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Help us test a new way to read and learn about Philly

These aren’t breaking news alerts — they’re “on this block” alerts.

A new app, called HERE, notifies you as you pass by places in Philadelphia that have been written about by The Inquirer’s arts, architecture, and real estate reporters.
A new app, called HERE, notifies you as you pass by places in Philadelphia that have been written about by The Inquirer’s arts, architecture, and real estate reporters.Read moreHeard in the Hall
    by Heard in the Hall
    Published 

We’re testing a new way to read and learn about Philadelphia.

Have you ever walked by some activity in the city and wondered what was going on? Was that building always there? What’s the story with that mural? Homes and apartments in this neighborhood are going for how much?

A new app, called HERE, notifies you as you pass by places in Philadelphia that have been written about by The Inquirer’s arts, architecture, and real estate reporters. These aren’t breaking news alerts — they’re “on this block” alerts.

The app, which geotags stories and matches them to where you are, is designed to help you easily discover information about the city’s architecture, arts scene, and real estate development. Here are some examples of how it’ll work:

  1. Architecture: when you’re passing a park in Old City that’s slated for redevelopment, you’ll receive a story about how that plan will play out for neighbors and city residents.

  2. Arts: if you walk past a new mural, we’ll send you a story about the artist and how their work adds to the cultural fabric of the city.

  3. Real Estate: if a new apartment building or grocery store is coming to your neighborhood, you’ll know when you walk by the location in which it will be built.

We launched the app, in partnership with the Lenfest Local Lab, to see if we should expand these types of location-based alerts to more neighborhoods and more stories.

For now, HERE For Local Journalism, is only available on iOS for iPhones. You can download it from the App Store. You’ll need to have iOS 12+ installed on your phone to get the app.

We’d also love to hear from you. You can tell us about your experience — what you like, what can be improved — in the settings section of the app by tapping the “Share your Feedback” button.

We hope you like it and can help us make it better.

HERE For Local Journalism was created in partnership between The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Lenfest Local Lab — a news innovation team that’s a part of the Lenfest Institute.