinkling string lights are nice all year round.
- Buy something from a Black-owned business in Philly. Here’s a list of 300+ shops and services to choose from.
- Celebrate public officials who are doing the right thing — rather than just focusing on those who do harm. Sign up for The Citizen newsletter so you know when we open nominations for our fifth annual Integrity Icon Award, celebrating city workers who go above and beyond for Philadelphians.
- Stock, or set up, a free food fridge in your neighborhood to provide free meals, produce and other items for anyone who stops by.
- Recruit your neighbors to sign up for Glitter, which employs people to clean up litter block by block.
- Plant a tree — on your sidewalk, in your yard, in an empty lot. Go to TreePhilly for more info on how to do it — for free.
- Organize a neighborhood story-thon, like Detroit’s Pedal to Porch, which hosts bike rides with stops at various houses to listen to residents tell stories vital to their neighborhood fabric. Go extra and record the stories, creating an oral history of your community like they have done in Eastwick.
- Read A Prayer For the City, Buzz Bissinger’s seminal book about former Mayor Ed Rendell’s first term.
- Sign up for The Citizen’s Civic Calendar, which will automatically remind you of different ways to engage more with your city, from Love Your Park Day to Election Days to our Ideas We Should Steal Festival.
- Listen to Kelces — all of them. The New Heights podcast, with brothers Jason and Travis. A Philly Specials Christmas Party album (benefitting Philly school children), with Jason, Jordan Mailata, other current and former Eagles — and Stevie Nicks. And Not Gonna Lie, Kylie’s new podcast which immediately unseated Joe Rogan’s bro-cast as the number one podcast in the country.
- Pay it forward. In Napoli, Italy, there’s a longstanding tradition of café sospeso — paying for two coffees, but drinking just one, so someone else can get a cup for free. The idea in some form has made its way around the world, as a way to both help cafes stay afloat, and do something kind for each other.
- Become a block captain. Or, offer to help your block captain with a project.
- Plant flowers — any and everywhere. Potholes. Empty lots. The dirt patch by the corner bus stop. (Though you might want to ask first if it’s private property.)
- Walk more. It’s better for your health, the environment and your neighborhood.
- Talk to someone in your neighborhood you’ve rarely or never met. Better yet: Bring treats.
- See a show. Philly’s live performance scene includes the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra, the experimental Pig Iron Theater Company, the innovative Wilma Theater — and everything between and beyond.
- Read some local poetry, starting with Philly’s current and former poet laureates: Sonia Sanchez; Frank Sherlock; Yolanda Wisher; Raquel Salas Rivera; Trapeta Mayson; Kai Davis.
- Attend a civic meeting every month — even just one to start with. Whether a school board meeting, City Council, your neighborhood association. Better yet, get paid to attend a meeting by becoming a Documenter through Resolve Philly, which trains and deploys residents to take notes at city meetings to share with journalists.
- Write a letter. First, find the email of a local elected official or public organization, like SEPTA. Then, let them know what you think about how they’re doing. Set yourself a timer for 10 minutes to keep it quick. And then fire it off and wait for a response.
- Show your support for something. Here’s something novel: Raise your voice to talk about something you think works, rather than just to complain about something that doesn’t. Positive feedback is important, too.
- Sit outside for a few minutes a day. Not just because it’s good for you; it also helps you see what’s happening on your street, makes it safer — and gives you an extra chance to wave to your neighbors.
- Support local authors. Philly has a robust literary scene — let’s keep it going by helping the writers in our midst. Start with author Emma Eisenberg’s novel, Housemates, set in Philly; continue with her recommended list of local books that came out in 2024. Connect with Blue Stoop literary community. Shop at your neighborhood’s independent bookstore. Support Mighty Writers to help young people express themselves through words.
- Shovel (or sweep) a few extra feet. You’re already out there; go ahead and take care of your neighbor’s sidewalk too.
- Take a Mural Arts tour — a celebration of local art, history and neighborhood culture, all in one.
- Vote. Twice this year — in the primary in May and the general election in November. (Do this every year.)
- Ride the subway. It’s easy; it’s quick; it’s communal. And you never know who you might meet.
- Drive slower. Slowing down just a little can keep everyone safer and prevent traffic deaths.
- Support local news outlets, by reading or listening to them. Then, donate to keep them going, if you can. (You can support The Citizen here.) Democracy depends on a vital media.
- Grow food, for yourself and others. (Yes, even in the city.)
- Take and post a picture of the Philly you love to social media. (Be sure to tag us!)
- Talk to a young person about voting. Voting is a habit that is best started young. Introduce them to #VoteThatJawn.
- Make a Philly-specific playlist and share on Spotify. Share it with friends.
- Connect with Philadelphians of different faiths. Both POWER and Interfaith Philadelphia bring together people of different backgrounds to engage and advocate for change in the city, through outreach, protests or other actions.
- Help feed the hungry.
- Support local artists. As fitting for a city like Philly, there is no shortage of local painters, sculptors, photographers and other creators here whose works would improve any space. Get a start by perusing the artists on InLiquid’s online platform, StreetsDept blog, or Etsy.
- Tell someone outside Philly something glorious about your city that doesn’t involve pretzels, cheesesteaks, bells or Gritty.
- Put your trash out properly so it doesn’t make a mess.
- Throw a spontaneous dance party.
- Do like former Daily News columnist Ronnie Polaneczky and set up a listening station in a neighborhood park for no other reason than … listening.
- Eat out at a restaurant that shares your values, like support for immigrants or Israeli medical relief or criminal justice reform.
- Sign the BallotPA petition to urge state lawmakers to repeal the law that makes primary elections in Pennsylvania “closed,” allowing only registered Republicans and Democrats to cast a ballot, despite the more than 1.1 million voters who are affiliated with no party.
- Explore the Wissahickon, a gem in our backyard that can help you get lost, appreciate a healthy environment, and find a new way to love Philly.
- Take a Narcan training course — and then carry the lifesaving, anti-opiate overdose drug with you.
- Call your local school and ask how you can help.
- Learn the names of all your elected officials — even the lowest-ranking ones, like committee people.
- Take your committee person out for coffee. Learn more about how our elections work, and what you can do to make them better.
- Choose Democracy in any and every way you can.
- Read the City Charter. Otherwise known as Philly’s “Home Rule Charter”, which was enacted in 1952.
- Call 311 to report that pothole, faulty light, graffiti or other neighborhood eyesore everyone is ignoring.
- Shop sustainably. Take a few minutes to learn what that means, then seek out local businesses that are environmentally-friendly — a way to do good twice over.
- Do no harm. Maybe you’ll take none of these other suggestions. Still, take this one: Be kind. It is scientifically proven to better your world, and we can use more of it in ours.
MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE
