Leaving Philly: Starting a New Life in the Adirondacks

Shortly before I left Philadelphia for good, I found myself in a crowded noisy courtroom in City Hall. On one side, the Painted Bride, a venerable art center, and its community of supporters (including me), seeking approval to sell its building, a performance space festooned with an exuberant mosaic by the artist Isaiah Zagar. On the other side of the courtroom — opponents of the sale and…