Last week I had the pleasure of attending the release party for the new Moon Philadelphia guidebook, a series of guidebooks written by people who actually live in the places they’re writing about. The book was written by Carrie Gavin, who I grew up with in NW Philly (our parents are very close friends), and it received a great writeup in the Inquirer Magazine.

In penning her love letter to Philadelphia, local author Karrie Gavin dusted off 350 years of history and delved into her own personal chronicles. She shared Philly’s centuries-old stories and spilled its best-kept secrets, all from the perspective of a 32-year-old born, raised and now residing in the City of Brotherly Love.

The result is Moon Philadelphia, a new guidebook from Avalon Travel that celebrates Gavin’s loyalty to her hometown as much as it teaches visitors about Philadelphia’s tourist attractions.

“I feel an even deeper connection now that I’ve spent a year and a half with my entire focus on writing about the place I call home,” Gavin said about the first Philadelphia guide from Avalon Travel’s Moon Handbook series. “It’s something everyone should be lucky enough to do - think about where they’re from and what that means to them.”

What sets the backpack-friendly book apart from previous area guides is that a single local author was chosen to research, organize, photograph and write up the native flavor.

And let me tell you, Carrie is not just a good writer- she’s also one hell of an event planner. The opening was held at the Constitution Center and featured food and drinks from some of the establishments she covered in the book: Chubby’s Steaks, Yards Beer, Nodding Head Brewery, and DiBruno Brothers (to name a few). I’ve never been to an event of that size (around 100 or so people) that gave a better taste of Philly- I hope the convention center takes note.

And, no, Suzie. I don’t know what Parish she’s from.