20th and Locust. 16th and Walnut. Now 20th and Chestnut.

One by one, they’ve all closed, and taken their fee-free ATM’s with them. Having moved to Philly from another state - a state where you drive, not walk, to get your groceries, I can say that losing these stores is a pretty big hit. One thing I’ve always felt is that Center City could use more of is grocery-type stores. Sure there’s a Trader Joe’s and a few smaller shops & delis scattered around, but walking across town for a gallon of milk and bread pretty much sucks.

Hopefully someone steps in to fill in some of the holes left behind.

CNN reports these as the “key notes” about Pennsylvania’s vote this afternoon. Are they leaving anything out? How about some federal assistance for education and/or crime ills?

• Voters go to the polls April 22 in Pennsylvania, where the Democrat-laden east and the GOP-heavy west has been a national presidential battleground for decades. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama vie for 158 delegates at stake.
• Voter dissatisfaction about the Iraq war and a pay hike for state lawmakers helped Democrats in 2006 win a majority in the state House of Representatives for the first time in 12 years.
• Recent strides by Pennsylvania lawmakers to increase statewide health care benefits make it an appropriate Democratic debating ground for rival national health plans proposed by Clinton and Obama.
• Many residents of Pennsylvania are older; in 2006 it boasted the second-largest elderly population in the nation — outdone only by Florida.
• Voters in the state’s mountainous central region often oppose gun control legislation and tend to harbor strong religious values, according to the Almanac of American Politics.

The latest poll results (released Monday) from Quinnipiac University show Clinton leading Obama 51% to 44%. Weather on Tuesday seems fine, so at least in Philly, the turnout should be high.

For those that didn’t catch the game yesterday, OUR Philadelphia 76ers (#7 seed) dropped the Pistons (#2 seed) cold last night.  The schedule of the rest of the series - which promises to be a rough one - is below. Expect hot spots like Fox & Hound to be crowded. Next game is Wednesday.

I found this interesting… My personal opinion is that if you were smart enough to buy into gold in the past 2 years, maybe it’s worth cashing out some at this point - AT A BANK .. not the casino.

ATLANTIC CITY - Customers at the Atlantic City Hilton will be able to hock their gold for cash without having to go to a pawnshop.

The Get Cash Gold company will set up in the Hilton’s ballroom April 25-27.

The casino resort’s senior marketing vice president told the Press of Atlantic City that it was a convenience for customers who wanted to take advantage of the high price for gold. Phil Juliana said customers with cash in their pockets might also give the Hilton a boost.

The NFL released team schedules for the 2008 season, and the Eagles got a whopping 5 primetime games (2 Sunday night, 2 Monday night, 1 Thursday night). That’s right folks - you’re gonna have to eat the Turkey a bit faster this year, Philadelphia will be host the Arizona Cardinals at 7PM EST on Thanksgiving night.

We’ll be taking suggestions for how to avoid the food coma that ensues after Thanksgiving dinner.