An iron gate on Boathouse Row bends away from the Center City skyline.
This week: Kelly Drive, 300 block, former site of the Dad Vail Regatta
It’s often said that Philadelphia is a city of neighborhoods. We’re taking it down another level — it’s a city of blocks. Each week, we’ll feature a block that’s recently been in the news and provide snapshots of what we’ve found.
What happened
They may have lost the Dad Vail, but:
- The bike trail is still probably the nicest in the city, with its twists and turns and great view of the Schuylkill.
-The Philadelphia Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, will travel along the Drive for part of the 26.2-mile course.
-The Drive is a fun alternate route when the Schuykill Expressway is backed up during rush hour.
PHILADELPHIA. As cyclists and joggers moved along Kelly Drive and leaves swept across the pavement, Dan Rodgers lamented over what would no longer be there: the Dad Vail Regatta, the historic rowing competition on the Schuylkill River.
Organizers announced Tuesday that the event, held in the city since 1953, was moving to Rumson, N.J., for at least 2010 and possibly beyond.
The absence of the race, its 100-plus colleges and 30,000 spectators is akin to getting rid of the neighborhood’s biggest celebration.
“I used to watch them race up and down the river in the winter,” said Rodgers, 56, of South Philadelphia. “It’s a loss for the Schuylkill, it’s a loss for the people who work around here and live around here.”
The Drive’s curvaceous, scenic trail still has appeal for walkers, joggers, cyclists and rollerbladers.
