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I live in upstate New York and I know very few people who ever goes to Philly. It seems like everyone I know loves New York and/or Boston. I personally like Philly very much but it definitely takes a back seat to New York and Boston where I live. Between all that New York offers and the beauty of Boston(and New England), Philly just seems to get forgotten. But like I said I really like Philly, right behind Boston and New York.
I think for many people, Philadelphia does have a perception problem that goes back several decades. The 1980s and '90s were a bad time for the city. During those decades, the population continued its decline; the infamous MOVE bombing took place in West Philly; the city's severe financial problems worsened; the Chestnut Street transit mall failed; City Hall tower was wrapped in scaffolding for years due to lack of funds to finish restoration; the streets of Center City were strewn with trash (hence the sobriquet "Filthadelphia"), and on and on. Philadelphia seemed then to be the poster child for the decline and fall of the great American city. Philadelphia has improved greatly since then, but unfortunately old negative perceptions die hard especially amongst those who have not visited here in a while.
When I moved from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia, people down there looked at me like I was crazy. Why on earth would I retire from warm, sunny South Florida to cold, dreary "Filthadelphia"? I tried to explain my move--an auto-free life style, proximity to world class visual and performing arts, great medical facilities; beautiful neighborhoods; amazing history, comparatively low rents, etc.---but most weren't buying it and none believed I'd stay in Philly for more than a year. Well, I've lived in Center City for 15-years now and I love it more than ever. The improvements that are continuing to take place in the city are nothing short of amazing, and IMO there is nothing in urban America to compare with the grand vistas up and down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway between City Hall and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
I suspect many who visit Philadelphia today leave town with a much better perception of the city than what they had when they arrived.
Good post.
When they get done renovating Market East and the Gallery in a couple years Philladelphia will take a huge step forward. Such a big project for the future of Center City.
The dreary condition of Market East and the Gallery was such a black eye to an otherwise great downtown.
The construction phase alone has improved the area 100% by sweeping away the old elements .
It does have a bad reputation and that is why the Philadelphia forumers defend it vigorously. But honestly when you look at or read the news the last few things I read or saw were curfew for kids, kids attacking people on the subway, one of the highest poverty rates in the country, homicides, dog and rooster fighting. My co-worker's brother was here visiting from Philadelphia and the first thing out of his mouth was, 'it's not Philadelphia, it's Killadelphia. I honestly don't think I've ever seen anything positive on tv about Philadelphia. All cities have problems but Philadelphia needs to shake off the negative image that seems to never go away.
When I moved from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia, people down there looked at me like I was crazy. Why on earth would I retire from warm, sunny South Florida to cold, dreary "Filthadelphia"?
What's funny is, Philadelphia isn't even that cold, all things considered. Among other major U.S. cities, its climate appears to be most similar to St. Louis, which doesn't really have a reputation for cold weather. The average winter high and low temperatures and annual precipitation are very close between the two cities, and the average summer high and low temperatures are only marginally higher in St. Louis (89°F versus 87°F in July), though that average has probably been skewed higher over time by dry heat waves originating in either Texas or the Sonoran Desert that push the temperatures into the upper 100s and the 110s, while heat waves in Philadelphia get modified by both their proximity to the ocean and their distance from Texas and the Sonoran Desert, and thus have temperatures limited to the mid-100s at the highest. Similarly, Philadelphia averages slightly more snow per winter than St. Louis (22" versus 17"), though that average has been skewed higher over time by coastal blizzards tapping into the Gulf Stream. Regardless of these minor differences, you're much more likely to experience temperatures of 100°F or hotter than 0°F or colder in Philadelphia.
1. I've never known Philly to have a bad image, certainly not the worst of cities aroumd the country. The negativity I've heard about Philly is not substantial. Most people either love it there or regard it neutrally; there is a smaller minority of people who actually hate or bash Philly. It's image problem is it's location between more popular cities, that's all, so maybe it's overlooked, but in my experience, much more people love Philly than hate it...
2. Western New York is a subregion of Upstate New York. They aren't seperate. And in real life, Rochesterians consider themselves Upstaters (Westerners as well); you can fit two descriptives at the same time...
It's definitely near the top of the list. Philadelphia doesn't get nearly the credit deserves. People get caught up on metrics like growth rate and median income, but that doesn't really speak to lived experience. Low (or high) median income doesn't impact you if have a middle class career. You think a teacher, accountant or doctor has a higher standard of living in Seattle than Philly? Nope. Growth rate doesn't matter because Philly has the amenities of a top-5 city.
I honestly don't think I've ever seen anything positive on tv about Philadelphia.
Except perhaps the the pope's visit in the fall of 2015, the DNC convention last summer or the NFL draft this spring. Good for you, however: you clearly don't waste your time watching tv.
I think Philly has some bad perception but I think what effects it more negatively is neutral perception. "Happening" cities always have people talking about them, good, bad, or otherwise. You see this in regards to NYC or LA, to a lesser extent in cities like Chicago and San Fran, and in a certain way with DC (Boston in a limited way as well). Philly is kind of on the edge of being one of those "it" cities in terms of image so it's more crucial imo for the city to become more of a constant talking point than fixing a negative perception that is often overstated.
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