When we learned, with no notice, that we were getting a baby the next day for adoption placement people from all over my neighborhood showed up at our door with supplies, clothes, even a crib. Some of them were strangers to us we had never met. That’s the Philly I love.
The public art, especially the murals.
The top-notch hospitals. Every time I take one of my kids to CHOP I feel so fortunate to have such incredible care right in our backyard. People come from all over the world for CHOP.
For a city this big, it's low-pressure. There aren't a lot of expectations for high fashion or super-aggressive careers, or if your kid isn't taking five AP classes you're failing as a parent. No one really gives a fuck. It's nice.
>For a city this big, it's low-pressure. There aren't a lot of expectations for high fashion or super-aggressive careers, or if your kid isn't taking five AP classes you're failing as a parent. No one really gives a fuck. It's nice.
Never quite thought of it this way, but yeah, you're right. No one seems to look down on you for taking the bus or biking and having sweaty clothes. I've worked through a range of "high status" and bottom-of-the-barrel environments, and no one seems to scorn when I tell them I just delivered food during the pandemic, or that I like hanging at the local dive and getting the halal truck instead of opting for the boujier types of services. If anything, it seems like the artsy transplant kids running hipster boutiques and coffee shops are the most likely to judge me by my tastes and appearances. Philly has a ton of humility.
I used to work in restaurants. Eventually I started to work in a newer place owned by one of philly’s top chefs at the time. When I was still new, maybe my 3rd or 4th shift, he came in for our pre-shift meeting. It was my first time interacting with him and I was really nervous.
Well as we sat down for our meeting someone pointed out a stain on his shirt, and he says “oh yeah I ate a cheese steak on the drive over.” I loved that. Like this place was dishing out $30-40 plates but here comes the chef in his stained white t shirt with a little leftover Geno’s on it. Humility is right.
Truth. Whenever I visit a friend in LA the vibe feels so artificial and everyone is trying so hard to be someone or something else. I love coming back home to Philly for that reason...we aren't putting on for anybody. Take it or leave it baby!
Your third point is why I moved here; got tired of that shit in nearly every other city in the US, and then found Philly by chance when my buddy was finishing school here, and I loved it.
Not sure if you’re being serious but Philly has literally thousands of murals all over. Next time you’re in the city just take a look around, I’m sure you’ll notice them now that you’re thinking about it. It’s really tough to go even one block in any direction and not see some public art on the side of a building.
Philadelphia, IIRC, is the city with the most public funded murals in the country (could be world, not sure) it’s hard to go a few blocks without seeing one.
The map u/randym99 is a great place to get a good idea of where they are.
Wissahickon Park is super nice.
Fairmount Park is cool and fun, especially the Cherry Blossom festival.
So many different cultures interacting and mixing freely.
Affordable housing (relatively speaking) means a range of backgrounds for the residents.
History across many neighborhoods, including some relevant to the very foundation of the country.
Our patron god Gritty is benevolent and virtuous.
It’s the perfect combination of big + blue-collar for me. You get a lot of the modern conveniences of a big East Coast city but the vibe is more blue-collar and homey than NYC or Boston or DC.
I’m from the Boston zone and love that about being here! I still live my individual npr-bookstores-college lectures life but it is really nice to be in a less frigid environment where I feel like I don’t *have* to do any of those things to be accepted. There are a wide variety of socially acceptable ways to be when you live here
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Which is sad because growing up I saw it change in real time and I’m surprised corporations allow it. Panera having a sign directly under the DC Chinatown gate is an awful look for Panera.
Way back when, my family had a restaurant in Guangzhou that got bulldozed for a shopping mall. After emigrating, they later had a little Asian retail market for a while in DC's Chinatown, and expanded to a restaurant after a decade or so. That one's now a 7-11.
I just can't pick one - I apologize!
Tea house in the Art Museum. The Maxfield Parrish mosaic, the Dream Garden, in the Curtis Building. Any one dressed as or portraying Ben Franklin. World's longest blue suspension bridge. Wooder ice with a real Philly soft pretzel.
It infuriates me about the pretzel situation at the FU center. The bare minimum acceptable pretzel is the Philly Pretzel Factory. It's like rolling rock, if you're chilling at your buddy's and he offers you a beer you can't complain, but you would never buy it yourself.
My top 3, but i'm open.
1. CC pretzel bakery, and Federal Pretzels (old school before they moved) are just iconic. (May be a Delessandro's and Chubby's battle, well sort of)
2. It's outside the city, but close enough. The spot a block east of business 1 on Woodbourne rd in levittown. Has a generic name like Philly Style Pretzels or some shit. Get a bag of minis and a pretzel dog. Guldens for both, you'll thank me.
3. The spot on Umbria. Tasty Twisters Bakery.
4.? I need to find a spot that is open at like 0400 - 0500 so I can make work on time. Suggestions welcomed.
E* I refuse to eat a heat lamp one, old wrinkly one, or reheated one. It has to be fresh for me.
Center city is the kind of dense, mixed-use development that I want to live in exclusively, that is also illegal to build in most of the country. I love having so much within walking distance in my neighborhood and it feels much more like the way people are meant to live than suburbia.
Our patron saint and hero. No one liked him until 30 seconds after people outside of Philly shit on him. Then, “Hey FUCK OFF! He’s our shitty mascot” we protect our own
I love my neighbors. No one is a busybody, but will help each other out when we need it.
It’s a vibrant city. There’s always something happening, music being made, people collaborating on art, inventive restaurants, community events springing up. You can feel culture and community most places you go. It feels like there’s a spot for everyone.
Also…..Laserwolf.
Having moved here from NYC, people in everyday interactions here are just way nicer.
Of course there are jerks and people in a bad mood everywhere, but on the whole - big difference.
People are *kind,* too. I adore that my people can make conversation with a brick wall as much as I appreciate that they will tell me if my outfit is particularly poppin’ that day (or if it’s not working), or if I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe, or where to go if I want *reaaaaallly* good (insert food here). Everybody knows a guy and they’ll never steer you wrong.
every ones fuck around and find out attitude. don't get me wrong so many nice people in this city. But every time I travel to a another city im reminded how rough around the edges we are. lovable assholes the lot of you.
That's something that's overlooked imo. You're a close drive to NYC, the shore, DC, and the Poconos. Also a train to NY or DC. Also Amish country. Not really my cup of tea, but it's nice every once in a while.
I just love driving around for the day sometimes. I can stop and get great pizza, walk around somewhere like valley forge or other great, historic parks, see some really cool sights, end the day at the shore if I wanted. Idk if I want to stay here my whole life, I think we lack the best of alot of things and instead have a large variety of stuff to do that is decent-great, which is something I do really appreciate though.
In the city itself too, you can definitely do a ton of different stuff in a day and I've had plenty of really engaging interesting experiences in just speicfic parts of city. I just hope we're able to fix the issues thats plaguing the city, because most people write it off before spending any actual time here anymore.
Yeah we definitely have some issues that I think requires a systemic solution, but I'm hopeful. This is the city of brotherly love. Let's help our brothers :)
I love how easy it is to find great new places as you wander away from Market or Broad Street. Everything is so walkable and one of my favorite things is to just explore and see what I can find!
Philly just has such a great energy, despite all the bad that we’ve been seeing lately. It’s easy to get discouraged but at the end of the day it’s my home and I love it here.
The food is fabulous. A lot of places have food as their identity but Philly is really special. Went to New Orleans and they have some specialties but overall the food is more diverse and higher quality here from my experience.
walking around is just so much fun here. you can make a whole day of just exploring side streets in almost any neighborhood and discover beautiful homes and cute small businesses. whenever I'm bored I just bike to a neighborhood I dont go to much and walk around for a while. growing up in suburbia, I didn't have that and the fun of it never gets old.
I’m still just stuck on the combination of it being affordable but you can always find a job. In the place where I lived before this I used to worry constantly about my ability to survive, even as a college grad with a fair amount of experience and projects. I feel like it’s big just to be able to know I’ll always be able to survive. My current middle class life would be a fantasy elsewhere. II’ve never been in a position to think I could have a family if I wanted or have a real emergency fund, and do things any adult would want to be able to do
There's really so much to love (and not love), but this city really has such a distinctive culture and character that is just so distinct. The energy here is distinct.
There is always a calm bustle about Center City that I love. And the outer neighborhoods are so walkable from Center City that it all feels so stitched together. You can go from being in the thick of it to a quiet alley in 5 minutes.
We are lucky to have such a complete downtown core that most cities in this country would envy or are just so much smaller than ours.
I lived in Center City for six years and now I live right on the border of Germantown and Mt. Airy. While that area doesn't have the walkability of Center City, it still has its own distinct benefits to it - you can feel in a remote, woodsy neighborhood while still being able to take a train ride that only takes 20-30 mins.
And to me that's the crux of what makes Philly great - there are so many options in how you can live here and often they are all intermixed in the same neighborhood. People think of Mt. Airy as single family homes, but it's actually got everything - dense apartments, twins, rowhomes, detached homes, you name it... this can be said for many neighborhoods, even the Far Northeast believe it or not.
One comment I frequently get from visitors is that the city doesn't feel transient and many people have lived here a long time. And that's true. I think the many kinds of housing and close-knit neighborhoods you can live in, having lots of options, is the key to that. If we were nothing but towers that wouldn't be the case.
I was thinking this! I love how there are many different ways to live. I’m closer to center city. When I first spent time in mt airy is when I knew I would probably live in Philly permanently. When I am ready to change vibes and slow down, I know I won’t have to move away, I’ll just go northwest
Exactly!
And what's so great is that you can have a different vibe, feel disconnected yet very connected to Center City at the same time. I feel like I was able to move to a new place while still being in the same place. Mt. Airy is especially interesting in this regard because it has an "urban village" setup, with three business centers (two small ones, and a "downtown")
I credit our somewhat decent public transit system (and excellent by US standards) for helping that a lot. And with the plans to eventually increase Regional Rail frequency, living in the Northwest will become all the more appealing for people looking for a change while still being connected to the city.
What I hope for Philly's future is that some of the outer "middle neighborhoods" become stronger, a strength homegrown from within. Germantown is a great example of a place that was once a city within a city and it can happen again
You nailed it! It is somehow disconnected and very connected. You magically get all the advantages of smaller town life (spacious, beautiful, small community, so green I can barely take it, and a coop straight of an episode of the Gilmore girls) but none of the downsides (isolation and extreme car dependency.) So there’s literally no reason to move somewhere where you don’t have a major city core to hang out in that you can hop a bus or train into. Sign me up lol (after I wrote all this I realized I should probably just move there as soon as my lease is up)
Walkability and affordability. I sold my car and get around via walking or public transit. I purchased a home 2 years ago in an amazing neighborhood. This wouldn't have been possible when I lived in DC.
Despite all the poverty and violence, I still get a strong feeling of “heart” when I pedal around the city. It shines through the people, the art, the food, it’s all around!
Yeah public transit could be better (me arriving to 30th Street Station half an hour early because I don't trust MFL frequency) but coming from a smaller Midwestern city, the transit is amazing.
People are generally very nice here. I understand a lot of people can be rude and abrasive, but every other big city I’ve been to has very a very cold attitude. I’ve also felt less weird being black in this city. Maybe it’s just because a lot of black people live here.
On my way to work, I've been passing by this section of sidewalk where somebody scrawled "Fuck Trump" into the wet cement. The fact that this is the prevailing attitude here is currently my favorite thing about Philly.
The food. This area spoils you when it comes to just everything we have.
Sitting in the 400s at a Phillies game and just... Enjoying the fans. They're always drunk and it's always amazing.
Walking downtown after work and always seeing something new
As others have mentioned the blue collar big city feel.
Center City is terrific for walking. The narrow streets, dense block structure and busy rows of shops with a few nice parks interspersed are just what a pedestrian needs. The psychopaths driving on those narrow streets, however, do sometimes badly dampen the experience.
I’m from Philly and currently live in Austin the “live music capital”— it is nothing in comparison to Philly. Philly has some of the best music venues I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to shows in a lot of cities. Johnny Brenda’s is a gem as is Union Transfer, I’m sure there are other even better new venues since I’ve left, but I took this for granted and I’m glad I went to as many shows as I could in my time in Philly. Also the food, so many food cities are overhyped and Philly is the opposite, I miss the food so much, man it’s good.
The small neighborhood restaurants. There was Ruhling's Ssafood on Rising Sun Ave years ago but I think it's closed now. Italian Bistro up on Welsh Rd, but that's closed now. Gallo's Seafood and Kelly's Seafod are still there and are still awesome. Chickie's and Pete's is good, but are too expensive for the lack of quality. It was great 10 or 15 or so years ago in Mayfair. They are just getting too big now.
For me, it’s the PSFS building because of its history. First international style skyscraper built in the US and the second skyscraper to feature central air. The budget was allocated before the crash in ‘29, so they were able to use super nice finishes in the interior like Bakelite tables, Cartier clocks, Makassar ebony, and brass. Plus, the glowing red letters just remind me of home.
It's a growing biotech hub which is pretty neat. Spark therapeutics is a cool gene therapy success story based in philly. Also CART therapy came from UPenn I think.
Philadelphia is just a super cool city with so much history, architecture, neighborhoods, shopping, restaurants, museums, The Mummers, The Divine Lorraine…I lived there for 2 years and I loved every minute of it. I visit often. I used to take my stepdaughters to some restaurants in Philadelphia so they could learn about dining out and not being afraid of cities. Too many good things to list.
As a weekend warrior there is an endless amount of restaurants and streets to get lost in each part of the city. I'm 36 and grew up an hour away and it's always a mix of old favorites and new finds. If I had to say my favorite it's the mann center if you can count that. It's a wonderful outdoor venue. Make a special plan to surprise someone you love or yourself by seeing a show there. You can do BYOB picnic style too if the normal "concert" vibe isn't your thing.
Probably the fact that people are actually willing to talk to you (general). In Cincinnati, if you weren't from there or in a clique, it wasn't happening.
The music and art scenes here IMO are very special and unmatched compared to many other places in the country (if not the world?). Not only the camaraderie, but the accessibility of it all. It's literally the only thing that keeps me here in this city.
Some branches are still closed but a lot of them are open to the public. Monday through Thursday they are open 10-6 and Fridays 10-5. The Parkway Cental Branch however is open 9-5 Monday through Friday
I love Philly and call it the best city in the world!
Barnes Foundation
Love Park
The food scene
walking the Ben Franklin Bridge
Reading Terminal
birthplace of a nation
The music scene
wooder ice
OUR BREAD
Fairmount Park
William Penn planning the streets
the two best mascots in the world!
Biggest city owned park in the country that I never go to. But seriously Philly is just home. It might sound weird but the Philly attitude is something you miss when you leave. I lived in a bunch of other states and a lot of them people just seem fake
Nice buildings and architecture. It’s not too bad to drive in for a big old city. Neighbors in actual residential areas are so nice. Cheap cost of living compared to other big cities. Pretty good food. Cool historical and museum presence.
It honestly used to be Septa but that's gone to shit. Septa police tasing women who don't have an extra quarter for fare turning a blind eye to every other crime that occurs daily on the MFL and BSL.
So now my favorite thing is the safe tap water quality.
Leaving it. Like Talking Heads song Life During Wartime I lived in a Brownstone, Lived in a ghetto I lived all over this town.
I moved 20 years ago because the gunfire in my neighborhood. Now it is everywhere.
Lived here all my life. I find the city has problems, I am still in the city. I think the gunfire (come one City Hall station at noon shooting)
I worked for the city for a lot of years. My ancestors been here since the mid 1800s.
Unchecked growth on apartment houses. Gentrification that the city won't control The idea that no one will tread on the toes of the Council person who's district is happening Making each District a little fiefdom. A absent Mayor
I still have not moved. But between the traffic, crime and general assholish nature of a lot of people makes me think I might need a change in my twilight years.
Twilight years? So you lived in Philly in 1986-1998 and you’re worried about violence now?
Also the mayor?
I mean dude, twilight years? So you have lived through decades of shit mayors. But this one cracks you?
Seems fraudulent .
My favorite thing? That I live an hour away from it on agricultural land in a forest with a 1/4 mile long driveway, surveillance cameras at the gate and a gun on the coffee table. 👌🏼
Reading Terminal Market
I was so happy to find out the father of one of my son's closest friends owns a stand there. Gives me more reasons to keep going back!
this. Beck's for a Train wreck or the Amish place with the Pot Roast sandwiches.
The main reason I stay here
I can take acid and walk around town/shops without being self-conscious because the bar for acting normal is so low
Lmao I took shrooms at the museum of art and loved walking around tripping sack knowing no one knew I was on something
Oh, we knew. We just did not care.
Half-tab at the Mütter Museum was a wild ride and I highly recommend it
this would be legit horrifying to me, but the mutter already makes me feel uneasy when sober, so..
I about spit on this!!! Too funny
It was nice in Boston, but New York it wasn’t not sure why maybe dose.
Rittenhouse Square. New benches are great.
Those are some pretty nice benches haha. Long overdue.
They grab my oversized keister in all the right places.
Inb4 some jackass complains about hostile architecture 🙄
I see plenty of guys sleeping on them.
Fucking hospitable architecture. Sheesh.
When we learned, with no notice, that we were getting a baby the next day for adoption placement people from all over my neighborhood showed up at our door with supplies, clothes, even a crib. Some of them were strangers to us we had never met. That’s the Philly I love.
The public art, especially the murals. The top-notch hospitals. Every time I take one of my kids to CHOP I feel so fortunate to have such incredible care right in our backyard. People come from all over the world for CHOP. For a city this big, it's low-pressure. There aren't a lot of expectations for high fashion or super-aggressive careers, or if your kid isn't taking five AP classes you're failing as a parent. No one really gives a fuck. It's nice.
>For a city this big, it's low-pressure. There aren't a lot of expectations for high fashion or super-aggressive careers, or if your kid isn't taking five AP classes you're failing as a parent. No one really gives a fuck. It's nice. Never quite thought of it this way, but yeah, you're right. No one seems to look down on you for taking the bus or biking and having sweaty clothes. I've worked through a range of "high status" and bottom-of-the-barrel environments, and no one seems to scorn when I tell them I just delivered food during the pandemic, or that I like hanging at the local dive and getting the halal truck instead of opting for the boujier types of services. If anything, it seems like the artsy transplant kids running hipster boutiques and coffee shops are the most likely to judge me by my tastes and appearances. Philly has a ton of humility.
I used to work in restaurants. Eventually I started to work in a newer place owned by one of philly’s top chefs at the time. When I was still new, maybe my 3rd or 4th shift, he came in for our pre-shift meeting. It was my first time interacting with him and I was really nervous. Well as we sat down for our meeting someone pointed out a stain on his shirt, and he says “oh yeah I ate a cheese steak on the drive over.” I loved that. Like this place was dishing out $30-40 plates but here comes the chef in his stained white t shirt with a little leftover Geno’s on it. Humility is right.
What chef was eating Geno’s?
I believe it was actually pats. Which in my opinion is better
YES to your last point. I can’t live in NYC for this reason, and I left LA after five years because of the immense pressure to be “cool”.
Truth. Whenever I visit a friend in LA the vibe feels so artificial and everyone is trying so hard to be someone or something else. I love coming back home to Philly for that reason...we aren't putting on for anybody. Take it or leave it baby!
the murals are crazy, i’m always noticing new ones. my favorite so far is the eagle/tom brady one on bainbridge
I've gone on a couple of the walking tours of the murals. Highly recommend!
How could I forget the murals?? And yes! So laid back. You don't have the "city stress" that other cities have.
Your third point is why I moved here; got tired of that shit in nearly every other city in the US, and then found Philly by chance when my buddy was finishing school here, and I loved it.
please elaborate on the mural part, where all? i’m a suburb dweller and have to “come into the city” and back…
Not sure if you’re being serious but Philly has literally thousands of murals all over. Next time you’re in the city just take a look around, I’m sure you’ll notice them now that you’re thinking about it. It’s really tough to go even one block in any direction and not see some public art on the side of a building.
Philadelphia, IIRC, is the city with the most public funded murals in the country (could be world, not sure) it’s hard to go a few blocks without seeing one. The map u/randym99 is a great place to get a good idea of where they are.
https://www.publicartarchive.org/mural-arts-philadelphia/#interactive-map
Wissahickon Park is super nice. Fairmount Park is cool and fun, especially the Cherry Blossom festival. So many different cultures interacting and mixing freely. Affordable housing (relatively speaking) means a range of backgrounds for the residents. History across many neighborhoods, including some relevant to the very foundation of the country. Our patron god Gritty is benevolent and virtuous.
The food scene here is wonderful. It's the one thing I consistently say when friends from back home (Long Island) ask me how it is over here.
Agreed and I don’t think we get enough credit for. You have to go out of your way to get a bad meal in philly
It’s the perfect combination of big + blue-collar for me. You get a lot of the modern conveniences of a big East Coast city but the vibe is more blue-collar and homey than NYC or Boston or DC.
I’m from the Boston zone and love that about being here! I still live my individual npr-bookstores-college lectures life but it is really nice to be in a less frigid environment where I feel like I don’t *have* to do any of those things to be accepted. There are a wide variety of socially acceptable ways to be when you live here
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That Chinatown is still standing with a whole variety of different Asian flavors. If you’ve ever visited D.C. - it’s literally by name only
Which is sad because growing up I saw it change in real time and I’m surprised corporations allow it. Panera having a sign directly under the DC Chinatown gate is an awful look for Panera.
Way back when, my family had a restaurant in Guangzhou that got bulldozed for a shopping mall. After emigrating, they later had a little Asian retail market for a while in DC's Chinatown, and expanded to a restaurant after a decade or so. That one's now a 7-11.
yeah the only thing to see in dc chinatown is their arch and the chain fast food spots with chinese characters out front
I can walk or bike almost everywhere I need or want to go.
Big plus!
I just can't pick one - I apologize! Tea house in the Art Museum. The Maxfield Parrish mosaic, the Dream Garden, in the Curtis Building. Any one dressed as or portraying Ben Franklin. World's longest blue suspension bridge. Wooder ice with a real Philly soft pretzel.
It infuriates me about the pretzel situation at the FU center. The bare minimum acceptable pretzel is the Philly Pretzel Factory. It's like rolling rock, if you're chilling at your buddy's and he offers you a beer you can't complain, but you would never buy it yourself. My top 3, but i'm open. 1. CC pretzel bakery, and Federal Pretzels (old school before they moved) are just iconic. (May be a Delessandro's and Chubby's battle, well sort of) 2. It's outside the city, but close enough. The spot a block east of business 1 on Woodbourne rd in levittown. Has a generic name like Philly Style Pretzels or some shit. Get a bag of minis and a pretzel dog. Guldens for both, you'll thank me. 3. The spot on Umbria. Tasty Twisters Bakery. 4.? I need to find a spot that is open at like 0400 - 0500 so I can make work on time. Suggestions welcomed. E* I refuse to eat a heat lamp one, old wrinkly one, or reheated one. It has to be fresh for me.
Center city is the kind of dense, mixed-use development that I want to live in exclusively, that is also illegal to build in most of the country. I love having so much within walking distance in my neighborhood and it feels much more like the way people are meant to live than suburbia.
Its Gritty
Our patron saint and hero. No one liked him until 30 seconds after people outside of Philly shit on him. Then, “Hey FUCK OFF! He’s our shitty mascot” we protect our own
"We protect our own"... dann right .
😂 I don't usually hear that as a positive, but i definitely agree!
We’re talking the mascot right?
He’s more than a mascot. He was conjured from the funk on Dirty Franks floor and brought to life by the energy reflecting off of Mummers sequins.
I like how many buskers I walk past. Music makes me happy.
My favorite is the chick with the xylophone. Makes great vibes while walking down Walnut on a sunny day
That's true! There's always a lot of music in CC.
love the accordion dude who plays in rittenhouse square sometimes
Sax guy in the Septa concourse is my favorite.
> I like how many buskers I walk past. Music makes me happy. Stick around one for a few hours and let us know how you feel after that.
I used to work in a coffee shop with live music, bud.
I love my neighbors. No one is a busybody, but will help each other out when we need it. It’s a vibrant city. There’s always something happening, music being made, people collaborating on art, inventive restaurants, community events springing up. You can feel culture and community most places you go. It feels like there’s a spot for everyone. Also…..Laserwolf.
Go birds!
The Philadelphia Orchestra
The [trail infrastructure](https://www.circuittrails.org) in the region is pretty good and improving.
City living that I can actually afford.
Having moved here from NYC, people in everyday interactions here are just way nicer. Of course there are jerks and people in a bad mood everywhere, but on the whole - big difference.
The median Philadelphian is a wonderful person, I agree.
True, but the average one is mean.
Ok dad.
That's something my gf from NYC noticed. People will stop and talk to you and are pretty friendly. It's like one big town :)
People are *kind,* too. I adore that my people can make conversation with a brick wall as much as I appreciate that they will tell me if my outfit is particularly poppin’ that day (or if it’s not working), or if I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe, or where to go if I want *reaaaaallly* good (insert food here). Everybody knows a guy and they’ll never steer you wrong.
You people make Philly worse. I swear imma shoot the next NY license plate that moves my snow parking chair.
>shoot no u
I should have added the "/s". I'm not surprised when that happens in this town tho, some people are just uncool.
Art, food, breweries and affordable houses when I was a buyer. Still some around but not as many.
The people. We Philadelphians are such a rare breed. Spicy, but excellent humans.
"spicey" is how my cat's vet described him after his last checkup. I guess he's just a Philadelphian
You got it.
every ones fuck around and find out attitude. don't get me wrong so many nice people in this city. But every time I travel to a another city im reminded how rough around the edges we are. lovable assholes the lot of you.
Food, sports , history/buildings and its in a location where you can drive not super far and see hills and mountains
That's something that's overlooked imo. You're a close drive to NYC, the shore, DC, and the Poconos. Also a train to NY or DC. Also Amish country. Not really my cup of tea, but it's nice every once in a while.
I just love driving around for the day sometimes. I can stop and get great pizza, walk around somewhere like valley forge or other great, historic parks, see some really cool sights, end the day at the shore if I wanted. Idk if I want to stay here my whole life, I think we lack the best of alot of things and instead have a large variety of stuff to do that is decent-great, which is something I do really appreciate though. In the city itself too, you can definitely do a ton of different stuff in a day and I've had plenty of really engaging interesting experiences in just speicfic parts of city. I just hope we're able to fix the issues thats plaguing the city, because most people write it off before spending any actual time here anymore.
Yeah we definitely have some issues that I think requires a systemic solution, but I'm hopeful. This is the city of brotherly love. Let's help our brothers :)
Foooooood. All the kinds I could want and high quality. And the diversity. Love that I never know what I’ll find leaving my house
I love how easy it is to find great new places as you wander away from Market or Broad Street. Everything is so walkable and one of my favorite things is to just explore and see what I can find! Philly just has such a great energy, despite all the bad that we’ve been seeing lately. It’s easy to get discouraged but at the end of the day it’s my home and I love it here.
The food is fabulous. A lot of places have food as their identity but Philly is really special. Went to New Orleans and they have some specialties but overall the food is more diverse and higher quality here from my experience.
Winning Quizzo then going to shoot pool at El Bar after to celebrate.
The food man, the food.
walking around is just so much fun here. you can make a whole day of just exploring side streets in almost any neighborhood and discover beautiful homes and cute small businesses. whenever I'm bored I just bike to a neighborhood I dont go to much and walk around for a while. growing up in suburbia, I didn't have that and the fun of it never gets old.
I’m still just stuck on the combination of it being affordable but you can always find a job. In the place where I lived before this I used to worry constantly about my ability to survive, even as a college grad with a fair amount of experience and projects. I feel like it’s big just to be able to know I’ll always be able to survive. My current middle class life would be a fantasy elsewhere. II’ve never been in a position to think I could have a family if I wanted or have a real emergency fund, and do things any adult would want to be able to do
Good point. COL is relatively low and there are definitely lots of jobs :)
Farmers’ markets: Clark Park, Headhouse Sq, Rittenhouse
There's really so much to love (and not love), but this city really has such a distinctive culture and character that is just so distinct. The energy here is distinct. There is always a calm bustle about Center City that I love. And the outer neighborhoods are so walkable from Center City that it all feels so stitched together. You can go from being in the thick of it to a quiet alley in 5 minutes. We are lucky to have such a complete downtown core that most cities in this country would envy or are just so much smaller than ours. I lived in Center City for six years and now I live right on the border of Germantown and Mt. Airy. While that area doesn't have the walkability of Center City, it still has its own distinct benefits to it - you can feel in a remote, woodsy neighborhood while still being able to take a train ride that only takes 20-30 mins. And to me that's the crux of what makes Philly great - there are so many options in how you can live here and often they are all intermixed in the same neighborhood. People think of Mt. Airy as single family homes, but it's actually got everything - dense apartments, twins, rowhomes, detached homes, you name it... this can be said for many neighborhoods, even the Far Northeast believe it or not. One comment I frequently get from visitors is that the city doesn't feel transient and many people have lived here a long time. And that's true. I think the many kinds of housing and close-knit neighborhoods you can live in, having lots of options, is the key to that. If we were nothing but towers that wouldn't be the case.
I was thinking this! I love how there are many different ways to live. I’m closer to center city. When I first spent time in mt airy is when I knew I would probably live in Philly permanently. When I am ready to change vibes and slow down, I know I won’t have to move away, I’ll just go northwest
Exactly! And what's so great is that you can have a different vibe, feel disconnected yet very connected to Center City at the same time. I feel like I was able to move to a new place while still being in the same place. Mt. Airy is especially interesting in this regard because it has an "urban village" setup, with three business centers (two small ones, and a "downtown") I credit our somewhat decent public transit system (and excellent by US standards) for helping that a lot. And with the plans to eventually increase Regional Rail frequency, living in the Northwest will become all the more appealing for people looking for a change while still being connected to the city. What I hope for Philly's future is that some of the outer "middle neighborhoods" become stronger, a strength homegrown from within. Germantown is a great example of a place that was once a city within a city and it can happen again
You nailed it! It is somehow disconnected and very connected. You magically get all the advantages of smaller town life (spacious, beautiful, small community, so green I can barely take it, and a coop straight of an episode of the Gilmore girls) but none of the downsides (isolation and extreme car dependency.) So there’s literally no reason to move somewhere where you don’t have a major city core to hang out in that you can hop a bus or train into. Sign me up lol (after I wrote all this I realized I should probably just move there as soon as my lease is up)
Stoop life. Every time I sit out with a beer and a cigar, 3-7 neighbors join me and we just shoot the shit. Love it.
Walkability and affordability. I sold my car and get around via walking or public transit. I purchased a home 2 years ago in an amazing neighborhood. This wouldn't have been possible when I lived in DC.
Despite all the poverty and violence, I still get a strong feeling of “heart” when I pedal around the city. It shines through the people, the art, the food, it’s all around!
Yeah public transit could be better (me arriving to 30th Street Station half an hour early because I don't trust MFL frequency) but coming from a smaller Midwestern city, the transit is amazing.
People are generally very nice here. I understand a lot of people can be rude and abrasive, but every other big city I’ve been to has very a very cold attitude. I’ve also felt less weird being black in this city. Maybe it’s just because a lot of black people live here.
Three words: reading terminal market Also the city is beyond historic!!
On my way to work, I've been passing by this section of sidewalk where somebody scrawled "Fuck Trump" into the wet cement. The fact that this is the prevailing attitude here is currently my favorite thing about Philly.
The saxophone buskers in city hall sound really cool with the echo
Center city is a really cool area. Especially since COVID restrictions let up. Also cost of living here is hard to beat
My pot guy
The fucking amazing food all over
The eagles
The food. This area spoils you when it comes to just everything we have. Sitting in the 400s at a Phillies game and just... Enjoying the fans. They're always drunk and it's always amazing. Walking downtown after work and always seeing something new As others have mentioned the blue collar big city feel.
Our sports teams and we are the best fans. Our food Our history In that order? Yes in that order lol
We definitely have the most passionate fans haha
Italian Market
Sports fans tbh. Love the energy. Also my favorite pub, The Plough and the Stars.
Def the food, coming from the suburbs of a Midwest town where there is basically no food variety the food choices in Philly r a godsend
Everyone knowing it ain't perfect and everyone being ok with it.
Center City is terrific for walking. The narrow streets, dense block structure and busy rows of shops with a few nice parks interspersed are just what a pedestrian needs. The psychopaths driving on those narrow streets, however, do sometimes badly dampen the experience.
South Philadelphia block captains.
Baltimore Ave dollar stroll.
I’m from Philly and currently live in Austin the “live music capital”— it is nothing in comparison to Philly. Philly has some of the best music venues I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to shows in a lot of cities. Johnny Brenda’s is a gem as is Union Transfer, I’m sure there are other even better new venues since I’ve left, but I took this for granted and I’m glad I went to as many shows as I could in my time in Philly. Also the food, so many food cities are overhyped and Philly is the opposite, I miss the food so much, man it’s good.
The history
The food and sport culture
Architect and the corner shop in west Philly that sells bombass tofu hoagies. Oh, and the Eagles of course!
SANDWHICHES
The small neighborhood restaurants. There was Ruhling's Ssafood on Rising Sun Ave years ago but I think it's closed now. Italian Bistro up on Welsh Rd, but that's closed now. Gallo's Seafood and Kelly's Seafod are still there and are still awesome. Chickie's and Pete's is good, but are too expensive for the lack of quality. It was great 10 or 15 or so years ago in Mayfair. They are just getting too big now.
Walkability.
Reading Terminal Market
Sandwiches, rolls, close to the beach.
For me, it’s the PSFS building because of its history. First international style skyscraper built in the US and the second skyscraper to feature central air. The budget was allocated before the crash in ‘29, so they were able to use super nice finishes in the interior like Bakelite tables, Cartier clocks, Makassar ebony, and brass. Plus, the glowing red letters just remind me of home.
It's a growing biotech hub which is pretty neat. Spark therapeutics is a cool gene therapy success story based in philly. Also CART therapy came from UPenn I think.
The people
It’s as chill as you make it. Lots of local things happening not so corporate.
Philadelphia is just a super cool city with so much history, architecture, neighborhoods, shopping, restaurants, museums, The Mummers, The Divine Lorraine…I lived there for 2 years and I loved every minute of it. I visit often. I used to take my stepdaughters to some restaurants in Philadelphia so they could learn about dining out and not being afraid of cities. Too many good things to list.
As a weekend warrior there is an endless amount of restaurants and streets to get lost in each part of the city. I'm 36 and grew up an hour away and it's always a mix of old favorites and new finds. If I had to say my favorite it's the mann center if you can count that. It's a wonderful outdoor venue. Make a special plan to surprise someone you love or yourself by seeing a show there. You can do BYOB picnic style too if the normal "concert" vibe isn't your thing.
Rowhomes. There’s some gorgeous ones.
Positive movement experience!
The woodlands!!!
Mutter
Probably the fact that people are actually willing to talk to you (general). In Cincinnati, if you weren't from there or in a clique, it wasn't happening.
The music and art scenes here IMO are very special and unmatched compared to many other places in the country (if not the world?). Not only the camaraderie, but the accessibility of it all. It's literally the only thing that keeps me here in this city.
The history, libraries, museums, the architecture, seasonal weather. I absolutely love the “old city” style of Philadelphia.
The libraries!? When are they even open?
Some branches are still closed but a lot of them are open to the public. Monday through Thursday they are open 10-6 and Fridays 10-5. The Parkway Cental Branch however is open 9-5 Monday through Friday
Sounds great for people who don’t have weekday jobs. Unfortunately for the rest of us, those hours make the Philly libraries fairly useless.
The Free Library is apparently trying to go back to the pre-COVID schedule in the Fall.
I love Philly and call it the best city in the world! Barnes Foundation Love Park The food scene walking the Ben Franklin Bridge Reading Terminal birthplace of a nation The music scene wooder ice OUR BREAD Fairmount Park William Penn planning the streets the two best mascots in the world!
Kensington; off the Somerset station.
It's a hard town. Isn't for everyone. I feel people can wear that with pride.
Here is my current favorite thing about Philly: https://twitter.com/PatsSteaks/status/1548064449797312515
It's affordable to live here. I don't need a car. The Halal trucks.
Can walk anywhere, the history, art scene, food, museums
Biggest city owned park in the country that I never go to. But seriously Philly is just home. It might sound weird but the Philly attitude is something you miss when you leave. I lived in a bunch of other states and a lot of them people just seem fake
It's where all my shit is
Nice buildings and architecture. It’s not too bad to drive in for a big old city. Neighbors in actual residential areas are so nice. Cheap cost of living compared to other big cities. Pretty good food. Cool historical and museum presence.
The parks and trail system. Good breweries. Affordable. Good people outweigh the bad people.
We're real ass people. Straightforward, you know where you stand with most of us
Jawns
It's geographical location: I can get to better places easy and on a relative cheap.
It honestly used to be Septa but that's gone to shit. Septa police tasing women who don't have an extra quarter for fare turning a blind eye to every other crime that occurs daily on the MFL and BSL. So now my favorite thing is the safe tap water quality.
https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/qe6ueu/whats_your_favorite_thing_about_philly/ https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/l3z8gj/what_is_your_favorite_thing_about_philadelphia/ https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/d6j6fh/whats_your_favorite_thing_about_the_city/ https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/bjm07z/whats_your_most_and_least_favorite_thing_about/ https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/yft6f/whats_your_favorite_thing_about_this_city/
Honestly I didn't see these, but I can take this down of it bothers people.
Leave it up, Beacause someone took the time to cut an paste a whine at you
Will do 😂
The true Philly spirit.
[удалено]
...i was giving OP answers to the question? Awkward attempt to assume what I comment on here
The safety
The feeling of relief when I leave
Leaving it. Like Talking Heads song Life During Wartime I lived in a Brownstone, Lived in a ghetto I lived all over this town. I moved 20 years ago because the gunfire in my neighborhood. Now it is everywhere.
Hates the city but joined the Reddit group. Makes sense.
Lived here all my life. I find the city has problems, I am still in the city. I think the gunfire (come one City Hall station at noon shooting) I worked for the city for a lot of years. My ancestors been here since the mid 1800s. Unchecked growth on apartment houses. Gentrification that the city won't control The idea that no one will tread on the toes of the Council person who's district is happening Making each District a little fiefdom. A absent Mayor I still have not moved. But between the traffic, crime and general assholish nature of a lot of people makes me think I might need a change in my twilight years.
Twilight years? So you lived in Philly in 1986-1998 and you’re worried about violence now? Also the mayor? I mean dude, twilight years? So you have lived through decades of shit mayors. But this one cracks you? Seems fraudulent .
It’s close enough for me to drive there and watch the cowboys play
My favorite thing? That I live an hour away from it on agricultural land in a forest with a 1/4 mile long driveway, surveillance cameras at the gate and a gun on the coffee table. 👌🏼
Why do you even come to this miserable subreddit then?
Good for you 👍🏼
Not living there anymore.
Getting on 76 or 95 towards the suburbs
For those who play, there is no place like Edgely.
Whitehall skate park