The 14th of September of this year, a Monday, was a picture-perfect day in the greater Philadelphia area, the region where I reside. That morning, anxious to take advantage of the mild weather and lovely skies, I hopped aboard a train in my little town and rode it into Jefferson Station, which sits pretty much in the middle of downtown Philadelphia. My reason for visiting the City Of Brotherly Love was to wander its streets in hopes of spotting and photographing handsomely decorated wheeled objects. In other words, I wanted to collect enough material to produce the eighteenth edition of Art On Wheels, the series that has become one of this publication’s staples. As you can see, number eighteen is now a reality.
I always marvel at my love affair with Philadelphia, a physically large city with a whole lot going for it (interesting neighborhoods, strong arts and restaurant scenes, beautiful parks, and more). I never tired of it during the 30 years I lived in the city itself. And the same has been true for my subsequent 21 years in the burbs. Though no longer a Philly resident, I visit the city regularly and without fail get a charge from it. So, as I expected, my spirits soared when I exited Jefferson Station last week, planting my feet on Filbert Street. I felt free as a bird, knowing that a mini adventure lay in front of me. You better believe I consider myself lucky as hell to have had Philadelphia in my life for just about all of my adult years.
The pickings turned out to be plentiful, maybe more plentiful than ever before. Within the first 15 or 20 minutes of the expedition I snapped five or more photos. And I continued to snap them rather regularly during the remainder of the two and a half hours I pounded the pavement (a lunch break interrupted the pounding). This truly pleased me. As did the beautiful buildings and beautiful young ladies that also crossed my path. As I mentioned above, Philadelphia has a whole lot going for it.
All in all, I covered about five miles of territory in pursuit of worthy, wheeled subjects. My wanderings found me on numerous blocks within downtown Philly and on some a bit beyond downtown’s boundaries. My mind was unusually clear as I strode along, my cares and woes having decided to take a brief vacation. And I sure wasn’t giving any thought to two bewildering questions that have intrigued me increasingly over the last few years. Namely, what was the nature of things before the Big Bang? Have matter and energy always existed? People with brain power far, far, far greater than mine have theories about all of this, such as those involving cosmic inflation and multi-universes. But I think they are only guessing. I’ll drop to my knees in gratitude if someone comes up with indisputable answers before I breathe my last. This old boy wants to know!
Where was I? Oh, right . . . after careful observation of my photographs, I selected six wheeled objects that, to me, are top-notch. Three of them are food carts. I toyed for a while with the idea of having nothing but food carts in this edition of Art On Wheels, because I found a total of seven attractive ones. But a few of the much larger entities threatened to track me down and run me over if I followed through on that. Ergo, a truck, a van and a bus (it belongs to Drexel University, which is located in Philadelphia) also appear on this page.
Which of the selections do you like best? Among the food carts, I give the nod to Happy Burgers. There is so much going on upon its exterior, and all of it is good. As for the motorized creations, my top vote goes to the graffiti-covered van. My eyes lit up when I saw it. I think its design totally rocks. Man, I never know what I’ll find when I begin Art On Wheels treks. That’s a big reason why I dig them so much.
All the food trucks do it for me. Thanks for the post, always enjoyable to read of your excursions.
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Thanks. I’m looking forward to my next Art On Wheels expedition, whenever it will be.
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I like the burger cart and especially the van, too. Both excellent choices, Neil.
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It’s pretty neat that our top picks are the same.
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I like the Fresh Smoothie cart and the Drexel bus. Nice colours, well balanced.
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Hi. I like both of them a lot too.
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Among the food carts, I like the vibrant colors and distinct shapes of the smoothie cups best. The other two seem very busy, almost overwhelming, especially the third.
I find the Drexel bus with its bright blue and curvy yellow very attractive.
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I think this means that you should enroll in Drexel!
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I would have to pay out-of-state tuition! 🙂
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The burger cart and the bus are my picks.
In terms of the answer to the question of the life the universe and everything, other than 42 (Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) I sometimes get the feeling that these expert physicists, etc with their more and more complex mathematical models, that now seems to have reached the point of “everything is just a wave form” are about as close the the real answer as the various tribal stories “explaining” the local geology are to plate tectonics.
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Let’s hope that someone figures all of this out definitively. but I’m not holding my breath.
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Strangely enough, the ice truck gets my vote. It looks plain at first glance, then the company’s slogan catches the eye. I ask myself what is better than homemade? Then I see the large ice cubes. That is effective advertising that uses subtle visuals.
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It’s a great truck. I’d like to know which businesses that company supplies.
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Maybe they make home deliveries. 🙂
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Delightful selection
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I crossed paths with a lot of winners that day.
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The food carts are all very eye-catching, but I think the van with the graffiti art is my favorite. I like the amateur, unpolished look of it.
I appreciate your narrative, as well. Your love for the city definitely shines through in your words. Thanks for sharing these great photos, my friend.
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Hi. Philly has been a big part of my life ever since I moved there in the mid 1970s. There’s so much to see and do.
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Love the Empire Halal van!
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Its food probably is very tasty too.
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Thank you for taking me along on your day trip. 🤗 (I’m particularly fond of the Halal cart – so colorful!) Great pics, as always.
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Thanks. Is this Tyler? — you’re listed as Anonymous, so I’m not positive about that.
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Oh, I love your uplifting art of wheels photos! Who would’ve thought that vehicles could be endowed with such creativity that captures the eye? The van covered in graffiti art is super cool, but I also like the burger food truck, too. Thanks for sharing!
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Hi there. That van should be in a museum!
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Smoothie
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It’s a beauty, for sure.
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Gotta go with the smoothie cart as #1 Neil 🙂
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It’s got what it takes.
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As a life-long walker/hiker, I appreciate and understand the appeal of your walking habit. I’ve always lived in rural or semi-rural areas, so the scenery on my walks is very different. It’s refreshing to see what I have been missing by not taking more walks in nearby Cincinnati. love your pictures!
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Walking is a good form of exercise. It keeps us a lot nimbler than we otherwise would be.
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I gotta go with Happy Burgers and Drexel, Neil. My father-in-law went to Drexel, so I have to stick with the Dragons in their category, and the Happy Burger vehicle just seems perfect for their menu. Always enjoy these Art On Wheels editions…and any images of Philly, of course!
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Have you been in the Drexel area in the last few years? They’ve built a bunch of new buildings. It’s a lively campus.
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It has been a while since I’ve been there, but I know that campus is definitely on the way up from what I’ve read.
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My vote is for Happy Burger! I love the food art on the black background.
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Hi. A very artistic person designed that cart.
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The simplicity of the bus appeals to me and blue/yellow is a classic combination. Central to it all is that time, that frame of mind, which tunes to something appealing, even beautiful, and a contrast to everyday life.
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I like the elemental nature of the bus, and its “simplicity.” It exudes peacefulness. To me, anyway.
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I love the food trucks. They are all great fun. It is difficult to chose, but my absolute favourite is the smoothie van. It is so colourful. I also like Empire Halal. It reminds me on Sicilian folklore. Congratulations with number 18. What surprises will number 19 have in store? Keep walking young man.
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I should go for a walk in my neighborhood today. I’ve been sitting too much on the living room sofa!
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go
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I have seen these during my visit to SF. In our place ads are given on public transport vehicles and some Uber taxis…not very artistic though 🙂
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Hi. There are loads of undecorated and poorly decorated wheeled vehicles in Philly. Fortunately for me, there also are quite a few good-looking ones too.
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l agree with your 2 favorites. They were my choice before l saw yours. Always enjoy seeing your colorful finds in Philadelphia!!!! Keep on snapping!!!!!!
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We think alike!
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“Clearly Better Than Homemade” intrigued and amused me so much that it gets my vote! As for your existential questions, I believe they’ll be answered AFTER we draw our last earthly breaths.
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I don’t know why I came through as Anonymous. This is Paula, the Monday Morning Rail blogger.
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Hi, Paula. That ice truck really surprised me. I wouldn’t have thought that there’s enough of a market for a business of that sort.
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Good post
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Thanks.
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Our daughter got her nursing degree from Drexel, so I’ll choose that one. Though the first food cart pic is nice.
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You have a Philadelphia connection!
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Yes, and she had three different apartments there. And when I was little we often visited friends in nearby Wayne, Paoli, and Emmaus.
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I like the clearly better than homemade. Not only for the art but also for the clever message.
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It’s a neat truck. And it has gotten a bunch of votes.
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😊
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Your love for Philadelphia shines through these photos. The graffiti van is absolutely my pick too, there’s something real and alive about it. But what I loved most is how you found all this joy and clarity on a walk, and then tangented into questions about existence itself. That’s the artist’s mind right there.
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Hello there. Those questions, and related ones, have been percolating in my mind more than they used to. I’m pretty sure that nobody will come up with precise answers to them, but I hope I’m wrong about that.
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The second food cart really pops! The contrast between the black and white background and the colourful food is amazing.
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I agree. It’s a stunner.
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A nice collection for sure. I like the smoothie cart as I prefer large details and bright colours. They really make a statement in any form of advertising.
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The smoothie cart is a beauty. I should have bought a smoothie from it!
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I love the food carts with bright colors. They definitely enliven the streetscape.
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In a very real sense, they are street art.
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It’s been so long since I ate from a food truck, I loved seeing all of these options.
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I’ve bought things from food carts in Manhattan. But now you have me wondering if I’ve ever bought anything from food carts in Philly. I’m not sure.
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A successful day indeed! I like the Smoothie cart and the homemade ice truck. Like Swabby, I was intrigued by its slogan. Maggie
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Hi. Maggie. The smoothie cart has gotten a lot of votes. For good reason.
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That graffiti-covered van really is a masterpiece! I loved how your 5-mile walk through Philly seamlessly transitioned from admiring colorful food carts to pondering what existed before the Big Bang. As Sheknowsallblog noted in the comments, that’s the true artist mindset at work. Another fantastic edition of Art On Wheels!
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Hi, and thanks very much. I appreciate it.
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😊😊😊
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The three food trucks are all eye-catching. My favorite is the “Fresh Smoothie”: just what the doctor ordered in this heat. The bus, van, and truck fade in comparison, but since you insist I choose a favorite, I’ll go for the graffiti-covered van.
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The smoothie cart was in front of what used to be a building for Pennsylvania state government agencies. I worked in that building from 1995 to 2009. It eventually was sold by the State and converted into a residential housing building.
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Those were the days 🙂
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Definitely the graffiti van. Runner up – the smoothie.
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The graffiti van is getting plenty of votes. It’s cool!
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I love the images of all of the food/drink carts but the juice most of all. I’m surprised you found so many. We don’t have a culture of these carts, I know exactly of one in 3 cities I know well, a coffee cart outside of a train station. We do see a cluster of food trucks at festivals etc but not on the street (our pavements are not big enough either). Great post!
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Hi. I’m glad that a nice number of handsomely decorated wheeled objects can be found in Philadelphia, because I love creating Art On Wheels stories.
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Good luck with that eternal question. As some wise person said, “If you don’t ask, you won’t get”. Love the colourful ice cream truck.
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Hello there. I tend to think that humans never will figure out the answers to the questions I mentioned. Maybe they are unanswerable.
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I am amazed at the number of food choices offered by the food trucks considering their size. Makes me wonder how they store it all.
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The people inside those food carts are forced to be very efficient. That’s for sure.
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The ice cream cart is my favorite! So bright and colorful. If you do come up with any of the answers to your deep questions, do let me know.
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You will be the first to know!
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I like Fresh Smoothie the best! I think art on wheels is an excellent avenue toward understanding the universe, time and the cosmos!
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You might be right!
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Lots of beauty in the world if you’re curious and willing to look. Thanks for the reminder! My favorite is the smoothie food truck, which reminds me of a rainbow.
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I could go for a smoothie right now!
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The graffiti covered van gets my vote!
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It’s a great one. I was startled when I first noticed it.
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Your great photos demonstrate the impact of strong graphic design—true “commercial art.”
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Hi, and thanks for adding your thoughts. I don’t know who this is, though. You’re listed as Anonymous.
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Philly is a great city, and I always love seeing the cool things you find in it.
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I landed in Philly years ago for employment reasons. I landed in the right place!
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Interesting that your search for art on wheels led you to some cosmic questions… anyway, to get down to earth, the Happy Burgers really makes you want to stop and try one
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Excellent wheel photo’s! 🙂
Enjoyed my time in Philly in 2024, so much to see and do there!
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