May Events: Broad Street Run, Devon Horse Show and More

Also: a community festival in Mt. Airy, a run in Kennett Square and the biggest college boat race in the country.

Looking for something to do in May? Here's what's happening in the Greater Philadelphia Area: May 4-5: Strawberry Festival at Peddler’s Village Where: Peddler’s Village, Newtown When: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.  What: Featuring artisans, live music, shops and more Strawberries than any one person can handle in a given sitting, the Peddler’s Village Strawberry Festival is the place to go to celebrate spring (and enter a strawberry pie-eating contest).  Cost: Free admission and parking. May 4: Mt. Airy Day Where: Cliveden of the National Trust, 6400 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. What: Celebrate Northwest Philadelphia with this outdoor festival, which will feature vendors, artists, shopping, games for children, food and live …

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How Long Will You Live?

See what the life expectancy is for people in your area.

Does where you live in Pennslyvania impact how long your life will be? According to a new study, the answer is "yes, but really not by all that much around here." The Institute for Health Metics and Evaluation looked at the life expectancy gap between men and women cross the country, including in the Greater Philadelphia Area, and broke down the numbers based on the average life expectancy per county. The biggest disparity between the life expectancy of women and men in the area came from Philadelphia, where women outlived men by an average of 7.7 years. The closest gap between women and men in the area comes from Montgomery County, where women are only outliving men by an average of four years. Check out the full study here, and consult …

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Stripper With Knife Stops Traffic on City Avenue, Police Say

The stretch between Conshohocken State Road and Bala Avenue was shut down from about 3 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.

An apartment resident's violent threats and eccentric behavior Wednesday afternoon—including wielding a large knife for hours and stripping naked during talks with police—prompted a massive law-enforcement response that kept part of City Avenue closed through evening rush hour, Philadelphia police told Patch. The unidentified man was taken into custody about 6 p.m., having been stunned with a Taser gun just inside his front door, said Chief Inspector Joe Sullivan of the Philadelphia Police Department's Homeland Security Unit. It was unclear what charges he faced. The incident started about 2:10 p.m. at a building on the Philadelphia side just south of the Cynwyd Line railroad tracks. Sullivan told Patch the man, a resident of the apartment…

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City V. Suburbs: Compare Your Tax Burden

The map is from Pew Charitable Trusts.

See what a study found out about your tax burden.

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News Next Door

Philly Earning "Rudest" Rap on Twitter

Twitter study analyzed by some to say Philly angriest city.

Similar to the reputation of Eagles fans "booing" Santa Claus, a potentially unfounded bad rap is emerging on how angry Philadelphia Twitter users are. Ukrainian company Vertalab compiled tweets originating in 462 cities across the United States and created a Twitter heatmap based on attitudes. From that research, some websites concluded that Philadelphia contained the most negative tweets. However, as The Philadelphia Inquirer pointed out, the study possessed someflaws. For one, the determination of positive or negative attitudes was based on only one phrase for each—"Good morning" and "F*** you." Read the entire story on Roxborough-Manayunk Patch.

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Bryn Mawr Choreographer Takes on 'Spring Awakening'

The Mazeppa Productions show runs through Saturday, July 28, at Christ Church Neighborhood House in Philadelphia.

Though Bryn Mawr resident Dawn Morningstar has been a choreographer for most of her life, this summer's Philadelphia-based production of the rock musical Spring Awakening presented her new challenges. "It's one of the most challenging shows I’ve ever done," said Morningstar, who loves the original choreography but feared imitation would not do it justice. "Some shows are outdated, but this one is not very old—it's from 2006." The 42-year-old Morningstar said she worked organically with the actors to cater to their strengths and made adjustments to the choreography as needed.  "There's beautiful music, a really interesting concept, a lot of conflict—incest, adolescent suicide, depression and adolescent feelings coming out in different ways…

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Excessive Heat Returning to Philly Area, Weather Service Warns

High temperatures are expected to approach 100 Tuesday and Wednesday.

The greater Philadelphia area is in for a couple days of oppressive heat, the worst since a 101-degree day July 7, according to the National Weather Service forecast. In the week since that scorcher, the NWS has not measured a high temperature above 92. But with forecast highs of 94, 97 and 96 Monday through Wednesday, the agency has issued an Excessive Heat Warning. As of Monday morning, it was set to take effect at 1 p.m. Tuesday and expire 9 p.m. Wednesday. The agency warned residents to take the usual precautions during the worst of the heat: The forecast calls for a dry Tuesday but a chance of rain Wednesday afternoon and evening, then highs in the mid-80s through the weekend.

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How Far Will Gas Prices Drop?

AAA says prices are the lowest they've been since January.

Gas prices have fallen below $3.50 a gallon for the first time since January, AAA Mid-Atlantic reported this week. “Not since late-January of this year have we seen gas prices in the Philadelphia area below the $3.50 per gallon mark,” said Jenny M. Robinson, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “Now that crude oil has settled in the $80 range, down from a triple digit highs this spring, gas prices are shifting downward as well. Analysts believe the recent drop in prices will likely last through the summer months and could potentially drop to the $3.00 to $3.25 per gallon range in some areas.” According to the release, the average price for gas in the Philadelphia region fell six cents last week, following a drop …

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400k Philadelphians to Hit the Road for Memorial Day Weekend

1 in 10 residents of the five county area to travel, says AAA.

AAA-Mid Atlantic estimates that 400,000 residents of the five-county area will be traveling this Memorial Day Weekend, despite gas prices peaking near $4 a gallon. The agency defines traveling as journeys of 50 miles of greater. Of that figure, 88 percent plan to drive to their destination, roughly the same number as last year, says AAA. “Despite near-record-high gas prices this spring, Philadelphia area residents are ready to travel to welcome the summer season this Memorial Day holiday weekend,” said Jenny M. Robinson, Manager of Public and Government Affairs for AAA Mid-Atlantic. “While the economy continues to improve slightly, consumers have felt the pain at the pump in recent months, yet many will still travel. Local Memorial Day …

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