Philadelphia Culture

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 2021, here is what Philadelphia actually looked like:

Is this what you imagined Philadelphia looks like?

Kensington is a pretty raw place, but I am sure you can find such places in any large N. American post-industrial city. Just as you can go your whole life never venturing into Anacostia and never seeing its poverty and violence, you can do the same in Philadelphia. I've no reason to go to Kensington. I am sorry it is there, but its very existence says more about America and its disposable attitude towards people and things than it does about Philly.

The city is run by Democrats for generations now. They are interested to keep these people in this condition. There is no future there. It is much worse than any N. American post-industrial city.

Based on an objective analysis? Please provide the facts. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 2021, here is what Philadelphia actually looked like:

Is this what you imagined Philadelphia looks like?

Kensington is a pretty raw place, but I am sure you can find such places in any large N. American post-industrial city. Just as you can go your whole life never venturing into Anacostia and never seeing its poverty and violence, you can do the same in Philadelphia. I've no reason to go to Kensington. I am sorry it is there, but its very existence says more about America and its disposable attitude towards people and things than it does about Philly.

The city is run by Democrats for generations now. They are interested to keep these people in this condition. There is no future there. It is much worse than any N. American post-industrial city.

How exactly are Republicans helping those people? How are they lifting them up out of poverty and addressing their mental health issues?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son and DIL live just outside Philly. They hate everything about it and are counting the days until they move. We have visited them several times and I have to say, I totally understand why they want to leave. It’s a pretty awful place.

which town?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's an interesting city. We lived there briefly and my grandfather grew up in Philadelphia so we had cousins there as well, although everyone seems to have moved away by this point.

My observation of Philadelphia is that it's a city time passed. It hit its prime circa 1900, remained one of the great American cities into the 1950s, and ever since then it's faded into a rather overlooked, often forgotten city in a quiet part of the country (despite the location on the Bos-Was corridor), living primarily off past glories. As a consequence, it's fairly static and filled with the old social-cultural dynamics of the past. It seemed like everyone we met in our time in Philadelphia was from Philadelphia or the surrounding region, and already had entrenched social networks of family and friends and very few outsiders. And there are rigid social barriers between the different subcultural groups. The WASPS of Chestnut Hill and the Mainline live a world unto themselves, the South Philadelphia Italians also live a world unto themselves. There's a big working class Irish heritage presence as well. Even the "newcomers" seem to join the city's scene by repeating the same dynamics. The Vietnamese in South Philadelphia, the Russians and Latinos in the far Northeast. A lot of working class pride that was ridiculous at times but there's also tremendous cultural resources and quiet and aloof gentry pride too. Philadelphia is *old* in ways you don't even see in New York, which is nearly as old.

Center City is delightful and there are great neighborhoods with stunning architecture. My grandfather grew up in one of the big stone houses on the border between Mount Airy and Chestnut Hill and we used to cycle around Chestnut Hill, Mount Airy and Germantown, marveling at the great architecture, and as a child I remember visiting cousins who had restored a house in Society Hill, another fabulous area. There's also enormous stretches of deprived neighborhood too, including some sad once lovely neighborhoods with big old houses going to ruin.

All in all, it's a great city to live in, but it's also hard for someone from the outside to move in and find friends.

My family has deep roots in Philadelphia - more than 150 years since arrival from Ireland and England - and I spent a lot of time there and OCNJ. I absolutely love Philly for everything that Washington is not - it's working class vibe, the old buildings, the food, Fairmount Park. I would even move there. It's a place I would choose to live rather than have to love b/c my job is there. I still have two cousins and an uncle there - Center City, Ambler and Lansdale. Sadly, all else have died or moved away.

+1

It's a "real" city with a ton of character. I still have a ton of family there. And go to OCNJ every summer.

Sadly, my uncle sold his OCNJ property two years ago. It was the last family-owned property on the island, which is now becoming gentrified. It was a nice family place for summer vacations. We would spend the whole month of August there. I have pictures of my great-grandparents and grandparents before my father was born at the house in OCNJ. I have nothing but very good memories.

We still go back and hang out with the same beach friends each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 2021, here is what Philadelphia actually looked like:

Is this what you imagined Philadelphia looks like?

Kensington is a pretty raw place, but I am sure you can find such places in any large N. American post-industrial city. Just as you can go your whole life never venturing into Anacostia and never seeing its poverty and violence, you can do the same in Philadelphia. I've no reason to go to Kensington. I am sorry it is there, but its very existence says more about America and its disposable attitude towards people and things than it does about Philly.

The city is run by Democrats for generations now. They are interested to keep these people in this condition. There is no future there. It is much worse than any N. American post-industrial city.

Based on an objective analysis? Please provide the facts. Thank you.

The video isn’t enough? It is from 2021.

Doesn’t look like Anacostia to me.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, Philly sucks. I have family there and went OFTEN as a kid. The people I know from there are crazy racist and dislike everyone except Italians.

[Anonymous]

Well, I’m a Philly WASP and behind coded doors we admit that the Italians, the Irish, etc. are just interlopers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 2021, here is what Philadelphia actually looked like:

Is this what you imagined Philadelphia looks like?

Kensington is a pretty raw place, but I am sure you can find such places in any large N. American post-industrial city. Just as you can go your whole life never venturing into Anacostia and never seeing its poverty and violence, you can do the same in Philadelphia. I've no reason to go to Kensington. I am sorry it is there, but its very existence says more about America and its disposable attitude towards people and things than it does about Philly.

The city is run by Democrats for generations now. They are interested to keep these people in this condition. There is no future there. It is much worse than any N. American post-industrial city.

Based on an objective analysis? Please provide the facts. Thank you.

The video isn’t enough? It is from 2021.

Doesn’t look like Anacostia to me.

You said Philly is “worse than any post-industrial northern city.” How so? You provided a film clip of the horror that is Kensington, but that is one part of the city. Show me some stats of Philadelphia stacked against other peer cities before yiu mske a blanket statement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 2021, here is what Philadelphia actually looked like:

Is this what you imagined Philadelphia looks like?

Kensington is a pretty raw place, but I am sure you can find such places in any large N. American post-industrial city. Just as you can go your whole life never venturing into Anacostia and never seeing its poverty and violence, you can do the same in Philadelphia. I've no reason to go to Kensington. I am sorry it is there, but its very existence says more about America and its disposable attitude towards people and things than it does about Philly.

The city is run by Democrats for generations now. They are interested to keep these people in this condition. There is no future there. It is much worse than any N. American post-industrial city.

Exactly!!! This is the microcosm of the opioid epidemic in America. What are you doing to help Mr. “ruled by Democrats” complainer?



How exactly are Republicans helping those people? How are they lifting them up out of poverty and addressing their mental health issues?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Even the bougiest philly person loves Wawa and lets their philly flag fly when the Iggles won the Super Bowl.

+1. I certainly did.

Looking back, there needs to be a sociological book written about that night because Super Bowl night In philly was one of the very few times in American history where for a fleeting moment, there was no racial or class differences. Like it was a glimpse into a post racial post class society for a moment. Beautiful thing.

[Anonymous]

I am convinced the treatment plants and refineries have tainted the water supply and made all the residents crazy. Whatever you do, never marry a Philadelphian.

[Anonymous]

Well, I came back to check, and this thread got less fun.

I posted earlier - lots of family in Philly and I’m from Wilmington. One set of grandparents was in Conshohocken - it was pretty working class back then, but looks to be fancier now. I have great memories of walking to “the peanut factory” - which google tells me is still there! I loved that place.
https://edwardsfreeman.com/

Also the poster who said that Wilmington, Delaware is sort of in-bred was right-on. Every time I run into someone who turns out to be from Delaware we immediately and simultaneously ask each other “where did you go to high school?” It tells you A LOT about the person. I went to a lousy public school and you can almost see the tower hill/archmere/tatnall/Sanford school crew recoil (despite the fact that I turned out ok). My husband is from the west coast, and is fascinated by the weird and persistent tribalism exhibited by a bunch of 40-50 year olds. And most of my friends growing up stayed there - I live “far away”, by which I mean 2-3 hours away.

[Anonymous]

My toddler has this ABC print in their room just to keep it real!

https://www.philadelphiaindependents.com/shop/philly-abcs-print

[Anonymous]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE-pnM0Dt1M

[Anonymous]

Long live Philly Elmo

https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdrRKdj9/