ShutterButton: When Blockley Was Batty

that is a great picture, but wtf, utb? ‘blockley township’ was the name of the area that is now west philadelphia, before its incorporation into the city of phila in 1854. the blockley almshouse was a charitable institution that served as a hospital and poorhouse (this would include care for orphans and the insane). it was located were penn’s hospital lands now are (not at 38th and ludlow, and definitely not in that building, i mean really, utb?)

sorry for dorking out, but let’s have at least a *little* research if you’re gonna put something up? a simple google search (that took all of thirty seconds) told me that all the space has ever been is a bar/music venue. imagine that.

Anonymous commenter “Dude”:

We’re pretty sure the post adheres entirely to the history provided on the Blockley website: http://theblockley.com/history.php

In other news, seems like maybe you could use a drink (or three)? We heard about this great place at 38th and Ludlow… and they serve POUTINE.

Now THAT’s journalism: using the website of the bar trying to sell you a beer as a reputable ‘source,’ and calling it research. Should we cite Wikipedia in the footnotes of our honors theses?

PS I have a bridge to sell you.

Journalismism is mad the author went to Blockley’s website to find out information about the bar?? That’s as close to a primary source as you can get on the internet… of course the writer looked there…

Actually, they went to the bar’s website to gain historical information about the building. That’s not the same. Journalismism is correct. This is weak journalism. It’s like going to the Dunkin Donuts website to get the history on the 30th Street Train Station because, you know, there’s a Dunkin Donuts location in that building.

Then again, I wouldn’t exactly call this blog “journalism.”

say what you will about going to a bar’s website for information about that bar in general, the fact is that the website is wrong (or at least misleading–it never really says it’s in the original structure). once again, a simple, 30 second google search will answer any and all questions with monumentally greater accuracy than whatever you can cull from a “history” taken from the bar’s website, which is doing nothing more than trying to get you to come to the bar. and in any case, it should be absurdly obvious that there is no way that the blockley pourhouse could one have once housed a massive hospital, orphanage, and insane asylum (and isn’t this post a picture of a building that LOOKS NOTHING LIKE THE BLOCKLEY POURHOUSE?)

anyway, i hope i’m not stepping too hard on anyone’s toes here. i’d always thought that’s what comments on blogs where for, provided ya did it with a certain level humility, weren’t mentally unstable/obscenely hateful, and, you know, were right about what you said. also, thanks for for the recommendation, but in general, i prefer bars that, how do you say… don’t suck.

To dude:

While it’s clear that you don’t go to Blockley in its current form because you think it sucks as a bar, the nature of your posts suggests that you spent ample time there as a resident when it was charged with, how do you say…taking care of fucking insane people.

cheers.